smallmouthpalooza

[Zeke]

Hey Blue, What are your latest thoughts on smallmouthpalooza? Same as usual or a little earlier.

[BlueRanger]

I haven't heard any news on water temps lately, but I may go up and check for myself next weekend. I do know that here in Minnesota, support for a proposal to move opening day up a week disappeared after the DNR said the walleye spawning progression was slowing down and would probably finish roughly on schedule up north. But it's hard to say with the smallies, because once the water temperature hits the mid-50s, it only takes 1-2 sunny 80 degree days to push it into the spawning range, and it seems like no matter when that happens, the fish have always been ready to go.

I'm in a pickle because I have a co-worker about to go on maternity leave, and it was supposed to be around Memorial Day but she's starting to look like it might not take that long. She'll have the news from her latest checkup on Monday, so I'll have to decide based on that. I may end up scheduling for May 11-20 whether it looks like the right week or not, and if it starts out poorly, I'll just go home early and save the vacation time for musky fishing later in the year. Either way, at least I'll have the weekends.

In general, I'd rather be early than late. You can have great action prespawn as long as the weather is relatively stable, and they can be surprisingly aggressive even in 50 degree water - I almost always have a good morning topwater bite on opening day. If it's a nice steady, gradual warmup, the bigger males in particular will stake out their spawning sites a week or two before the actual spawn and defend their territory very aggressively. The only horrible days are when you have a strong cold front with high winds that cause them to hunker down and it's difficult to fish slower presentations. But once the eggs are deposited, I'm sure everybody has seen the little pick it up gently and drop it 2 feet outside the nest routine. There are some very effective tactics for hooking those fish, but I just prefer to leave them alone at that point.

[Zeke]

Blue, I'm the Hayward area were temps have been in the high 20's and low 30's night and maybe mid 50's in the day. Seems like thing are reverting to the mean. I heard chip flowage water temps low 50's two weeks ago. Probably not much progress since. Thanks for the reponse.

[Tom502]

Blue,

I talked to Charlie R (lives across the bay from me) this afternoon. He was out earlier today and surface water temps were in the 50-52 range.

Tight Lines,

Tom502

[BlueRanger]

Confirms Zeke's suspicions, and those surface temperature readings can be deceptively high at this time of year...it's not uncommon to see it drop 6-7 degrees from a sunny afternoon to the next morning, after the heat collected at the surface mixes into the deeper water overnight. It's probably still in the 40s if you check 5 feet down. So far the forecast isn't showing any significant warmup until 9-10 days out. Weird year, but what it saved me on last month's utility bill will pay for this year's license and both stamps!

[Mark Benson]

Blue:

Agree wholeheartedly that the prespawn is a great time to get on those fish as well as the 'eyes!!!

Mark

[AndrewR]

Blue:

Agree wholeheartedly that the prespawn is a great time to get on those fish as well as the 'eyes!!!

Mark

x2, minus the eyes ;)

I'll be out there the week of May 12-20th (give or take more/less days)