Smallmouth bass will definitely eat a swimbait. You’re just going to have to down size your swimbaits to consistently catch smallmouth bass. Remember, smallmouth bass have a much smaller mouth than largemouth bass. Try using 4 to 5 inch swimbaits instead of the larger swimbaits, however, you can still catch some nice smallmouth bass on a 6 or 7 inch swimbait too, but don’t expect to get as many bites.
Best Techniques
Swim Them
Whether you choose to use a slow and steady retrieve or a faster retrieve, swimbaits make it easy on you as an angler. Just cast them out and retrieve them at the appropriate depth and you will catch fish.
Best Rigs for Soft Swimbaits
Florida / Texas Rig
Swimbaits work well on a Texas rig or Florida rig. Most anglers prefer to use a jighead or a swimbait hook, but the Texas rig works well too.
Jighead
The smaller jigheads work fine with the smaller swimbaits, but you will get much better hooksets by using the longer shank jigheads with the larger soft swimbaits.
Swimbait Hook
A swimbait hook is made for fishing with swimbaits. Find the right size hook and weight for the bait you are using and start casting.
