This morning I decided to chase some smallies on Lake Mendota . Although the calendar typically indicates that the smallmouth should be very active this time of year, I struggled quite a bit to find what fish I did. Perhaps the unusually warm water temperature for this time of year had affected the bite. For the three hours that I was out, I bounced around between the rock reefs on the east side of the lake that have been seasonally productive in the past. It was only one reef that ended up producing any fish for me this morning, and the majority of those were between 12 and 14 inches. A slowly-dragged Carolina Rig with a Gambler Ugly Otter produced those fish. I also experimented with a drop shot and crankbait on the few fish I did locate, without success. The biggest smallmouth of the day measured 17-1/2 inches on the bump board, and was positioned on a steep break from 17 to 25 feet of water.

Carolina Rig: Rogue Rods Magnum Bass MB704C with 15 lb P-Line FloroClear leader and 5/0 Owner J-Hook. Gambler Ugly Otter – Ripe Melon Color.