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Smallmouth Bass

Introduction

The smallmouth bass (micropterus dolomieui) is a popular North American game fish, well known both for its fighting ability and table fare. Smallmouth bass are known to be tenacious and full of energy, which is why many anglers consider them to be a top fighter and excellent game fish.

A smallmouth rarely submits when hooked, and often succeeds in shaking the lure from its mouth by jumping and twisting into the air. When caught in the depths, a smallmouth burrows into the nearest weed bed or cover, making the angler work to land the fish. The smallmouth also goes by several other names such as the black bass, smallie, redeye, bronzeback, brown bass and the brownie.

Distribution

Before the railroad cars of the United States Fish Commission distributed smallmouth bass fry in the 1800's, smallmouths were found in the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence and Ohio rivers. Today, smallmouths range throughout southern Canada to southern Alabama, and west to Oklahoma.

Smallmouths were endemic only to North America, however, these fierce fighters have found their way around the world, by being introduced to Asia, Europe, Africa and even Hawaii. As long as they have fresh cool water, they will thrive. Don't be surprised if they are introduced to many more regions in the future.

If you have the opportunity to fish for smallmouth, jump at it! You are likely to see them jump, in return, when you hook them to the end of your line. Southern Ontario has some of the best smallmouth fishing to be had. The crew at Fishresource.com hook 'em regularly!

Habitat

Smallmouths inhabit clear, rocky lakes and streams. They have slightly more restrictive environmental requirements than the largemouth, and as such are less widely found around the world, however, their conditions and requirements are very similar to that of the largemouth.

The most notable difference is water temperature - the smallmouth prefer cooler temperatures, compared to the largemouth and you will also find them in fast rivers and streams with a drop of four to twenty feet per mile usually contain respectable smallmouth populations. Lakes at least thirty feet deep, containing rocky ledges and gravel bottoms, are likely smallmouth habitations.

A large smallmouth population requires specific lake features - shallow weedy flats that extend into deep water; large areas of sand, rock, and gravel; debris-laden shores of tree stumps and fallen brush; drop-offs from fifteen to forty feet with steps of textured bottoms.

Prime smallmouth territory contains submerged ridges and islands in deep water reaching within fifteen feet from the surface. The submerged island should be found off a point, and covered with rocks hiding crawfish and other smallmouth prey.

Features

Smallmouth bass (which are not bass, but like the largemouth belong to the sunfish family) have a protruding lower jaw (which extends beyond the middle of the eye), red eyes, brownish body, two connected or notched dorsal fins (one spiny and one soft), white bellies, and faint dark vertical bands across their bodies.

It is not uncommon for smallmouth to behave in an almost chameleon like fashion, changing colour slightly to suit their surroundings. Smallmouth bass also prefer a lower light environment and it is said that they are most active in low light conditions.

Size

Smallmouths mature in two to four years, but take ten years to reach a length of about twenty inches and a weight of five or six pounds. Some smallmouths live up to fifteen years. The rate of maturation is directly dependant on the body of water.

Very clear lakes that contain diverse ecosystems and rocky bottoms will hold fish that mature faster, and reach larger sizes. Most smallmouths weigh less than five pounds, but the largest smallmouth, caught in Dale Hollow Lake (Kentucky-Tennessee border) in 1955, weighed almost twelve pounds. Bass fishing in the southern United States - what could be better?

Feeding Habits

Smallmouths feed when water temperatures are between 50°F and 80°F. In the fall, smallmouths move to depths of fifteen to twenty feet, pursuing schools of small forage fish. Thousands of smallmouths may school together, especially in the Great Lakes.

In winter months, when water temperatures reach below 50ºF, the bass lie on the bottom of the lake at depths of thirty to forty feet. At about 55ºF, the fish school together at about ten or twenty feet deep, preparing for the spring spawn. When temperatures rise to the low sixties - anytime from April to June, depending on the location - spawning begins.

Reproduction

Male smallmouths clear a nest of almost three feet in diameter at a depth of four to twenty feet. When the male is finished scraping away the gravelly bottom, he leads up to six females to the nest. Each female deposits her eggs in the same nest. Many of the eggs each female produces are not fertile, and the average nest contains around two thousand fertile eggs.

After the female lays her eggs, she lies on her side at the bottom of the lake. While recuperating after the spawn, some females excrete a white, creamy substance that envelops their entire body. Some old and weak fish die after the spawn, but most recover their strength after a week recuperation period.

The male guards the nest for three to ten days depending on water temperature, after which the eggs hatch and tiny black fry with bright yellow eyes emerge. The males rest for a about a week, and do not feed during this recovery period.

After recovering from spawning, smallmouths separate into two groups. The longer, slender fish leave the spawning grounds and trail groups of forage fish. The second group consists of shorter, stocky fish that permanently inhabit the deep rocky waters off the spawning grounds.

The first group of roaming fish eventually assumes semi-permanent occupancy in distinctive waters fifteen to thirty feet deep. This group continues to roam the open-waters of the lake, individually or in groups, but also prefer the safe haven of deep waters with distinctive rock-pile or deep shoal bottoms. Some biologists speculate that the two groups are subspecies of smallmouth bass, but no formal distinction has been found between those that roam and those that linger in one area.

Spring Techniques

Spring fishing is the easiest time to land smallmouth bass. The fish begin to move into the two to ten feet deep shallows, and feed on spawning crawfish. Though actively feeding around fallen debris, boat docks, and rocky shorelines, the fish are suspicious of lures at this time of the season.

By trolling a well-presented crank bait, on a line sixty yards long over the shallows, anglers may intercept fish that return from deep water to the shallows after the boat passes overhead. Outboard motors tend to spook the fish, so when casting, it is best to drift or paddle quietly. Some anglers prefer to cast long distances with ultra-light spinning equipment and use light lures such as a small floating-diving crank baits. If the fish are uninterested, try spinners or even small spoons. Polarized sunglasses may help anglers perceive the outlines of fish and submerged weed beds, enabling the angler to cast to the fish.

Another successful shallow-water tactic, particularly at dawn and dusk, includes using a fly rod and floating deer-hair bugs. Experiment with a nine-and-a-half-foot or longer leader, tapered to a four-pound test tippet. Carefully place the bug against the shore among the fallen trees and foliage, and expect a strike as the bug hits the surface.

When fishing in rocky waters five to fifteen feet deep, try ultra-light spinning tackle and a one-eighth-ounce yellow jig with a piece of night crawler at its tip. Cast the jig over the rocky area, slowly hopping the lure along the bottom. The lure imitates the motion of a crawfish or leech, and quickly attracts the attention of smallmouths.

Feeding slows before the spring spawn. While males in shallow water and females schooled off rocky points can be caught with slow jigs and crank baits., the fish are very vulnerable just before spawning. Greedy anglers can greatly harm the smallmouth population, and all fishing at this time should be limited to catch and release. During the spawn, and a week or so after spawning occurs, knowledgeable anglers stop their smallmouth fishing. By removing the male from his lookout, crawfish, fish, and newts will quickly consume the unguarded eggs.

Summer Techniques

In summer, smallmouths change depths often, frequenting rocky-island waters from fifteen to thirty feet deep to shallow flats. Smallmouths move feeding locations many times during the day, often lured into the depths by schools of small fish or found grazing the rocky shallows for crawfish.

Artificial worms and small split-tail plastic grubs are standard smallmouth lures. Weight the lures and retrieve them with little hops along the bottom. When fish are following artificial lures, but hesitant to strike, try crawfish, minnows, hellgrammites, or night crawlers.

A popular summer bait fish is a small live crawfish hooked near the end of its tail, or a shiner hooked through both lips. Use a No. 4 or No.6 hook attached directly to the line, with a light split shot weighted to bring the bait to the bottom. Work the shiner slowly. Retrieve the crawfish at a slightly faster, hopping pace, to prevent the crawfish from burrowing under rocks.

Try top-water fishing at dawn or dusk at any location where smallmouths are found during the day. Experiment with long, slender floater-divers and larger lures cast off rocky points in water thirty or more feet deep. Smallmouths produce spectacular twists and jumps the second the lure hits the surface or moments after the lure lies motionless.

Fall Techniques

In the cooler fall waters, smallmouths may be hard to find. They school into deeper waters, anywhere from twenty to forty feet deep, to feed on the crawfish and smaller fishes that have also moved into deeper areas.

Most fish are found at the deepest drop-offs near their feeding grounds. When a school is found, try back-trolling using a green or gray quarter-ounce jig with an artificial grub, jigging bait, or small spoon. Barely move the jig when fishing in cold waters; sometimes the fish only strike motionless bait that is barely suspended from the bottom.

At depths of up to forty feet, use light bait casting equipment, a graphite or boron rod, and an eight-pound test line for the best control and response.

Deep Water Techniques

Most bass are caught in shallower waters from four to twenty feet deep. Smallmouth in deeper lakes, however, will tend to move towards deeper, cooler water.

Trolling for deep-water smallmouths is time well spent. A depth finder is useful to locate structure, but not necessary. Anglers heavier outfits - reels, rods and line up to thirty pounds, and larger deep-diving crank baits., and lures resembling small rainbow trout.

When trolling for deep-water bass, there may be over 100 yards of line between the rod and the lure. Tension between the rod and the lure is weak. Some anglers prefer to maintain a hold on the rod, rather than using a holder, in case they miss subtle strikes.

River Fishing Techniques

Smallmouth bass love fast water and are usually found below dams and power-generating stations. Schools of smallmouths frequently corner schools of smaller fish against the power-generating obstruction. A small top-water spoon or crank bait thrown among the leaping minnows works well to catch a smallmouth, or a try a heavier jig targeting larger fish beneath the skirmish.

Look for turns in rivers and streams where deep underwater ledges produce a slick calm on the water's surface. Fish the calm depths with small orange, brown, or dull yellow jig with a piece of night crawler or crawfish at the lure's tip. At the mouths of streams or at the edges of large channels, use light spinning tackle and six-pound test line while slowly back-trolling with a jig-and-shiner arrangement or trolling a small crank bait upstream.

In smaller streams and rivers, smallmouths and trout can be found around obvious rocks, under hanging rocks and ledges, and in shallow pools. In small streams, some anglers fish with a fly rod and a weighted Muddler Minnow or small streamer or buck tail. Fish spinning lures slowly, letting the lures hang in the fast flowing waters around protruding rocks and ledges. Live crawfish, minnows, and hellgrammites are effective when fished at the bottom and below the first riffles of the deepest pools. For this type of small-stream fishing, use light spinning tackle, a No.6 hook, and a small split shot In these conditions, anglers often catch both trout and smallmouths.

Where a fast current has smoothed the river bottom, cast a spoon lure directly upstream and allow the spoon to settle to the bottom. The fast waters smooth the rocks that would normally pose a snagging risk, and smallmouths like to rest on the smooth bottom, ready to strike. Fish fast, deep runs through rock layers or ledges in the same manner. Cast directly upstream with a small spoon, permitting the lure to settle to the bottom. This tactic often results in the capture of smallmouths and walleyes.

When the temperatures begin to drop in the fall, smallmouths begin to school near rock shelves near deeper water or near cover at the edges of deep drops. Anglers use the same tactics for fall lake fishing - a live crawfish or a slowly retrieved minnow.

Smallmouths are not protected by law during their spawning season, because the spawning season varies widely from year to year dictated by location and weather. Still, some concerned anglers catch-and-release smallmouths until July 1, ensuring a future supply of smallmouth fillets and excellent fishing for the rest of the season.

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