Generally,
smallmouth habitat
is considered to be lakes and rivers with cool, clear, deep water and rocky or boulder strewn bottoms Smallmouth are, in fact, rarely found in bodies of water less than 25 feet deep. They prefer water with a current and temperatures between 67° to 71°F.
What’s the
best bait
to use for smallmouth?
- Blade Baits. Fishing blade baits for smallmouth is an excellent cold water technique, but can also be very effective during the warmer months too
- Small Soft Plastics
- Jigs
- Jerkbaits
- Crankbaits and Spinnerbaits
- Topwater Lures.
How old is a 5 lb
smallmouth bass
?
A 15-inch bass might be an average four-year-old, a fast growing three-year-old or a slow growing five-year-old. A big bass, say five pounds, might be anywhere between six and 16 years old.
What is the best lure for river fishing?
For many anglers, jigs are considered the best lures for river fishing near the mouth of a river, in areas of slower current, and near shorelines for walleye. 1/4 to 1/8-ounce jigs will work well in most situations. You can use up to 1 ounce in areas of stronger current.
How do you catch smallmouth in hot weather?
On natural lakes, summertime smallmouth usually retreat to deeper, cooler water during the hottest part of the day. Look for them on points, break lines, saddles, and offshore humps The best spots will also have rocks, scattered grass, or manmade cover like
fish cribs
and brush.
What line is River smallmouth on?
For most situations, 10 pound line will work well whether you are casting crankbaits or fishing with soft plastics. 8 to 12 pound test line is a good range.
What is a smallmouth bass favorite food?
Smallmouth are not picky feeders. They’ll go for insects, bait fish and crustaceans. Crayfish or crawfish (as they’re called in the southern United States), are their top prey and will always land a good sized bass if they’re the right size.
What is the best time to catch smallmouth bass?
Smallmouth fishing is generally better in the early spring than largemouth fishing might be, since smallmouths tend to be more active in cold water. Begin looking for them when the water temperature is in the mid-40s. Fish the first deep water associated with a large gravel or mud flat.
What size hooks for smallmouth bass?
The smallmouth bass prefers a smaller hook (#4-1/0) and will typically bite on anything that moves.
How do you read a river for a smallmouth bass?
Recommended. Think about that flow gradient when approaching smallmouth rivers in summer. Seek out the slower sections on flatter land during high water, and the faster sections when the water is low In high water, I approach most spots by casting upstream or cross-current.
How do you catch finicky smallmouth?
Simply yo-yoing a tube around the smallmouth you’ve located can be the ticket during early spring As the water starts to warm, snapping a tube off the bottom often gets their attention. Frost reminds anglers that the warmer it is, the more apt smallmouth will be to feed.
Does smallmouth like current?
By Tim Allard · Jul 15, 2015. Rivers are home to some of the best smallmouth bass fishing on the planet. The secret to consistently catching smallmouth from rivers is being comfortable fishing in current.
Is smallmouth good eating?
Even though most people catch and release smallmouth bass for the sport, you can absolutely eat them If you’re looking for a healthy and tasty fish dinner, smallmouth is a great option. The reason that most people don’t eat smallmouth bass is that it’s considered somewhat “taboo” by anglers.
What colors do smallmouth bass like?
Their vision is strongest in the areas of medium-red to green It fails rapidly moving into the blues and purples, as it does towards the far reds. If our picture of bass color vision is accurate, then color is meaningful to bass in some cases but not others.
Where can I fish smallmouth in July?
Mid-reservoir humps produce especially well during the summer months. A large percentage of smallies avoid warmer temperatures by positioning 25 to 35 feet deep. Bass also retreat to these humps to escape fishing pressure, because the offshore spots are harder to find and fish.
How do you catch smallmouth bass in late summer?
- Fish Where They Live. The old deer-hunting mantra about not being able to kill a big buck where big bucks don’t exist applies to fishing as well
- Find the Forage. Like all other species, fish live where their food lives
- Slow Down
- Fish at the Right Time.
What do smallmouth bass like to bite?
Small Soft Plastics The Bass Pro Shops Tender Tube is a favorite. Its wiggling tentacles will entice even the pickiest of smallmouth bass into biting, and the tube’s soft body makes them hold on even longer. The Storm Wildeye Live Goby is another excellent option.
What is the best bait for bass in a river?
A top lure for river bass is a soft plastic crawfish either Texas-rigged on a
worm hook
or attached to a lightweight jig Heavier jigs tend to fall to the bottom whereas a lightweight model or a light sinker on the Texas rig is swept by the current right in front of a bass’ nose.
Do smallmouth bass eat worms?
Consequently, smallmouths take worms on shallow structure, deep structure, and suspended in between. Smallmouths eat worms in rivers, in lakes, in reservoirs, and in the Great Lakes But any ol’ worm won’t do.
References
https://www.purefishing.com/pages/mitchell-education-targeting-river-smallmouth