Information & facts

Species Name
Smallmouth bass
(Micropterus dolomieu)

Common Names
Smallie, black bass, bronzeback, brown bass, redeye

Size Range
Average 12-16 inches. Smallmouth bass can grow 16-24 inches in quality populations.

Description
Smallmouth bass are one of two species of “black bass” in BC with the other being the more popular and widely distributed largemouth bass.  Although smallmouth bass are not as popular or widely distributed as their genus mate, their popularity is increasing steadily. The common name “smallmouth bass” is appropriate given that their mouths are considerably smaller than those of the largemouth bass (the maxillary bone usually does not extend past the center of the eye).  The spiny and soft-rayed parts of the dorsal fin are continuous. Although coloration varies significantly with water clarity and habitat, smallmouth bass are mottled with dark vertical bars; largemouth bass have a singular longitudinal stripe running the length of the body.  In less productive, clear waters such as Lake Chelan, these dark vertical bars will be very pronounced. 

Where to fish for Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth thrive in lakes, rivers and streams that reach summer temperatures of 60 to 70°F and have gravel bottom areas for spawning. In BC, significant populations occur in the Okanogan.

How to fish for Smallmouth Bass

The Smallmouth bass is a warm-water fish species, usually found in rocky and sandy areas of lakes and rivers in moderately shallow water and near rocks of shoals or submerged logs. It is less often associated with dense growths of aquatic vegetation than the largemouth bass. Smallmouth bass feed mainly on insects, crayfish and small fish. The Smallmouth bass takes this variety of food from the surface, in the water column, and off the bottom
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For Smallmouth bass use a 6 to 7 foot medium action graphite rod and a matching spincasting reel that is spooled with 6 to 8 pound test fluorocarbon line. To cover large areas of water, diving crankbaits like Cotton Cordell's Rattlin Spot and the Rapala Shad Rap in silver or crawfish patterns are quite effective. When fishing shallow rock shoals, white and yellow spinnerbaits as well as shallow diving crankbaits have proven deadly. In deeper waters, a ¼ to ½ oz jig head tipped with chartreuse, yellow or white Mister Twister grubs are also effective. Slowly bouncing these jigs off rocky bottoms can result in bites. In late summer or early fall fish deep water in the 30 to 40 foot depth range and bounce a worm colored Tub Jig off the bottom.

Bass Fishing Tips, Tricks and Tactics

Below are some of the best tips to help you when fishing for Smallmouth Bass. We hope that you’ll find them to be both useful and effective.

• Know the Habits of Bass – The type of weather dictates where bass may or may not be. When the sun is out and shinning bright bass will look for shelter. When it’s cloudy out and there is little or no sun bass come out of their protective shelter. This means when it’s sunny out you’ll want to fish near areas where bass might go for shelter, so keep your lure or live bait close to possible areas that bass might use for shelter.

• Try Using Buzzbait – If you follow any of the major bass tournaments then you’ll know that buzzbait is popular, and many pros use Booyah Buzz. The secret to its success is that it creates a loud buzzing noise that attracts bass from faraway distances.

• Fishing for Bass at the Right Time of Day – The best time to fish for bass is the first few early hours of the morning or the last few hours going into the evening. Bass will feed during the afternoon time if it happens to be a cloudy day or if the water is muddy. It’s recommend that you try to get to your favorite fishing hole about an hour before sunup or an hour before sunset.

• Fish for Bass During the Pre-Spawn – The holy grail of bass fishing is during the smallmouth pre-spawn. The pre-spawn starts in spring around the time when the water temperature gets to be between 55 to 65 degrees. This is when both male and female bass move to the shallow areas, start aggressively feeding and looking for the best place to nest. Fisherman during this period can actually locate bass right from shore, that’s how close they get. This is the best time to get a trophy bass, but remember to catch and release female bass so they can complete their spawn and continue the cycle of life for bass.

• Examine a Caught Bass for Local Tips – The next time you catch a bass take a peek inside of its mouth. When a bass is fighting you it will sometimes throw up whatever contents are in it’s stomach. This is a great way to see what bass are feeding on in the local area and try to mimic the look with a lure that can mimic it. In some cases if you like to use live bait you can try and catch what they’re actually feeding on and use that as bait.

• Always Keep an Eye on the Line – Every so often it’s a good idea to examine the line right above the lure you’re using. It’s common for it to get frayed due to it coming into contact with rocks, gravel, branches, stumps, etc. Nothing is worse than losing a monster bass due to your line breaking!

• Size Doesn’t Matter – The size of your lure doesn’t dictate the size of the bass you’ll catch. Remember, a bass will strike prey that is 25% to 50% of its length. So even large lures can catch small bass. If you’re not having success then try a smaller lure such as the Strike King Spinnerbait.

• Try Some Live Bait – While many anglers don’t like using live bait it can be a great way to produce a nice bass when lures aren’t producing. Shiners have the best luck, especially when you hook them through both lips or just behind the top dorsal fin. Worms, crayfish and even frogs are great artificial bait alternatives. Use a slip bobber so you can adjust the depth of your bait without having to sacrifice casting ability.

Bass Fishing Resources

• 101 Bass Fishing Tips – This book is an amazing guide that will take your skills to the next level.
• Largemouth Bass – Wikipedia – Learn more about largemouth bass on Wikipedia.
• B.A.S.S Master – This is the largest and most successful organization of anglers dedicated to conversation and bass fishing.