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Smallmouth Bass Tips
The smallmouth bass is a slender, streamlined shaped fish which, pound
for pound, puts up a fight that rivals any of the popular freshwater
game fish. Smallies are omnivorous in the food they consume.
They are predators, feeding mostly on fish, crustaceans and aquatic and
terrestrial insects. Where crayfish are abundant, they frequently
comprise over two-thirds of the food.
Where to fish: The most obvious spots to fish are rock shoals and drop off points. They also can be found in deeper water where the concentration of feeder fish are more abundant. A depth finder is invaluable in finding the best structure.
What to use: To cover large areas of water, diving crankbaits like Cotton Cordell's Rattlin Spot and the Rapala Shad Rap in silver or crawfish patterns are quite effective. When fishing shallow rock shoals, white and yellow spinnderbats as well as shallow diving crankbaits have proven deadly. In deeper waters, a 1/4 to 1/2oz jig head tipped with chartreuse, yellow or white Mister Twister grubs are also effective. Slowly bouncing these jigs off rocky bottoms will surely entice the most wary smallmouth.
When these methods don't work, switch to live bait. Rock shoals and rocky points are the best spots. Try using a bass hook with a big worm. Let the worm dangle off the hook. Don't keep hooking it until it's a ball on your hook. Use 4 or 6 pound test so you can cast far. With this method, you don't use any weight.
Cast your big worm at the shore's edge or over top of a shoal and let the worm slowly sink. As soon as it sinks down a couple of feet, gently pull the worm towards you until it hits the surface, then let it sink down again. It's almost like you are taking long slow jibs. But make sure you pull it very slowly and gently. You will find that most of the time, the smallmouth will hit the worm as it is sinking. You could put a weight about 3 feet up the line like a stretched Caroline Rig, but when you are fishing in the rocks, a weight will get snagged. It's best not to use a weight even if you find it frustrating to cast. These same methods can be applied to crayfish or a minnow. You can also use a small float about 2 feet up from the bait and cast over the rocks and just wait.
Where to fish: The most obvious spots to fish are rock shoals and drop off points. They also can be found in deeper water where the concentration of feeder fish are more abundant. A depth finder is invaluable in finding the best structure.
What to use: To cover large areas of water, diving crankbaits like Cotton Cordell's Rattlin Spot and the Rapala Shad Rap in silver or crawfish patterns are quite effective. When fishing shallow rock shoals, white and yellow spinnderbats as well as shallow diving crankbaits have proven deadly. In deeper waters, a 1/4 to 1/2oz jig head tipped with chartreuse, yellow or white Mister Twister grubs are also effective. Slowly bouncing these jigs off rocky bottoms will surely entice the most wary smallmouth.
When these methods don't work, switch to live bait. Rock shoals and rocky points are the best spots. Try using a bass hook with a big worm. Let the worm dangle off the hook. Don't keep hooking it until it's a ball on your hook. Use 4 or 6 pound test so you can cast far. With this method, you don't use any weight.
Cast your big worm at the shore's edge or over top of a shoal and let the worm slowly sink. As soon as it sinks down a couple of feet, gently pull the worm towards you until it hits the surface, then let it sink down again. It's almost like you are taking long slow jibs. But make sure you pull it very slowly and gently. You will find that most of the time, the smallmouth will hit the worm as it is sinking. You could put a weight about 3 feet up the line like a stretched Caroline Rig, but when you are fishing in the rocks, a weight will get snagged. It's best not to use a weight even if you find it frustrating to cast. These same methods can be applied to crayfish or a minnow. You can also use a small float about 2 feet up from the bait and cast over the rocks and just wait.