EQUIPMENT
Artificial Baits
There are a variety of lures from which to choose: jigs, jigging spoons, spinner baits and crank baits. Occasional bass anglers tend to overlook the importance of water color in their choice of bait. Water clarity will determine to which of the fish's senses an angler must appeal, since smallmouth bass can hear, see, smell, taste, and detect vibration. In clear water a bass may be able to see a lure 15 feet away, so make sure it's a lure the fish would like to see.
Jigs
A jig is one of the most effective artificials. It is simply a turned-up hook with a lead head. Add feathers, bucktail, pork rind, a little live bait, or one of the endless choices of plastic tails, and you're ready to go fishing. It's not hard to see why moulding jigs is a favorite pastime of do-it-yourself lure makers.
A smallmouth bass angler seldom needs a jig heavier than half an ounce. A good rule of thumb is to use the lightest possible jig under the specific conditions. In deep water, high winds, or very heavy current, three-eighths ounce may be necessary. For most summer jigging, heads on the light side of one-quarter ounce are my choice. In cold-water periods, jigs as light as one-eighth or even one-sixteenth of an ounce may be necessary to obtain the ultra-slow fall necessary to tease inactive fish into swallowing a bait.
For color, remember crayfish colors -- brown and orange -- will be most appealing. In dark or muddy water, vibrant or fluorescent versions of these colors increase visibility. Black, white, and perhaps a hot yellow or chartreuse will complete your set to cover most situations.
There are variations on the color theme, depending on situation. I use tiny white or black plastic jigs to imitate emerging insects and small minnows during the early season hatches. Black and smoke flat-tailed plastic grubs are very versatile, and along with crayfish-colored plastics they account for most of my summer jig fish. A leech, small piece of worm, or small minnow adds scent and texture under tough conditions. If you encounter very dirty water, the fluorescent-yellow plastic grub can be deadly. As fall approaches the baitfish are large and smallies are looking for big, easy meals. A plain jig or one with a little brown and orange bucktail dressed with a three- to four inch indigenous baitfish is my first choice. In place of the minnow, try a pork rind strip on a light living rubber or bucktail jig and fish it very slowly.
Other physical characteristics which influence jig choice for a specific fishing situation are head shape and the hook itself. Jigs with the eye situated on top of the head are good choices for fishing rocky bottoms and vertical presentations such as backtrolling. The eye on top allows the jig to be lifted directly off the bottom, thus avoiding snags. Round or ball heads are the simplest example of this kind of jig. The round head also promotes a fast fall. A quickly falling jig can be a real advantage in deep water. I prefer a thin wire hook on this type of jig because it promotes a good hook set on light line. Since I use this outfit in fairly open water straightening a thin hook is not a prime concern. In situations where heavy line is needed to horse fish out of heavier cover, a thicker forged hook provides additional strength.
When fishing in and around vegetation a different jig is required. A weed jig has the eye on the front of the head. This combined with a streamlined head design, pointed or bullet shaped, makes for a fairly weedless lure in the hands of a practiced angler. Hook choice on weed jigs is a bit of a crap shoot. Thin wire rips through weeds more easily. A forged hook may be required to take the extra stress of hauling fish out of extremely heavy weeds. However, this situation is the exception. Many jigs come equipped with weed guards. The bristle type is best in weeds. The stiffer plastic type is designed for very heavy cover such as submerged trees. Avoid these jigs whenever possible for smallies. That is not to say weed guards don't have their place, especially for other species, but think carefully before tying one on. A lot of smallie fishing is done with relatively light line around, rather than in, heavy cover. The weed guard simply may not be necessary. And weed guards make it difficult to set a hook into the bony mouth of a big bass, especially with light line.
Jigging spoons
Jigging spoons are usually made of lead or some other heavy metal with a single treble hook. They are excellent attractions for inactive fish. Their weight makes them ideal for deep water and heavy current situations.
Spinner baits
Spinner baits are often overlooked by smallmouth fishermen but no bass tackle box is complete without them. They are fast and versatile fish finders, appealing to just about every possible sense of the fish by using flash, sound, vibration, color, and action to catch fish. The single-bladed quarter-ounce spinner bait is tailor-made for most smallmouth fishing situations. White seems to be the universal color favorite, especially in clear and stained water. Of course, here are also the crayfish colors and my personal third choice -- black. stick to silver and gold blades until you decide to experiment. Start with silver in clear water and gold in areas of reduced visibility. The more color in the water, the larger the blade required to create more sound and vibration.
Crank baits
Crank baits, once known as plugs, have come a long way with the recent application of such technologies as injection moulding and photoprint finishes. Crank baits or alphabet baits float at rest. A plastic lip or bill makes them dive when retrieved. The larger the lip on the lure, the deeper it will dive.
The crank bait explosion of recent tears can make a trip to the tackle store a somewhat bewildering experince. Avoid lures with gimmicks unless you're sure that claims on the box have some basis in scientific fact. The advantage of variety is that it allows you to select a bait of the appropriate shape, size, and color of the specific smallmouth forage in the lake you're fishing at a specific time of year.
There is now a lipless or vibrating crank bait design which is gaining wide acceptance with all kinds of bass Fishermen. At rest, these lures sink, making them snag-prone in heavy cover. However, if the angling situation presents you with rocky structure or some relatively open water, these lipless wonders really do catch bass. Brand names include the Cordell Spot, Rebel Racket Shad, and Heddon Sonic. Vibrating crank baits use rattling sound chambers to create noise. The rattling, vibration, and flash make this type of lure an excellent choice for locating active fish, while the high visibility of lipless lures, especially fluorescent types, are superb choices for dirty water.
When imitating baitfish, start with small baits in the spring and move to large ones as the season progresses. Of course, don't forget crayfish colors. Once again browns and oranges should figure prominently in your choice. Bone with an orange belly is another popular pattern which imitates crayfish during their vulnerable soft-shelled stage.
Other choices
Smallmouth have probably been caught at one time or another on just about every conceivable lure. Among the strangest I've witnessed are a dodger and salmon fly and a 12-inch muskie plug which the half-pound fish hit three times before it finally impaled itself. Jigs, jigging spoons, spinner baits and crank baits, though, are the proven high-percentage smallmouth catchers. But stay versatile. New baits are being discovered and rediscovered every day.
