Smallmouth Bass Fishing – Smallmouth Bass Fishing Tips
One of the most enjoyable fish to catch in the entire world is the Smallmouth Bass. Smallmouths prefer clear cold water. These fish can be found in both lakes and running water. Pound for pound the smallmouth bass is widely considered the most enjoyable fish to catch. The smallmouth bass is a good natural indicator of healthy water. If you find Smallmouth, you more than likely will find healthy water.
Because of their hearty nature smallmouth bass can be found in waters from Maine to California. The only places that you won't find smallmouth Bass are areas where it's extremely hot for extended periods of time. They prefer cooler, cleaner water, which means they can be found all over the continent of Canada as well. As mentioned earlier, these fish can be found in both lakes and running water.
One of the most enjoyable ways to catch these fish is in river situations. Combining their natural tenacity and fighting ability with moving current can be a lot of fun for anglers of all skill levels. Smallmouth Bass feed on a variety of prey and there are various ways to fish for them. Fishing for them in the same manner that one would for trout is a great way to spend an afternoon. Smallmouth Bass tend not to be quite as wary as trout and can be a bit easier to catch. They love live bait of all kinds, but some of the most popular would include: minnows, worms, helgramites, and leeches.
Rigging any of these live baits with a set of pre-tied gang hooks is a very effective method of fishing for Smallmouth. If the offering is then bounced off of the bottom of a flowing river or stream, watch out! Gang hooks are the best way to present live worms (and other live bait).
Any variety of lures can be employed to effectively fish for Smallmouth Bass. Some of these would include: spinners, spoons, soft baits (like the Slam line of soft baits), spinner baits, and top water lures. Catching Smallmouth Bass on top water lures is incredibly enjoyable and quite effective as well.
The bottom line is that in lake situations, these fish can be fished for in much the same ways largemouth bass are fished for, with minor variations. And in river situations, smallmouth bass can be fished for in much the same way as trout. Such as bouncing a worm rigged on a set of gang hooks off the bottom, while it flows through the current. There are few experiences that can compare to catching a 4 or 5 pound Smallmouth on ultralight spinning gear in a flowing river. That might very well be the definition of a good time!
