Pound for pound, smallmouth bass are considered the strongest fighting freshwater fish by most anglers. It is hard to disagree once you have spent some time fishing for smallmouth bass. Whether you target monster smallmouth bass in the Great Lakes or 2 to 3 pounders in rivers and streams, you will have a blast catching fish that jump multiple times, make long runs and often shake the hook at the boat.
Habitat
Smallmouth bass are found in many different bodies of water such as lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams and even in some ponds. These fish prefer rocks, but you can find smallmouth bass around wood, weeds, docks and other types of cover. Smallmouth bass can easily be found in water as shallow as a few feet deep, but they are often found in deeper water that is greater than 20 feet.
How to Catch Smallmouth Bass
You can catch smallmouth bass on a variety of artificial lures and live bait. Compared to largemouth bass, anglers usually downsize their baits for targeting smallmouth bass because of their smaller mouths. Large baits will also work, but you will usually catch more smallmouth bass if you use smaller baits. For example, a large bass jig & trailer would be a great lure for largemouth bass, while a simple tube will get the job done for smallmouth bass. Soft plastics, crankbaits, jigs, tubes and topwater lures are just some of the artificial lures that anglers use to target smallmouth bass. Live nightcrawlers, leeches and minnows work great for smallmouth bass.
Eating Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass are seen more as a sport fish, so most anglers do practice catch and release with smallmouths just like they do with largemouth bass. It is essential to release the larger bass to make sure there are plenty of big bass to catch in the future and also because these bigger fish do a lot more for reproducing than the smaller fish. Some anglers do eat smallmouth bass and these fish are considered very good eating.
Fishing Lures for Smallmouth Bass
- Curly Tail Worms
- Finesse Worms
- Fork Tail Worms
- Paddle Tail Worms
- Straight Worms (Wacky Worms)
- Swimming Worms
- Grubs
- Soft Plastic Minnows
- Tubes
- Bass Jigs
- Maribou Jigs
- Lipless Crankbaits
- Shallow-Diving Crankbaits
- Deep-Diving Crankbaits
- Jerkbaits
- In-Line Spinners
- Swimbaits
- View all Popular Fishing Lures for Smallmouth Bass
Fishing Rigs for Smallmouth Bass
- 3-Way Swivel Rig
- Carolina Rig
- Double Hook Drop Shot Rig
- Double Jig Rig
- Drop Shot Rig
- Floating Rig
- Florida Rig
- Free Lining Rig
- Slip Bobber Rig
- Split Shot Rig
- Texas Rig
- Wacky Rig
Live Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Cover & Structure for Smallmouth Bass
- Dams & Spillways
- Drop-Offs
- Flats
- Man-Made Features (Docks, Boat Houses, etc.)
- Points
- Reefs
- Rocks & Boulders
- Weeds
- Wood
Different Depths of Water
- Shallow Water
- Deep Water
- Suspended Bass
- Bottom Fishing
- Topwater Fishing
How the Weather Affects Smallmouth Bass
- Cold Fronts
- Warm Fronts
- Stable Weather
- Clouds
- Rain
- Sun
- Wind
Spawning Time
Time of Day
Time of Year (Seasonal Movements)
Types of Water
More Resources
- Kayak Fishing
- Wading
