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Smallmouth Bass - Location By Season

Spring Smallmouthsit tough fishing as bass can be found at
Smallmouth bass remain nearly dormantvarious depths.
until water temperatures approachIn rivers, smallmouth feed more as the
50° F. At this time, bass will startwater cools in the fall.
to move to their spawning areas. InLate Fall & Winter
streams, bass may begin migrating toSmallmouth fishing becomes difficult
spawn at early temperatures.this time of year as they move out of
Fishing is difficult after spawning,shallows into deeper water. Sometimes
because bass aren't more concentrated.you can find densely packed schools, but
The females, after recuperating, move tothe bite is likely to be poor.
deeper waters. Males move deeper afterSmallmouth in streams may move to deeper
abandoning the fry. If there is deeppools for winter when their mid-fall
water near the spawning are, bass willlocations are too shallow. Fishing
move there.remains good as they continue to feed
Summeruntil water temperatures drop in to the
Smallmouth bass areas are the mostlow 40's.
predictable this time of year. Bass mayTips to Catching Smallmouth
remain in the same place for several· Fishermen should fish using
months once they take up residence in apatterns that imitate key items in the
certain pool or around a particulardiet of the smallmouth bus (crayfish,
structure.dragonflies, minnows, etc.)
Smallmouth bass love crayfish and· Shoreline structures, such as
crayfish are linked to specificdocks, drop-offs, rocks, and logs, are
locations. Crayfish need rocks forworth fishing for smallmouth.
protection and cannot move very far.· Fly-fishing is advantageous in
Smallmouth must move around in watersareas where standard gear doesn't work.
where baitfish is the primary food.· Noise often attracts the
The depth that smallmouth bass retreatattention of bass.
to depends on surface temperatures and· Be patient - Let the bug sit
direct sunlight. The type of water alsostill for a period of as much 30
determines how deep you'll find them.seconds, give it a twitch. If that isn't
Smallmouth may stay as deep as 25 feetworking, try "popping" it with a sharp
in clear water, shallower than 12 feetjerk or an erratic stop-and-go retrieve.
in murky lakes due to oxygen levels, andFor streamers and other sub-surface
in pools less than four feet in smallflies, you should use the strip and
streams.stop, or a steady retrieve.
Early Fall to Mid-Fall Smallmouth Bas· Catching bass in still waters
Smallmouth begin to spend more time togenerally requires watching and waiting
shallower waters. The lower angle of thefor surface action, then getting the fly
sun and cooler surface temperaturesinto feeding frenzies in a hurry.
allow them to venture into shallower· Experiment to see what works
areas where food is more plentiful.best.
As the lake surface continues to cool,The greatest success is found by
it eventually reaches the samefollowing the seasonal behavior of bass,
temperature as the water below thereplicating their feeding preference,
thermo cline. The temperature from topand finding good structure.
to bottom becomes the same. This makes



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