Fishing off a Great Lakes island may sound like a lot of work, but everything will be fine if you plan ahead. To get to Washington Island, you will need to trailer your boat onto a car-ferry from Northport across Death's Door to the island. The ferry leaves every hour on the half-hour. Once you arrive on Washington Island, you can launch your boat at one of the two free launches or one of the three ramps that charge a fee.

If going across on the ferry sounds too complicated, you can launch your young ship off the mainland at Weberg's Dock in Gills Rock. It is three miles from this point across Death's Door to Washington Island. This isn't a problem for 16-foot boats in normal weather, but beware if it turns nasty. Otherwise, you'll have a brutal ride back to the mainland.

When you are on the water fishing for smallmouths, Krueger said you should look shallow.

"Look for structure, and you will find fish," Krueger said. "Look for small reefs around Detroit Island, Rock Island and the other small islands in the area. Bass will tend to be in 1 to 2 feet of water."

As for tackle, Krueger has a simple suggestion.

"Stick with what you are familiar with," he said. "If you usually fish with leeches, then fish with leeches here. Sure, you could go out with a tube jig, but it might take you two or three fishing trips to learn how to use the tube jig successfully. If you know how to use your tackle, any bass bait will work on these fish."

In general, anglers use tube jigs, twistertails and hair jigs. Color preference will depend on water clarity and cloud cover, but in general, Krueger recommends muddy, gray and black.

"These colors work the best, and if you have them, try plastic bodies that have a little fleck of yellow in them," Krueger noted.

Washington Island is closed to smallmouth bass fishing until July 1 to protect the fish during their late spawn, but they could still be on their beds into July.

"Water temperatures don't rise as fast up here as they do in Sister Bay, so those bass are on their beds later than you might expect," Krueger said.

Even with the regulations spelled out, some anglers head here in June to fish for smallmouths. They claim they are catch-and-release fishing. While this may sound legal, it isn't in these waters. Know the regulations before you go out. Catching smallmouth bass before July 1 will get you a citation. Besides the law, there are ethical considerations. After a long fight, fish often don't return to the spawning nest, or they return to the nest to find it raided by gobies while they were gone. To keep this smallmouth fishery at its best, follow the regulations and never fish for bass on their beds.

WISCONSIN RIVER
"The best place to go for smallmouths is the Wisconsin River," said guide Brian Uttech of Eagle River Outfitters. "You can find great water from the Rainbow Flowage all the way down to Merrill."

When fishing the larger rivers in Wisconsin, the water is usually stained and moving at a good clip. It can also be filled with stumps, rocks and other hazards. This is especially true on the Wisconsin River, so navigate with caution. As for the fishing, Uttech said it's pretty simple.

"Use presentations with live bait on 4- to 6-pound-test line, light-wire hooks in size No. 2 and larger, and a small split shot about a foot and a half up the line," Uttech said. "The bait is a large or jumbo leech hooked in the middle. Cast this over your target and let it sink. Keep your line tight and also keep your eye on the line. Set the hook hard when the line twitches."