Lake Erie is an unbelievable smallmouth bass fishery, arguably the best that North America has to offer. Fish over 5 pounds are common and mules over 7 pounds are never out of reach.

There's more than one way to catch big Lake Erie smallmouths, but these 10 tips, gleaned from more than a dozen years of Lake Erie tournament experience, will help you put bigger smallmouths in the boat from Ohio's western basin to Pennsylvania's Safe Harbor area or anywhere in between.

UNDERSTAND THE SPRING SPAWN
Whether you are fishing Erie's main-lake shoreline or one of the large, protected bays, springtime smallmouth movements revolve around the spawn.

From mid-April into early May, fish start to migrate from wintering areas, which are usually the first major dropoffs adjacent to spawning areas, and begin to stage on underwater points between 15 and 30 feet deep.

Male fish cruise the spawning flats in search of prime bedding locations, which are usually found in depths between 10 and 20 feet, while the larger females feed heavily in the deeper water surrounding the flats. When water temperatures reach between 55 and 60 degrees, female bass filter onto the flats and begin to spawn.

The bass spawn later as you move east, with western basin smallmouth spawning activity peaking in mid-May, the central basin spawn usually peaking in late May, and in the deep, clear waters of the eastern basin, bronzebacks will spawn between early and mid-June.

After spawning, the bass move to the deeper water surrounding their spawning areas to feed and rest before migrating to the deep offshore humps and shoals they call home during the summer and early fall months.

IDENTIFY SPAWNING STRUCTURE
Structure includes the basic make-up and configuration of the bottom. Most spring bass activity revolves around the spawn, so it is important to be able to identify prime spawning areas. Spawning bass prefer shallow flats close to the shoreline, particularly areas with an erratic bottom consisting of sand, chunk rock and gravel.

Look for large rocks that may be scattered over flat areas. Males will make beds against these large rocks, requiring them to stand guard over just three sides of the nest. The largest and most dominant females will deposit their eggs into these well-protected beds.

Often, excellent spawning structure may be found around the mouths of the many creeks and rivers that feed the lake. Also, be aware of shoreline features such as beaches, riprap walls or gravel banks, which give an indication of what may be below the water's surface.

Consistently successful smallmouth fishermen fully understand their LCD fish-finder, which can be used to identify prime bass structure, baitfish or schools of bass. These units also allow anglers to easily distinguish between several types of hard and soft bottoms, which is important because smallmouth bass spend more than 90 percent of their time over some type of hard bottom.

LCD graphs are excellent tools for fishermen if utilized to their full potential. Every model of LCD is different, so get familiar with the functions of your particular unit. Browsing your owner's manual is fine, but the real learning will come through on-the-water experience.