Smallmouth will spawn when the water is about sixty to sixty-five degrees, and they like to do it on gravel flats, clay points, humps, and protected bays. They spawn anywhere from about two to six feet deep here, but most of the time they are too deep to see on their beds.

When fishing for bedding largemouth, where it is allowed, such in Delaware and Maryland, the largemouth have to be finessed into striking many times. This is not true for smallmouth, as these fish are very aggressive. It is really very simple to catch large bedding smallmouth by swimming a smoke or chartreuse colored Yamamoto grub across their beds. We always practice catch and release, and if you want to continue to enjoy this type of fishing, releasing them right away after they are caught is crucial.

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