Smallmouth Bass

The smallmouth bass is the second largest member of the sunfish family attaining a weight of almost 12 lb.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A SMALLMOUTH BASS

The smallmouth is easily distinguished from the largemouth by its clearly connected dorsal fins, the scales on the base portion of the soft-rayed second dorsal fin, and the upper jaw bone which extends only to about the middle of the eye. The coloration is also distinctive being usually more brownish in the smallmouth and more greenish in the largemouth.

Generally, the smallmouth has bars radiating back from the eyes, and though similar bars may be present in individuals of other species, including the largemouth, they seem to be more prominent and more consistently present in the smallmouth. A smallmouth's eyes are red or orangish. In young smallmouths, there is a distinctive band of orange at the base of the tail. This is followed by a black band with the tip of the tail being either white or yellow.

 

WHERE TO CATCH SMALLMOUTH BASS

The smallmouth bass is native to the eastern half of the U.S.A. and southeastern Canada, from Manitoba and Quebec south to the Tennessee River system in Alabama and west to eastern Oklahoma. It has been widely transplanted so that today it occurs in almost every state and many other countries. It is not as widespread as the largemouth bass.

They prefer deeper water than the largemouth and areas of clear, fast-flowing streams and pools with gravel/rubble bottom. In waters coinhabited by both smallmouth and largemouth, the largemouth bass will spawn a little earlier due to the fact that the shallower nesting sites they choose in protected areas with emergent vegetation warm to the optimum temperature sooner that the deeper, rockier sites chosen by the smallmouths.

The following list includes additional details on where to catch Smallmouth bass:

 

GRADUAL SHORES                            INLETS AND OUTLETS

PIERS, DOCKS AND PILINGS            SPRING HOLES

WALKWAYS AND BRIDGES                HOLES

OPEN WATER                                     SHORELINE SHALLOWS

SUNKEN OBJECTS                            FRESHWATER WEED BEDS

 

HOW TO CATCH SMALLMOUTH BASS

There are many who say that the smallmouth bass is gamier than the largemouth. The following are fishing methods used to catch Smallmouth bass:

DRIFT FISHING        STILL FISHING           TROLLING

SMALLMOUTH BASS LURES, TACKLE & BAIT

The following are fishing lures, tackle and bait that can be used to catch Smallmouth bass:

 

INSECTS           MINNOWS          SOFT PLASTICS      SPOONS

JIGS              PLUGS                   SPINNER BAITS