Is It Unusual To Catch A Lot Of Sm Bass?

[livemusic]

I used to catch quite a few LM bass, lol. Been getting back into fishing this year after a long layoff. I had one day I caught 9. Another day I caught 15. That's the best this year. Not a very good year. BTW, I'd rather catch numbers, action, versus chasing big ones. Although, not fond of catching little bitty ones. Say, 1 lb. or bigger.

 

I might have caught a smallmouth or two in my entire life, I don't fish where they are. Are smallmouths a fish that gives days where you catch a lot?

[Scott F]

When I fish prespawn smallmouth in Wisconsin, I happen to be on such a trip right now, it is not unusual for me to get get well over 100 smallies in a day. The wind, weather and colder water right now has slowed things up a bit, but I caught 55 yesterday.

[Bluebasser86]

At one of my favorite lakes that's predominately smallmouth, if I catch fewer than 50 fish in a day trip, I'm disappointed. 

[livemusic]

At one of my favorite lakes that's predominately smallmouth, if I catch fewer than 50 fish in a day trip, I'm disappointed. 

 

What state is that and what is the size of the lake, just curious?

 

What states are considered good smallmouth fishing?

 

What times of year are good fishing?

 

Is fishing for smallmouths about the same as LM bass? What's different? Thanks.

[Bluebasser86]

What state is that and what is the size of the lake, just curious?

 

What states are considered good smallmouth fishing?

 

What times of year are good fishing?

 

Is fishing for smallmouths about the same as LM bass? What's different? Thanks.

It's in Kansas, about 7,000 acres.

 

Lots of states have good smallmouth fisheries but for the most part your northern states around the Great Lakes, Tennessee, Maine. There's some that have better trophy fisheries while others are better for numbers. 

 

Spring tends to be best around here but summer, fall, and early winter are all productive.

 

Smallmouth tend to be more structure oriented than cover oriented and will roam around more. The smallmouth here seem to prefer smaller baits (although they'll attack large baits too). Only one lake I can think of where the two really coincide in fairly equal numbers but even there they have their own quirks. 

 

These are just my observations from the lakes I fish in the area that have smallmouth.

[BigSkyBasser]

I used to catch quite a few LM bass, lol. Been getting back into fishing this year after a long layoff. I had one day I caught 9. Another day I caught 15. That's the best this year. Not a very good year. BTW, I'd rather catch numbers, action, versus chasing big ones. Although, not fond of catching little bitty ones. Say, 1 lb. or bigger.

 

I might have caught a smallmouth or two in my entire life, I don't fish where they are. Are smallmouths a fish that gives days where you catch a lot?

If you're in area that supports both species, it really is weird to catch more largemouth than smallies. Smallmouth are much more aggressive and therefor usually take less finessing to get a bite going. The biggest difference is you can find largemouth in the same spot day after day. If you try to target smallmouth this way you will be regularly disappointed.

 

Smallmouth will also become active before largemouth due to their increased tolerance of colder water, this also will lead to them spawning sooner. I'm willing to bet that in that same area you will begin to catch less of them as they move toward deeper, colder water, and isolated cover and structures later in the year.

[Mass Bassin']

Ive had days where if u can find a spot you can catch one every cast then move to another spot when the bite dies down and look for more fish

[egladding]

I know guys who have caught over 100 during prespawn. I can usually go out and catch between 10-30 in a few hours depending on the bite on the St Lawrence River. There is no prespawn fishing up here in St. Lawrence County so I have never hit the prespawn bite. 3.5 lb fish are very common and it is very likely to catch them above 5lbs. I know some people have caught them pushing 7 but I have yet to pull one out that big.

[flyfisher]

on the smaller creeks/rivers around here i usually stop counting after 50 or so but they are generally smaller.  On the larger rivers it is pretty common to have 50 fish days as well once you figure out where they are holding.