Using Swimbaits to Catch Springtime Smallmouth Bass

In many northern lakes, smallmouth bass leave the deep water wintering holes and head up onto the rocky flats in search of food and spawning areas each spring. 

Before they start the annual spawning ritual, smallies with roam the flats searching for minnows and crawfish to chomp on in preparation for the spawn...

Using a subtle paddletail swimbait as a finesse type presentation that allows us to cover water efficiently can be one of the more productive methods for catching springtime smallmouths as bass pro Bill McDonald demos in the following video...

Using Lightly Weighted Tubes for Super Shallow Bass

Springtime bass spend most of the late prespawn period up in the shallows searching for food after a winter of much lower levels of feeding activity as they prep for the spawn.

When found in shallow, dark-bottom bays, many anglers use bright-colored, Texas rigged soft jerkbaits or stickbaits that mimic the bait they're chasing to entice aggressive fish from cover.

Did you realize a lightly weighted 4"+ tube can be an excellent substitute the bass probably haven't when up on a shallow water feed?

Take a moment and see what the guys from W2F say about fishing slightly weighted tubes for super shallow bass...

A Bass Pro’s Jig Fishing Secrets

Are you one of the many bass fishermen struggling to master the subtleties of fishing a jig and pig?

If so, I have a treat for you today.

Recently, Bass Pro and Bassmaster Classic Winner, Skeet Reese, created a great tutorial video about jig fishing on Clear Lake in northern California. Not only does he do a fantastic job of explaining many of the nuances of jig fishing but he also gives some insight into adjusting when things don’t go according to plan!

So grab a drink, maybe a bowl of popcorn but definitely a pencil and pad of paper and enjoy the show :)

Fishing Rivers for Prespawn Bass

Bass in rivers pose different challenges for bass anglers but there are some predictable movements these bass make during the prespawn period that can help unravel these challenges.

Like most fish, river bass tend to prefer warming waters and stable conditions as the prep themselves for their annual ritual to keep their "gene pool" going into the future. Though river flows and heights change often during the spring, bass tend to head to the backwater areas to feed and setup shop for the spawn.

Arming yourself with a variety of snagless baits to work shallow woody and vegetated cover can be key to early season river bass success as bass pro Seth Feider discusses in the following video...

Saving Smallmouths Caught in Deep Water

During the summer and winter months, bass, especially smallmouth bass call deep water (> 30') cover and structure their home. 

When catching smallmouths from their deep water haunts, their swim bladder inflates making it almost impossible to swim upright. Since the smallies have no way to evacuate the bladder on their own, knowing how to properly "fizz" the bladder is key.

Take a moment and watch as bass conservationist Barb Elliot demonstrates proper fizzing technique...

The is another method for other bass that involves using a large fizz needle that enters the bladder just above its crushers at the back of the mouth that can be accessed via the link below:

Alternative Fizz Method