Bass Fishing Resource Guide - Swimmin' For Smallies by Scott Nielsen One of the most exciting aspects of Western bass angling is the constant challenge of adapting baits and presentations to the myriad of different water conditions we face every day. Angling in the West should never be dull. We have opportunities to take two strains of largemouths, spotted bass, and last, but certainly not least, the smallmouth bass. Over the years, I have learned several tricks that have proven successful in any smallmouth haunt, and in most conditions ranging from dirty water to clean, shallow to deep.
Smallmouth bass love a moving bait.
This theory has been proven in my mind countless times over the years. Smallmouths are aggressive fish that seem intent on running down a bait. But they, like other species, suspend at times and become harder to catch. At some point years ago, I picked up a spinning outfit, tied on a 3-inch grub, and cast it out. Instead of allowing the grub to work its way down the rock piles, or to move slowly along the bottom of the spawning flat, I began to reel the grub back much like I would retrieve a spinnerbait.