Clapper usually concentrates his cold-water search in
22 to 30 feet of water. smallmouths seem to concentrate
in the biggest groups around small, stairstepping breaks
that are usually next to a major deep-water sanctuary.
depth and structural elements may vary from lake to
lake, but the key factor remains being in close proximity
to the main-lake basin.
“you may have to hunt and hunt,” Clapper adds, “but
when you find them, it’s the motherlode.”
Baits and Tactics
once he locates a school, Clapper cycles through a
handful of productive lures.
bare hair jigs are a northern favorite, and Clapper’s
experience with bucktail dates back at least 30 years. in
fact, he was the first to show me the technique, which
later resulted in the two of us teaming up on a 30-pound
five-fish bag.
Clapper’s hair jigs are all hand-tied and feature a mod-
erate amount of grey bucktail surrounding a stout 3/0
hook. weight selection varies from 1/4 to 3/4 ounce,
depending on depth, waves and wind. retrieves are sim-
ple drags, with the jig lightly hopping over rocky bottom.
while a heavy hair jig with no trailer sinks like a stone,
don’t be fooled into thinking it’s not a subtle presenta-
tion. For years, i’ve studied hair jigs, trying to solve the
riddle behind why they are so effective, despite being so
simple. i believe the answer lies in the bucktail itself. even
when the jig lies motionless on the bottom, the hair
slightly quivers and shimmies. Cold-water smallmouths –
especially those found around the massive waters of the
Great lakes – regularly key in on small baitfish such as
emerald shiners during this period. perhaps the hair jig
mimics the tiny tail kicks of these baitfish species.
another old-school lure in Clapper’s arsenal is the Vib-
e blade bait, which is effective for casting and vertical pre-
sentations. Color preferences are simple gold or chrome,
and Clapper suggests using relatively small hooks to
increase the vibration of the lure. he presents them on a
casting rod and 15-pound-test fluorocarbon.
blade baits are often misunderstood lures. anglers
often overwork them. Clapper’s method utilizes continu-
ous light hops, with the lure momentarily touching bot-
tom in between. rod lifts jump the bait a foot or two and
not more.
still, in terms of cold-water smallmouth fishing, this is
heavy-handed tackle that’s capable of muscling in big fish
much more rapidly than light-line applications, yielding a
better chance for landing a monster.
A selection of Clapper’s baits for big smallies.
wInTEr 2020 I FLwFISHInG.com
if hair jigs and blades aren’t producing, Clapper’s third
choice is one he’s refined most recently: the swimbait. he
relies on the 2.8 or 3.3 Keitech swing impact Fat paired
with a homemade jighead poured with a small, powerful
hook. often, Clapper relies on a football-style head to
really “grind the bait into the bottom.” he’ll use spinning
or casting gear with line in the 10-pound-test range.
retrieves are fairly standard, with constant motion and
few pauses.
The Presentation
regardless of his lure choice, the key component to
Clapper’s system is a precise presentation. long ago,
Clapper revolutionized the deep-structure game by refus-
ing to drift with the wind like most big-water bass
anglers. instead, he invented a system of utilizing a long-
shaft trolling motor to hold his boat on specific targets.
it’s a method that other big-water anglers and i have
adopted and continuously refine.
Clapper starts by making accurate casts to specific
deep-water rocks and drops. he keeps his bait in the
strike zone the same way an expert flipper does along
the shoreline. no time is wasted, and structures are sys-
tematically eliminated throughout the day.
“i always like to be pulling my bait with the current,” he
adds. “[sometimes] that can be against the wind, and that’s
a detriment. but if it’s a spot i have confidence in, i’m going
to mill around until i figure out how to catch them.”
Clapper confirms – and i can attest
– that angle is often everything. once
the proper cast is determined and the
first catch lights up the school, succes-
sive giant bass can often be the result.
For Clapper, the appeal of giant
smallmouths from the biggest waters
seems to never wear off. despite
spending an entire lifetime chasing
brown bruisers, Clapper continues to
discover and refine new techniques on
nearly every outing, reinforcing that
there are endless possibilities in this
final frontier of bass fishing.
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