Lake Michigan smallies, like this one, provide excellent sport on light tackle. Photo by Tom Berg.

Pound for pound, smallmouth bass are arguably some of the toughest fish around. They hit hard, pull harder, and fight with a "never-say-die" attitude. As if that's not enough, they also love to take to the air when hooked and put on an aerial display that leaves many surprised anglers speechless. It's no wonder they are the favorite species of so many fishermen.

Although smallmouth bass are often considered a small-stream species or a fish that is more at home in the rocky lakes of Canada, we have plenty of excellent smallmouth fishing right here on Lake Michigan. Today, the lake's southern basin teems with bass, especially along the rocky shorelines where stone breakwalls have been constructed.

Historically, however, smallmouth bass inhabiting the nearshore waters of southern Lake Michigan were restricted to reefs and shoal areas just offshore. The nearshore waters were just too shallow and sandy, with very little natural structure. But as local municipalities and industrial businesses gradually developed the shoreline, the coast was transformed into ideal habitat for smallmouth bass.

Rocky riprap, boulders and cut stone were added to create protective breakwaters to shield harbors and industrial sites from heavy wave action and shoreline erosion. During construction of these stony walls, boulders and smaller stones often tumbled out onto the lake bottom just beyond the base of the walls, providing excellent hiding places for bass and their prey.

Once smallmouths found the new rocky oasis, they quickly moved in and claimed the new territory as their own. The lake's bass population has been thriving ever since!

WHERE TO FIND SPRING SMALLIES
By the time May rolls around, most smallmouth bass will either be in shallow water or heading there, searching for suitable spawning locations. Luckily for them, there is no shortage of good habitat available. The rocky, gravel-strewn bottom along manmade breakwaters and marina breakwalls in southern Lake Michigan is just what they are looking for.

Many fish move right into the protected waters of marinas and harbors since the water warms quicker there. Insects, crayfish and small fish become active in the warmer water earlier, too, which also attracts the bass. Some marinas do not allow fishing right near the mooring and docking areas for the boats, but most allow access to anglers for the other marina areas.

Some rocky breakwalls run for miles, providing almost endless opportunities for smallmouth fishermen. Harbor mouths and industrial breakwaters are also typically protected by mass quantities of cut stone and boulders, and although they are most easily accessed by boat, some offer shore-fishing access to fishermen on foot, too.