Smallmouth Bass
Spring (Start of Season)
Smallmouth bass love rock and spend more than ninety percent of their time on this hard
structure. Post-spawn smallies will remain close to shallow rocky areas of the lake until
the temperature of the water warms considerably. Islands, points and shoals are the three
preferred spots to begin your smallmouth search, starting each area up shallow and moving
deeper until you connect with fish. Topwater plugs, crankbaits and jigs are the preferred
baits early in the season and "matching the hatch" by using crayfish coloured is
a sure-bet to entice fish into the boat.
Summer
Summer fishing can often be a "hit and miss" attempt due to whereabouts of the
fish during this time. Early morning and evening periods will usually find fish in shallow
water aggressively feeding - this is were topwaters really excel and will lead to
heart-stopping explosions on the surface. Daytime smallies will retreat to the safety of
deeper water and will relate to depths from six to thirty-feet deep. The one thing they
will relate to is structure, and having a dependable fish finder on board will become your
underwater eyes. Look for humps, shelves and drop offs and work a jig over these
underwater magnets. Due to the schooling nature of the smallmouth bass, once one is
caught, there are sure to be more to come.
Fall
The fall time means one thing to a bass angler - BIG smallies. Fish at this time of year
gorge themselves on crayfish and minnows in anticipation of the cold winter months.
Searching for these hungry fish is the key to catching them, and concentrating on some of
the spots you had success on earlier in the season will help you unlock the location
factor. Points, saddles and shoals will hold smallies at this time of the year, however,
the school will be situated farther from shore and in deeper water in comparison to their
summer counterparts. Begin your search by finding water in the 20-foot depth and continue
working until you hit 35 feet. Most of your fall fish will relate to water this deep and
once you catch some, the remainder of the lakes' fish will be holding at this magical
depth. Rattle traps, cranks and jigs are the artillery for the fall enthusiast, and using
a marker buoy to stay with the school and at the optimum depth will increase your chances
of connecting.
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