and can be particular about which places they like to use .”
Clausen looks for the same ingredients , but says that efficiency is vital as vast flats can be daunting to find fish quickly .
“ The easiest and best way to find where the fish are is to get on your trolling motor and put it on high and look with your eyes ,” he said . “ You can also idle with your big motor to be even more efficient . I ’ ll do this and won ’ t even make a cast until I see what I ’ m looking for – either seeing fish swimming around or finding something different than the rest of the flat .”
These subtle differences are like magnets to shallow smallmouth , according to Clausen .
“ Whether it ’ s a sand spot or some grass or rocks mixed in on a big flat , just something different ,” he said . “ When you find the right areas , bass will be around , and it shouldn ’ t take too long to catch them because they ’ re there to feed .”
Shallow smallmouth tactics
One of the most critical parts of successfully stalking shallow smallmouth is the location , but utilizing the right bait for the conditions is the other half of the equation . This is how VanDam looks at it and uses several different lures and varies them based on the wind and sun .
“ One of the best conditions you can have is sunshine and some wind , but not too much of it ,” he said . “ That ’ s my ideal situation because they love getting up shallow when the sun shines . I ’ ll throw several baits , from a Strike King Red Eyed Shad lipless crankbait to a spinnerbait , swim jig , or topwater .
The topwater bite for shallow smallmouth can last all day long during summer and fall .
These are baits that allow you to fish quickly . If you have calmer conditions , you ’ ll want to use something different where you can slow it down .”
While calm conditions dictate different baits , it also opens up more opportunities , according to VanDam .
“ In the clear water up shallow , you can see a lot of these fish cruising around and it can become a great sight-fishing bite , where you ’ re casting out in front of fish swimming along ,” he said . “ It ’ s a trade-off because they bite better when the wind blows , but you can see them much better when it ’ s calm . When I see cruisers , I use a marabou hair jig or spybait , but you can also catch them with a drop-shot
“ I generally look for flats between 4 and 14 feet .”
— MLF pro Matt Stefan
Wisconsin pro Matt Stefan believes some smallmouth stay shallow for most of the year .
PHOTO BY JODY WHITE
JUNE-JULY 2023 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 37