Rookie Season

[bassless]

Through a combination of tenacity and dumb luck I've stumbled into my first few smallmouth bass. I thought I was fishing for largemouth so it took me a minute to realize that the brown tornado I had been fighting was actually a smallmouth...but I was hooked. It was really neat to realize that I had just landed my first smallmouth bass. Now I really want to target these fish and try to make some consistent catches.

I'm fishing a good smallmouth place....Pickwick Lake. I've been doing a lot of reading and my experience thus far matches up pretty well with the material I've read. My smallmouth catches so far have been from gravel bars on the main river. My first one was a complete accident. I was running a crankbait deep enough that it was running in the gravel and then dropping off the bar into deeper water. I was really burning that crankbait back to me and BAM! the rod loaded up and the fight was on. I was really thrilled. The second fish came a few minutes later the same way.

A few weeks later...same lure different gravel bar...BAM! Another smallie.

So...today I went out and purchased a variety of tubes in 3 and 4.5 inch lengths and various colors. I got some 3/16 oz jig heads and I plan to drag the gravel bars tomorrow and saturday.

The water temp is around 90 degrees, they should be pulling current, and the water is likely stained too. Am I on the right track with these tubes? Or should I keep burning a 5 inch crankbait? Or is there another method I should be using that's even better this time of year?

What do you think of my gravel bar strategy? Is this an optimal place to find them this time of year? The "main" channel is actually a few hundred yards out from the gravel bars. The water where I've been fishing drops abruptly from the bank down to 15 or 25 feet...then stays that depth until you hit the main channel a few hundred yards away and it drops down to 40 to 70 feet depending on where you are.

Any advice is appreciated. I'll be fishing mornign, afternoon, and night.

[Bill Porter]

Smallmouth tend to not stay in one place too long. Fish for smallies in cover or submerged timber, big rocks are smallie holders too. Largemouth Bass are exciting but a good fighting smallie will get your blood pumping. Even a little guy feels like a 30 lbs shark when he attacks. Get some senkos and a good rod and catch some fish! Before you know it you'll be on the market for a bass boat and have a garage full of rods and tackle. Welcome to the addiction my friend!

[clayton86]

Smallmouth tend to not stay in one place too long. Fish for smallies in cover or submerged timber, big rocks are smallie holders too. Largemouth Bass are exciting but a good fighting smallie will get your blood pumping. Even a little guy feels like a 30 lbs shark when he attacks. Get some senkos and a good rod and catch some fish! Before you know it you'll be on the market for a bass boat and have a garage full of rods and tackle. Welcome to the addiction my friend!

They don't stay to long I fish a river and its diffrent every time the only spot that's a little conistand is right at the outlet pipes for the d**n there's always fish there but rocks and logs down stream are hit or miss one day ill pull 30 out of a single rock pile the next nothing.

Id try some football heads with rage craw trailers as well its a big producer for me along with tubes. Just be warned with any plastic smallies will destroy them almost worse then pike and pickerel I can't tell you how many rage and paca craws limbs iv seen going flying when they do there air display.