Fishing for Small Mouth Bass
...er good ambush points and relief from the heavy spring currents and melted-snow runoff” (Almy). When to fish for Smallmouth is important to know so you will not waste your time by fishing when the fish are not biting. “Timing can be critical. Two or three days into a warming trend is generally best, when still air or southerly winds prevail. Water temperatures rise several degrees during these warm spells and fish feed heavily. They will be most active from late morning until late afternoon, when the water is warmest. Avoid fishing during or just after a cold front and when north winds are blowing” (Almy). In the spring time Smallmouths will usually become active about 55 degrees. In the fall Smallmouths may stay active longer then their southern counterparts. During the summer months smallmouths retreat to cooler waters. “If you want to catch plenty of smallmouths and get a tan while you are at it, wait until summer. If you want to land big bronzebacks—fish so fat you can not get a palm around them—get out now. Early season is the best time of the year to take huge Smalmouths. Adapting to the changes in the small-mouth’s habitat preferences and feeding behavior, as well as using the right lures, flies and presentations, is the key to success. If you don”t mind frigid fingers and wind-burned cheeks, the entire late-winter/early spring period can be good. Look for the biggest fish first, but perhaps only a few per trip. As waters warm and spring marches in big-time, except an increase in fish numbers, but a slow decline in average size” (Almy). During spawning season is good time to fish for smallmouths. Male smallmouth move from their winter aggregations into shallow water near rocky points, bars and gravel shore lines or ledges close to deep water. The spawning season happens in late spring and early summer. The second thing you need to know to fish for smallmouth are different fishing techniques. Three techniques are fishing with live bait in streams, fishing with live bait from boats, and Jig Retrievers. The first technique is fishing with live bait in streams. “When fishing with hellgrammites, crayfish or some other live bait weighted with split shot, cast upstream and let the bait drift into pools and behind objects that break the current, such as boulders and other Smallmouth hangouts. From this position, cast downstream and let the current hold the bait where it is likely to attract a smallmouth” (Fishing Center). The second technique is fishing with live bait from boats. “Drop anchor over a smallmouth structure and lower crayfish and/or minnows straight down to the bass. The more legal lines you have in the water the better. Even when smallmouths lie directly beneath the boat, it may take several minutes before the respond. When one bass does take a bait, the ensuring battle rouses bass nearby into the water as soon as possible after landing a bass to keep the feeding frenzy going” (Fishing Center). The third technique is fishing with Jig Retrieves. “ Jigs dressed with a curly-tailed grubs and tube jigs are mainstays for smallmouths. Two effective retrieves present bass with very different actions. One is the swimming retrieve. Simply cast the jig, let it sink all the way down and then maintain a slow, steady retrieve that keeps the lure swimming just over the bottom. The lure should make occasional bottom contact. This is especially good in the spring when bass move up on gravel spawning flats” (Fishing Center). Another technique used when fly fishing is: “Cast bottom-hugging minnow patterns across and upstream in rivers, over deep structure in lakes. Let the sink-tip line take them deep, then pump slowly across stony rubble and stumps. Punch out mid-depth streamers directly across in rivers, concentrating on eddies and pocket water. In lakes, focus on rockpiles docks, stump fields and logjams. Keep the rod tip low to the water and work them with s...