Smallmouth Bass Summer Fishing Tips

First, find them

Once summer comes, most smallmouth bass have finished spawning and moved to the areas in which they will spend the summer months. Many anglers switch to targeting largemouth bass when this occurs because most of the fish have moved out of the shallow water. But there is still good smallmouth bass fishing to be had. The best areas are structural elements such as drop-offs, reefs, humps and points. There are a couple of keys: access to deep and shallow water, and the presence of rocks. Smallmouth bass will hold in deeper water but come up into the shallows to feed.

Know their forage

The majority of the time, smallmouth bass feed on crayfish. These are their primary food source and why the presence of rocks is key to finding smallmouth bass during the summer. Crayfish hide in the nooks and crannies that rocks provide, and smallmouth bass eat the crayfish when they are out in the open.

Lure considerations

Lures that imitate the way crayfish look and act are good producers of smallmouth bass. As a result, jigs, tubes and crankbaits are all effective smallmouth bass lures. Choose bait colors that are painted in crayfish colors. Crayfish are a bottom-dwelling creature, so fish jigs and tubes along the bottom, and make sure your crankbait bumps the bottom as you reel it in. But keep in mind that smallmouth bass also have an aggressive streak and will crush spinnerbaits burned along the surface, or topwater baits reeled over their heads. Especially in clear water, smallmouths will readily hit these baits when they are retrieved quickly.

Keep your eyes peeled

Smallmouth bass are schooling fish during the summer months. When you catch one smallmouth, it is likely there are other smallmouth bass in the area that also are willing to bite. You might even see multiple fish following a hooked fish to the boat. If this is the case, use fast-moving lures like spinnerbaits, crankbaits or topwater baits to take advantage of the aggressiveness of smallmouth bass. Sometimes, you can catch fish on nearly every cast.

Consider fishing at night

Smallmouth bass do best in clear, rocky lakes. But during the day, there will be a lot of sunlight penetration into these lakes, and smallmouth bass are likely to suspend in the water column or hang near the bottom. In both cases, they will be in a neutral feeding mood at best. These fish have to eat, though, and often do so at night. To take advantage of the situation, go out at dusk or after dark and cast quick-moving baits across rocky, shallow areas. If you do not already, you will know soon if there are smallmouth bass around.