# Lake Macatawa smallmouth help



## mattman (Jan 8, 2013)

Heading to Lake Mac. for alittle smallie action. Im not really a smallmouth fisher man but would love to be one. Just wondering on if theres any tips for Mac? I was thinking by the rocks throwing tubes worms and jigs,around the river mouth throwing cranks in shad or craw patterens and flipping/pitching the docks. I will be using a baitcasting set up with 14lb mono and will also have my ultralite and some worms if i get bored. Just wondering if im on the right track?


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## CCOIPEL (Feb 17, 2012)

I have done really well in macatawa drop shoting in the channel near the large boulders. Also have done well near the bouy island is what I call it. 


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## mattman (Jan 8, 2013)

Hey thanks for the tip. I never drop shoted before and not really sure how its done. I was thinkin a off set hook with a plastic and a 8inch to a foot Lon tail that you tie a sinker to? Also wasn't sure it drop shotting wa legal ther. Thanks again for the tips. Any tips on colors?


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

mattman said:


> Hey thanks for the tip. I never drop shoted before and not really sure how its done. I was thinkin a off set hook with a plastic and a 8inch to a foot Lon tail that you tie a sinker to? Also wasn't sure it drop shotting wa legal ther. Thanks again for the tips. Any tips on colors?


You cannot drop shot legally from basically the pier heads into the lake (this hold for all of the lakeshore lakes except Mona and Spring, they are exceptions). But don't let anyone fool you... it is done every day.

My advice on Macatawa is fish somewhere else. Drive up to Muskegon.


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## mattman (Jan 8, 2013)

haha I wish you would have told me before we went. Spent about 10 hours on the water and mannaged 4 small LM and a few small cats. :sad: It was pretty rough with all the power boaters too. But all in all it was a great day to be fishing


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Wished I would have seen this earlier. The guys I use to work with in Holland would tie up to the south pier and walk it while casting crawlers toward the river side for small mouth. I never fished it as I had cleaner water elsewhere to fish. In the spring you can catch walleyes off the end of the pierheads as well as large perch. We use to troll in lake Mich and pick up a large walleye while trolling for steel head. In June if you fish off spyglass con. you can catch perch and also just past the swimming area in the state park. A friend of mine lives not far from there and he and I caught a bunch of perch last June. He usually gets them all up thru that area all summer. That is one thing I miss by living up north is I don't get to fish Lake Mich very much anymore. I grew up fishing it


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## mattman (Jan 8, 2013)

Needless to say I won't be fishing there or awhile. But my friend did catch a 19 inch bass in the river. It was almost 3 lbs on the dot


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## Just_hunt (Oct 24, 2011)

waterfoul said:


> You cannot drop shot legally from basically the pier heads into the lake (this hold for all of the lakeshore lakes except Mona and Spring, they are exceptions). But don't let anyone fool you... it is done every day.
> 
> My advice on Macatawa is fish somewhere else. Drive up to Muskegon.


Where do you find the exceptions for Mona and spring lake? I don't see any exceptions listed for Ottawa or muskegon counties


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

Just_hunt said:


> Where do you find the exceptions for Mona and spring lake? I don't see any exceptions listed for Ottawa or muskegon counties


Actually I was incorrect about Mona Lake. It's on the list of lakes you cannot drop shot (though I am not sure why, it's salmon run is almost non-existent). As for Spring, I have been told by several CO's it is NOT part of the Grand River so it can be drop shotted. It is not on the list of lakes you cannot drop shot.

Look for changes to the drop shotting laws co come along soon. It is being discussed at the MDNR and I think they are finally seeing the light.

Mike


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