Early Season Smallies
by Ron Anlauf

Once you’ve experienced the excitement of going toe to toe with a four or five pound smallie you can become addicted. Unfortunately for most anglers they haven’t had the pleasure, but they sure could if they applied themselves. Smallmouth bass are desired by many but caught by very few, and is the direct result of a fish that can play extremely hard to get. The job of pinning down smallies can be almost impossible at times, and often results in a good deal of frustration. The fact is they don’t always show up in areas where they should be and is part of the smallmouth mystique, but there is a great equalizer and it’s happening right now.

During most of the season smallmouth bass can be here today and gone tomorrow and seem almost ghostlike at times, that is except during one short lived window of opportunity; the annual spawning cycle.
It’s a time when smallies actually become predictable, and when they can be counted on to be hanging out in certain areas.

John Janousek new exactly where to look for this giant smallie

Here in the upper Midwest the spawn typically occurs around the first of June and smallies can usually be found wrapped up in one stage or another of the annual spawn. Early springs accompanied by steady warm weather can push things along and anglers may have only the tail end of the spawning cycle to take advantage of. Late springs and colder temps can delay the whole process and give anglers a shot at the entire cycle including the pre-spawn period which can produce the hottest action of the entire season. The “where” is the key and varies greatly from typical spawning areas that largemouth bass can be expected to be found. Largemouth will move to shallow dark bottom areas where they can sweep out the softer material and get down to a harder cleaner bottom like sand. The contrast of the dark bottom and the light sand makes largemouth beds an easy find and are readily seen on a calm day using a pair of Polaroid sunglasses. Not so for smallmouth bass which require something altogether different. Team Crestliner member John Janousek has spent a lot of quality time looking for and catching early season smallies; “They’ll set up in areas where you can find a combination of rock, gravel, and a little sand. You can also find them along an inside weed line where there’s some gravel or rock. Look for anything that’s different like a bigger rock or even a sunken tire.” Some of the areas really don’t stick out like a sore thumb and are much more difficult to find. In fact you probably won’t even know they’re even there, unless there’s a fish holding on them. To have a good shot of finding what you’re looking for it’s going to take calmer weather, the sunglasses, and an electric trolling motor to get the job done. Trying to find bedded smallies on windy days is tough at best, especially if you’re fishing unfamiliar waters. With an electric MinnKota and the sunglasses you can slowly cruise along likely areas and look for fish, and hopefully avoid spooking them. If you’re seeing fish and they’re not moving and are staying tight to a particular spot, you’ve probably found their beds. If they were holding tight and moved off you probably spooked them. It’s going to happen, just make note of exactly where they were so you can come back later and see if you can get them to take a bait.

Hot early season smallie tactics include casting small crank baits, spinner baits, and pitching lighter jigs, heavy on the tubes. Day in and day out you can count on plastic tube lures like the hot new Slurpies Tubes from Northland Tackle to produce while the crank baits and spinner baits will depend of just how aggressive the fish are. Pre-spawners that are revved up are move likely to chase down faster moving baits. Those that are bedded up are more apt to demand something slow and methodical before you can elicit a response. In that case you better take you time and make your pitch and wait, and then wait some more. If you haven’t spooked the fish sooner or later it will probably pick up your bait to at least move it out of the way, and that may be your only chance for hooking up.

Good smallmouth water generally runs on the clear side which can compound the spooking factor. To help combat it try to stay as far from your target as possible while still being able to get a cast to it. When you’re casting long distance a sidearm or underhand cast can also help by keeping the bait traveling low to the surface, which reduces the splash when it hit’s the water. Rather than casting right on to of your target try to cast just beyond it and pull the bait quickly back after it has hit the surface and let it drop into the spot.

Smallmouth bass really are a special fish and are number one on many angler’s most favored list. They’ve earned that distinction and have done it by grabbing baits and going airborne, and by bull dogging and never giving up the fight. It’s also why they deserve a quick release after they’ve done their best to entertain. See you on the water.

Ron Anlauf