Join Wired2fish’s Kyle Peterson and his wife Britta on a perfect summer day as they explore Lake Mille Lacs, targeting aggressive smallmouth bass using flukes and topwater poppers. With water temperatures hovering around 70 degrees, conditions are prime for quick action and explosive surface strikes.
Featured Product
- FLUKE – Yamamoto D Shad: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- HOOK – Gamakatsu Offset EWG Hook 4/0: Buy at FishUSA
- ROD – 13 Fishing Myth Spinning Rod 6’10” Medium Light: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- REEL – Shimano Stradic FM Spinning Reel: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- ROD – 13 Fishing Oath Spinning Rod 6’10” Medium Light: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- REEL – Shimano Miravel Spinning Reel: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- BRAIDED LINE – Power Pro Super8Slick V2 Braid, 15-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- FLUOROCARBON LINE – Shimano Mastiff FC Fluorocarbon Line, 8-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- TOPWATER ROD – Fenwick Eagle Spinning Rod 7’1″ Medium – Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- TOPWATER REEL – Pflueger President XT – Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- BRAIDED LINE – Berkley Forward Braid, Flame Green, 10-pound – Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- FLUOROCARBON LINE – Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, 10-pound – Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
Scouting Structure for Smallmouth Bass
Rather than fishing heavily pressured areas, the Petersons focus on subtle contour changes and overlooked rock transitions in sandy flats. Using side imaging, Kyle marks isolated boulders and hidden structure that often hold unpressured bass. These less obvious spots offer a better chance to connect with quality smallmouth bass.
Flukes for Clear Water Success
Fluke-style soft plastics are the pick to kick things off. These baits mimic fleeing baitfish, triggering aggressive strikes even in clear water and pressured areas. Whether twitched near sand flats, breaklines, or isolated rock patches, the Petersons consistently draw visual, high-energy strikes from cruising smallmouth. Harsh drags of the bait offers a quick swimming action, allowing the tail to kick rapidly, which can generate reaction bites.
Topwater Action as the Sun Sets
As evening approaches and conditions stabilize, the topwater bite begins to take shape. The Petersons shift to poppers, targeting smallmouth bass actively feeding near the surface. Calm water and fading light create ideal conditions for surface presentations, and it doesn’t take long for bass to respond. Strikes are aggressive and unmistakable, with fish rising quickly to intercept the bait.
Boat Setup
- FISH FINDER – Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 2 126sv Fish Finder/Chartplotter with Navionics+: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- FORWARD-FACING SONAR – Panoptix LiveScope™ Plus System w/ GLS10 & LVS34 Transducer: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- TROLLING MOTOR – Garmin Force Trolling Motor: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- GRAPH MOUNT – Bass Boat Technologies Dual Dash Mount
- OUTBOARD – Mercury Pro XS 250hp: Check out at Mercury
- BOAT – Ranger Z520: Check out at Ranger
