| The Smallmouth bass is a great fighting fish and is | | | | large mouth depending on the body of water. |
| very fun to catch. My favorite lures for the | | | | Jigs are a great way to catch good size smallies in |
| smallmouth are dropshotting robo worms, crank | | | | shallow and deep water. My fishing partner likes to |
| baits, jigs, and jerk baits. I will break down the | | | | use jigs on spinning tackle but I like to use a jig on |
| lures I like to use and explain them. | | | | bait casting rod on a minimum of 10lb |
| With drop shot I like to use it on docks or | | | | mono-filament so that you can get through the |
| structure. A also the drop shot is great on rock | | | | weed guard and get a great hook set. Never use |
| piles for catching smallies (smallmouth bass). But | | | | braid connected to the jig because many fish |
| my all time favorite application for drop shot is in | | | | won't bite if they see a line from a jig in a high |
| shallow water on bedding fish that are about to | | | | pressure situation. I love to fish jigs in weed |
| spawn, spawning, or done spawning. Its great fun | | | | pockets and dock shade. 99% of the time I will |
| sight fishing bass on their beds during the spawn | | | | use a jig with a weed guard because it is |
| and summer months. For those that don't know | | | | generally weedless and I feel more comfortable |
| what a bed is ill explain. Bass as they are in a | | | | with it but it is up to you. |
| spawning phase make a bed to lay their eggs and | | | | The way I like to fish jigs is to flip the lure quietly |
| to protect the eggs. The male bass protects the | | | | into a spot that I think is good. Then let the lure |
| bed once the eggs are laid and the female goes | | | | hit the bottom while I'm in free spool so that the |
| and looks for food in the form of bait fish. During | | | | jig can swim under its own weight. Most of your |
| the spawn many of the fish are bulking up so | | | | strikes will happen on the fall if you do this |
| that they can protect the eggs. The spawn is | | | | properly. Then once the jig has stopped lift the |
| generally in the spring (around May). But some fish | | | | rod tip and feel for a fish. If you don't feel a fish |
| will spawn in different parts of the year. | | | | drag the jig on the bottom (it is imperative that |
| When fishing a drop shot during the spawn there | | | | you keep bottom contact to trigger a strike. |
| are two ways to fish it, one involves a delicate | | | | Jerk baits are also great smallmouth lures. Jerk |
| covert approach and the other is much more | | | | baits have several names that you might run into |
| aggressive. My favorite is the delicate/covert | | | | (rip baits, minnow baits, etc.). There are a couple |
| approach because you will trigger more strikes | | | | ways to fish jerk baits. My favorites are a jerking |
| when the fish is not as spooked. When you put a | | | | motion, dead sticking, and a slow constant |
| drop shot rigging on a bed be very gentle and flip | | | | retrieve. The jerking motion is the best way to |
| it in very quietly so that the bass is not spooked. | | | | catch smallies because it looks good and they |
| But once the lure is on the bed its go time. Lightly | | | | can't resist the action of this lure when used |
| entice the bass to eat the lure with a small wiggle | | | | correctly. All you have to do is to jerk your rod |
| but if the fish does not bight then make the lure | | | | tip (experiment with how hard you want to jerk. |
| more frantic and threatening. Remember to keep | | | | For a slow constant retrieve just reel in slowly. |
| the lure on the bed the whole time. Sometimes | | | | For dead sticking I like to jerk the jerk bait to the |
| we like to double team the bass with two drop | | | | deepest it will go then just let it sit for 10-15 |
| shot rigging in the same bed to make the fish | | | | seconds then give it a jerk then repeat over and |
| think his eggs are in danger. Also use the same | | | | over. The dead sticking method is very slow but |
| lure as your partner. This method also works with | | | | it works when fish just don't want to bight. |
| large mouth bass sometimes it is better with | | | | |