Smallmouth Bass
Lake St. Clair Smallmouth Bass Charter with Captain Matt
Reel Finatic Charters LLC — fishing charters on Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River, operating out of St. Clair Shores, Michigan.
Lake St. Clair is regularly ranked among the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the country, and professional tournament anglers travel here from all over to prove it. Clear water, endless gravel and weed flats, and a massive goby and shad forage base produce thick, hard-fighting smallmouth — four pounders are common and fish over five show up every season. Reel Finatic Charters LLC runs guided bass trips here and on the Detroit River, out of St. Clair Shores, Michigan.
Smallmouth on this lake fight in open water with nothing to hide behind, which means long runs, hard head shakes and repeated jumps. Captain Matt Marfuta started competing in bass tournaments as a teenager and has won multiple bass events, so a bass charter with him is as much a coaching session as a fishing trip if you want it to be.
Smallmouth seasons on Lake St. Clair
Pre-spawn and post-spawn periods in late May and June put big fish shallow on gravel and sand flats where you can often see them. This is the most visual bass fishing of the year and a great time for anglers who want to learn shallow-water presentations.
Through the heat of summer the fish slide out to deeper flats, humps and weed edges in fifteen to twenty-five feet of water. They school hard, and once you find a pod you can catch fish after fish from one spot. Fall is the heavyweight season: smallmouth gorge on gobies and bait before winter, and the average size climbs noticeably through September and October.
Techniques we use
Drop shot rigs are the backbone of deep-water smallmouth fishing here — a light weight on the bottom and a small soft plastic suspended just above it, fished on spinning tackle with light line. It is finesse fishing, and it catches fish when nothing else will.
We also fish tube jigs dragged across gravel to imitate gobies, Ned rigs, jerkbaits on cooler days, and blade baits in late fall. When conditions allow, topwater is on the menu — a smallmouth blowing up on a walking bait in three feet of clear water is the highlight of many trips.
Gear is matched to the technique and it is quality equipment, not rental rods. If you have never fished a drop shot before you will be rigging your own by the end of the day.
What a day on the water looks like
Captain Matt texts you the meeting ramp the day before, chosen for where the fish are holding and the wind direction. Everything is rigged and ready when you arrive. After a safety briefing we run to the first area and start working it.
Bass trips tend to be active — lots of casts, frequent moves, plenty of fish in the boat. Matt reads the electronics out loud, explains why a spot should hold fish, and adjusts the plan through the day. Smallmouth are released, and Matt gets photos of the good ones before they go back.
Trips run 5, 8 or 10 hours, and a combo trip can pair bass with muskie, walleye or perch. Three anglers are included with the option to add a fourth. Bring food, drinks, sun protection, layers and a valid fishing license.
What's included
- All rods, reels, tackle and bait
- Michigan-licensed captain and safety gear
- Fish cleaning and bagging on eating species
- Photos of your catch
- Coast Guard-inspected, fully equipped boat
Every angler needs a valid fishing license — see Michigan and Ontario license info. Full trip lengths and pricing are on the rates page.