Smallmouth Bass Fishing

Five Great Reels Reviewed

Spring, and now summer, have gone “way” too fast. But, I’ve had a chance to get on the water on all or part of 50 days and am having a great year for smallies as well as largemouth. I’ve had an opportunity to do eight other reel review articles, plus including reels in [...]

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Rigging Soft Plastics for River Smallmouths with Jeff Little (video)

In this video Jeff Little of Blue Ridge Kayak Fishing demonstrates some effective techniques for rigging soft plastics for river smallmouths. He shows how to rig a weedless tube (or should I say rockless?), a simple yet effective stick worm rig and a creature bait using Hawghead Baits soft plastic lures. Rigging Soft Plastics for River [...]

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ICAST 2009 New Product Showcase Winners

ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, showcased some innovative standouts in the best new products showcase this year in Orlando Florida. Overall Best of Show - Hobie Cat - Hobie Mirage Pro Angler Freshwater Reel - Shimano American Corporation - Stradic CI4 Saltwater Reel - Daiwa - Saltist Lever Drag Freshwater Rod - USA Custom Rods - Camo [...]

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Yakfish’s Rabbit Hair Craw Jig for Smallmouth Bass

“Tying your own” isn’t just for fly anglers any more. With the popularity of hair jigs for cold water smallmouth, many spin fishermen are learning tricks from their long rod brethren. While learning how to tie jigs, I sampled many different materials including round rubber, silicone skirts, buck tail, and rabbit hair. The rabbit hair [...]

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A December to Remember: Blade Baits and Reservoir Smallmouth

Looking back at the past year, I realize that I have learned more since last March than in the previous five years combined. The switch from river to reservoir smallmouth fishing brought an entirely new set of rules, patterns, and techniques. The technique that I learned late in the year, vertical jigging a blade bait, [...]

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Smallmouth Bass Lures

Lures used for Smallmouth bass fishing should be downsized versions of those used for Largemouth Bass, to accomodate their smaller mouths. A variety of crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, topwaters, soft baits and jigs can be effective. Sizes ranging from 1/8 oz. - 1/2 oz. are most commonly used. Top Water Baits Tiny Torpedo: 1-7/8″ length, 1/4 oz, [...]

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Crankbaits for Smallmouths - A Beginner’s Guide

I hope some of the following thoughts will help young and beginning fishermen have a better understanding of fishing a crankbait. I guess every Bass fisherman has a “Go To” lure that they have more confidence in than any other. To some it’s a jig, to others its spinner bait or a worm. I have a [...]

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Choosing a Flyrod for Smallmouth Bass

As an instructor for fly casting, working with students in my classroom set up in my basement and also working with and guiding them on the water, I have no gain in what equipment they buy. So when I recommend a rod to a student or angler it is for one reason… it is the [...]

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Fishing Spinnerbaits - A Beginner’s Guide

Introduction One of the reasons that I have loved fishing for largemouth bass now for over 40 years is their inbreed tendencies to ambush their prey. Or to put it a little closer to home, ambush the particular artificial bait that I might be using at the time. I have always leaned toward running type baits [...]

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Hair Jigs for Bronzebacks

Seasoned largemouth bass anglers profess that for large bass throughout the seasons, a rubber or silicon-skirted jig with a pork or plastic trailer is hard to beat. For that other “black bass”, however, hair is the way to go. Smallmouth bass in Pennsylvania’s fertile rivers prefer hair jigs to silicon or rubber skirted jigs, hands down. [...]

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