Late May and Early June is Smallmouth Time on Rainy Lake!

Rainy Lake gets a lot of press for its fabulous smallmouth bass fishing and rightly so. One of the great times of the year is the last week of May and the first week of June. This time of the year both the large females and males are together in the spawning bays. They are in a pre spawn mode and feed heavily until bedding time.

A wide variety of baits work extremely well this time of the year. My arsenal includes inline spinners (#3 Mepps, #3Vibrax), plastics (Gulp 3” minnows, Kalin 3” grubs), jerk baits, Rattle Traps, and topwater baits. The key is not to lock on to a particular bait if it is not producing. The warmer the water the more aggressive the bass become. The cooler the water the more neutral the bass become. Most days you will find a mixture of attitudes.

In late May you will find bass staging on points in the spawning bays. When we say points we mean any above or below water projectile on the shoreline, the point can be big or small. Some of the smallest often hold large numbers ofsmallies. If two of you are fishing use two different baits (jerk bait and inline spinner for starters). If they are working stay with them, if they are not switch to plastics. Plastics can be jerked, lift and fall motion, twister tailed grubs can be straight reeled, (same with tubes) and sinko’s. Sinko’s are used when the smallies are neutral to negative and well off the point or at the base of the structure. Just cast it toward the edge of the structure and let it fall to the bottom. Watch your line for movement, if you see it reel fast and set.

Smallie with a Sinko!

Topwater baits can provide good action in the late May and early June time periods. My favorites are the Heddon TinyTopedo, Rapala Skitter Prop, and a #13 floating Rapala. Many years ago I fished with a gentleman from Searcy,Arkansas; his name was Billy Joe Pierce. Billy had one thing to say about fishing a Torpedo at this time of year, “You fish a Tiny Torpedo Slowww!

Which bait should I use and when? Here are some of the guidelines I use, they are not fixed in stone but I would pay attention to them. If a cold front is in fish smallmouth with sinko’s, french fries (a type of sinko worm) and Twister tails slow along the bottom off the base of the structure . If the sun is out or the temperatures are warm jerk baits, tubes, inline spinners, Rattle Traps all will work. Spinners and jerk baits will usually require some wind or breeze. A good rule for Rainy Lake’s south arm (the area you will be fishing) when fishing inline spinners is to use gold blades on sunny days and silver on cloudy days. Gold is the preferred spinner color! Tubes need wind to a lesser degree. Topwaters are best fished in calm water. I have descent prespawn topwater fishing on bright sunny days that warm the water. They often work best in the late morning and afternoons rather than early mornings.

Tiny Torpedo strikes again!