Check out our $5 and Below sale at the Outdoorama this weekend! We got some great prices and are passing them along to you! Get them at the Xtreme Bass Tackle booth #5765.
Posts Tagged ‘smallmouth’
$5 and Below Sale at Outdoorama, Novi, Michigan Feb 23-26
February 21, 2017The Outdoorama for 2017 is Here
February 20, 2017Xtreme Bass Tackle will be well represented at the Outdoorama this weekend in Novi, Michigan. Check out the new “Froggy” tube, a fresh batch of X-Worms are in,13 ball bearing spinning reels for $49.99, “Eagles” by Red Dirt Spinnerbaits and a $5 and below section that is stocked with great quality poppers, jerkbaits, crankbaits and frogs!
Seminars
It’s a great time to get in the last of the No Secrets on Lake St. Clair seminar series. There are four this weekend: one on Thursday, two on Friday and one on Saturday. Capt. Wayne will discuss the sweeping changes that we have seen on Lake St. Clair over the last couple of years and strategies to deal with them. Follow up later on the NEW website for St. Clair anglers: www.stclairreport.com.
Lake St. Clair Bass Fishing Videos, Spring 2016
June 15, 2016It has been a terrific bass catching season so far and we have it all documented on video for you. The best thing about St. Clair Report videos is that they contain relevant and timely information for the serious bass angler. Sure, we catch bass on the video but we also put you on spots, areas, techniques and baits that can work for you.
Here is the current lineup of videos:
Lake St Clair Bass Opening Day Prep 2016 Wayne Carpenter Jeff Ferraiuolo
Lake St Clair Bass Post Spawn 2016 Wayne Carpenter Pete VanVianen
Lake St Clair Bass Report Memorial Day 2016 Bob Mann
Lake St Clair Bass May 2016 Bob Mann Chris Hockley
Lake St Clair Bass Report 05 20 2016 Capt Wayne
Bass Report Lake St Clair 05 03 2016 Capt Wayne
Bass Report Lake St Clair 04 17 2016 Wayne Carpenter
Bob Mann 04 07 2016 Detroit River Walleye Report
Bob Mann 04 02 2016 Walleye Report
Bob Mann 03 27 2016 Walleye Bass Report
Walleye Report From City Launch Windsor Canada Bob Mann 03 12 2016
Bob Mann Early Season Walleye Report 03 06 2016
Bob Mann 2 22 2016 Ice Report
Bob Jigger Mann on the Mile Roads
Fresh News from Lake St Clair
March 26, 2016Check out the latest news and information on Lake St. Clair at www.stclairreport.com.
- Polar Vortex on the Way
- Do Spring Caught Bass = Summer Bass?
- Dan Kimmel named BASS Conservation Director of the Year
- Spillway Bridge Closed
- New Photos and Information for Launch Locations
Lake St Clair Ice Reports February 2016
February 22, 2016You can start getting up-to-date information on Lake St. Clair bass fishing at www.stclairreport.com. This website is designed to keep anglers apprised of changes in the Lake, fishing pressure, tournaments, landmarks, news stories, links and more. The site is owned and operated by Capt. Wayne Carpenter who has a passion for getting the word out about this world class bass fishery.
Right now there are a couple of reports from Bob “Jigger” Mann Sr. about the ice conditions on the South Shore of Lake St. Clair in Canada. Bob has documented the state of the shoreline and has thrown in some pointers about what we this might mean for our bass fishing spots in 2016.
Bob “Jigger” Mann Sr. stands on the South Shore of Lake St. Clair in Canada 02-20-2016
Seminar: No Secrets on Lake St. Clair 2016
February 20, 2016
Get this inside scoop on what has been happening with Lake St. Clair bass fishing and what to expect this year.
- How has the dramatic rise in the water levels over the last few years changed the fishing.
- Why is the smallmouth bass bite different?
- Is there anything else you need to know that can improve the numbers and size of smallmouth you catch this year?
Learn to use the power of “trends” to your advantage. Be in the right place at the right time by knowing big water seasonal smallmouth migration patterns. Know how to adjust to weather trends and fluctuations in water temperature.
Find out about the NEW St. Clair Report website which has tools, links and current news that will put you on top of information critical to your success on this body of water. Have fast access to marine weather, satellite imaging, internet chart of Lake St. Clair, hot links to current issues in fishing, news about local events, tips about fishing Lake St. Clair and more.
This seminar is given by Capt. Wayne Carpenter, who has been dedicated to getting the information out about Lake St. Clair through books (No Secrets on Lake St. Clair series), maps, blogs and through a product line of tube baits custom designed through research on what the smallmouth on Lake St. Clair want. Enjoy his “no holds barred” approach to getting to getting the word out about the smallmouth bass in this world class fishery.
Outdoorama No Secrets on Lake St. Clair Seminar Times
Thursday, February 25
No Secrets on Lake St. Clair 2016 05:00 pm – 06:00 pm Stage C
Friday, February 26
No Secrets on Lake St. Clair 2016 01:30 pm – 02:30 pm Stage C
No Secrets on Lake St. Clair 2016 04:30 pm – 05:30 pm Stage C
Saturday, February 26
No Secrets on Lake St. Clair 2016 12:00 pm – 01:00 pm Stage B
No Secrets on Lake St. Clair 2016 07:30 pm – 08:30 pm Stage C
Baits That You Can Have Confidence In
February 13, 2016
Another one of Jeff Ferraiuolo’s monster smallmouth caught on a Sweet Green tube
There is a difference between having a “confidence bait” and a bait that you can have confidence in. A confidence bait is one that you throw all year long, the bait that you “go to” in tough fishing conditions, the bait that you wouldn’t go out on the water without. A bait that you can have confidence in is one that has proven itself to be effective in the field.
Here is a short list of baits that you can have confidence in:
- Spinnerbaits
- Topwater
- Crankbaits
- Spinbaits
- Tubes
- Worms
- Soft plastics
There is absolutely no doubt that each of these baits work out on the water. It is also a pretty good bet that not all of these are confidence baits for you. You probably have confidence that these baits are a better choice under certain conditions. Take topwater for instance. A tube might be your confidence bait but if you are launching at “first light,” a topwater bait might be your first selection.
So how about an entire product line that you can have confidence in?
How many times have you gone to a lake to fish and have found a product line that was specifically designed for that exact lake? Xtreme Bass Tackle tubes have been developed for over 15 years in the testing laboratory that we call Lake St. Clair. Through field testing, the winners have risen to the top of the list of available tube colors, and the losers have gone by the wayside. What you have left are baits that you can have confidence in when you fish Lake St. Clair.
Here is how they break down:
CRAYFISH IMITATORS
St. Clair Crayfish™ – Top seller since 2008, strong for smallies and largemouth. Can be used in conjunction with Canadian Mist as a companion bait. Active bite all year long. Good in shallow and deep water.
Sand Craw™ – A sleeper bait that has been known to light up the smallmouth on the South Shore and at Strawberry Ridge. Works best around sand or sand/rock structure combinations. A solid second string alternative when your confidence baits aren’t being bit.
Brown Craw™ – It is rising in popularity and tough to keep in stock. If you are targeting bass that are feeding on crayfish, this gives you another color to present to a school of smallmouth. The natural muted tone of the plastic is highlighted by small copper flake.
Great Lakes Craw™ – A proven tournament money maker and a favorite of Bob “Jigger” Mann Sr, a Canadian fishing professional. The drop-shot version of this bait is strong for big fish.
GOBY IMITATORS
St. Clair Goby Classic™ – The tube that revolutionized the laminated bait industry by introducing color flake in the laminate. It still performs to this day and is known as a big fish bait.
St. Clair Goby NFT™ – The gobies have changed in color and this redesign “matches the hatch.” This bait is almost impossible to beat in either a drop-shot tube or a 4” tube. The highlight flake in the laminate is small purple.
Erie Goby – This design that is based on gobies from Lake Erie is strong for schooling smallmouth on Lake St. Clair. The two top flake colors to have in a plastic bait for bass are purple and copper and this bait has both.
Muskegon Goby™ – Although designed off of the gobies in Muskegon Lake this sister to St. Clair Goby NFT™ is very effective on Lake St. Clair in the morning. It has copper flake in the top whereas St. Clair Goby NFT™ has purple in the top. There are times when the bass will like one better than the other.
BAIT FISH IMITATORS
Alewife™ – There has been a real shift in the way smallmouth eat on Lake St. Clair, and they have been driving schools of alewife to the surface. This bait was made to take advantage of that.
Emerald Shiner (by Reaper Products) – This is the grandfather of the laminate bait explosion. It’s longevity speak to how effective that is has been.
Great Lakes Perch™ – This bait design was two 
years in the making but it was worth it. Attention to detail in both the dominant and highlight colors in perch forage has made this a performer for catching big fish. It is one of the baits that you want to throw to hook up with big fish. Largemouth bass have an unusually strong appetite for it as well.
INSECT IMITATOR
Mayfly™ – This bait plays an important part in the story of the Lake St. Clair experience. The mayflies will come and change the bite for around a month and a half of a very short season. This bait was designed around the best elements the bass were looking for in emerging mayflies. As it turns out, it is a bait that is effective year round.
PROVEN THROUGH FIELD TESTING
Sweet Green™ – The blockbuster bait of 2015 out-fished everything else and continues to sell out due to demand. It has what smallmouth crave, and that is purple flake combined with a Formula G3 laminate and see-through green belly.
Canadian Mist – This legendary bait has been the best seller of all time not because it is popular, but because it catches bass everywhere and anglers keep coming back for more. Use it on Lake St. Clair when conditions are at their worst or at their best. This color is known for drop-dead consistency!
Formula G3™ (by Reaper Products) – This is the second best color of all time and besides being highly sought after by anglers in the drop-shot tube and 4” tube, has a real “big fish” bite on the 5” tube.
Slither™ – In early spring and up until mid-June this bait fishes even stronger than Canadian Mist. The gold sliver flake embedded in the dark melon plastic makes it one of the most natural tubes in the melon family. It works everywhere.
So by all means, take your confidence bait out on Lake St. Clair and have fun with the smallmouth in this world class fishery. If you stock up with Xtreme Bass Tackle baits that you can have confidence in, you can also load up the boat with an entirely new batch of smallmouth. Baits that smallmouth have told us prefer on this body of water.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER XTREM BASS TACKLE BAITS NOW
or call (800) 485-2223
St Clair 2016 Water Levels 3 Feet Over 2015
February 8, 2016In a month-by-month comparison, January 2016 water level numbers came in three feet above the same period in 2015. Also, the trend line for 2016 is moving up while during the same period last year it was going down.
The water levels for January hold true to the projection given in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers monthly forecast bulletin for Lake St. Clair published today (February 8th). As of today, the forecast that was made in January showed an increase in the water levels and the report shows that the actual levels matched the projected levels exactly.
Looking forward you can see that it shows a two-foot drop in the water levels over 2015 by July, if you accept the projection for the rest of the year. So a three-foot increase in January may not result in an increase in the water levels during the height of the bass tournament fishing season.
Lake St Clair Bass Opener Days 2016
January 26, 2016In this new era of year-round catch-and-release bass fishing, does “Opening Day” still matter? To many it does. Most definitely for the tournament angler who has to wait until the official opener to participate in an event where bass are brought back to be weighed in.
“Opening Day” is also a metric that theoretically marks the end of the bass spawning period. The dates were set up with the intention of holding off the harvest of bass until the spawn was over. In a perfect world, the dates are very solid for marking the end of the spawn period in most of the State. In reality, the weather and most significantly, the temperature during the spring will either advance or slow down the timing of the spawn. It’s data that is worth keeping a close eye on.
Note: The waters that are contained around Lake St. Clair Metropark (from the mouth of the Black Creek back into the park) are considered inland waters.
St. Clair Smallmouth Liking New Tube Color: Sweet Green
May 12, 2015
Xtreme Bass Tackle tube Sweet Green LE
Newly introduced in May of 2015, this tri-laminate tube has already made waves. Last weekend the Xtreme Bass Tackle™ staff took this limited edition bait out to play and got good results.
The bite was slow on the Mile Roads so we moved down toward the Detroit River and found smallmouth bass cruising around everywhere that there was sand, rock and shallow water. Normally they chase down baits that are moving in the middle of the water column but not on the day we were there. As it turns out, they wanted the bait on the bottom and they wanted Sweet Green™. We ended up catching over half of our smallmouth on the 4″ Sweet Green™ tube.
The bait has a Formula G3™ back and Canadian Mist Lite™ belly that includes a chartreuse glow showing though the front half of the tube. The green pumpkin top and green glow on the bottom make up the dominant color of the bait. The highlight color and most likely the color trigger for this particular bait is the small purple flake that runs across the top and bottom along the full length of the tube.
Some of the backwater smallmouth were the biggest. Only 18″ but over 4 pounds
This Sweet Green smallmouth was brought up to the boat and the line broke off. Fifteen minutes later it was caught again and now he had two Sweet Green tubes in his mouth
“Visions of Canada glasses and Xtreme Bass Tackle new tubes helped me crush the big girls. Sweet day on the water!”
Not to be outdone, Canadian Pro Bob “Jigger” Mann and Capt. Mike McGrane took Sweet Green LE out a day later and generated action too. This first photo and text came in from Bob:
The next photo came in with a hefty smallmouth held up by Capt. Mike.
“Your new colour in drop-shot aggravated a lot of bass on their beds” Bob “Jigger” Mann
Looking to get your hands on some Sweet Green? Find them at:
Sportsman’s Direct 36072 Jefferson Ave, Harrison Twp., MI 48045 (586) 741-6052
Nautical Mile BP 9 Mile & Jefferson
or
ORDER AT: www.xtremebasstackle.com or call TOLL FREE at (877) 485-2223
Capt. Wayne Carpenter's Bass to the Future 