New To Smallmouth Need Help

[BassMN95]

I just recently got into smallmouth fishing and i'm completely hooked but I really don't know the first thing about smallmouth and there patterns. I need all the help I can get and I know there is a ton of guys on the forum who can help. My main questions are what smallmouth do this time of year in Minnesota, what baits work best in the fall under what conditions. Where do they go and what do they do under different weather conditions and what to look for to locate numbers/size of smallmouth. Im fishing a 5 thousand acre lake with 11 ft clarity. Last weekend the water temps were 56-58 sunny sky's and they were roaming around small flats with rock and we caught them on tubes with the biggest going 5lb 2oz but when the sky turned cloudy the bite slowed down dramatically. Any ideas on where the fish went? Any information at all on smallmouth will help! thanks!

[KyakR]

5 lb 2 oz ?? Looks like you're doing great already! Welcome! Try this for some more super info

[bigbill]

Cloudy, I use the joesfly super striker 1/4oz bass size in firetiger apache. It has a chartreuse glo to it.

Awesome video thanks.

[JayKumar]

This time of the year use moving baits, fish will be aggressive. With clouds they should roam more. Look for bait.

[DogmanRich]

I only seem to catch large mouth but ive caught a few river smalls off power grubs white, nothing really big though

[wnybassman]

Many times that's how it goes in the fall.  The window of opportunity tends to get smaller and smaller as the water cools.  They will go on a feed for a period of time, then it's as if there is no life in the lake at all for long periods of time.   Some days they might bite all day, but those are usually slow and steady days with a burst of fast and furious now and then.

[Dwight Hottle]

Many times that's how it goes in the fall.  The window of opportunity tends to get smaller and smaller as the water cools.  They will go on a feed for a period of time, then it's as if there is no life in the lake at all for long periods of time.   Some days they might bite all day, but those are usually slow and steady days with a burst of fast and furious now and then.

 

 

X2

Also in the fall they are on the move. You have to find them to catch them. Late fall they start to group up in anticipation of winter patterns. If you find them then it can be lights out.

[smalljaw67]

Cover water, that is what you need to do, if you see fish roaming a flat a square bill or spinnerbait will do wonders and put fish in the boat. If they move off the flat if the weather changes then look at yo-yoing a lipless crank off the first break. Smallmouth in lakes move differently than those in rivers, weather changes will affect smallies in a lake within an hour while it can a full day or longer to affect river fish in general as flowing water will stay more consistent. The other thing I would try is to slowly fish a swimbait, either a hollow body on a weighted hook or jig head or a soft plastic one on a jig head or on the back of a swim jig, those types baits can be killer right now on smallmouth and if the water gets down to the low 50s or upper 40s don't forget the suspending jerkbaits, larger 4" to 5" models are best in fall as forage fish are at their biggest.

[Basshammer]

I would use a jerk bait and work it slow this time of year.