Help me catch smallmouth.

[bassin_man]

I have never really targeted smallmouth much as I usually never make it to an area good enough to do so. This year its my goal to become at least a decent smallmouth fisherman. Most of my smallmouth fishing will probably take place on the river with some on lakes. If anyone has any tips/hints on finding/catching them that would be great.

[IDbasser]

The SM love structure. I catch most of my smallies on rockpiles.  I use a lot of craw imitations, both soft and hard plastic.

[bronzewb22]

first of all, the smallie fishing gets better as you go north, so u might wanna try some cold maine or new hampshire lakes. but where ever u choose to fish for them, rockpiles are key as well the edges of pads and grass beds. during late summer i tend to catch them at areas where cold streams empty into the lake.

My favorite smallie lure is by far, the classic senko rigged weightless. Either fish it VERY slow on the bottom (line watching is a big part of this because a lot of time youre not in direct contact with the senko as it falls and this is when most hits come), or i like to fish one high in the water column or on the surface with a lot of movement and splash. I use bright silvers and whites the most to mimic a baitfish in distress.  but i have caught big fish on just about any other color as long as its kind of subtle. salamanders work great to when fished just off of the bottom on a texas or carolina rig. Smallmouth are probly my favorite fish and they pack a ton of fight when they get to 3 or 4 pounds.

Good luck with 'em

[Pitchinkid]

When I'm after Smallmouth, i look for 2 things. Structure and current. Structure for me on my home water is rock-piles and rip-rap. A Lot of baitfish/crustaceans/insects of course live under these rocks.The rock-piles also offer a current break for the fish. So they use less energy when they swim. Plus food is washed down river right by these rock-piles and are easy pickens for the bass. I like to pitch tubes/senkos/beavers/hair-jigs upstream and bounce them on bottom until the current pulls it completely by me. Jerk-baits in early spring is killer for me. I know a lot of people use spoons/blade baits this time of year and have success.

[roadwarrior]

When I'm after Smallmouth, i look for 2 things. Structure and current. Structure for me on my home water is rock-piles and rip-rap. A Lot of baitfish/crustaceans/insects of course live under these rocks.The rock-piles also offer a current break for the fish. So they use less energy when they swim. Plus food is washed down river right by these rock-piles and are easy pickens for the bass. I like to pitch tubes/senkos/beavers/hair-jigs upstream and bounce them on bottom until the current pulls it completely by me. Jerk-baits in early spring is killer for me. I know a lot of people use spoons/blade baits this time of year and have success.

Structure & current rule!

Hardbaits:

Jerk baits; X-Rap when they are very active, Pointers

or Husky Jerks most of the time.

Soft plastics:

Fat Ika, Hula Grub, Gitzit, 5" Single Tail Grub.

8-)

[Tin]

My favorite smallie lure is by far, the classic senko rigged weightless. Either fish it VERY slow on the bottom (line watching is a big part of this because a lot of time youre not in direct contact with the senko as it falls and this is when most hits come), or i like to fish one high in the water column or on the surface with a lot of movement and splash. I use bright silvers and whites the most to mimic a baitfish in distress. but i have caught big fish on just about any other color as long as its kind of subtle. salamanders work great to when fished just off of the bottom on a texas or carolina rig. Smallmouth are probly my favorite fish and they pack a ton of fight when they get to 3 or 4 pounds.

If you live in New England, fish for smallies, and your favorite lure for them is a senko....then you need to fish for them more. Go rippin a big jerkbait just under the surface on a windy day or a big spook when it's cloudy and slick and let me know if a senko is still your favorite bait... ;D

And as seen in RW's avatar smallie fishing in the south looks pretty good too.

[bassin_man]

Do smallmouth react the same to water temperature as largemouth?

[BrianinMD]

bassin...what part of the country do you live in?

[bassin_man]

bassin...what part of the country do you live in?

Nebraska

[SuskyDude]

Do smallmouth react the same to water temperature as largemouth?

Yes, but in my experience not as much. Smallmouth tend to perfer slightly cooler temps then LM, so don't be suprised if they are a little more active than LM during the cold months.

You mentioned that you'd be fishing a river. I've also found that river SM are less affected by external factors (temp, weather, etc), and tend to be more aggressive than SM in lakes. I belive this to be due to the ever changing ecosystem that is a river. Being an aggressive feeder whenever its possible well leave you better off during times when feeding can be tough, like during a flood.

As was mentioned before, current, and the way structure (the bottom of the river) dictates current is the key. Temperature will also play role in what strength of current SM will be in. This time of year, slow to no current is the ticket. As things get warmer however, they'll move into faster current.

I've yet to find water too fast in my river for a mid-july smallie  

[Crestliner2008]

River smallies are less affected by temperature, or barametric changes, as their counterparts are. And the advantage to a river system is that when a cold front pulls through, the smallies are still as catchable as before it occurs - if the water is constantly moving.

Start off with a 3" curly tail on a 1/8 oz. ball head jig and you'll catch your share of smallies right off.

[roadwarrior]

River smallies are less affected by temperature, or barametric changes, as their counterparts are. And the advantage to a river system is that when a cold front pulls through, the smallies are still as catchable as before it occurs - if the water is constantly moving.

Start off with a 3" curly tail on a 1/8 oz. ball head jig and you'll catch your share of smallies right off.

Great post!

Where have you been? Glad to see you back...

-Kent

[Crestliner2008]

Thanks RW. The hard water period is not my cup of tea, so I more or less hybernate! LOL. March 1st. can't come soon enough!

[bassmaster3000]

The ways i catch smallmouth are ussualy on a soft plastic worm or craw. I also use crankbaits to. The biggest smallmouth i caught last year was on a YUM soft plastic craw that was gray on top, and red on the bottom, rigged with a jighead inside the craw, and fished right under a dock. I have also caught a lot of smallmouth on a Craw-Pappi. For worms, I use Senkos and T-rigged 4" curly tail worms. Berkly has a great color out for Powerworms that is black with a Chartreuse curly tail. Pumkinseed and watermellon are good colors also. for senkos i use a 4-5" worm rigged wacky with a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus circle. I ussualy use a green color. For Cranks, I ussualy use lipless cranks. Rat-l-traps are good in most colors and so are Rapala's Rattlin' minnows in baby bass color. I also use Strike King red-eye shad in Sexy shad color and every once in a while i will throw out a lipped Sexy Shad. Hope it helps!!! 8-)

[ww2farmer]

I can't help you with river fish, as  I rarely...........make that never fish rivers, we have to many good lakes here to bother.

As for fishing lakes, I fish the inland lakes I know pretty much the same, Erie is a completly different animal and probably don't apply to you situation.

All of the inland lakes I fish are natural lakes with heavy weed growth, and some what shallow, 60' deep or less. I'll start imediatly after ice out fishing deep water areas in close proximity to spawning grounds. A drop shot fished along the edge of the deepest weeds, or over rock piles in these area produces very well. As they move shallower (and they get right up on the bank to spawn here) I keep using the drop shot successfully, as well as suspending jerkbaits.

Here when the water hits 50 degrees, they will bite anything, it's hard to beat a fluke or senko, but then again the drop shot still works well too. When they gut on the beds.......I leave them alone and go after prespawn LM, or SM that have not locked on the beds yet........it's just the way I do it.

Post spawn, just back track bck out to the deep weed edge or structure just beyond the spawning grounds. Again drop shot works very well.

Now in summer, they are all over the place on me in the Inland lakes, some shallow, some deep, and some in large schools chasing baitfish. The shallow fish can be caught just like LM, skipping jigs/senkos/tubes and stuff under docks. I don't rely on these shallow fish too much as they can be anywhere, and move more than LM.

The deeper weed edge fish are a bit easier to target and catch, dragging a tube along the outside edge, or drifting the drop shot will produce.

Now the fish relating to baitfish are the easiest to catch, but you have to find the bait first. Learn to use your electronics and you'll find the bait. It's hard to beat a drop shot here, but at times a jigging spoon can be the ticket.

IMHO fall is the best time to fish for SM, both for numbers and size. It seems at this time of the year, when the water starts hitting the mid 60's the shallow SM go to the deep weed edge, the fish that have been chasing bait all summer move to the weed edge, and the fish that were on the weed edge all summer are still there. For about a month or so when the water temps are dropping through the 60's into the low 50's dragging a tube, or drfting with the drop shot on that out side edge loads the boat. It's my favorite time of the year for SM.

 In late fall when the water temps start to stabilize in the high 40's, but before they start droping to freezing when winter sets in, it seems the best bet is once again looking deep for baitfish.  I catch few on the weed edge any more, and really spend alot of time looking for bait. When I find the bait I find the SM, again (sounds like a broken record) a drop shot is a good bet, as well as a blade bait like a silver buddy. Unfortunatly I have no winter expierance with SM as our lakes freeze, but I bet they are pretty much still relating to baitfish, and will do so till spring.  

[gadetemple]

Yeah craws are very good for smallies...get a jig that looks like a craw...