Smallmouth Bass Fishing

By now, you are probably aware that the places you fish gear themselves toward one or two species of bass but do not contain large amounts of all types of bass. Maybe you've never caught a smallmouth and want to expand your horizons but are unsure where to start smallmouth bass fishing. This is no surprise since even some anglers who specialize in this area are boggled by the patterns - or lack thereof - of smallmouth bass. Fishing for these specimens, then, can require a little knowledge and a lot of luck. Here are a few tips to help you along.

The key to success in smallmouth bass fishing is to be versatile. This particular species of bass is unpredictable and nomadic, with no clear pattern arising based on seasonal migration as with other fish. Instead of following seasonal behavior, you'll need to determine what types of areas will make good holding areas for these fish and glean several different spots in which smallmouth bass may be found so that you can target each one individually until you find them.

A productive smallmouth bass fishing spot will be fairly deep - more so than say a largemouth fishing hole - and it will typically be right by some even deeper water, with quick easy access. These fish will travel in schools, so where you find one, you'll have access to many. They follow the trail of baitfish and, especially in a river but also in lakes, will shelter themselves in areas where the current breaks near a bend, channel, or deep hole.

Unlike other bass species that find structure underwater to be a convenience, smallmouth bass find it a necessity, so smallmouth bass fishing can be quite productive along shorelines in heavy weeds, as well. Of course, this totally contradicts the previous mention that deep holes make good smallmouth hotspots, which is why patterning for these fish is nearly impossible. Anglers have been known to fish waters of seven feet and less in weeded areas and pull out several smallmouth bass in excess of four pounds in just a couple of hours. To improve the odds, you can target areas around docks or near fallen timber and cast into the deeper edges around the structure where the smallmouth can disguise itself and prepare to ambush any prey that happens to swim by. Look for sandy and rocky areas rather than dirt or mud bottoms, and find points with steep drop offs.