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Smallmouth Bass Fishing Tips: A Complete Guide

By: FishUSA Staff

March 3, 2025

Smallmouth bass are one of the most popular and exciting freshwater game fish to target. Smallmouths are aggressive, fight hard, jump high, and are typically abundant in the places they inhabit. These bass thrive in clear, rocky lakes and rivers. Becoming a good smallmouth angler requires understanding their behavior, habitat, and feeding patterns. This guide will provide essential smallmouth bass fishing tips, covering the best locations, lures, techniques, and seasonal strategies to help you land more smallies.

Smallmouth bass are one of the most popular and exciting freshwater game fish to target. Smallmouths are aggressive, fight hard, jump high, and are typically abundant in the places they inhabit. These bass thrive in clear, rocky lakes and rivers. Becoming a good smallmouth angler requires understanding their behavior, habitat, and feeding patterns. This guide will provide essential smallmouth bass fishing tips, covering the best locations, lures, techniques, and seasonal strategies to help you land more smallies.

Table of Contents

  • Where to Find Smallmouth Bass
  • Best Lures for Smallmouth Bass
  • Best Techniques for Catching Smallmouth Bass
  • Seasonal Smallmouth Bass Fishing Tips
  • Essential Gear for Smallmouth Bass Fishing
  • Conclusion

Where to Find Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass prefer cooler, clearer water than largemouth bass. They are often found in rocky areas, deep structures, and fast-moving currents.

1. Rivers and Streams

Rivers are prime smallmouth habitat because of the constant flow of oxygen-rich water. Look for them in:

  • Current breaks: Smallmouth bass use rocks, boulders, and submerged logs to hide from the current while waiting to ambush prey.
  • Deep pools: Smallies rest in deeper holes, especially during the colder months. 
  • Eddies and seams: These areas allow smallmouths to conserve energy while feeding on drifting baitfish and insects. 

2. Lakes and Reservoirs

In lakes and reservoirs, smallmouth bass location depends largely on the time of year, but these areas and structures are always good to look for. 

  • Rock piles and boulders: Smallmouths love rocky bottoms. These areas offer prime opportunities for smallies to ambush prey and hide from predators themselves.
  • Points and ledges: These areas create natural ambush points for feeding. Smallmouths will also use them as resting areas and travel routes.
  • Vegetation edges: While not as vegetation-dependent as largemouths, smallmouths still hunt near weed lines, especially those with hard bottom mixed in. 

3. Deep Water vs. Shallow Water

Smallmouth bass move between deep and shallow water based on the season and temperature. In the early spring, smallies move shallow to feed aggressively. They will begin to spawn in nearby shallow areas when water temps reach 60 degrees. In the summer and winter, they often stay deeper to find stable temperatures. 

Best Lures for Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass are opportunistic feeders, striking a variety of baits. The best lures mimic their natural prey, including baitfish, crawfish, and insects.

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1. Jigs

This is a broad term, but a huge variety of jigs work well for smallies. See below for top varieties and when to use them.

  • Football Jigs: Best for dragging across rocks and gravel.
    • Use a soft plastic trailer that represents the natural forage.
  • Finesse Jigs: Smaller jigs are ideal for clear water and pressured fish.
    • Use a soft plastic trailer that represents the natural forage.
  • Ned Rigs: Excellent for targeting finicky bass in a variety of areas.
  • Hair Jigs: Perfect for fishing shallow, especially during an insect hatch.

2. Crankbaits

Crankbaits imitate baitfish and crawfish, making them highly effective for covering water quickly.

Shop the best crankbaits for smallmouth bass!

3. Jerkbaits 

Jerkbaits mimic dying baitfish and work especially well for smallmouth in the spring and fall. 

  • Twitch, Twitch, Pause: To best mimic the action of a dying baitfish, use sharp twitches of the rod to dart the bait, followed by a long pause. 

4. Soft Plastics

Soft baits are highly effective for smallmouth bass in any body of water. Here are some top choices: 

  • Tube Jigs: Mimic crawfish or bottom-dwelling baitfish, perfect for hopping along rocky bottoms or dragging over sand and ledges.
  • Drop Shot Rigs: Excellent for finesse fishing in deep water. The best drop shot baits include the Berkley Maxscent Flatworm, X Zone Pro Series Finesse Slammer, and Roboworm Straight Tail Worms.
  • Swimbaits: Mimic a variety of baitfish of any size or species. It can be fished weedless or on a jighead, and great varieties include the Keitech Fat Swing Impact and Megabass Spark Shad.  Shop soft swimbaits and hard swimbaits for bass!

5. Topwater Lures

Smallmouth bass are aggressive surface feeders, making topwater lures an exciting option.

  • Walking Baits: Great for covering water and triggering reaction strikes.
  • Poppers: Effective during low-light conditions like early morning and evening and for fish that want a slower presentation. 
  • Whopper Ploppers: Ideal for covering a lot of water quickly and throwing at the bank.

Best Techniques for Catching Smallmouth Bass

1. Dragging and Hopping Jigs

Since smallmouth bass love rocky bottoms, dragging or hopping jigs along the bottom mimics a fleeing crawfish and triggers bites.

2. Crankbait Fishing

Varying your retrieval speed with crankbaits can entice reaction strikes. In colder water, use a slow, steady retrieve, while in warmer water, a stop-and-go retrieve can be more effective.

3. Drop Shot Technique

The drop shot rig is perfect for deep-water smallmouths. Use a finesse worm or minnow imitation, and fish it slowly around deep structures such as rocks, boulders, or stumps. 

4. Drift Fishing in Rivers

Letting the current naturally move your bait is an excellent way to present soft plastics or jigs to smallmouths in rivers.

Seasonal Smallmouth Bass Fishing Tips

Spring

As water warms up, smallmouths move into shallower areas to feed and spawn. Target them using crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits, and jigs near rocky banks and gravel beds.

Summer

In warmer months, smallmouth bass often go deeper to find cooler water. Target drop-offs and deep humps using dropshots, jigs, and deep-diving crankbaits.

Fall

Smallmouths feed aggressively in the fall, stocking up before winter. This is one of the best times to fish with crankbaits, topwaters, and swimbaits.

Winter

Winter smallmouth bass are sluggish and move to deeper water. Use slow presentations like blade baits, jigs, and soft plastics to entice bites. 

Essential Gear for Smallmouth Bass Fishing

Rod and Reel Setup

  • Spinning Rod (Medium-Light to Medium): Best for finesse techniques like drop shotting and using finesse soft plastics and jigs. 
  • Baitcasting Rod (Medium to Medium-Heavy): Ideal for crankbaits, jerkbaits, and heavier jigs.

Fishing Line

  • Fluorocarbon (6-12 lb test): Best for clear water and finesse fishing.
  • Braided Line (10-20 lb with Fluoro Leader): Provides strength and sensitivity for deep water techniques. Braided line to a fluorocarbon leader works exceptionally well and offers the best of both worlds.

Polarized Sunglasses

Clear water makes smallmouth bass visible when shallow enough, and polarized sunglasses help spot fish and underwater structures.

Conclusion

When dialed in, smallmouth bass fishing can be incredibly fun and rewarding. By using the tips, techniques, and baits listed in this article, you can be successful in chasing these beautiful and powerful fish. Remember, time on the water is the most important factor to learning what makes any fish tick, and smallmouth are no different!

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