By Tom Berg

My deep-diving crankbait ricocheted off one underwater boulder and then another. Each time the minnow-shaped plug hit a rock, I could just imagine the scene below the surface: A school of hungry smallmouth bass would glide in a little closer to take a look at the crazy minnow that kept banging its head against the rocks. Then they would move in for the kill.

Sure enough, after the bait bumped one more boulder, I felt a solid strike. I set the hook and watched as a spunky bronzeback rocketed straight up out of the water. It landed with a splash, then headed toward some underwater snags.

Luckily, I was able to turn it before it could reach the safety of the jagged rocks below. After two heart-stopping jumps and another solid run, the smallie slowed down and wallowed in the shallow water at my feet. I reached down and unhooked it, then watched as the spunky bass swam away and disappeared into the depths.

Lake Michigan has been overlooked as a bass-fishing hotspot in the past, but not anymore. From early spring through late fall, bass boats are now a common sight along the rocky shoreline of the big lake. Bass tournaments are held on weekends from Hammond to Michigan City, and tremendous numbers of smallmouth bass are caught (and released) from the nearshore waters.

Lake Michigan bass fishing is hot, but it is not the only honeyhole for Indiana bass anglers. Excellent bass lakes are found throughout our great state these days, due in part to a strong catch-and-release ethic among fishermen and to the tireless efforts of dedicated Hoosier State fisheries biologists. Good-sized bass (largemouth and smallmouth) are within easy driving distance of nearly every angler in the state.

If you are wondering where to start, Indiana Game & Fish has chosen five places where the bass fishing is expected to be especially good this spring. These waters include: Lake Michigan, Lake Wawasee, Jimmerson Lake, Monroe Reservoir and Patoka Lake.

Prior to 2002, smallmouth bass fishing in Lake Michigan was relatively overlooked by most Hoosier anglers. According to Department of Natural Resources (DNR) creel surveys, in the period from 1996 to 2001, bass fishermen caught an estimated average of 5,805 bass per year (including harvested and released fish). In 2002 alone, anglers caught an impressive 17,273 smallmouth bass.

Fishing effort by bass anglers also increased by a wide margin during this time period. The estimated average number of hours spent by fishermen pursuing bass on Lake Michigan from 1996 to 2001 was 10,341 hours per year. During 2002, the estimated hours had jumped to 20,358.

According to assistant fisheries biologist Janel Palla from the DNR's Michigan City office, "We do know that smallmouth fishing has increased tremendously on Lake Michigan, especially with the fishery receiving national recognition when the Bassmasters Classic was held in Illinois waters in 2000." After that, many local bass-fishing clubs suddenly decided to hold some of their own tournaments on the big lake.

Smallmouth bass can be found almost everywhere along Lake Michigan's coastline, but they are especially numerous along rocky breakwalls. The rock-strewn areas around Pastrick Marina, Inland Steel, the Hammond Marina and Whiting Park are literally packed with fish. Dark brown, soft-plastic lures that resemble crayfish or the invasive round gobies are very productive. Minnow- or shad-imitating crankbaits are also quite good.

Most of the bass caught by boat and shore anglers fall into the 10- to 14-inch range, but there are thousands of bigger fish, too. Chunky 2- pounders are fairly common, and 3- to 4-pound bronzebacks are caught with regularity as well. Don't be too surprised if you hook into a 5-pounder out there, either.

Lake Michigan is undoubtedly the best place in the state for both numbers of smallmouth bass and trophy-sized fish. For a current fishing report or to buy a fishing license, stop at Lakeside Sports at 2109 Calumet Avenue in Whiting. While you're there, be sure to stock up on the latest lures that the smallmouths have been hitting. For up-to-date information, call the store at (219) 659-1042.

Jed Pearson, the District 3 fisheries biologist for the DNR, recently picked Wawasee as one of the best bass lakes in his territory. "Wawasee is probably at the top of my list," he said. "I think just from the standpoint of bass size and numbers, and lake size as well, it provides a great opportunity to catch a lot of fish."

Like Lake Michigan, smallmouth bass also haunt the depths of Lake Wawasee. Their popular cousin, though, the bigger and more numerous largemouth bass, outnumber the smallmouth bass here. "I think the ratio is about three largemouth bass for every one smallmouth," said Pearson. "There's quite a few smallmouths in there, really."

Pearson recommends fishing for bass in the manmade channels on the southeast end of the lake in the springtime. "They are a pretty good magnet for drawing fish in for spawning," he continued. "They all have dark, mucky bottoms, so they warm up faster than the main lake after a few good sunny days."

Some of the channels are only 3 or 4 feet deep, but there are some that are as deep as 12 to 15 feet. The deeper ones are usually the best, even early in the spring. "It's more suitable habitat," said Pearson. "The channels are a little more protected for fish that want to get in there and find a place to set up for spawning. They also develop some better weed growth."

After the spawn, usually sometime in early June, the bass move back offshore along the contour lines. That's when it pays to fish along the edges of the flats. Both the smallmouths and largemouths move to deeper water, but the smallmouth bass tend to stay in the deeper water.