In warmer weather areas, stay near the
shallow rock beds and the eddies
along the banks. These areas will be
the primary source for smallmouths. In
colder weather areas, go for the murky
water with the soft mud. Usually
deeper, the fish will be burrowing
themselves down into the river beds,
so it won’t be uncommon that you will
find mud streaks on the bellies of the
ones you reel in up north.
The colder waters will be testing your
levels of patience. In cold water, make
sure you are gently hopping and softly
jigging. You want to draw attention to
your bait of course, but you don’t want
to look so out of place that the fish just
ignore you. The south will provide you
with a much more active river, but this
is said to be an added challenge. The
warmer waters will test your actual
skills. Activity means competition, and
the bass are much more likely to go for
a more familiar food source that is eas-
ily obtainable. Therefore, switch up
your strategy in the southern rivers,
making your bait look natural, yet active
enough to capture the interest of that
prized smallmouth. Quicker move-
ments are suggested here. springtime smallmouth season a mys-
tery. The fun is in the challenge, and in
the fact that what worked last year in
the same river, may not work this year.
Your best bet is to stay on top of the
weather conditions and choose your
time of day wisely.
Some of the warmer areas may mean
that the smallmouths are spawning ear-
lier, which means the rules may
change. Some states regulate a catch-
and-release method during the spawn-
ing period, due to the fact that the fish
are highly protective of their eggs and
will literally snap at anything that comes
near their nests. It is still a fun time to
catch them, as they will put up a fight
and be as active as you could hope for,
but be aware that you may have to
drop them back in as soon as you
catch them. If you are in the southern region, you
may have an advantage, but that is all
dependent on your overall jigging
skills. If you call a northern region
home, then you may want to wait until
late spring, although it isn’t impossible
to reel one in during the early spring
months.
Fishermen have long considered
Make sure you have a good thermome-
ter and a decent pair of waders, as you
will want to test the temperatures out in
several different areas before finding that
sweet spot. Fill your tackle box with
plenty of backup lures, hooks, and extra
line. The rest is up to you!
“If you are in the southern region, you may have an advantage,
but that is all dependent on your overall jigging skills.”