Another Curwensville Hawg!
Smallmouth Secrets continued below
BASS HABITS continued
1. Small Bass... When bass are about one pound or smaller they have not yet established a pattern for safe living. They swim around the lake,
generally in schools, and are easy to find and catch. That is why you catch so many small bass in the one pound class or smaller. They are
everywhere! And ready to hit anything you offer!
2. Bigger Bass... After bass grow larger than one pound they begin to seek out certain types of comfort zones. The first type of comfort zone
that they need is safety. Larger bass feel that they need constant protection or 'safety' from larger predators or sunlight. To find this 'safety'
zone they will seek out the very deepest part of the lake from where they were born. This is called their sanctuary. When they first enter their
sanctuary they seek out a place to hide within that sanctuary. This could be a sunken log, a rock, an old tire or other objects... anything they
can find to hide under. BUT! They have to settle for the least amount of protection because bigger bass have already taken the best logs, the
best rocks, etc. And they will be attacked by the bigger bass if they try to intrude! There is definitely a pecking order in the bass kingdom. As the
bigger bass die or are caught by fishermen the next bass (in size) will take shelter in that spot. And so on up the ladder. BIG bass never give up
their 'hiding spot' in the sanctuary! They live there until they die or are caught. And bass will never feed while in their sanctuary. If you manage
to get a lure down to them they will strike that lure out of anger only because they feel threatened and want to protect their safe environment.
3. The 'Railroad Tracks'... When big bass get hungry, which they do four times a day, they migrate from their sanctuary to their established
feeding grounds by traveling the same route every time. It's as if they were on a railroad track. They never deviate from this route or 'railroad
track'. Let me explain... When they leave their sanctuary to reach their feeding grounds they must continue to utilize further protection. They do
this by seeking out other sunken objects which is known as "structure". Again, this could be sunken logs, rocks, etc. They then travel from one
'structure' to another (they will spend a few minutes at each structure, making sure that it is safe to move on) until they reach their feeding
grounds. The bigger the bass the longer they will spend at each 'structure' because the biggest bass are the most cautious. They also return to
their sanctuary by taking the same route.
4. Biggest Bass... The BIGGEST bass usually feed at night, under the cover of darkness. If you want to catch a trophy bass your chances of
success are much greater at night or at day break.
Remember, bass larger than one pound spend their entire lives living in the very deepest parts of the lake, which is called their sanctuary. That
is why I say..."Only Ten Percent Of The Lake Holds Big Bass".
When bass leave their sanctuary to feed they utilize certain 'structure' along the way. They always migrate from one 'structure' to another until
they reach their feeding grounds. Again, it's as if they were on a railroad track. That is very important to remember. Here is my reasoning behind
that... when BIG bass establish a safe migration pattern, to and from their feeding grounds, they will never deviate from that route because it has
proven to be a safe route in the past. Why change it?
Finally... when fish eventually arrive at their feeding grounds they are much more vulnerable and easier to catch.
Remember, the biggest bass usually feed at night, under the cover of darkness. If you want to catch a trophy your chances of success are
much greater at night! See my article on Night Stalking- Click Here
generally in schools, and are easy to find and catch. That is why you catch so many small bass in the one pound class or smaller. They are
everywhere! And ready to hit anything you offer!
2. Bigger Bass... After bass grow larger than one pound they begin to seek out certain types of comfort zones. The first type of comfort zone
that they need is safety. Larger bass feel that they need constant protection or 'safety' from larger predators or sunlight. To find this 'safety'
zone they will seek out the very deepest part of the lake from where they were born. This is called their sanctuary. When they first enter their
sanctuary they seek out a place to hide within that sanctuary. This could be a sunken log, a rock, an old tire or other objects... anything they
can find to hide under. BUT! They have to settle for the least amount of protection because bigger bass have already taken the best logs, the
best rocks, etc. And they will be attacked by the bigger bass if they try to intrude! There is definitely a pecking order in the bass kingdom. As the
bigger bass die or are caught by fishermen the next bass (in size) will take shelter in that spot. And so on up the ladder. BIG bass never give up
their 'hiding spot' in the sanctuary! They live there until they die or are caught. And bass will never feed while in their sanctuary. If you manage
to get a lure down to them they will strike that lure out of anger only because they feel threatened and want to protect their safe environment.
3. The 'Railroad Tracks'... When big bass get hungry, which they do four times a day, they migrate from their sanctuary to their established
feeding grounds by traveling the same route every time. It's as if they were on a railroad track. They never deviate from this route or 'railroad
track'. Let me explain... When they leave their sanctuary to reach their feeding grounds they must continue to utilize further protection. They do
this by seeking out other sunken objects which is known as "structure". Again, this could be sunken logs, rocks, etc. They then travel from one
'structure' to another (they will spend a few minutes at each structure, making sure that it is safe to move on) until they reach their feeding
grounds. The bigger the bass the longer they will spend at each 'structure' because the biggest bass are the most cautious. They also return to
their sanctuary by taking the same route.
4. Biggest Bass... The BIGGEST bass usually feed at night, under the cover of darkness. If you want to catch a trophy bass your chances of
success are much greater at night or at day break.
Remember, bass larger than one pound spend their entire lives living in the very deepest parts of the lake, which is called their sanctuary. That
is why I say..."Only Ten Percent Of The Lake Holds Big Bass".
When bass leave their sanctuary to feed they utilize certain 'structure' along the way. They always migrate from one 'structure' to another until
they reach their feeding grounds. Again, it's as if they were on a railroad track. That is very important to remember. Here is my reasoning behind
that... when BIG bass establish a safe migration pattern, to and from their feeding grounds, they will never deviate from that route because it has
proven to be a safe route in the past. Why change it?
Finally... when fish eventually arrive at their feeding grounds they are much more vulnerable and easier to catch.
Remember, the biggest bass usually feed at night, under the cover of darkness. If you want to catch a trophy your chances of success are
much greater at night! See my article on Night Stalking- Click Here
___________________________________________________________________
Smallmouth Seasonal Secrets Continued...
POST-SPAWN -- Smallies will fan out from their spawning areas before moving to deeper water. Some may hang around the outer perimeter
of flooded willow bushes; others gravitate to the deeper edges of spawning flats, often suspending around 15 feet deep in 30 feet of water.
SUMMER -- Smallies take up a main-lake lifestyle, gravitating to river channel drop-offs and points, humps and ledges. In deep, clear lakes,
they often suspend above the thermocline from 25 to 45 feet deep, and may wander open water feeding on migrating schools of shad or
alewives. In shallower, murkier lakes, especially those with good current flow, they'll be much shallower, but seldom close to shore -- look for
them on offshore humps and rockpiles down to around 18 feet. At night, smallies may come to rocky banks to forage for crawfish.
FALL -- Steep rock banks (especially those with a 45-degree slope into deep water), as well as long main-lake points, will hold smallies in
clear lakes. They'll suspend at extreme depths (sometimes over 50 feet) by day but may move shallow at night to feed. Main-lake points will
hold concentrations of smallmouths, but again, these fish are often suspending in deep water and may not move within casting range until
nightfall, unless a stiff breeze is blowing. In murky lakes, smallies will hold on long main-lake points in 8 to 15 feet of water, especially on
windy days.
WINTER -- In clear highland lakes, smallies will hang around deep points on both the main lake and in the deeper tributaries, often at the
20-foot level. They will move much shallower on main-lake points buffeted by high winds on unseasonably warm, overcast days. In murky
lakes, they are far less active in the winter than in clear lakes, unless considerable current is present. If it is, they'll move to the extreme
upper end of the reservoir and locate around rockpiles and shallow bluffs in the 8- to 15-foot zone.
Smallmouth Lures:
You don't need a thousand bucks worth of lures to nail a trophy smallmouth. Here are some you should have:
Grub --- Probably the No. 1 lure for both numbers of keeper smallies and trophy fish. Smoke, chartreuse and pumpkin-pepper are universal
smallmouth colors. Try a 4- or 5-inch grub with a 1/4-ounce. leadhead. Fish it horizontally by swimming it close to the bottom on spring
spawning flats, then drop it on a tight line on 45 degree banks and deep points in fall and winter. A grub caught the biggest smallmouth bass
taken anywhere in recent history, a 10-pound, 8-ounce. monster from Dale Hollow caught by a tourist from Indiana in 1986. Yep, he was
using a spincast outfit.
Fly 'n' Rind (Hair jig & pork) -- A great smallmouth lure in stained lakes; probably your best choice everywhere in 42- to 55-degree water.
Fish it on light line on steep structure and gravel flats. In heavy current, remove the trailer. Contrasting dark colors -- black/purple,
brown/orange -- work best. An excellent choice at night.
Blade Bait -- Thin metal baits that vibrate intensely when retrieved, including the Silver Buddy and Gay Blade, are excellent fall and winter
lures for big smallies. They can be fished fast in water to 55 feet deep, making them especially deadly when bronzebacks are holding on
cavernous river channel structure.
Spinnerbait -- Ideal at night in clear lakes on points and humps, and anytime smallies are shallow in murky lakes. Use a short-arm red/purple
or black lure with a single Colorado blade at night; a white/green willow leaf model by day.
Tailspinner -- Fast-sinking, compact lures like the Spinrite and Little George that work best in fall and winter. Fish 'em where anywhere you'd
cast a blade bait.
Crankbaits -- Quarter-ounce deep-divers in shad, crawfish and fire tiger colors work best in clear lakes in spring when the water is high or
abnormally stained. Bigger crankbaits pay off in murky lakes in spring through fall; shad patterns work best.
Topwaters -- In spring and fall, smallmouths will rise to blast Zara Spooks, Rapalas, Tiny Torpedos and other noisy topwaters. Try black on
cloudy days, yellow or chrome on sunny days.
of flooded willow bushes; others gravitate to the deeper edges of spawning flats, often suspending around 15 feet deep in 30 feet of water.
SUMMER -- Smallies take up a main-lake lifestyle, gravitating to river channel drop-offs and points, humps and ledges. In deep, clear lakes,
they often suspend above the thermocline from 25 to 45 feet deep, and may wander open water feeding on migrating schools of shad or
alewives. In shallower, murkier lakes, especially those with good current flow, they'll be much shallower, but seldom close to shore -- look for
them on offshore humps and rockpiles down to around 18 feet. At night, smallies may come to rocky banks to forage for crawfish.
FALL -- Steep rock banks (especially those with a 45-degree slope into deep water), as well as long main-lake points, will hold smallies in
clear lakes. They'll suspend at extreme depths (sometimes over 50 feet) by day but may move shallow at night to feed. Main-lake points will
hold concentrations of smallmouths, but again, these fish are often suspending in deep water and may not move within casting range until
nightfall, unless a stiff breeze is blowing. In murky lakes, smallies will hold on long main-lake points in 8 to 15 feet of water, especially on
windy days.
WINTER -- In clear highland lakes, smallies will hang around deep points on both the main lake and in the deeper tributaries, often at the
20-foot level. They will move much shallower on main-lake points buffeted by high winds on unseasonably warm, overcast days. In murky
lakes, they are far less active in the winter than in clear lakes, unless considerable current is present. If it is, they'll move to the extreme
upper end of the reservoir and locate around rockpiles and shallow bluffs in the 8- to 15-foot zone.
Smallmouth Lures:
You don't need a thousand bucks worth of lures to nail a trophy smallmouth. Here are some you should have:
Grub --- Probably the No. 1 lure for both numbers of keeper smallies and trophy fish. Smoke, chartreuse and pumpkin-pepper are universal
smallmouth colors. Try a 4- or 5-inch grub with a 1/4-ounce. leadhead. Fish it horizontally by swimming it close to the bottom on spring
spawning flats, then drop it on a tight line on 45 degree banks and deep points in fall and winter. A grub caught the biggest smallmouth bass
taken anywhere in recent history, a 10-pound, 8-ounce. monster from Dale Hollow caught by a tourist from Indiana in 1986. Yep, he was
using a spincast outfit.
Fly 'n' Rind (Hair jig & pork) -- A great smallmouth lure in stained lakes; probably your best choice everywhere in 42- to 55-degree water.
Fish it on light line on steep structure and gravel flats. In heavy current, remove the trailer. Contrasting dark colors -- black/purple,
brown/orange -- work best. An excellent choice at night.
Blade Bait -- Thin metal baits that vibrate intensely when retrieved, including the Silver Buddy and Gay Blade, are excellent fall and winter
lures for big smallies. They can be fished fast in water to 55 feet deep, making them especially deadly when bronzebacks are holding on
cavernous river channel structure.
Spinnerbait -- Ideal at night in clear lakes on points and humps, and anytime smallies are shallow in murky lakes. Use a short-arm red/purple
or black lure with a single Colorado blade at night; a white/green willow leaf model by day.
Tailspinner -- Fast-sinking, compact lures like the Spinrite and Little George that work best in fall and winter. Fish 'em where anywhere you'd
cast a blade bait.
Crankbaits -- Quarter-ounce deep-divers in shad, crawfish and fire tiger colors work best in clear lakes in spring when the water is high or
abnormally stained. Bigger crankbaits pay off in murky lakes in spring through fall; shad patterns work best.
Topwaters -- In spring and fall, smallmouths will rise to blast Zara Spooks, Rapalas, Tiny Torpedos and other noisy topwaters. Try black on
cloudy days, yellow or chrome on sunny days.
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