I am going fishing for small-mouths for the first time tomorrow

The problem is just that though, I have no idea what to do. I have a fairly good grasp on large-mouth behavior but that is a different fish. If anyone has any suggestions or tips for finding and catching them it would be greatly appreciated.

They're pretty similar, tubes, grubs, drop shotting, cranks, all work good the most productive crank patterns Ive found are crawfish for me.

In the lakes we have with largemouth and smallmouth the smallmouth are much more abundant in the deeper, rockier areas with clearer water. Smallmouths seem to feed pretty heavily on craws all year here so anything that imitates one will almost always catch some fish.

Smallmouth relate much more to current than largemouth do. All rivers and most lakes have some current. Wind causes most current in lakes so fish points or wind blown shorelines. River fish are behind a restrictive obsticall like logs,rocks or a back wash from a point, or a deep hole. Smallies love rocks, the bigger the better. Most smallies will eat a grub on a jig head or a tube. The good ole mepps spinner, after all these years will still catch you a bunch of smallies and they make a good search bait.

Goood luck

Hold on tight!!

Crawfish, crawfish, crawfish, crawfish. Tip a few rocks to find some, so you can tell if they are molting. If they are, use a bluish pattern or a blue trailer on a finesse jig. If not, a regular crawfish pattern will work like a charm. Do a slow retrieval, jerking it, then letting it settle. Best of luck.

Thanks for Advice

I know this is a bit late and you've already been out there going for the smallies but when you go out again the grub/worm on a jig head has produced the best for me. I fish for smallmouth on the Schuylkill River here in Pa. And they seem to love a 3in jigworm on a 1/4 oz jig head. I just toss it out and go with a slow retrieve with small pauses here and there on an irregular pattern. The bronzebacks just love it!

Crawfish and rocks.....Smallmouth 101