upcoming smallmouth trip, need advice

[TrippyJai]

going smallmouth fishing for the first time ever. me and my gf are planning to rent a boat and just fish the lake. i don't really know how the lake looks like until i head up to the place.

we plan on just using worms from the local bait shop. i am going to bring my tackle box along but i dont know if LM and SM eat the same things.

how do i locate those smallies with just a rental boat? usually when i LM fish, i just find visible structures. is it the same for SM?

ps. are there any baits that you guys would start off? like some tubes or senkos?

any advice is appreciated. thank you.

[IDbasser]

Use some Senkos, tubes, or cranks, and fish the structure you can find.  Leave the worms at the baitshop, you'll get too many gut hooked bass.

[B-o-b]

Try the Fat Ika. I've never actually tried it but people suggest is to me all the time.

[fishizzle]

drop shot 3 inch senko

or 6" senko my all around color is green pumpkin or watermelon

no weight wacky rig and deadstick it on slack line and let it sit on the bottom for a few seconds

thats my well known secret

[TrippyJai]

i need a strategy in looking for these fishes in just a motor boat. i can't see anything under like rock piles or whatever.

so how do i go about on this? fish random spots and move a lot?

[LFlanigan]

Look for rocky shorelines, and structure like logs etc.  My experience says smallies don't like the weeds as much as largemouth.  They seem to prefer a rocky bottom and feed heavily on crawfish.  I'd use senko's to find them or tubes, jigs the imitate crawfish.

[bigbaitfisher]

i need a strategy in looking for these fishes in just a motor boat. i can't see anything under like rock piles or whatever.

so how do i go about on this? fish random spots and move a lot?

A GOOD set of polarized glasses will allow you to see under the water.  Look for current breaks and yes, current exists in lakes.  Rock ledges, transition zones from chunk rock to pea gravel, to boulders, ect are all high producers.  Submerged cover such as trees will provide cover for the smallies as well.  

Look at the SHORELINE to find transition zones.  They are typically visible above water.

My number one bait is a 4" Mizmo Big Boy tube with a 1/8th ounce jighead with a 3/0 hook fished on 8 pound Bass Pro Excell line in moss green.  Number 2 bait is a 2.5" Mizmo Teaser Tube fished on a 1/8th ounce jighead with a 1/0 hook.  Senko's are also top producers, both wacky rigged and texposed style.  

[Rich K]

A GOOD set of polarized glasses will allow you to see under the water.

Hey I have really tried to research the differences in polarized lenses. I went so far as to go to my local "For Eyes" and ask to see their expensive polarized. The rep showed me how to verify that lenses are polarized, then said basically there is no difference in the level of polarization between cheapies and their more expensive ones. I have $15 Walgreen's brand ones right now, but I do notice that there are times when I cannot see as well through the water.  Which I thought was attributed to the angle of the glare as polarized only works with certain angles...

What good brand would you recommend?

[SQUAREHEAD]

Like everyone esle pretty much said, look for rocks, and skip the live bait.  Those tube baits are magical.

[Crestliner2008]

Unless you have a portable sonar, I'd get 1/2 doz. topwater poppers, some 1/8 oz. jigs & 3" curly tail grubs (the grubs go on the jig head), and a couple of #9 Rapalas. Get out on the water early in the AM. Cast to rocky points and drop offs (that you can determine to be drop offs), and have fun!

Wacky rigged Senkos are dynomite as well. I wouldn't try drop shotting unless you have access to a sonar of some sort. Or you could use a drop line; marked with a knot at 20', 25', 30' & 35'. I used a drop line for many years - before sonar had become popularized - to locate deeper water structures.

[bigfruits]

id fish rocky bottom with small jigs, tubes, small crankbaits and 3.5 or 4 inch grubs. small spinnerbaits might be a good idea as well.

if they are very aggresive or youre catching too many small ones, use larger baits.

good luck.

-z

[bassmaster3000]

Leave the worms at the baitshop, you'll get too many gut hooked bass.

__________________________________________________________

I went to lake Roosevelt in WA and caught a lot of smallmouth on a real worm, and none of them got gut hooked. I say use worms. I tried everything else and they only bit on worms. Thats all i really ever catch smallies on. Use about a size 7-10 hook, and go rip some lip!!! ;D