From a angling perspective the practical value of spots in an ecosystem can be broken down into a few main components.
FIXED – Spots that hold fish at one time will always have the potential to either always hold fish or support populations of fish under select conditions. A spot that held bass in 1920 would be very likely to hold bass in 2010. This has more to do with the fixed position of structure like flats, islands, breaks, markers, underwater humps, shoals and such than anything having to do with calendar dates.
MAJOR SHIFT IN THE ECOLOGY – A significant shift in a major element like water quality, water depth, forage or algae (weed growth/types) can create a major changes in the way bass relate to the structure. Water levels rise and fall on Lake St. Clair in a 19 year cycle so spots will have more or less water on them at any given time. This season we have seen spots that haven’t been active for almost 15 years get active again. Other spots that fished strong in the shallow water years you would think fish better with more water over them but that hasn’t always been the case. The advent of zebra mussels and gobies have created an explosion of smallmouth bass where back in the day Lake St. Clair was known as big largemouth water.
TEMPORARY (Weekly or seasonal) CONDITIONS – The mayfly hatch would be one such temporary condition which cause bass to feed differently during that period. Some “spots” that typically hold fish that can be caught with conventional presentations can seem empty. By changing tactics and chasing the mayfly bite other patterns can be worked until the hatch period is over and those spots reload with summer bite fish. The normal cycles of pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, summer bite, fall transition and fall patterns affect how bass position on spots. One particular spot could be hot in the spring and fall but not so much in the summer. Another might only hold summer bass yet another may only hold pre-spawn bass.
An answer to monitoring the current levels of bass activity across the St. Clair River, St. Clair River Channels, Lake St. Clair and parts of the Detroit River could be to cover that water a couple of times a week to stay on top of changing conditions. Another option would be to access the Live! information given in Fishing Spot Specs™ and Marked Maps Live!™ Both services provide an overview of the system wherever my staff and I are at and will give you regular access to accurate information you can trust.
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(c) 2010 Wayne Carpenter
Capt. Wayne Carpenter's Bass to the Future 