Smallmouth Bass 101

A look at the biology of the smallmouth bass and tactics used to catch them from the folks at Lindner's Angling Edge.

For anyone who loves to catch "them ole brown fish" here's a video that's worth a look!

Select the Right Hard Bait for Any Season

With the myriad of bass lures on the market today, it’s sometimes a wonder that any weekend  bass angler can make the proper bait selection when hitting the water. 

Even if narrowing the field down to just hard-bodied baits like topwaters, crankbaits, minnow baits, etc., the variations are almost endless!

Though this video focuses on Lucky Craft lures, take a moment and listen to how their touring pro-staff anglers approach bass lure selection under a variety of conditions and environmental situations … 

Definitely worth watching, getting out the pencil and paper then taking a few notes!

Using Jerkbaits for Springtime Post Front Smallmouth Bass

More often than not springtime cold fronts will send northern largemouth bass into an inactive funk.

Smallmouth bass however tend to be far less effected by post frontal conditions especially when an erratically darting jerkbait comes to an abrupt stop right n front of their face!

Take a moment and see how the folks from W2F use bright colored suspending jerkbaits to trigger post frontal smallmouth bass into attacking...

A few things to remember:

• Don't be afraid to try different color patterns (natural and bright) to see what the bass want
• Pick the right rod
• Remember to make multiple casts at different casting angles

Cranking Tips for Prespawn Smallmouths

Medium diving crankbaits can be excellent baits to entice prespawn smallmouth bass into striking as they make their transitions from wintering areas to the spawning flats. 

Once you...

• Pick the right bait
• Identify the right depth, structure and cover
• Hone in on the correct retrieve
• Make multiple casts to each target

smallmouths usually "bring the heat" as they say and attack the fleeing crankbait!

Take a few minutes and listen to northeast bass pro Paul Mueller explain his thoughts and approach when fishing crankbaits for prespawn smallmouths...

Cold Weather Bass Tips - Tying Hair Jigs for Bass

One of the most basic and effective fishing lures ever developed is a simple hair jig. 

Even though it is a very basic lure design, hair jigs are highly effective baits since they mimic the forage base of virtually all game fish including our favorites - largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass! Depending on the methods used to tie the hair jig, it can be designed to imitate common fish forage such as minnows, crayfish and even leeches.  Coupling the correct design with the proper fishing techniques (subject of a future post), jigs will produce quality and quantities of fish when many other techniques falter. 

Most jigs can be tied using basic materials consisting of a vice, bobbin, jighead, thread, different types of animal hair or fur (bucktail, rabbit hair, etc.) as well as newer synthetic materials such as mylar and flash-a-boo.

In this video, Al Daher of Micky's Bait & Tackle (North Syracuse, NY) demonstrates the secrets to successfully tying hair jigs that catch fish ... 

 Enjoy and learn ..

Need components to modify baits or tie your own jigs? 

Check out the wide variety of bait making and modifying items available at Lure Parts Online by clicking on the following image!