I'll be heading up to Grand Traverse Bay at the end of June.

 

Any recommendations on the best ramp to launch from to target smallies? Any local have a recommendation on East Arm vs West Arm?

I always focus on the east arm and launch on the center ramp.  If you don't want to get the DNR pass and you're only going to be there a couple days, you can launch at Sawyer Park in Acme and pay to launch daily.  ($5 last time I was there)  There's a primitive launch without a dock off 31 in TC that is free.  I see people launch bassboats there but they do the 2 poles down and are probably getting their feet wet.  I've spent a lot of time fishing the bay in June but am usually leaving by the end of June.  I can point you in the right direction.  The biggest wave of the spawn will be done by then.  This week would have been the time I would have gone there but I've got other family stuff to do.  Traditionally, this is the time right now when the mass of bass are moving on their beds.  End of June is prime spinnerbait time IMO.  Good luck.  

Wish I was there with ya!!!

4 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Wish I was there with ya!!!

 

I wish I was there too.  This week has always been the time I have caught my biggest smallmouth including the 6.6 in my profile.  But I'm leaving for your neck of the woods (Kingsport) this Friday for family stuff so I decided to stay home this week.  Had a great day on Lake Michigan locally yesterday but GTB in early June has always been good for lots of 4s and 5s with the chance at a 6.  I've seen KVD up there a couple times during this week.  

Kingsport??? Hit watauga lake, there are some 6s in there too……

 

plenty of 3-4 lbers in the Holston river right thru Kingsport as well 

17 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Kingsport??? Hit watauga lake, there are some 6s in there too……

 

plenty of 3-4 lbers in the Holston river right thru Kingsport as well 

Is that river good for a kayak?  

 

Would you recommend getting a guide for Watauga or someplace else?  I'm going to be there a week with my family but I'll have time to do solo stuff.  

I don’t know of any guides up there but I could be wrong, probably a few that troll for lake trout. You can purchase live trout that smallies will chew up at Hampton trout farm . There are some big sleeper LM in there too. Winter is better fishing but summer can be good, it’s so high in the mtns it could still be very early post spawn. Wind is always limiting factor, it gets wild at times and you can’t get back to your truck. It’s the definition of a microclimate 

 

yes Holston is perfect for kayak 

Just saw this post and am interested in how you did. I live in Lansing and am trying to get up there one of the next few weekends now that I will finally have the opportunity. July and August will be very different from the spawn but I’d love to finally get up there after some smallies in summer and into fall. I enjoy fishing a little deeper water structure anyway if I can find some.