How to catch a smallmouth bass needs you to know the habitat and behavior. You need to find the fish first and then choose a lure or bait. People will fish areas smallmouth do not inhabit regularly. You may catch a few in spring during the spawn. Afterward, the fish disappear and you will not find the fish. Learning the habitat and behavior is key to finding the fish.
A smallmouth is an aggressive fish. They will strike any lure depending on the season and temperature. Lures are situational tools in smallmouth fishing. In other words, every lure has a time and place that is effective.
The tackle for smallmouth is usually a spinning set up of medium-light to medium power with fast action. Plus if using larger lures a baitcast set up in a medium-heavy power. The equipment needs to perform above average with smallmouth. They are hard-fighting fish. A rod with poor flex will cost you fish. Also, a reel without a very good drag is a problem.
Since smallmouth is mainly river and stream fish the article will focus on these waters. The same tactics and methods apply to lakes and ponds with smallmouth present.
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Finding the Smallmouth Bass
How to catch a smallmouth bass starts with the habitat and behavior of the fish. Smallmouths prefer currents, look for flowing water. This water has a higher oxygen content. Smallmouths need more oxygen than many other fish. These basses will be on the edge of the current or hiding behind cover in a current. They will move into calmer water at times to feed or spawn.
These fish like gravel or sandy bottoms with all types of cover. Large rocks, fall downs, and brush piles hold fish if near current. Add in structure for the best fishing locations. Smallmouths tend to school at shallower drop-offs, riffles above pools, and around points at tributaries.
Smallmouths tend to wait beside or in the current waiting for prey. The larger fish do this more than the smaller fish. You need to work the current edges if you want to catch the bigger smallies. The size of the waterway influences the size also. Larger rivers hold a lot of smallmouths. You will find fish around 2-3 pounds compared to other rivers and streams. Smaller waters tend to have fish in the 1-2 pound range.
In late summer, the bass move into deeper water. The depth varies in waterways. Look for the deepest water near the habitat they prefer. The fish will move into the shallows in the early morning and late evening. During the spring and fall, these bass tend to be in the shallows to feed and spawn. Winter is tough with the fish going deep and inactive unless the lure almost hits them in the face. Plus it has to move very slowly.
Lures for Smallmouth Bass
How to catch a smallmouth bass takes knowing what lures to use and when. There are five lures any smallmouth angler needs in their tackle box. The lures give you options for all the seasons and activity levels of the fish. Some lures work well where there is small prey and others mimic the larger prey in larger waterways. Fishing for smallmouth size does matter. A smallmouth will hit a lure relatively big in size compared to the fish. In other words, a 12-inch smallie will hit a 5-inch lure during periods of warmer waters.
Ned Rig
When you need finesse to catch a smallie this is the lure. In clear waters or during cold fronts this lure performs. Cast it out and drag it back slowly adding in pauses every foot or two. Use the Ned rig in streams and smaller rivers to match the baitfish sizes.
You want a light-sensitive setup for finesse fishing. Working the bait is better with a light or medium-light rod. The line choice is 4-8 pound test fluoro or braid with a fluoro leader. A line too heavy will make it harder to feel the bites.
Tube Jig
Tube jigs are for larger waters and fish. Use these jigs in lakes for smallmouths also. A tube jig mimics a crayfish or larger baitfish found in larger waterways. Retrieve the same as a Ned rig. A slow drag with pauses is the best method. A few twitches to make the jig jump does help sometimes. Try some variation with the lure.
A medium-light or medium power rod is fine with tube jigs. These are slightly heavier allowing for more rod power. Use a 6-8 pound test line. These lures perform all year in any condition. Yet at times, other lures will be more productive. It is a good lure to have any time you fish for smallmouth.
Jerk Baits for Smallmouths
A jerk bait is good all year also. The lure can be paused for long periods in cooler waters. In warmer water, a short pause is likely all you need. Use the lures in waters up to 10-12 feet in depth. A smallmouth will come up a few feet to hit a jerk bait. Choose a lure size to fit the waters you fish.
In streams and small rivers lures 2 1/2 to 4 inches in length are good. In larger waters use a 4-7 inch jerk bait for smallmouth. Smallmouths are notorious for hitting large lures for their size. The larger lure will help catch bigger fish also.
If the majority of fish are in the 8-14 inch range go with smaller lures. Fish averaging 12-18 inches use the 4-7 inch lures.
Match the lures to a rod’s lure rating. The small jerk baits a medium-light will cast well. The larger lures use a medium rod. You want a fast action with either rod. These lures use jerks and twitches with pauses to get strikes. You need to leave a slackline between the jerks and twitches for the best action. It does make a difference in performance.
Topwater
Topwater is an exciting method for mid-summer through fall for catching smallmouth bass. In the early morning or late evening into the night, a topwater is productive. The lures make sound drawing bass. A smallmouth is a curious creature and will check out sounds on the surface.
Popular Topwater Lures
The Whopper Plopper and Jitterbug are the cast and retrieve lures of topwater. These lures are easy to use and catch a lot of fish. You cast and retrieve then repeat. Changing the speed or adding a pause is an option. The lures work well, either way, a steady retrieve or with pauses.
The lure is suitable for all types of waterways. They work where there is flowing or calm water. The downside is the treble hook will grab weeds. Working the lure in weeds may be difficult.
In weeds, use a soft body frog to keep from snagging weeds. The models with two upturned hooks are superior. They offer better hookups and less snagging. You pull or pop the lure above the weeds adding pauses near openings in the weeds.
Walk the Dog Lures
These lures need some skill. The lure gets its action from you twitching the rod. The lure will have a side-to-side motion while retrieving. It zig and zags on the surface. Common walk the dog lures are Zara Spooks, MegaBass Dog-X, and Bomber’s Badonk a donk.
The walk the dog lure is for calmer waters. Water with too much current makes it impossible or at least difficult to work the lure correctly. These are ideal for bass that has been pressured by other topwater lures.
Although not a walk-the-dog type, poppers and chuggers are similar in use. Use twitches to make the lure pop or chug creating noise to draw in the bass. These are great in smaller waters since small models are easily found. These are easier to use than walking the dog but have a similar effect on fish. The Hula popper is the best known of the lures.
Using the lures a medium or medium-heavy rod is best. Consider the lure weight and amount of weeds. In weeds, you need more power to pull out a bass.
A moderate action rod is preferable. The slower action does two things for an angler. It slows down the hookset, many people jerk too fast with topwater lures. Wait for the pull of the fish. Second, it allows more flex to keep the treble hooks stuck in the fish.
Use braid or mono fishing topwater. The fluoro sinks affecting the action of the lure. Braid is better in weeds, yet mono has some stretch helping with slowing the hookset.
Spinnerbaits
How to catch smallmouth bass with spinnerbaits is easy. Choosing the right one is the harder part of spinnerbaits fishing. The type of blade affects the depth and speed the lure will retrieve. The blades also offer a different viewing angle to fish.
The Colorado blades are seen from the front of the lure. These blades spin far away from the shaft providing more lift also. Use this blade for slower retrieves for deeper presentations. You can stay close to the surface with a faster retrieve.
Willow blades will run deeper with a moderate retrieve having less lift. The fish sees these blades as the lure goes by at a side view. The blades spin close to the shaft. As a result, willow blades are better in weedy cover. Other blades will hang up in weeds.
Use a rod rated for the lure weight. The lures do produce more drag so a heavier power will work better if in doubt. Fast action is preferable for single-point hooks. It gives a better hookset.
Conclusions
How to catch smallmouth bass starts with finding suitable habitat. Flowing water is better due to its higher oxygen content. Match the lures to the size of fish and conditions. An example, in a cool stream, try the Ned rig. In warm water, go with a cast and retrieve lure types. Having the proper power and action rod is desirable but not absolute. Consider the line for your situation. Do you fish weeds needing braid or rocky areas where mono is better?