Smallmouth Bass

[theangler]

[size 1]In an effort to help each other get on the fish, we will be adding a series of posts entitled by the type of fishing we are targeting and would like all users who wish to include their "favorite way to catch these fish", "favorite spots" (doesn't have to be exact), "favorite guides for these fish", "tackle tips", "recommended tackle", "beginner tips", "boating techniques" or any other information you feel would be helpful to other anglers targeting this type of fish.

[size 1]For State Record Information Please visit:[/size]

[#333366][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/records/"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/records/[/url][/#333366] [/size]
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[ReelMN]

The only place i can go fishing for smallmouth around here is at Quail Creek Reservoire. I found that if you take and get some big crawfish from along the shore and use them as bait then you will catch quite a few fish whether they are smallmouth or not.
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[MountainMan]

Ryan, you need to work on your fish ID. THERE ARE NO SMALLIES IN QUAIL! Only Largemouths, crappie, bluegill, rainbows/albinos, and catfish. If you want to catch a smallmouth around here, go to Newcastle.

Anyways, I like to use a split shot plastic worm, or a tube jig. They are also a real rush on a fly rod.
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[lonehunter]

[center][url "http://www.cnr.vt.edu/efish/families/smallmouth.html"][/center]

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[davetclown]

Smallmouth bass: The best way to find smallies is to fish hard-bottomed lakes or rivers with boulders, rocks or sandbars. Cattails are good hiding spots, too.

Three rigs work. A favorite way to catch these fish is to use a quarter-ounce jig and spinner. Another is to cast a small crayfish or minnow-type plug, and the third is to cast or troll a lip-hooked spottail minnow.

Wind drifting and casting ahead to boulders or rocks are fun, but use polarized sunglasses to locate the rocky cover. Fish the dark sides of boulders during midday. Wading and casting to rocky areas also produce in lakes and streams.

This fish often goes to depths of 15 or 20 feet in midsummer. Cast or troll deep-diving crankbaits to probe the depths along drop-offs or deep-water points.

Slow trolling with lip-hooked minnows is productive, but let the fish take the bait before setting the hook.

Smallmouth bass hit hard, jump high and come in only after a hard fight, and they have fire in their eyes when landed. There is no quit in their makeup.
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[davetclown]

[center][/center][center]this 14 3/4 incher was caught under a bridge with a mepps spinner 7-31-03[/center]
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[hedgesd]

The smalls in Utah have Red eyes. Are they that way back east or is it just those pictures.
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[davetclown]

only the rock bass out this way have the red eyes. if you exclude them mother naature smokers[sly]

smallmouth bass (black bass) eyes are black
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[hedgesd]

That's interesting do you have a picture of those two fish. Here's a utah smally. I know it's not the best picture but you can see the red in the eye.
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[lonehunter]

the smallmouth that i have been catching have a red vertical stripe in there eyes . must have something to do with the strain of the species .
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[davetclown]

[center]14 3/4 inch Smallmouth Bass[/center] [center]31st of july 2003[/center] [center]Huron River millford MI[/center] [center][/center] [center]5.00pm[/center] [center]using a Mepps Black Furry[/center] [center][/center] [center]

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[/center] [center]Largemouth Bass[/center] [center]14 inches[/center] [center]July 26th 2pm[/center] [center]Commerce Lake[/center] [center][/center] [center]

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[/center] [center]Rock Bass[/center] [center]11 inches[/center] [center]July 9th 2003[/center] [center]Upper Pettiebone Lake [/center] [center]Highland Michigan[/center] [center]9.30 pm[/center] [center]no #1 Rooster Tail[/center] [center][/center] [center][/center] [center]here are our bass only the one has red eyes[/center]
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[OneWhoFishes]

Favorite places for catching small mouths would be Apache lake arizona, Bartlet lake arizona, Lake pleasant Arizona, comming in at the top of my list would be the Black River on the Apache Indian reservation on the Arizona New Mexico boarder that is were this guy come from. nineteen and a half inches. only 3.25 inches short of the state record and its weight was up therein the six pound range.

Black river is great it is a clear cold moderate flow river waste deep in most locations but the holes behind the boulders can run up to twelve feet deep. We will generally fish this river with spinner baits , catch live helgramites (up to three inches here), or use one inch crawfish we also catch here. This guy was caught on a small 1/4 ounce yellow feather crappie jig.

Favorite spinners for this location are red sonic rooster tails, White sonic rooster tails, Black mepps with copper colored blades, and Black panther martis with yellow spots and copper colored blades.

Fishing the back river is costly and you need to either find somone who fishes it to give you good directions or find a local guide there are no acurate maps.

It takes about eight hours from Phoenix to get there. Four hours of which is done by four wheel drive. On this drip with the uploaded photos the mud was up half way on my tires, we tore a rear shock mount right of the axle and blew a tire.

Also bring an extra ten Gallons of gas or you will not make it to the better fishin grounds and back.
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[davetclown]

ooooooooooooLeeeeee

now that's a wopper [shocked] and a half. congradulations

I too have have found those mepps and roostertails beeing hot on the bass this year.

I lost my big one about a couple weeks ago. [] was fun to have him on the line though...
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[adisabledfisher]

I generally fish with ultralight gear and smallies are a blast. I'm from MO and we have lots of hard bottomed rivers and large creeks, so that's generally where I'm fishing since I don't have a boat for the lakes. I greatly prefer clear water and try to stay back out of sight while casting.

I try to fish near cover, be it weeds or fallen trees. I also like to fish the piers supporting bridges and near the discharge areas of any bridges with pipes running through them. I also see a lot of rock cliffs going into the water and those are good, especially if they create shade during the summer. I also fish REAL SHALLOW riffles anytime I can. I have caught 15 inch fish in a foot of water and less. Caught a 2 1/2 pound smallie in water that didn't even reach the top of my hiking boots. They can put up a heck of a fight and snap 4lb. real easy in that kind of water. I figure that if they're there, they must be hungry and they are gonna hit fast and hard.

I like crawdad jigs in the spring, especially in the little backwater areas. Red and chartreuse jigs with 1/16 to 1/4 ounce leadheads have been good to me through a lot of years. But my number one setup for smallies and panfish is a 3 inch trout worm (about 1/4 inch diameter) in non-translucent orange, speared in the middle with a size 6 or 8 hook attached to a snap swivel with 4lb test. Just cast and let it sink slowly, with a slack line. Wait for the line to start straightening and set the hook. With this setup on the end, retreiving doesn't produce many strikes, but when it does, it is generally always a bass or good sized panfish. I usually cast, let it sink, jerk it clear of the water and let it sink again and then just retrieve it quickly. 90+% of the strikes come when it is sinking slowly. I've caught 5 pound largemouths with that little sliver of rubber and up to 15 fish without changing the worm, just rehooking it in a fresh place.
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[davetclown]

sounds like you got the patern down pat....[cool]

I do agreee that the drop is the hottest time for strikes. and you have to jerk it as if you are setting the hook just before retreiving, mostly because you probably are. most of the drop offs by the bass are poor hook settings.[]

them smallies can be skiddish at times. I usualy hit mine right before dark, I cant get my boat out much any more either. so I walk in up to my tummy button and cast in a 360 dgree radious. I walk back and forth following the contour of the lake moving slowly as not to spook the fishies[]

this year is the first year I have ever had any luck using them rubber worms. and yes most of the time I just rehook as well, that is untill there isnt much of a worm left to hook. what seemed to make the difference for me this year on the rubber worms is that I tied my own harnesses. making different colors. and I found that they prefer different colors over another at diferent times of the day and it can change form day to day. so I have to keep several on hand when I go out.[]

Thanks for the tips Fisher [] there are a couple there I dont normaly use but will deffenatly devote some time to..[cool]
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[tubeN2]

[cool] Hey davetclown,

It sound like you guys back east are having the same luck as in CA. Whether it is Southern Cal or Central Cal I have had tremendous luck with smallies on a brown rooster tail. In the area of Bishop CA, they have many ponds in the area. They all have their share of smallies, blue gill, LMB, Channel Cats as well as blue cats. The smallies and blue gill alike really dig on the brown rooster tail. I have also been using a catyst nymph dry fly with a small piece of worm enhancement.
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