One More Crack at Chequamegon Bay Smallies

by | Aug 28, 2023 | fly fishing Chequamegon Bay

Chequamegon-BayGranny and I are headed for Canada on Tuesday for ten days of fishing ranging from Red River catfish around Winnipeg to huge pike and lake trout up at Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge in Manitoba.  It’s a trip we’ve been looking forward to all year and its finally around the corner.  Being I won’t be home again until around September 12th and then leaving again on the 17th, today may have been my last day of summer fishing the home waters.

 

Chequamegon-BayBob Butler and I headed up to Washburn early and met Howie to fish with him on Chequamegon BaySmallmouth bass fishing typically slows down once the cooler days hit in September so we made them our main target.  Our first stop was the break wall lighthouse that protects Ashland from huge Lake Superior swells.

 

Clouser-MinnowWe chucked Clousers in tight to the rip-rap and caught a few 12” and under smallies and one pike.  I had no wire to my Clouser so this was a lucky pike.  And lucky for the pike, Granny and I aren’t in search of fresh fish this week because we will be traveling.  He was perfect size for eating.

 

Currier-SuperiorWhile the break wall didn’t produce anything big it was nice to get a few tugs.  My last two trips with Howie on Superior were slow compared to our trips last year.

 

Next we hit one of our “spots”.  While last year this place was on fire, today was our third time here with poor results.  Today we got nothing but a yellow perch.

 

Matt-Howie-NortonHowie has a long list of cool places to fish so we started hitting various ones.  It was smooth boating today with light winds and temperatures in the upper 60°s.  Most of Howie’s spots are drop-offs on the edge of sand flats.  There are a few weeds here and there and the smallies were active.  Once again however, most were smaller than the normal Chequamegon Bay smallies.

 

fly-fishingFinally, in one of my favorite areas we stung a few nice bass.  Howie and I each landed one around 15”.  Bob got this fat boy that lengthened out at a hair over 18” with the classic Lake Superior smallie girth.  A stunning fish that put a smile on everyone’s face.  This is the fish we came for!

 

Bob-Butler-flyfishingHonestly I’m surprised we didn’t see at least another smallie of similar size to Bob’s or larger but that’s the way it’s been on Lake Superior this year.  All in all though a great last day of summer fishing for me on the home waters.  Time to close down the office, mow the lawn and pack the van.  Tuesday we’ll drive for Manitoba!  I’m not sure how much internet I’ll have this trip but expect the day by day accounts to post when possible.  Sometimes I’ll do a quick post and these can be found on my IG @jeffcurrier65.

 

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

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I started fly fishing at age 7 in the lakes and ponds of New England cutting my teeth on various sunfish, bass, crappie and stocked trout. I went to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where I graduated with a Naturalist Degree while I discovered new fishing opportunities for pike, muskellunge, walleyes and various salmonids found in Lake Superior and its tributaries.

From there I headed west to work a few years in the Yellowstone region to simply work as much as most people fish and fish as much as most people work. I did just that, only it lasted over 20 years working at the Jack Dennis Fly Shop in Jackson, WY where I departed in 2009. Now it’s time to work for "The Man", working for myself that is.

I pursue my love to paint fish, lecture on every aspect of fly fishing you can imagine and host a few trips to some of the most exotic places you can think of. My ultimate goal is to catch as many species of fish on fly possible from freshwater to saltwater, throughout the world. I presently have taken over 440 species from over 60 countries!

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