Advanced Fishing Education

Scott Dobson's St. Clair Smallmouth Outfitters

Lake St Clair annually garners a top 5 spot in the BASSMASTER Top 100 best bass lakes in the United States. Lake St. Clair has an incredible number of smallmouth bass. Just about anyone can catch bass there, but to consistently catch true trophy bass requires a mix of technology, technique, and knowledge that only St. Clair Outfitters can provide.

St. Clair Smallmouth Outfitters

It’s not about catching smallmouth bass; it’s about catching your personal best smallmouth and learning how to do it on your own. Tournament anglers don’t go out to just catch bass. They are focused on the biggest bass. St. Clair Smallmouth Outfitters has a similar focus on guided trips to not just catch bass, but to catch the biggest bass of your lifetime, your personal best.

Fishing Guide Trips Available

Trophy Smallmouth Hunting

Personal Best Guide Trip

Anglers come from all over the country to sample Lake St. Clair’s exceptional smallmouth fishing. Any guide can put you on numbers of smallmouths in Lake St. Clair, but if your goal is to catch your personal best smallmouth, you’re in the right place. To be successful in tournaments requires not only catching bass but catching the right bass; bass that most would consider their personal best. To catch trophy smallmouths requires an attitude and a dedication to the quest. You can’t be content catching 2-pound bass if your goal is a 5- to 7-pound trophy. St. Clair Smallmouth Outfitters will use their knowledge of Lake St. Clair, the skills gained from tournament fishing, and the best technology and equipment to give you the preeminent chance of catching the bass of a lifetime! 5- to 6-pound smallmouth bass can be expected and trophies exceeding 7 pounds are not unheard of.

Personal Best trips include 9 hours of fishing from Monday through Friday only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Weekend dates are available in April, May, September, October, and November. Lodging, lunch, and equipment are provided. Two-person maximum. Rates are $1,000 per day. Discounted rates are available for multi-day bookings.

This experience is for non-tournament anglers.

2 person maximum
Monday through Friday dates only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Weekend dates available April, May, September, October and November.
Discount rates for multi-day bookings.

$1,000.00 *

* Rate is for 9 hours - lodging included / lunch provided

Boat-to-Boat Tournament Experience

Experience the thrill of a full 8 hour tournament

Ever dreamed of fishing in an intense tournament atmosphere or situation like you see on TV? Experience the thrill of competitive fishing, and the rush of a head-to-head format. Challenge your fishing buddy, client, or arch-nemesis to a boat-to-boat dual in an 8-hour, catch-and-release tournament format guide trip complete with interactive scales and real-time scoring. Pit your skills against another angler with the help of a tournament-tested pro and all of his equipment to feel the rush of competition, winning the trophy, or walking away with a hefty side bet. Pick a best five format or an every-fish counts competition.

Trips are available Monday through Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Weekend dates are available in April, May, September, October and November. Trips include 2 experienced tournament seasoned U.S.C.G. captain’s with fully rigged bass boats with all equipment for an epic day of competition. Lodging and lunch provided for 2 clients. Rates are $2,000.

Monday through Friday dates only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Weekend dates available April, May, September, October and November.

$2,000.00 *

* Rate - lodging included / lunch provided

Educational Smallmouth Guide Trip

In-depth educational experience for smallmouth bass fishing

Master Class is not so much about catching bass as it is about showing you how to. The Master class is an educational experience where you’ll learn the tactics and techniques to catch bass like the pros consistently wherever you fish. This 8-hour hands-on experience will cover topics like locating active smallmouth bass, using your electronics to find schools of bass in open water, tournament prep, seasonal locations, how to use forward-facing sonar, specific techniques to make you a better angler, riggin’ secrets, equipment choices, and cutting-edge tournament tactics that will help you put more bass in the live well. The trip is geared toward learning and catching numbers of smallmouths, but there’s still a good chance you’ll catch your personal best smallmouth bass.

Smallmouth Guide trips are available Monday through Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. 8-hour trips are $750 for two anglers and include lodging and lunch.

Monday through Friday dates only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Weekend dates available April, May, September, October and November.
Seasonal Smallmouth pattern techniques
Technique specific ( jerkbait, Spybait, hair jig, mayfly hatch, tube, swimbait, drop shot, blade bait, A-rig, chatterbait )
Sight Fishing
Coaching – High School and College anglers
Electronics
Forward Facing Sonar
Map Reading
Tournament Prep
Current Fishing
Open Water Fishing

$750.00 *

* Rate is for 8 hours - lodging included / lunch provided

Cancellation Policy: All trips require a $200 deposit at the time of booking. A 14-day notice is required for a refund. Trips cancelled after the 14 day grace period will result in a loss of the deposit. Weather related cancellations are my decision and a full refund will be issued or deposit can be rolled over to another available date. Trips will not be canceled due to rain.

About Scott Dobson

Your Captain

Scott Dobson’s lifelong endeavor has been to catch smallmouth bass. Over nearly three decades he has been near the pinnacle of bass fishing garnering wins in a host of regional and national MLF, BFL, and FLW pro tournament circuits, and has a bevy of Angler of The Year honors and a mantle full of trophies to prove it. A dominant figure in the Great Lakes tournament scene with nearly $1,000,000.00 in career earnings, and if smallmouth bass are the focus of a tournament, Scott Dobson is considered a favorite to win. Scott Dobson is also a USCG licensed and insured captain.

Sponsor Links

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What to Bring

Valid Fishing License – Michigan / Ontario, Canada
- https://www.mdnr-elicense.com/
- https://www.huntandfishontario.com/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2FSales
Clothes for the weather (sunscreen, rain gear*, winter jacket, hat)
- * Rain gear required regardless of forecast
Snacks, beverages
Any tackle or equipment that you would like to use but not required
Polarized sunglasses
Camera

Airport Info

Flint, Michigan – https://www.bishopairport.org/
Detroit Metro – https://www.metroairport.com/

About the Fishing

Aireal image of the lake: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia23234-lake-st-clair-us-and-canada

Lake St. Clair, located between Michigan and Ontario, is renowned for its exceptional smallmouth bass fishing. Anglers flock to this beautiful lake to experience the thrill of catching these feisty bronzebacks. Here’s a guide to help you make the most of your smallmouth bass fishing adventure on Lake St. Clair:

Spring Fishing
- During spring, many bass are shallow, making it an excellent time for reaction baits like lipless, crank and jerkbaits. Trophy smallmouth eagerly bite these lures. Pre Spawn occurs from ice out through late April, and the main spawning window is May through Mid-June.
- As summer approaches, fish move offshore. Effective baits include drop-shot rigs, tubes, Ned Rigs, Swimbaits, and spybaits. June through July is a transition time when bass can be caught shallow as well as deep. This is also the time of the year that the lake experiences massive mayfly hatches, providing incredible topwater and hair jig action.
Summer Fishing

The summer bite runs from late July through September, and giant schools of bass roam the main basin open waters of the lake chasing down baitfish, perch and crawfish. Presentations will include drop-shot rigs, swimbaits, Ned rigs, and deep diving crankbaits. Covering large amounts of water in specific areas of the lake is the key to success. The fishing also heats up in the connected rivers of the St. Clair River to the north and the Detroit river to the South. Targeted casts to particular current related areas yield explosive action from generally shallow and often times visible bass.

Fall Fishing

Shorter days and colder nights bring the onset of fall, bass begin to transition back to the shallows as the water cools and demolish any food in their path. September through early November provides outstanding shallow water action as the bass gorge for upcoming winter. A Rigs, Tubes, swimbaits, bladed jigs, spinnerbaits, and blade baits are the go-to presentations this time of year.

Exploring the Lake:

Lake St. Clair has a shallow, sloping bottom even miles away from the shoreline. The 10 to 15-foot zone is popular for bass.
Move quickly until you find fish, then replicate successful depths or areas.

Enjoy the Adventure:

Lake St. Clair offers a mix of big water, waves, and abundant fish.
This world-class fishery promises excitement and memorable catches.
Trophy smallmouth in the 5 to 6 pound class are fairly common and my personal best was an 8.25 lb beast.