FIND THE BAITFISH
Before and after the spawn, smallmouths won't be found far from an easy meal. It's true that Erie's bass dearly love crayfish and gobies, gobbling them up when available, but the lake's abundant supply of baitfish are a primary food source and also the easiest for anglers to locate.

Search the dropoffs surrounding spawning areas for schools of emerald shiners, shad or yellow perch. On an LCD unit, these schools will appear as large, dark masses suspended in the water column, directly over the dropoff.

A tightly grouped mass of bait usually indicates minimal bass feeding activity, while bait schools under attack will appear horizontally elongated or broken up as bass and other predators rip through them. These active schools of bait can attract dozens of bass and should never be overlooked.

HOVERING AT DROPOFFS
There are several ways to catch active bass near dropoffs, but none are as effective and deadly as the "hovering" technique.

To "hover," point the nose of your boat into the wind and use the trolling motor to hold the boat steady off the edge of the drop. Work tubes, grubs or drop-shot rigs tipped with shad or goby imitators with the wind. Cast to the fish repeatedly, keeping the lure in front of the fish longer to produce more bites.

When using this technique, mark the edge of the drop with a buoy. This will help reference the target so you can reposition the boat accordingly.

DRIFT THE FLATS
When bass are scattered over spawning flats, drifting is usually the best producer. Drifting means letting your lure drag along the bottom as the wind pushes the boat along. When the fish are spread over large areas, drifting allows you to cover water rapidly as you search for cruising or bedded bass.

Tube baits from 3 1/2 to 5 inches long are great for drifting and will perfectly mimic shallow-water prey like crayfish and gobies, drawing strikes from bass that are feeding or guarding nests. Tube baits in shades of watermelon or green pumpkin fished on 1/4- to 1/2-ounce tube heads will cover most situations.

Experiment with water depth, drift speed and lure weight. In windy conditions, a drift sock will help to slow your drift.

It's not uncommon to catch several fish in one area, so when you catch a fish, mark the area with a buoy and drift it several times.

RUN AND GUN
"Run and gun" is a term tournament fishermen use to describe the technique of running their boats to specific fish-holding structure, making several casts, and then moving on to another area. This technique is great when you know fish may be found in particular areas.

When running and gunning, start by making a list of spots you want to try. Start with areas that are farthest from the boat ramp and fish your way back, not spending any more that 30 minutes in any one spot.