Written by Art Ferguson, revised 02/08
Smallmouth bass fishing, in my eyes, is the best fishing in the world today. I have fished for most species of freshwater and many saltwater, both bottom as well as flats fishing and still nothing compares day in and day out to smallmouth bass! Smallies are fighters, jumpers, diggers, they are aggressive, competitive, strong and mean; quick yet smooth and are not fearful!
I’ve found in recent years that smallmouth bass are more predictable than the largemouth bass and that goes against popular beliefs. The difference is, smallmouths tend to move a bit more throughout a years time, but, once you figure out where they spawn, feed and winter, you will have a much better understanding of these great fish.
Being a full time guide on the Great Lakes, I can honestly say I’ve caught thousands upon thousands of smallmouth in the past 17 years as a guide. Customers have caught nearly as many. This is due to the nature of this fish. I’ve learned where to look for them at different times of the year and it pays off in extreme fishing situations. Some days, we’ll catch well over sixty a day and this is due to their aggressiveness.
I’m a man of Faith and do not believe in luck, but rather God being in control of everything including weather patterns which in turn, make wildlife and fish react differently at different times. If you get lined up with God’s perfect timing, when fish are most active in areas of the lakes or rivers you are fishing, this is when it happens. Smallmouth are no different. Due to their schooling nature they seem to go into frenzies better than many species of fish. Whenever you find a smallmouth, chances are, there are more nearby.
Let’s get into some seasonal patterns as well as the subtleties that can make or break you out on the water. Most of us know through experience that spring and fall fishing is typically better than any other time of the year for most fishermen. This is the time when the fish are shallowest and seems that once you find them, it’s endless. Then the heat of the summer comes, the fish are post spawn and suddenly the heroes of the lake are the zeroes of the lake. This is due to fish spreading out into the vast areas of each particular lake. I find most of my summer smallmouth on our Great Lakes will relate to the first major breaks off of spawning flats or move into major rivers and channels that produce cooler waters, increased oxygen levels and an abundance of baitfish. Finally, winter fishing. Well, I live in Florida during this time of year, so I won’t comment on ice fishing.
The more I learn about smallmouth bass, the more I am realizing the importance of very minor differences in structure that can make major differences in your success during the day. For instance, during a Bassmaster Open event on Lake Erie in the Buffalo area. I found that if I had the boat 10’ off of the structure I was fishing, I wasn’t catching the big bass, but if I got right on the rock ledge that was a little different the surrounding area, I caught some big smallmouth and finished 2nd in that tournament but could have won it but because on day 2, I couldn’t find that subtlety that made the difference, I didn’t finish in first.
Types of structure that can make a difference in your fishing trip can be something as minor as a one foot drop in depth or a small sand spot in the middle of a weed flat. It could be a rock bed on sand flats or a patch of weeds in the midst of a gravel bar. I’ve seen where one large boulder could hold a winning stringer of smallies, or a rough spot at the end of a point that holds all the fish on that point. These are the type of areas that make the difference during those summer days when fishing seems to be tough. These are the areas that can hold the pre or post spawn bass that you can’t seem to find before or after the spawn. Keying on these areas will yield rewards that are bronze in color and fat like footballs.
One of the important things to do when you find these subtleties is to throw a marker buoy and punch in an icon or a GPS coordinate on my Lowrance LCX-38C HD graph. This is the unit that I use to find deeper structure, baitfish or actual bass on structure. Paying close attention to your graph is the best way to find the key areas on the lake as you move across it.
I’ve found that a quality graph is worth the price to find key structure. When I’m running across the lake in my Triton TR21X-HP at 70mph and my graph can read the bottom, this helps me greatly. Once I see something different, I can turn around, slow down and check it out in depth. The more I learn to use my graph, the more fish I’m finding day in and day out in open water structure areas which is where most smallmouth bass fishing is done.
When throwing out a buoy, I really try to pay attention to where I’m throwing it in accordance to where I caught the fish. Again, the areas can be so small where the schools or big bass are sitting and many times there can be current, either natural or wind that can put you just off the key area and you won’t catch them as well as you could otherwise.
Once you have found the areas, now let’s talk about what lures to use to effectively catch smallmouth in these areas. Match the hatch! If I’m in shallower areas, I’m going to throw a reaction lure, such as spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits or top-water baits. But as I do this, if I’m not hitting the key areas, I’m not going to cover the water efficiently. My favorite way to fish for shallower smallmouth in subtle areas has been with Yamamoto Senkos. If I’m going to look for fish that are suspended on structure or fish that are aggressive, I’m going to use this bait. It will trigger fish at times when no other bait can. Colors for smallmouth can also be very subtle, but I am a basic fisherman and find that the common watermelons, green pumpkins and pearls are the most productive, colors 912 and 925 being my definite favorites.
There are many ways to present the Senko, but I have found that the less I move the bait, the more fish I catch. This is because of the unique action the Senko has in natural form. You can also jerk it which causes the bait to do sporadic action and can trigger fish. Using it “whacky” style can be very effective as well, hooking the bait in the middle and letting it fall naturally.
Another technique that has been hot out west but has recently made it to the north and east is swimbaits. I use a variety of swimbaits in 3.5, 4, 5 and 6 inch sizes, mostly paddle tails, but learning more about different styles. These baits bring smallies out of deep water as well as drive them crazy in the shallows. They are designed to do exactly what I like to do, force the fish to react! I will use these in situations where it just seems like the spinnerbait isn’t going to cut it. The conditions may be too bright and clear or there could be a lack of wind. This is when I like it the best. Gary Yamamoto makes a great smaller swimbait in a 3.5 inch size. I use this in shallow water situations and can swim it quicker than other swimbaits. These are used with a jig head and I usually use a 1/8 oz. head.
Crawfish are a large forage for smallmouth in most waters and there are times when nothing can out fish a hula grub (crawfish imitation). Yamamoto’s Hula Grub has always been recognized as the most productive crawfish lure on the market. I have won six boats in my career and 5 of those victories; the Gary Yamamoto Hula Grub was part of my success. These baits are put on lead head type baits. I often will use Owner’s bullet type Ultrahead jig. This is rigged Texas style with the head already designed into the hook and makes the lure weedless. The 5 inch Hula Grub is my favorite and the 194J color being about the only color I throw. Once this color has been in some sunlight for a few minutes, it changes from a deep watermelon to a dark pumpkin color and looks like a crawdad. Moved with a slower presentation and an occasional hop, many times this produces some bigger bites.
Anyone who knows my style of fishing will agree that I am a tube fishing specialist. I catch a majority of smallmouth on tubes. I use Provider “Performance Series” tube and tube heads (www.providertackle.com) more than any other bait when fishing for smallmouth bass on the Great Lakes and natural lakes in the north. I use different weights and find the Performance Series 4 inch tube best for almost all of my fishing. It’s a perfect size which duplicates average sizes of baitfish as well as crawfish and perch. I will use pearl with silver flake tubes when fish are on a good shad/baitfish bite which occurs a lot in spring and fall times. At times, I will swim these baits with a 1/8 or ¼ oz. jighead over the cover as a reaction bait.
My favorite way to fish tubes is with a Provider “Performance Series” ¼ to 3/8 oz. weight casting to the structure and letting the bait fall as vertical as I can. I find this is a key to my success with tubes. Using a sensitive rod and watching my line helps me detect bites as the bait is falling vertically through the water column. This can be achieved in deeper water by actually fishing vertical, but on lakes like Lake St. Clair, the waters are shallower and I am usually casting to the targeted area.
The first seconds after the bait hits bottom while smallmouth fishing is very important. They are an aggressive feeder and so many strikes come within the bait hitting bottom and the first 2 or 3 times you move the bait. Many times, the fish are following it down. I use a slow crawl while retrieving the tube. This gets me more strikes than hopping the bait day in day out. Pay close attention to the first seconds that your bait is in the water. Have your line tight enough to
feel it hit the bottom.
Once you have moved the bait out of what you believe to be the strike zone, I’ve also learned to swim the tube back at a steady retrieve and again, this can sometimes cause a smallmouth to react and bite. Using a Provider Tackle “Performance Series” tube head will make the tube swim back naturally with no twisting. I’ve gotten onto patterns like this by catching a couple fish swimming a tube back to the boat and started to purposely swim the bait. The result of doing this is some tournament wins throughout the years. Again, the key is to use the proper baits in the proper structure to get in on the greatest fishing in the world.
Color can be important to the degree of water and weather conditions. My favorite is a color that I helped design. This is an excellent clear water color and has certain sparkles that attract smallmouth to the bait. We call it “work of Art” or “WOA”. I’m very proud of this bait and can testify that it has caught me more bass than any other color in the past few years. I’m also fond of other colors that match the abundance of gobies, such as green pumpkin or green pumpkin copper and colors like watermelon/orange imitating crawfish. Another key color for my boat is pearl sparkle which is a great color when the fish are feeding strong on shad and alewives.
Using a low stretch line is important for better hook sets. Many times I'm making long casts in clear water and need to penetrate the fishes mouth from a long distance. Because of this, I use Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon line in 8 or 10lb. test. This particular line is the most sensitive line I've used but just as importantly, it's the strongest/toughest line I've used. I'll use a 7 foot Kistler Helium LTA rod for maximum hook setting and like a quick action in a medium heavy power.
This gives me an advantage over my competition. Having the right combination of rod, reel, line and bait, to get the bite, set the hook, fight the fish will help you get more fish in the boat! Though this sounds like an advertisement, I very strongly want to let everyone know this is truly the tackle that I use to fish in the BASS and FLW Tours.
The great thing about our sport is we never know exactly what these great fish are going to do from day to day. We learn more about their habitat, the subtleties of the lakes and rivers by using great modern day technology. The technology and the great boats and motors on the market also enable us to get to the fish and back to the boat ramp safely. Once out there having good equipment and tackle will increase your chances of catching not only trophy smallmouth, but catching a memory that will last a lifetime! Hope this helps you on your next fishing trip.
Pay attention to the details of your fishing trip and you will surely gain understanding for the type of lake and the season you are fishing. This will make you a better fisherman in the future when you find those similar circumstances.
God bless!
Art Ferguson
www.competitiveedgefishing.com
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