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Clouser Minnow (Smallmouth)Baitfishbeginner

Great Lakes

Clouser Minnow (Smallmouth)

Flybox sourcing profile

No TWG price or checkout is active. Use this page to validate the fly, then source it through the mapped tier or trusted fly shops.

Available Sizes#2 - #6
Color Variations
Chartreuse/WhiteOlive/WhiteBrown/OrangeAll White

Pattern Ledger

Source Clouser Minnow (Smallmouth)

Want help finding this exact pattern or a tied-to-order equivalent? Join the sourcing ledger and we will prioritize demand by water, species, and pattern.

Sourcing Ledger

Where to source this pattern

TWG checkout is closed. These are current sourcing leads, scored by mapped tier, region, species, fly type, and named-pattern evidence. Confirm availability directly with the tier or shop.

Regional shopStrong match

Musky Fool

Matched on Great Lakes, baitfish flies, smallmouth bass. Great Lakes predator shop and guide brand with musky-specific fly inventory.

Great Lakesbaitfish fliessmallmouth bass
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Regional shopStrong match

Schultz Outfitters

Matched on Great Lakes, baitfish flies, smallmouth bass. Michigan and Great Lakes shop lead for steelhead, trout, and smallmouth patterns.

Great Lakesbaitfish fliessmallmouth bass
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Broad sourceStrong match

Orvis Fly Catalog

Matched on baitfish flies, bass, clouser. Broad retail catalog for standard trout, warmwater, salmon/steelhead, and saltwater patterns.

baitfish fliesbassclouser
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Regional shopStrong match

Murray's Fly Shop

Matched on baitfish flies, smallmouth bass, smallmouth. Appalachian trout and smallmouth source with long-running regional fly catalog depth.

baitfish fliessmallmouth basssmallmouth
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Regional shopStrong match

AZ Fly Shop

Matched on baitfish flies, bass, bass. Arizona and Southwest shop lead for desert trout, bass, canal carp, and warmwater patterns.

baitfish fliesbass
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Bob Clouser designed this fly specifically for smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River, and the smallmouth of the Great Lakes have been falling for it ever since. The lead eyes give it a jigging action on the retrieve that triggers the 'must eat immediately' response hardwired into every bronze-flanked bass. It is the rare fly that works better the less you do with it.

Quick Facts

TypeBaitfish
Difficultybeginner
SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall
Target SpeciesSmallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Walleye
Sizes#2 - #6
Best LocationsLake St. Clair, MI; Muskegon River, MI; Fox River, IL

Where to Fish It

Lake St. Clair

MI · Great Lakes Shoreline

Muskegon River

MI · River

Fox River

IL · River

Map unavailable. Locations for Clouser Minnow (Smallmouth): Lake St. Clair, MI; Muskegon River, MI; Fox River, IL

Related Reading

region guide

Great Lakes Fly Fishing: From Hex Hatches to Musky

The Great Lakes region offers a staggering diversity of fly fishing — from legendary Hex hatches on northern Michigan rivers to chrome steelhead on Lake Erie tributaries and trophy muskellunge in the bays. This is the complete guide to fishing the freshwater coast.

seasonal playbook

The Summer Guide: Long Days and Willing Fish

Summer is fly fishing's season of abundance. Sixteen-hour days, prolific hatches, aggressive fish, and the full spectrum from mountain trout to saltwater flats. This is your playbook for making the most of the warmest, longest, most generous months of the fishing year.

species science

The Bronze Back: Smallmouth Bass on the Fly

Smallmouth bass fight harder than trout, eat more aggressively than largemouth, and live in some of the most beautiful water on the continent. From Driftless spring creeks to Great Lakes tributaries to Appalachian smallmouth rivers, the bronze back demands respect and rewards understanding.

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