Cedar Lake is a very good smallmouth bass lake. Most anglers will catch smallmouth bass while targeting walleye, but if you target them, you can have a lot of success here.
Catch Lots of Smallmouth Bass
Cedar Lake is definitely a good numbers lake, especially early in the year. Fish the rocks and wood along the shorelines and you can put up some good numbers. Most anglers don’t come here to target bass, but you will hear some reports of guys that do and 30 to 50 bass days are easily possible in the late spring and early summer. When the bass go deeper in the summer and fall, you have to find them on the deeper shorelines and offshore humps and reefs to put up bigger numbers.
Fish the Bays
Early in the year, you can find plenty of smallmouth bass as they move into the bays to spawn. Smallmouth bass love rocks, wood and sand, so find the shorelines that have those things and you’ll find some bass in the spring and in early summer. As summer progresses, a lot of smallmouth bass will move to the deeper shorelines and offshore structure.
Fish the Deeper Shorelines
You have miles of shorelines to fish on Cedar Lake and the deeper shorelines can be productive from spring through fall. The shorelines will not always be the better place to catch them, but the deeper shorelines will usually hold plenty of smallmouth bass all season long.
Fish the Islands
There are enough islands on Cedar Lake to fish this pattern. The islands are usually much better in the summer and fall. Fish the deeper shorelines with rocks and you’ll find smallmouth bass. The wind blown islands can also be very productive in the summer and fall months.
Fish the Points
You can fish the points and target bass from spring through fall. The points with some rock and deep water nearby will usually be the better points to fish. Wind blown points can be very productive as well.
Fish the Rock Humps
You have a lot of offshore rock humps to fish on Cedar Lake. Many anglers fish these spots for walleye in the summer and fall, so plan on finding plenty of walleye anglers in these spots too. The smallmouth bass will school up and roam over these pieces of structure, so make sure to hit several of these spots each day until you find the better schools of bass on that particular day.
Fish the Rocks
Cedar Lake has plenty of rocks, which is one of the reasons why the smallmouth bass fishery is so good here. Whether you are fishing the shorelines or the offshore structure, plan on fishing a lot of rocky areas if you want to catch more bass.
Fish the Weeds
Cedar Lake does have enough weeds to target them as a pattern, however, you are going to find a lot more bass in the rocks than on the weed lines. If you do fish the weeds, don’t be shocked if you find some smallmouth bass mixed in though. Bass will roam the weed edges too, but most anglers will be targeting pike when fishing the weed edges.
Fish the Wind Blown Structure
Wind blown structure is such a good pattern for the summer and fall months. It is productive on Cedar Lake as well. Fish the side of the islands and rock humps where the wind is blowing into them and you’ll have a better chance of finding some of those schools of bass that roam the offshore waters.
Best Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass will eat a variety of different baits. Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches are definitely the best live baits for smallmouth bass.
When it comes to artificial lures, you have lots of options. Soft plastic crayfish, twin tail grubs, worms and minnow baits are very effective. Hard baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinners also work great.
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Live Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Best Rigs for Smallmouth Bass
With so many different soft plastics to use, you have so many different rigs that work great for smallmouth bass. The drop shot rig, a simple jighead, standup jigheads and scrounger jigheads are some of the best rigs for smallmouth bass. To see our full list, take a look at our best rigs for smallmouth bass page.
Best Techniques for Smallmouth Bass
There are so many different techniques you can use for smallmouth bass since they can be found shallow, deep and anywhere in between. Anglers usually cast for them, but jigging, drop shotting and drifting are also some great techniques for smallmouth bass.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for smallmouth bass page.
Learn More About Smallmouth Bass
Our smallmouth bass fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our smallmouth bass fishing website to learn more.
