If ever there is fishing to raise the hair of even the most seasoned anglers — smallmouth bass fishing is it!
What enables the smallmouth bass to hit with such jolting impact that it scares the pants off you? A football coach would call it “guts.”… A boxing trainer would call it “the killer instinct.”… A baseball scout would call it “sock.”
Whatever it is, the smallmouth bass has plenty of it and spares none of it when he piles onto your plug. Two things, in my opinion, account for this heavy striking power.
First, when a smallmouth bass hits your lure, it means business; every ounce of killing instinct is behind that savage strike. And second, a smallmouth bass habitually slams into your lure head-on, or slashes from the side, giving unusual impact for the size of the fish.
One of the best fishing tips to learn early is never underestimate the smallmouth bass. You might barge right up to a hole and catch a stupid fish — but not a mature smallmouth bass. Give it the slightest notion that you’re around and that’s all brother, you might as well move on to the next hole.
Approach is the most important element in catching those wise old mossbacks that have heard, seen and sneered at countless anglers trying to hook them on fly, plug, worm, minnow, crawfish — or what have you.
Here’s your cue to the importance of approach. Walk noisily along the edge of stream or lake and notice how far ahead of you minnows and larger fish leave the shallows, frogs and turtles disappear as well. Then walk very softly. The minnows, fish, frogs and turtles are closer before being alarmed, but they still hear you and take off.
So, if you would catch a wily smallmouth bass remember to approach the hole as if your quarry had the ears of an elephant and the eyes of an eagle. Then walk as if you were on thin ice, absolutely no vibration to your steps.
If necessary, crawl — that’s right, crawl up to the hole. Keep down low so your intended victim can’t spot you against the sky. Study the water and lay your lure on the darkest, deepest spot. The next few seconds will tell how good a “sneaker” you were.
If you’re suddenly tied to a jet-propelled piscatorial bulldog — you’re in! If nothing happens, review your approach, decide what you did wrong and try the next hole. Show me a man who has mastered the smallmouth and you’ve shown me a fisherman.
Characteristics
Until you have caught a considerable number of smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and spotted bass, you’ll find it difficult to tell them apart. However, the main features of smallmouth bass are: (1) the maxillary, or jaw joint, ends just below the middle of the eye; (2) the continuous dorsal fin; and (3), the vertical bands or streaks which mark the sides. Also, the general appearance of the body is streamlined and the head comparatively small.
The largemouth, by contrast, has: (1) a maxillary which ends behind the eye; (2) a divided dorsal fin; and (3), a dark, pronounced lateral line from gills to tail. The body is usually heavy looking, and the head large. The spotted bass is “in between” the other two except for body markings. It has jagged, diamond-shaped markings above and below the pronounced lateral line.
We could go into dorsal spiney ray and cheek scale count and such, but the aforementioned items, plus your catching a few of each, is the best method — at least for a starter.
Other Names
After tangling lines and leaders around roots, it has been tagged with several unprintable names. Here are the most common nicknames: Bronzeback, Redeye, Green Bass, Black Bass, Yellow Bass, Oswego Bass, Swago Bass, Tiger Bass, Welshman, and in certain parts of the south, Trout.
Range
The smallmouth bass is found in nearly every state of the United States that has cooler lakes and streams, and in most parts of Canada. Originally, its native range was from southern Canada to northern Georgia and Alabama, along the eastern seaboard and west to Manitoba.
Habitat
The biggest and best smallmouth bass are found in deep, cool, swift-flowing streams having plenty of cover, like rocks, undercut banks, overhanging cover and deep holes.
Early and late in the day, riffles and gravel bars are excellent spots to pick up those old patriarchs who sulk in unreachable spots during the heat of the day. In lakes, smallmouth bass are where you find them, and it takes effort to locate underwater bars, springs, holes in cover, etc.
Foods
If it looks good, the smallmouth bass will eat it! Although some call it a “fussy feeder” this fish is known to feed on worms, snails, crawfish, minnows, small fish, frogs, all kinds of insects, small birds, snakes, hellgrammites, larvae, field mice, baby muskrats — and other smallmouth bass.
Artificial Lures
Smallmouth bass are taken by anglers fly fishing for trout with tiny flies, by muskellunge fishermen trolling and casting for muskies, by catfish devotees and by bobber-fishermen after bluegills. It is generally conceded that any active lure — properly offered — is attractive to a smallmouth bass. However, the most consistent producers are fast-wiggling plugs, wet and dry flies, spoons, bucktails, and spinner-and-pork-rind combinations.
Methods and Tackle
While plug casting accounts for the most smallmouth bass, spinning plugs and flies chalk up a lot of dandies each year. For baitcasting, the light action rods 5 to 6 feet long, equipped with a light, fast reel and 10 to 15 pound line are ideal. A 3 or 4 foot leader is recommended at the end of your line to prevent fraying and it makes an almost invisible joint between line and lure.
Any of the smaller, fast-wiggling plugs should produce if you hit the right color for the water and day. However, make certain your lure is coming in on a straight line, then you can guide it around snags. A plug that runs to one side isn’t worth fooling with, and here’s how to correct these miscreants. The line-tie is like a steering wheel, if the plug runs to the left — bend the line tie to the right, just enough to bring the plug back on center. Make certain all your lures swim properly.
Spinning requires the same type rods, reels and small lures you use for largemouth bass. However, the shorter rods of 6 to 6 1/2 foot lengths are recommended because in casting they allow you to keep your plug lower. This enables you to see plug and target sooner, thus greatly increasing accuracy and reducing snags.
Fly rods in the 8 to 9 foot range, in bass action, weighing 4 to 5 ounces are best. The clearer the water, the longer and finer leader you will need. Streamers, feathered minnows, small spoons and plugs, larger wet and dry flies and pork-rind bucktail combinations are tops. You’ll adopt certain pets.
And don’t be backward about forsaking artificial lures if they aren’t producing. Many times a lively grasshopper or nightcrawler will work like a magic key in opening the jaws of “old bronzeback.” Incidentally, all leader on your fly reel is excellent for this type of live-bait fishing. It slides through your guides like squirting a watermelon seed.
Biological Tidbits
Like other members of the Sunfish family, the papa smallmouth bass does all the hard work. He fans a clean spot for the nest, usually taking from one to two days for this job. Then he herds one or more females into the saucer-shaped love nest, fertilizes the spawn, guards the eggs until they hatch, chaperones the small fry until they can forage for themselves — and then, it’s every fish for himself.
To show you how sensitive the old boy is, should the temperature drop below the sixties during the nest making, he will lay off work until the thermometer climbs back to the proper incubation temperature.
Here is the average growth rate in the north: One year, 3 1/2 to 4 inches; two years, 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inches; three years, 8 to 9 inches; four years, 10 to 11 inches; five years, 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 inches; and a 10-inch smallmouth bass averages about 1/2 pound, while a 1-pounder is some 13 inches long.
Remember This
When you have caught a smallmouth bass in the middle of a stream, and think you have fished out the hole, try it from all directions before giving up. Once you have located a number of such holes in a stream, your fishing fortunes will brighten considerably, and you’ll be a stream-wise angler able to fish new holes more intelligently.