Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Thursday, January 08, 2026
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St. Croix Report
There’s a lot to love about smallmouth bass. They’re widely dispersed and available, generally cooperative in eating, and bend the heck out of a fly rod.
Among fly anglers, smallmouth bass have near universal appeal. Their abundance and eagerness make them an ideal teaching species – providing beginning fly fishers with ample and fun practice in making presentations, setting the hook, and fighting fish. Without question, smallmouth are a gateway drug, delivering experience, confidence, and dopamine that fuel the fly-fishing journey and kick open the doors to trout, steelhead, saltwater, and other fly-fishing pursuits. Meanwhile, their spunk and trophy potential keep the species top-of-mind with advanced fly anglers as well, if not a full-on addiction.
Such is the case with 35-year-old James Hughes, head guide for Ypsilanti, Michigan-based Schultz Outfitters. For Hughes, the bulk of his nearly 200 days a year on the water is occupied in pursuit of smallmouth bass. His season begins as early as February and ends in October when upland bird hunting – and his two English setters – command his attention.
Hughes plies a variety of bass waters throughout the spring season, which is an important asset, as key variables complicate spring fishing – so much so, that many fly anglers write off smallmouth until the complexities of spring weather and the spawn disappear totally. Unbroken time on the water and access to diverse fisheries, however, helps Hughes make the best day-to-day decisions with respect to weather, flows, water temperature, water clarity, and spawning cycles.
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Seaguar Report
Sometimes, you have to go deep if you want to catch a football-sized smallmouth. Deep water structure are places where many big smallmouth live much of the year if the conditions align, and fishing deep is a great way to catch the fish of a lifetime.
Television host and bass fishing personality Mark Zona and prominent smallmouth specialist and guide New York's Capt. Joe Fonzi each spend plenty of time in deep water when searching for the biggest fish in the lake.
They each have a specific approach to targeting deep water, with everything from the tackle and gear used to where they look having a purpose. While much of their focus is on the Great Lakes, the key themes will apply to catching smallmouth anywhere.
When to Go Deep
Zona spends much of his time filming Zona's Awesome Fishing Show throughout the Great Lakes region, and fishing deep is nearly always a part of the plan. There are a few exceptions, but often, he chases suspended bass in deep water or fishes right along the bottom where big smallmouth live.
"From ice out until the water gets to be around 50 degrees, you can find a good amount of fish hugging the bottom from 20 to 50 feet deep," he said. "Then they come up and do their business and head right back out but tend to suspend a lot more. The prime times to catch them in deep, clear water on the bottom are early in the year, then late summer, and again in the late fall. Those breaks between seasons are when I concentrate on shallower water or suspended bass out deep, which is a different subject."
Fonzi, who spends much of his time guiding clients with his Thumbs Up Guide Service on the Eastern Basin of Lake Erie, is nearly always in deep water regardless of the season.
"Ever since zebra mussels became prevalent and cleared up the lake years back, our water has gotten much clearer," Fonzi began. "Now fish can stay deep all year and spawn in water as deep as 30 feet. A certain percentage of fish, not all, but especially the biggest fish, will spawn in the deepest water that sunlight can hit."
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MLF Report
Skeet Reese, 2024 Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductee, A founder of Major League Fishing, the 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year and 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion announces his retirement from competitive fishing at the end of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour season.Â
While he is retiring from competition, he will remain actively involved in the industry. He plans to spend more time serving in an enhanced promotional capacity for his partners and to growing Reese Fishing, his new fishing rod brand.
His more than 40-year career began in the Western Pro circuits such as WON Bass and West Coast Bass, then turned to the Bassmaster Western Invitationals, where he qualified for the Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Elite Series.Â
The announcement brings to a conclusion one of the most highly decorated competition careers in the history of professional bass fishing. He has competed in more than 300 professional events, claiming 12 career victories, 84 top 10 and 120 top 20 finishes. Appeared in 19 Bassmaster Classics, three Major League Fishing REDCREST championships, two Forrest Wood Cups and a Red Man All American. Altogether, Reese has posted more than $4 million in career earnings while casting.