Jigs are also a great lure option to have in your tackle box on every trip, no matter the time of year. They are the most popular and effective smallmouth bass lure overall. They are very popular smallmouth lures because there is no wrong time of year to be using one when smallmouth fishing.
What are the best baits for river smallmouth?
Jerkbaits, spinner baits and buzz baits can all be used for smallmouth fishing. The lightest weight plastics like a Texas Rig or jig head need just enough weight to make bottom contact and then walk it down the shoal. You can use a variety of baits to catch smallmouth in small rivers; it’s all about the presentation.
How do you jig smallmouth bass?
Do smallmouths like swimming jigs?
Finesse swim jigs are great for spotted bass, smallmouth bass, or for largemouth in reservoirs. The standard swim jig is an awesome all around option with a pointed head for coming through grass, tullies, reeds, and wood.
What do smallmouth bass eat in rivers?
Small-river bass typically feed on crayfish, other crustaceans, small fish, insect larvae, and larger insects.
What is the best lure to use in a river?
For many anglers, jigs are considered the best lures for river fishing near the mouth of a river, in areas of slower current, and near shorelines for walleye. 1/4 to 1/8-ounce jigs will work well in most situations.
What colors do smallmouth bass see?
Bass apparently do see color. Their vision is strongest in the areas of medium-red to green. It fails rapidly moving into the blues and purples, as it does towards the far reds. If our picture of bass color vision is accurate, then color is meaningful to bass in some cases but not others.
What is a smallmouth bass favorite food?
The smallmouth will still go after insects, but its favorite food is usually the crawdad, or crayfish. Smallmouth bass also tend to like deeper and cooler water than largemouth, and the smallmouth will really get active between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and about 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
What is the best time to catch smallmouth bass?
Smallmouth fishing is generally better in the early spring than largemouth fishing might be, since smallmouths tend to be more active in cold water. Begin looking for them when the water temperature is in the mid-40s. Fish the first deep water associated with a large gravel or mud flat.
What depth do you find smallmouth bass?
Smallmouth bass habitats generally consist of waters that have clarity at a depth of at least 1 foot or more. You will rarely find them in waters that are cloudy or muddy for the majority of the year.
Do smallmouths like tube jigs?
Tube jigs are a match made in heaven for smallmouths. Perfectly representing the preferred choice of crayfish and other bottom dwelling prey, the tube jig has been catching smallmouth bass for a number of years. Fishing bottom oriented baits for smallmouth bass is an often overlooked spring season tactic.
What are hair jigs best for?
“The natural pulsation of the hair when underwater is what makes hair jigs more effective in cold water situations than presentations which require anglers to impart action by continuously reeling or moving their rods.
What Rod should I use for swim jigs?
For a majority of Swim Jig presentations, a Medium Heavy or Heavy power rod from 7′ to 7’6″ is going to provide enough casting distance and leverage to pull a big bass from cover.
How do you fish a Booyah Boo jig?
What is a finesse jig?
How do you catch smallmouth bass in a river?
How do you find a river smallmouth bass?
How old is a 5 lb smallmouth bass?
A 15-inch bass might be an average four-year-old, a fast growing three-year-old or a slow growing five-year-old. A big bass, say five pounds, might be anywhere between six and 16 years old.
What is the best way to catch bass in a river?
Selecting the right bait can be tricky but is crucial to your success while river fishing. Bass prefer live bait, so using worms or minnows is almost always effective. Second, Bass tend to congregate in areas with cover, so try fishing near logs, rocks, or other structures.
Where do bass hide in rivers?
Things like trees, old logs, and rock ledges provide excellent cover for bass to hide under until the current brings food by them.
How do you fish bass in a river?
Does jig head color matter for bass?
What is the best color for smallmouth bass?
“For smallmouth, chartreuse is my No. 1 color,” Horton continued. “You hear a lot about chartreuse spinnerbaits for smallmouth, but chartreuse is just as effective on crankbaits and jerkbaits. It’s just a color that smallmouth really seem to react to.
What color plastic worm is best for bass?
The best colors for worms are natural colors: green pumpkin, watermelon, junebug, black and blue. With these colors you will be able to catch bass year round in any body of water that holds bass.
What size hooks for smallmouth bass?
The smallmouth bass prefers a smaller hook (#4-1/0) and will typically bite on anything that moves.