Smallmouth Bass - Churnin' up some water!

Smallmouth bass have to be one of the coolest fish ever. I love fishing them all year. They fight like the devil and sometimes are hard as ever to catch. The angle is once you find what they are going for you can duplicate it all over the lake or river.

I recently was fishing for smallmouth on the river testing out some lures for the site. Occasionally lures have no attraction to the fish I am going after and we throw the bait to go with something else that will trigger the fish.

It's early in the northern part of the country and fish are just starting to move with warming temperatures. With these temperatures comes a scenario for smallmouth that puts them in what I will call a "attack and back" position. Like a boomerang, the fish are nailed to points, brush piles and breaks just waiting to pounce and retreat.

I found this pattern to be very consistent in a 5 mile stretch of river where...the situation could be duplicated again and again. Fish after fish would react in the same fashion. Roll a bait by them...stop retrieve...begin again....and wham...either a hook up and a quick turn or a smack and back to the depths.

These fish were ambushing and attacking the bait only to set back at rest to wait again for another opportunity. The test was what baits to use. Two baits did this job early with water temps from 58-61 degrees. Spinnerbait.....the micro sizes, and a jerkbait....suspending. Color was not so much a factor but the areas and stop in middle retrieve was.

One week later. Water temp increased, high pressure hit home and the fish would not go on spinnerbaits or jerks. I fished the same spots with a fluke.....slow pop off the bottom and rest...the a bring back to the boat....wham...those fish were there....I did it again...all over that stretch of water.

Summing up, Key in real hard when the pattern hits you. If it worked last week it may not this week...but those fish don't go on vacation. Work them with your fancy equipment....They are in there.

Keep Your Edge! JR