As someone who strictly fishes smallies on a natural lake i can say with confidence that a large population of fish will stay shallow ALL summer. The hottest days of the year you can find giants cruising the bank and for smallmouth that is a very overlooked pattern. After spawn everyone wants to go deep again but don't have too if you don't want to. Also smallmouth on natural lakes which can have relatively featureless bottoms will relate to grass much like how largemouths do because it is some of the only cover, shade, and ambush points on the lake.
i fish river smallies and its the same, 3-5 foot is the sweet spot, it condenses their pray to a smaller area (being carried down stream) but its deep enough that raptors arn't able to pick them off.
Spot on. I was fishing a green pumpkin/pearl belly senko, my go to bait and not catching anything. My brother pulls out a bright lime green senko, I was laughing so hard because it looked so fake, no fish would ever hit such a lure, especially in gin clear water. I stopped laughing after he quickly caught 3 giant SM. We spent the weekend, slaying them on Pink, orange, lime green, anything that looked ridiculously fake! Especially on beds!
Great stuff, Matt. Four things come to mind about smallmouth other than the ones you mentioned. 1) Smallmouth roam and cruise more. Cover water finding them. 2)They school up/hunt in packs. Where there is one, there is often more, and sometimes there's 10+. 3)They are more aggressive in colder water compared to largemouth. Can fish for them earlier/later in season compared to largemouth. 4) When hooked, they have multiple runs/fight longer than largemouth. Sometimes a more forgiving rod helps keep them pinned.
Medium spin rod. 20lb backing braid. 10lb flouro leader. Medium drag setting. Be ready when they charge directly to you. Reel fast. They will break top water and then turn and take multiple hard runs. So much fun. I have an old daiwa carbon medium. I keep going back to because it bends over like it's an ultralight with a 20in smallie on. Only downside is you can't really flip it in with a medium, so have your net ready.
Dead on. In January when nobody was even catching fish on a damiki rig I caught good fish on a TroutMagnet! ; and not just on one day on one group of fish, in several days in different areas of Cherokee lake. I use TroutMagnets for bluegills if that says anything. Tiny. On a 1/32 and 1/24 oz head and 4 lb test.
I have caught many, many smallies on a 1/8 oz. Strike King little spinnerbait, my go to in many situations. Firetiger or chartreuse skirts. Never hear of this bait even mentioned. Also pike and largemouth.Great snagproof, nearly weedless search bait. But my p.b. smallie was on a 1/4 oz. Krocodile spoon, metallic perch pattern in Minnesota. That fish was 6+. Go figure.
I absolutely love to wade fish for smallmouth right here in Indianapolis, Indiana. I learned a couple points that will benefit me. I hit that subscribe bell. Thanx for sharing your knowledge and skills. Tight Lines Forever!
When I was a kid I fished the same setup every time I went out. A regular number 2 straight shank hook, a pumpkin mr. twister grub, and a 3/8th split shot about 5 inches above the grub. Caught four or five smallmouth every night I went out, with my p/b being a 23 incher. Now that I got back in to fishing a few years ago, I've gone ham with tackle and rod/reels combos and everything, and I swear I still caught more fish as a kid with a plastic no-name spinning reel, an old mitchell rod that had the tip section missing, and that stupid mr. twister grub setup.
Smalls are tougher to catch. Like minnows and spinners. Can eject a lure and snag your lure in the brush. Tasty fish by far. Will fight you to the finish. Found in same area as walleyes. Catch a pile for me!
Man am I glad I found your channel! I’ve learned so much. Love catching smallies. On my first smallie trip, one actually jumped INTO the boat! My buddy rightly said: they’re bass, but on acid. Totally a blast to catch! Thanks so much for the masterclass.
This is interesting for a Florida man who never caught a SMB. I wish they were more common here in NC. The internet says Lake Norman has some so maybe I'll get lucky there.
Amazing! Having all my tournament wins (5). and several top tens (10) on smallies, I never focused on any of the 5 tips in forming my strategy! With that said, they all would make me better! You might add,that smallies are basically dumb, and to never overlook black as a bait color.
@@MattStefanFishing buy you some 6 or 8 inch lizards in white and take a q tip and dye red polka dots on the whole lizard like it's got the measles! Lol its works very well on smallies too!
You're spot on finding them on sandy stretches with single, isolated rocks. I fish a lake in Colorado that has a number of stretches like this. If a jerk bait doesn't get them then I'll throw a ned rig. Never used a topwater but I'll be adding it next time out. Seems like the jerkbait bite has slowed theast couple weeks.
My favorite smallmouth lure is a 1.5 size square bill crankbait. I try to cast up current of obstructions and bounce it off everything I can underwater. The local musky anglers I talk to say they catch nice smallies on there big baits quite often!
All great tips appreciate it use orange or red or chartreuse spinner bait blades on Dale Hollow Lake use buck tail jig white tipped with soft plastic on Tennessee river Ledges.🙏
I fish the willamette river in Oregon for smallies, you probably won’t believe this but I was bank fishing and caught the same fish 4 or 5 times in a row. Each time I released him he would go straight back to the same rock and I’d catch him again. He was 14 inches and had a scar on one side of him so I could tell it was the same fish. Caught him a couple of times the next day then never again. Must of gave up and moved on, or someone else caught and kept him.
Spot on dude. Back in the day sometimes the difference between a great day and an average day was to capitalize on the moment. Always....always....always have a white tube jig tied on ready to cast. As many experienced smallie fisherman know when you're on em good. Usually multiple fish chasing the one your catching.....and usually bigger. Back in my derby days my partner would grab the white tube jig rod before he grabbed the net....Always. Plenty of time to net that joker.....very narrow window to catch those bigger chasers.... Good info as always, looking for to your next vid.
Aggressive, Aggressive, Aggressive! Topwater In rivers in the summer and fall is an absolute blast! Get ready for the Air Show! I use Minnow/ Shad type patterns, 1.5" inch thur 2" inch square bill cranks also. Great advice Matt. Fire tiger for my Bright color on cranks. We found a river yesterday 7/4 with both Largemouth and Smallmouth ( rare in a small river here it seems, usually just Smallies), and absolutely hammered them topwater! Nice big fish, Super fun!
Found your channel from watching Randy blaukat, but man you are quickly becoming my favorite to watch. I live in PA so your tips are super relevant to the fishing style we have to deal with!
My pb for a smallie is 6lbs in Gull Lake Mi. during a Sunday tournament on 6lbs pound test using a green 3.5 tube with blue flecks. It was released after I won big fish!!!
Great video Matt! I appreciate the love for the northern fisheries!! You are 100% correct about smallies, but I have never targeted them with top water baits. I will definitely try that next time out.
Will be on the St.Lawrence this year coming in June. Will probably be fishing for small mouth I'm assuming. I'm a co-angler for a tournament there. Heard it's a great fishery. Can't wait to see if these techniques work there.
Great tips Matt! That’s good information, I like small mouth fishing, we only have a few areas that hold small mouth. I’ll definitely try these baits and tips, thanks for posting!!
You are invited to come fish small mouth bass here with us in southern Idaho. Our seasons are different. The SM fight way way harder than LM. My fishing buddy and I are not experts, but we study and work hard. I'll fish 15 hours if I have to to catch big for the thrill and some panfish for the frig. I do wish to see a real pro see what we see. We could talk bait and strategy, presentation, seasons, water
Matt, I live in Northern Mi and I fish Hubbard, Long, Grand which MLF has visited. You are so right about top water. I found that on a gravel, hard type bottom and yes sandy flat as well, Smallies love to cruise. I love a sunny day, calmer the better and throwing a top water. Just sight fishing for cruisers. I can't believe the speed that they can hit a top water!! Thank You for the tip on bright colors. I am so honored to be able to get fishing lessons every day, THANK YOU! Your replies shows real class!!
I sure do miss smallies!! I fished a reservoir in the People's Republic of New Yorkastan that was loaded with crayfish and EVERYTHING keyed on them. Walleyes, smallies, largemouth, perch... They'd all be stuffed full of crayfish (yes, we kept some to eat.. G A S P).
Tons of GREAT info, now if I can just convince myself to put the topwater down when it isn't hitting #stubborn. Clown jerkbait has always worked good for me.
@@MattStefanFishing I meant to ask you what you thought about the ned rig, I see a lot of people complaining that it shouldn't be allowed in tournaments because it kills fish.
Thank you for a most informative video on smallies. Have not caught one yet. Until today, I had no idea how to target those little monsters. In your presentation you referenced the Ned rig. Over the course of viewing videos from other channels, presenters discuss Ned rigs and Neko rigs. In the comments section, I have asked the presenters how to determine when to use either rig. No replies. Would you consider providing me with a quick explanation of when to use each? Thank you for any consideration. I look forward to your daily guidance.
I like the ned rig as a search bait. Most bites come on the initial fall and I cn cover water quickly. Once I have found fish I prefer the neko rig as its a slower wacky rig presentation that gets more bites on the retrieve.
@@MattStefanFishing , thank you so much for the explanation and logic. I'm analytical; your explanation is just what I need to fish both presentations better. Thank you again.
I’ve only smallmouth fished twice in my life and only caught 7 on Texoma. They aren’t stocked in my home lake and not native around here. If you fished a Shad dominated lake would you still pick bright colors over chrome or white? I’d figure Shad and ghost minnows are 99% of their diet on Texoma.
Perfect 👌🏼 timing Matt. Lake St Clair tomorrow. Walking plugs and spinnerbait for early morning. Mid range Crankbaits Wobble head Tube Jig Swimbaits Jerkbaits I will let you know if I break my PB
They are a territorial fish which makes them aggressive and therefore they will hit both large and small baits. They mark their territory with rubs. Rocks, wood, and vegetation.
I just watched your video on largemouth prior to this one. Instant subscriber!!! Do smallmouth and Spots tend towards the same seasonal patterns as largemouth? I'm just wondering how you would plan out a given day of fishing depending on the time of year.
Just saw this video and everything you said is spot on and I love fishing for Smallies!! Give a shout out to Randy Blaukat for recommending your channel!! Thank you!
As someone who strictly fishes smallies on a natural lake i can say with confidence that a large population of fish will stay shallow ALL summer. The hottest days of the year you can find giants cruising the bank and for smallmouth that is a very overlooked pattern. After spawn everyone wants to go deep again but don't have too if you don't want to. Also smallmouth on natural lakes which can have relatively featureless bottoms will relate to grass much like how largemouths do because it is some of the only cover, shade, and ambush points on the lake.
100% agree
Love these vids. They are so good.
How about future vids show some baits to go along with your info.
Thanks!!
🎣 🎣
On a 1500 acre lake 20ft deep max smallies on rock piles 3 to 7 ft
i fish river smallies and its the same, 3-5 foot is the sweet spot, it condenses their pray to a smaller area (being carried down stream) but its deep enough that raptors arn't able to pick them off.
Spot on. I was fishing a green pumpkin/pearl belly senko, my go to bait and not catching anything. My brother pulls out a bright lime green senko, I was laughing so hard because it looked so fake, no fish would ever hit such a lure, especially in gin clear water. I stopped laughing after he quickly caught 3 giant SM. We spent the weekend, slaying them on Pink, orange, lime green, anything that looked ridiculously fake! Especially on beds!
Nice!
Great stuff, Matt. Four things come to mind about smallmouth other than the ones you mentioned. 1) Smallmouth roam and cruise more. Cover water finding them. 2)They school up/hunt in packs. Where there is one, there is often more, and sometimes there's 10+. 3)They are more aggressive in colder water compared to largemouth. Can fish for them earlier/later in season compared to largemouth. 4) When hooked, they have multiple runs/fight longer than largemouth. Sometimes a more forgiving rod helps keep them pinned.
all great points!
Medium spin rod. 20lb backing braid. 10lb flouro leader. Medium drag setting. Be ready when they charge directly to you. Reel fast. They will break top water and then turn and take multiple hard runs. So much fun. I have an old daiwa carbon medium. I keep going back to because it bends over like it's an ultralight with a 20in smallie on. Only downside is you can't really flip it in with a medium, so have your net ready.
Caught my PB on a 1/16 ounce crappie jig on 8lb test!
Awesome!
2.75 tube jigs is my favorite
They are great
It depends what mood the bass are in LOL
Dead on. In January when nobody was even catching fish on a damiki rig I caught good fish on a TroutMagnet! ; and not just on one day on one group of fish, in several days in different areas of Cherokee lake. I use TroutMagnets for bluegills if that says anything. Tiny. On a 1/32 and 1/24 oz head and 4 lb test.
Awesome
absolutely one of the best fishing channels - great content every video - thanks Randy Blaukat for the refer
Thanks for watching!
3” mister twister have always worked well for me.
Thanks for sharing
one of the best baits in existence in my opinion.
I have caught many, many smallies on a 1/8 oz. Strike King little spinnerbait, my go to in many situations. Firetiger or chartreuse skirts. Never hear of this bait even mentioned. Also pike and largemouth.Great snagproof, nearly weedless search bait. But my p.b. smallie was on a 1/4 oz. Krocodile spoon, metallic perch pattern in Minnesota. That fish was 6+. Go figure.
Wow
Thank you for the info! I live by Lake Erie and no one has been telling me to utilize the 1/8 oz spinner. I am going to try this out!
I absolutely love to wade fish for smallmouth right here in Indianapolis, Indiana. I learned a couple points that will benefit me. I hit that subscribe bell. Thanx for sharing your knowledge and skills. Tight Lines Forever!
That is awesome! Thanks for subscribing! Got to love small river smallies!
When I was a kid I fished the same setup every time I went out. A regular number 2 straight shank hook, a pumpkin mr. twister grub, and a 3/8th split shot about 5 inches above the grub. Caught four or five smallmouth every night I went out, with my p/b being a 23 incher. Now that I got back in to fishing a few years ago, I've gone ham with tackle and rod/reels combos and everything, and I swear I still caught more fish as a kid with a plastic no-name spinning reel, an old mitchell rod that had the tip section missing, and that stupid mr. twister grub setup.
A grub can be really good on smallies!
Smalls are tougher to catch. Like minnows and spinners. Can eject a lure and snag your lure in the brush. Tasty fish by far. Will fight you to the finish. Found in same area as walleyes. Catch a pile for me!
Will do
Walleye follow the Smallie Wolf Packs around bait balls. 😉
Great tips that I am going to apply to my smallmouth WI river fishing!
Glad it was helpful!
Man am I glad I found your channel! I’ve learned so much. Love catching smallies. On my first smallie trip, one actually jumped INTO the boat! My buddy rightly said: they’re bass, but on acid. Totally a blast to catch!
Thanks so much for the masterclass.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you
This is interesting for a Florida man who never caught a SMB. I wish they were more common here in NC. The internet says Lake Norman has some so maybe I'll get lucky there.
go for it!
Amazing! Having all my tournament wins (5). and several top tens (10) on smallies, I never focused on any of the 5 tips in forming my strategy! With that said, they all would make me better! You might add,that smallies are basically dumb, and to never overlook black as a bait color.
They do love black
@@MattStefanFishing buy you some 6 or 8 inch lizards in white and take a q tip and dye red polka dots on the whole lizard like it's got the measles! Lol its works very well on smallies too!
@@ehthomas3511 sounds like something smallies would eat out of rage haha
@@MattStefanFishing lol, I guess I just know they will crush them!
Those Panther martin spinners can really do some damage on the smallies
they are great!
You're spot on finding them on sandy stretches with single, isolated rocks. I fish a lake in Colorado that has a number of stretches like this. If a jerk bait doesn't get them then I'll throw a ned rig. Never used a topwater but I'll be adding it next time out. Seems like the jerkbait bite has slowed theast couple weeks.
thanks for sharing!
Thanks for such insight to help us catch them!
you bet!
My favorite smallmouth lure is a 1.5 size square bill crankbait. I try to cast up current of obstructions and bounce it off everything I can underwater. The local musky anglers I talk to say they catch nice smallies on there big baits quite often!
Thanks for sharing!
All great tips appreciate it use orange or red or chartreuse spinner bait blades on Dale Hollow Lake use buck tail jig white tipped with soft plastic on Tennessee river Ledges.🙏
Sounds great!
I fish the willamette river in Oregon for smallies, you probably won’t believe this but I was bank fishing and caught the same fish 4 or 5 times in a row. Each time I released him he would go straight back to the same rock and I’d catch him again. He was 14 inches and had a scar on one side of him so I could tell it was the same fish. Caught him a couple of times the next day then never again. Must of gave up and moved on, or someone else caught and kept him.
I’m sure it was a bedding smallmouth. You can catch them over and over again
Spot on dude. Back in the day sometimes the difference between a great day and an average day was to capitalize on the moment. Always....always....always have a white tube jig tied on ready to cast.
As many experienced smallie fisherman know when you're on em good. Usually multiple fish chasing the one your catching.....and usually bigger.
Back in my derby days my partner would grab the white tube jig rod before he grabbed the net....Always. Plenty of time to net that joker.....very narrow window to catch those bigger chasers....
Good info as always, looking for to your next vid.
Yes sir!
Aggressive, Aggressive, Aggressive! Topwater In rivers in the summer and fall is an absolute blast! Get ready for the Air Show! I use Minnow/ Shad type patterns, 1.5" inch thur 2" inch square bill cranks also. Great advice Matt. Fire tiger for my Bright color on cranks. We found a river yesterday 7/4 with both Largemouth and Smallmouth ( rare in a small river here it seems, usually just Smallies), and absolutely hammered them topwater! Nice big fish, Super fun!
Its a blast when you get them on top!
imo smb fight harder than lmb. we have them here in western Oregon, mostly in rivers. my fav freshwater fish to catch. ✌🏻🎣
thanks for watching
Found your channel from watching Randy blaukat, but man you are quickly becoming my favorite to watch. I live in PA so your tips are super relevant to the fishing style we have to deal with!
Awesome!
My pb for a smallie is 6lbs in Gull Lake Mi. during a Sunday tournament on 6lbs pound test using a green 3.5 tube with blue flecks. It was released after I won big fish!!!
That is awesome!
Great video Matt! I appreciate the love for the northern fisheries!! You are 100% correct about smallies, but I have never targeted them with top water baits. I will definitely try that next time out.
Any time!
Thanks for the perch profile tip right on ☺️
No problem 👍
Caught my small Mouth PB on a senko, I use spike it, orange and yellow to strip it up, 5.6 lbs
Nice one!
I'm a Northern Illinois & Wisconsin fisherman. I really do appreciate your advice!
thanks!
Love me some smallies!! Especially in the fall.
Me too!
Headed to the river now to catch me some smallies!!
Good luck!
Damn, another great video. Thanks for the info!
Thanks!
Will be on the St.Lawrence this year coming in June. Will probably be fishing for small mouth I'm assuming. I'm a co-angler for a tournament there. Heard it's a great fishery. Can't wait to see if these techniques work there.
Have fun!
Thank you for making such beautiful videos. You worked hard on that. Truly the perfection. I take an example.
Thanks for all the help!
No problem!
I would say your spot on
Thanks!
Cool video, I have been catching a lot of smallmouth bass on my channel too.
Nice 👍
Great tips Matt! That’s good information, I like small mouth fishing, we only have a few areas that hold small mouth. I’ll definitely try these baits and tips, thanks for posting!!
Thanks for watching!
Great info! I'm going to try my panfish/trout magnet on them when I finally get to this summer!
Good luck!
Try around rock if you have any. SM Bass I've taken while fly fishing. A fly tied on a #8 isn't big by any means. GOOD LUCK!
Glad to hear this
Thanks for watching!
Great info, thanks for the share
thanks for watching!
Very helpful video. Thanks for your help!
Glad it was helpful!
You are invited to come fish small mouth bass here with us in southern Idaho. Our seasons are different. The SM fight way way harder than LM. My fishing buddy and I are not experts, but we study and work hard. I'll fish 15 hours if I have to to catch big for the thrill and some panfish for the frig. I do wish to see a real pro see what we see. We could talk bait and strategy, presentation, seasons, water
I've heard good things about Idaho fishing. Some great smallies there.
Awesome tips cant wait to try them on the Menominee
Good luck!
Matt, I live in Northern Mi and I fish Hubbard, Long, Grand which MLF has visited. You are so right about top water. I found that on a gravel, hard type bottom and yes sandy flat as well, Smallies love to cruise. I love a sunny day, calmer the better and throwing a top water. Just sight fishing for cruisers. I can't believe the speed that they can hit a top water!! Thank You for the tip on bright colors. I am so honored to be able to get fishing lessons every day, THANK YOU! Your replies shows real class!!
those are some stellar smallmouth lakes you get to fish!
I sure do miss smallies!! I fished a reservoir in the People's Republic of New Yorkastan that was loaded with crayfish and EVERYTHING keyed on them. Walleyes, smallies, largemouth, perch... They'd all be stuffed full of crayfish (yes, we kept some to eat.. G A S P).
Crayfish can be a primary forage.
Always enjoy the videos buddy 👍
Thanks for watching!
Tons of GREAT info, now if I can just convince myself to put the topwater down when it isn't hitting #stubborn. Clown jerkbait has always worked good for me.
Clown is a good one!
@@MattStefanFishing I meant to ask you what you thought about the ned rig, I see a lot of people complaining that it shouldn't be allowed in tournaments because it kills fish.
@@shawn_r_schultzfishing4883 i haven’t heard that. I have no problem with the Ned.
Thank you for a most informative video on smallies. Have not caught one yet. Until today, I had no idea how to target those little monsters. In your presentation you referenced the Ned rig. Over the course of viewing videos from other channels, presenters discuss Ned rigs and Neko rigs. In the comments section, I have asked the presenters how to determine when to use either rig. No replies.
Would you consider providing me with a quick explanation of when to use each? Thank you for any consideration. I look forward to your daily guidance.
I like the ned rig as a search bait. Most bites come on the initial fall and I cn cover water quickly. Once I have found fish I prefer the neko rig as its a slower wacky rig presentation that gets more bites on the retrieve.
@@MattStefanFishing , thank you so much for the explanation and logic. I'm analytical; your explanation is just what I need to fish both presentations better. Thank you again.
I’ve only smallmouth fished twice in my life and only caught 7 on Texoma. They aren’t stocked in my home lake and not native around here. If you fished a Shad dominated lake would you still pick bright colors over chrome or white? I’d figure Shad and ghost minnows are 99% of their diet on Texoma.
Whatever bait you choose I’d put some chartreuse, orange or pink on it.
Perfect 👌🏼 timing Matt. Lake St Clair tomorrow.
Walking plugs and spinnerbait for early morning.
Mid range Crankbaits
Wobble head
Tube
Jig
Swimbaits
Jerkbaits
I will let you know if I break my PB
I love and hate that place!
@@MattStefanFishing 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
If you have ever seen NdYakangler you should watch him. He slammed smallies on a Chewbacca lure lol
Ill check it out
He is the best Kayak smallie guy around!
They are a territorial fish which makes them aggressive and therefore they will hit both large and small baits. They mark their territory with rubs. Rocks, wood, and vegetation.
Good info thanks for sharing!
One thing I’ve noticed about smallmouths is they are usually more brown than largemouths and spotted bass.
Mr. White with the flipping stick in the library for the win!
I just watched your video on largemouth prior to this one. Instant subscriber!!! Do smallmouth and Spots tend towards the same seasonal patterns as largemouth? I'm just wondering how you would plan out a given day of fishing depending on the time of year.
Yes they do
Barlow's Tubby Grubs! There I said it.
Thanks for sharing!
Great video
Thanks!
Tips for rigging M&Ms? They keep breaking in half for me.
id suggest an egg sac that salmon fisherman use
Bass fear me.
Haha
What’s a spotted bass
A species of micropteros
@@MattStefanFishing is a version of the largemouth or smallmouth? Thx
Just saw this video and everything you said is spot on and I love fishing for Smallies!! Give a shout out to Randy Blaukat for recommending your channel!! Thank you!
Will do. Thanks!
@@MattStefanFishing one other thing, have you ever heard that the farther north that you go to use smaller baits? Thanks for any information on this.
Have geneva coming up and will have to put this to use! What do you think is the max depth to be able to use top water?
Ive caught fish in 20ft of water with the topwater on super clear lakes. But generally i like it in 14ft or less
@@MattStefanFishing jeez, I would have never even attempted it in that depth- 5/6 feet I would have thought, thanks for the reply Matt!
No smallmouth here. I hate that. Just spots and largemouth. Take care, Matt, and be safe
Thanks for watching!
Find current
yep