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Most people think of fishing for smallmouths during cold months or in
early spring, but fish must feed all year long.
Smallmouths prefer cooler water temperatures than their largemouth
cousins. Therefore, during the summer, they drop to cool depths, more
than 50 feet deep in some lakes. In warmer water, they also become
somewhat sluggish and might not chase after fast-moving baits, staying put
near drop-off edges until something tempts them.
“Summer fishing for big smallmouths is not always as tough as people
think,” said Roger Stegall, a top smallmouth angler. “People just need to
know where to look for smallmouths. They’re in deeper water most of the
time. Look for smallmouths around drop-offs, small humps or ledges on
main and secondary channels. The water is colder down there and
smallmouths are cold-water fish.”
A professional angler from Iuka, Miss., Stegall guides on Pickwick Lake,
one of the best trophy smallmouth waters in North America. Cutting
through Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama, Pickwick Lake produced
both the Mississippi and Alabama state records. The Mississippi record
weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces. Stegall landed smallmouth bass exceeding
8 pounds, but in Alabama waters. The Alabama record stands at 10.5
pounds. Each year, the lake produces smallies exceeding 7 pounds.
Techniques that work at Pickwick Lake could work in other deep lakes
that contain smallmouth bass. For tempting big smallmouths during the
summer, anglers must first get to the fish. Stegall recommends jigs,
Carolina rigs and deep-running crankbaits. Anglers could also use jigging
spoons, lipless crankbaits or spinnerbaits at times.
“One of the best techniques to catch smallmouths in the summer is with
a spinning rod loaded with 8-pound test line,” Stegall said. “I tie on a 1/4-
ounce jighead holding a 4-inch smoke-colored grub. Downsize baits in the
summer for smallmouths. Holding my rod at about the 10 o’clock position, I
let the bait go to the bottom. Then, I slowly move the grub about a foot or
two off the bottom. About every five or six cranks, let it fall back to the
bottom.”
A Carolina rig also gets down where lunkers lurk. Use a 3/4- to a 1-
ounce sinker attached to about three feet of fluorocarbon leader. On the
terminal end, attach a 4- to 6-inch long soft plastic temptation, such as a
crawfish, fluke, centipede or French fry. Stick to natural colors including
watermelon or green pumpkin.
“Keep the bait in contact with the bottom,” Stegall said. “I just drag it
along the bottom and stop repeatedly. The bead makes a clicking sound
against the weight, which stirs up the bottom. In the summer, smallmouth
bass are more lethargic. Often, people don’t even feel the strike. It just
gets heavy, but it could hold a big fish.”
Although they usually don’t go as deep as smallmouths, largemouths
also drop into cool water to escape the broiling summer sunshine.
Sometimes, anglers can catch smallmouths mixed with largemouths in lakes
that hold both species. A spot that produces smallmouths today could
produce largemouths tomorrow and vice versa.
“For smallmouths, I use slightly different techniques,” Stegall said. “On
the bottom might be what I call a ‘push,’ where current hits a little hump and
goes over it. It creates a little dead spot right in front of that push.
Smallmouths generally sit in the front of the hump and largemouths sit
behind it. A largemouth won’t fight the current, but a smallmouth will.”
Anglers could also use deep-diving shad-colored or chartreuse
crankbaits to tempt summer smallies. Some long-lipped crankbaits dive to
15 or even 20 feet deep. In the summer, large crankbaits tend to catch
fewer, but larger fish looking for big meals.
Big spinnerbaits also attract large smallies occasionally. Smallmouths
normally feed upon shad and big spinnerbaits resemble shad. During one
bass tournament, Stegall set a record by landing five smallmouths weighing
26 pounds, 6 ounces on a specially modified spinnerbait.
“I set the record for the five biggest smallmouths ever weighed during
an FLW event by throwing a big, single Number 5 willow-leaf blade Strike
King spinnerbait,” Stegall said. “They don’t sell the single blade in a
package, so I had to modify it. I fish it a lot like a grub. I’ve caught
numerous 7-pound smallmouths on it.”
Summer doesn’t normally produce the giants of early spring, but
persistent anglers can still find good action if they look in the right places.
For booking trips on Pickwick Lake, call Stegall at (662) 423-3869. On
line, see www.fishpickwick.com.
early spring, but fish must feed all year long.
Smallmouths prefer cooler water temperatures than their largemouth
cousins. Therefore, during the summer, they drop to cool depths, more
than 50 feet deep in some lakes. In warmer water, they also become
somewhat sluggish and might not chase after fast-moving baits, staying put
near drop-off edges until something tempts them.
“Summer fishing for big smallmouths is not always as tough as people
think,” said Roger Stegall, a top smallmouth angler. “People just need to
know where to look for smallmouths. They’re in deeper water most of the
time. Look for smallmouths around drop-offs, small humps or ledges on
main and secondary channels. The water is colder down there and
smallmouths are cold-water fish.”
A professional angler from Iuka, Miss., Stegall guides on Pickwick Lake,
one of the best trophy smallmouth waters in North America. Cutting
through Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama, Pickwick Lake produced
both the Mississippi and Alabama state records. The Mississippi record
weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces. Stegall landed smallmouth bass exceeding
8 pounds, but in Alabama waters. The Alabama record stands at 10.5
pounds. Each year, the lake produces smallies exceeding 7 pounds.
Techniques that work at Pickwick Lake could work in other deep lakes
that contain smallmouth bass. For tempting big smallmouths during the
summer, anglers must first get to the fish. Stegall recommends jigs,
Carolina rigs and deep-running crankbaits. Anglers could also use jigging
spoons, lipless crankbaits or spinnerbaits at times.
“One of the best techniques to catch smallmouths in the summer is with
a spinning rod loaded with 8-pound test line,” Stegall said. “I tie on a 1/4-
ounce jighead holding a 4-inch smoke-colored grub. Downsize baits in the
summer for smallmouths. Holding my rod at about the 10 o’clock position, I
let the bait go to the bottom. Then, I slowly move the grub about a foot or
two off the bottom. About every five or six cranks, let it fall back to the
bottom.”
A Carolina rig also gets down where lunkers lurk. Use a 3/4- to a 1-
ounce sinker attached to about three feet of fluorocarbon leader. On the
terminal end, attach a 4- to 6-inch long soft plastic temptation, such as a
crawfish, fluke, centipede or French fry. Stick to natural colors including
watermelon or green pumpkin.
“Keep the bait in contact with the bottom,” Stegall said. “I just drag it
along the bottom and stop repeatedly. The bead makes a clicking sound
against the weight, which stirs up the bottom. In the summer, smallmouth
bass are more lethargic. Often, people don’t even feel the strike. It just
gets heavy, but it could hold a big fish.”
Although they usually don’t go as deep as smallmouths, largemouths
also drop into cool water to escape the broiling summer sunshine.
Sometimes, anglers can catch smallmouths mixed with largemouths in lakes
that hold both species. A spot that produces smallmouths today could
produce largemouths tomorrow and vice versa.
“For smallmouths, I use slightly different techniques,” Stegall said. “On
the bottom might be what I call a ‘push,’ where current hits a little hump and
goes over it. It creates a little dead spot right in front of that push.
Smallmouths generally sit in the front of the hump and largemouths sit
behind it. A largemouth won’t fight the current, but a smallmouth will.”
Anglers could also use deep-diving shad-colored or chartreuse
crankbaits to tempt summer smallies. Some long-lipped crankbaits dive to
15 or even 20 feet deep. In the summer, large crankbaits tend to catch
fewer, but larger fish looking for big meals.
Big spinnerbaits also attract large smallies occasionally. Smallmouths
normally feed upon shad and big spinnerbaits resemble shad. During one
bass tournament, Stegall set a record by landing five smallmouths weighing
26 pounds, 6 ounces on a specially modified spinnerbait.
“I set the record for the five biggest smallmouths ever weighed during
an FLW event by throwing a big, single Number 5 willow-leaf blade Strike
King spinnerbait,” Stegall said. “They don’t sell the single blade in a
package, so I had to modify it. I fish it a lot like a grub. I’ve caught
numerous 7-pound smallmouths on it.”
Summer doesn’t normally produce the giants of early spring, but
persistent anglers can still find good action if they look in the right places.
For booking trips on Pickwick Lake, call Stegall at (662) 423-3869. On
line, see www.fishpickwick.com.
Dragging bottom for lunker
smallmouth bass in summer heat
smallmouth bass in summer heat
Roger Stegall, a professional bass angler and guide from Iuka, Miss.,
shows off a smallmouth bass he caught on a Carolina rig while
fishing at Pickwick Lake near Iuka, Miss.
shows off a smallmouth bass he caught on a Carolina rig while
fishing at Pickwick Lake near Iuka, Miss.
Roger Stegall, a professional bass
angler and guide from Iuka,
Miss., shows off a smallmouth
bass he caught on a
smoke-colored grub while fishing
at Pickwick Lake near Iuka, Miss.
angler and guide from Iuka,
Miss., shows off a smallmouth
bass he caught on a
smoke-colored grub while fishing
at Pickwick Lake near Iuka, Miss.