Hey Italo, I have a cottage on Kawagama lake, just east of lake of bays. I'm having a hard time locating the large smallies. All of the traditional spots near drop offs aren't producing. I'm having the most success fishing around docks and shore lines, but the majority of fish I'm hooking are in the 1-2 lb range. I like to fish the drop shot with a four inch plastic minnow... Can you suggest a pattern and presentation that might put me on the bigger smallies. Thanks.

Hey Italo, I have a cottage on Kawagama lake, just east of lake of bays. I’m having a hard time locating the large smallies. All of the traditional spots near drop offs aren’t producing. I’m having the most success fishing around docks and shore lines, but the majority of fish I’m hooking are in the 1-2 lb range. I like to fish the drop shot with a four inch plastic minnow… Can you suggest a pattern and presentation that might put me on the bigger smallies. Thanks.

Posted on July 8th, 2016

Hi Simon, catching consistent big smallies on Kawagama Lake will be a challenge. Those bigger fish are loners. Fishing docks & shorelines will produce smaller fish.

I would suggest you fish deeper water as deep as 20-30 feet dragging a 4″ tube along the bottom and also fishing top-water and slash-baits early and late in the day in the middle of shallower bays, off points & reefs. Those two patterns should produce some 18″ smallies for you.