It's well known that a world class smallmouth fishery exists up on the Great Lakes. What is less well known is that one of the best smallmouth anglers in the region is actually a central Indiana resident. Local pro John DeVries has a litany of wins and top finishes from the area. "I've been fishing up there for 8-10 years. I've put a lot of time and money in", says the Fishers, Indiana angler. "Lake Erie has made me a better fisherman."
Unlike the more traditional shallow water largemouth fishing many of us pursue on the lakes and reservoirs throughout the state, smallmouth fishing in the clear, open waters of the Great Lakes is a different affair. "We do a lot of electronics fishing up there. That's my primary way I like to catch fish, is trying to use my graph and find them, then drop down on them. At certain times of the year it works real well", said DeVries. So in tune with his Humminbird side-imaging units he relies on so much, he frequently jokes, "my wife is going to bury me with my 1100."
When it comes to baits and tactics, everyone is well aware of the most practiced techniques and baits. Historically, dragging a tube has been one of the premier techniques. More recently, the drop shot has taken over as the #1 technique. John will do both, but in the most recent Bassmaster Northern Open up on Erie, John used a technique termed 'cracking a tube' to waylay a monstrous 26-7 sack of smallmouth.
I asked John if it's similar to stroking a jig, a technique largemouth fishermen use a lot down on the TVA impoundments. "It's a lot like stroking a jig. A lot of guys are dropping straight down and popping it off the bottom. And what they're trying to do is, you know the fish are there, you're trying to get them to eat, and you're trying to get a reaction strike out of them. So when that thing jumps off the bottom, they'll either hit it when it jumps or they'll hit it when it falls."
What's a bit unique with John's method is in the execution of the technique. "I'll do it in deep water and shallow water", said John. "If I know there is a fish there and I can't get it to react underneath the boat to a drop shot or a tube, I have a tendency to back away from the spot and point at it with my boat".
Continuing on, John says, "I'll throw past it, wait for that tube to fall, and when it hits the bottom, I'll start cracking it back to me. It doesn't necessarily come high off the bottom. I think sometimes the fish get a little boat shy."
I thought that perhaps the technique would share tackle similarities with jig stroking for largemouth, that being a predominant baitcasting gear technique due to the violent snapping and heavier weights frequently used, but John prefers spinning rods for this situation. "It's just safer to throw a spinning reel as often as possible", he said. "Sometimes the wind is so strong, you're fighting the waves, you're trying to look at your graph, you're trying to control the boat, and then on top of that, you're getting tired, you're getting beat up. Now you have to remember to make an accurate cast and not get a backlash. Spinning reels are idiot proof."
John prefers to use fluorocarbon with his tube fishing, and tries to go as heavy as he can depending on the conditions. However, "on my dropshot I'll switch back to braid, between 8-12 lb. test with a 6# fluorocarbon leader", he said. And as for rod length, "7-foot is a minimum. I really like a 7'2" or a 7'6" rod".
John's Top-10 finish earlier this month certainly wasn't a fluke. Back in 2009, John and his partner won the Angler's Dream Tournament of Champions event out of the Detroit R. area. "We were fishing much deeper, same kind of pattern, fishing 30' of water on tubes and dropshots. I got 2nd place in a BFL the month before, and a Top-10 in the Michigan Division Super Tournament the week before off the exact same spot, then won the Tournament of Champions event on it also - A spot not any bigger than my boat."
Hours of practice and idle time using his electronics helped John find the little subtle spot that held so many bass. "It came up out of 30' of water, up into about 28' of water...and I haven't caught a keeper bass off of it since," he laughs.
I asked John about why he thought that is, and he said he believes that about 10% of Great Lakes smallmouth are resident fish living and feeding in the rocks, but added, "I believe that 90% of the fish are nomads, roamers. They follow bait, but relate to associated structure, and when the bait moves, they're done. Where ever the wind blows the bait, that's where you'll find the huge schools of fish."
Of course, I had to ask him about the Nate Wellman controversy that took place at the Open event. "I found out about it the next day", said John. "I take it personal, because he was cheating to beat me. I was in 2nd place (after Day 2), my co-angler from Day 2 was in his boat, and he was worried that I was going to come back in with another 25 pound sack." Enough said.
I asked him what was next on the agenda for his fishing career, and he said that he'd like to use this Open finish as a stepping stone to get on a team and represent somebody. John believes in the equipment he uses, and knows it inside and out. He's frequently contacted by other pros who ask his advice on various matters, especially all things electronic.
Still, he has two long term goals he'd like to accomplish. One is, "to make the BFL All-American for my family". They support him at every step, and he'd like to qualify for this Championship event, where FLW Outdoors pretty much rolls out the red carpet for qualifiers and their families. The other goal, "I want to fish the Bassmaster Classic. I've had that dream since before I really knew what bass fishing was". Don't be surprised to see this talented Indiana angler accomplish these goals in the near future.