Apache Lake Smallies Turn On
During Cold Day In . . .

By Rory K. Aikens
Arizona Game and Fish

      The proverbial expression about a “cold day in hell” might describe Apache Lake last week when the daytime temperatures plummeted into the 70s, making it necessary to wear a light jacket while catching hard-fighting smallmouth bass in the driving wind and pelting rain.

      It felt more like a wet and cold spring day than the middle of a blazing hot summer, especially when the smallmouth started chasing shad at the surface. It was actually warmer at sunrise than it was at noon.

      Launching at the Burnt Corral Campground on that cool July day, working the first several points heading down lake toward the dam proved uneventful – not even a hit. Then while working a point near the lake’s only island, the Zara Spook topwater plug seemingly disappeared underwater with barely a whisper. Setting the hook, the pole immediately doubled over from the lunker strain. Fortunately, the six-pound bass ran into open water rather than back into the line-cutting boulders and it became the first catch-and-release of the dam.

      Working down to a secondary point with huge submerged boulders, the clear Zara Puppy did its job – a largemouth bass larger than the earlier one swooped up from the nest of boulders and seemingly inhaled the lure with an accompanying raucous splash.

      Horsing the big fish was not an option – the lightweight rod and Shimano 2000 reel were only outfitted with six-pound test Fireline. Once again, it was a relief when the big bass ran into open water. The lunker bass finally wore down and I got it next to the boat. When reaching down to lip the monster, I noticed that the line was tangled around the front treble hook of the Puppy. Before I could lip the bass, it shook its head, cut the line, and powered away.

      It was a heartbreaker, even though I would have released it. Fishing ego demands that such monsters be landed. But the day was destined to get even better as the weather got worse.

      Working a small pocket cove, I caught four more largemouth on topwater, but they all weighed less than a pound. Then the first rainsquall hit.I decided to try the two large coves (3-Bar Wilderness side of the lake) near the dam. There should have been a sign saying, “Welcome To Smallmouth Country” because the wind was whipping waves along the rocky shoreline and occasional rainsqualls were pelting the white-capped surface – perfect conditions for bronzebacks.

      The first four casts produced four hits, but only two hookups. The smallies were chasing shad and the topwater Zara Puppy was driving them nuts. A two-pound smallie was so aggressive that it got hooked, got off, and zipped right back around, hit the lure again, and got hooked a second time. I was laughing so much that I had difficulty landing the bronze buzz saw.

      Then the bite slowed.

      I moved to another windy, rocky point and switched to a double-lure setup: a Zippin’ Ziggy topwater plug preceded by a front-runner (an inch-long plug with a Marabou tail and a single treble). The frontrunner has an eyelet on its backside to attach a leader for tying on the main lure. This double-lure setup gives the appearance of one fish chasing the other. Three times during the day I got double hookups of smallmouth bass – one on each lure. One time, I got a smallmouth on the frontrunner and a largemouth on the Zippin’ Ziggy. Even a nice-sized walleye with its distinctive dorsal fin was hooked for a while, but the companion smallmouth on the other lure zipped when I was jagging, and my walleye dinner went free.

      Another good duo to try is a Zara Pooch (the smallest one) on the front, with a Zara Puppy or Zara Spook on the back. Or try a Zara Spook with a soft plastic jerkbait as a trailer (that can work really well for white bass at Lake Pleasant also).

      When the rainsqualls were pelting the lake’s surface, making topwater lures ineffective, switching to curly-tailed jigs did the trick. That day, the best working color was popcorn (silver with blue and red flecks), but chartreuse was also effective. That day, swimming the curly tails with a slow pumping motion of the rod tip proved the most effective technique. Bottom bouncing also worked to hook two two-pound smallies off one deep shelf.

      So, next time there is a “cold day in hell,” you might consider trying Apache Lake for hard-fighting bronzebacks. Actually, most Monsoon-generated storms can get a feeding frenzy going someplace on Apache – just look for the rockiest, windiest shoreline with the most wave action