Last year was my first year doing tournaments and it was a blast! I learned lots and made a bunch of mistake (broken rods, lost lures, sun burnt and fish lost) but all in all it just fuels myself and the guy I fish with to do better! 

One of the many things I hear that people say is true and false (looking for a little clarity, hopefully) is that small mouths will travel together. The main reason why I ask this is because I would said its about 50-50 in tournaments that we catch LM and SM. When we catch a SM (we usually cast to the bank as we haven't done much deep fishing) instead of just continuing down the bank should be stop/slow down and through a drop shot/finesse worm and work that area more.

What I'm trying to get at is are we missing opportunity by just continuing down the back or are we right by just moving on because there won't be anymore there.

 

 

Thanks for any help/tips, I look forwards to reading them!

Jeff

Odds are that when you catch a bass, largemouth or smallmouth, it wasn't alone. Whether or not the others are active or willing to bite after the first one was caught is another story.

Always cast back to where you caught the last one. And keep doing so until they stop biting.

Always cast back to where you caught the last one. And keep doing so until they stop biting.

what he said....i'll add to do so with different techniques as well as it can trigger the other fish around to bite.  One exception is if i catch a large fish for the area i rarely pick up another without letting it rest for a few minutes.

Smallmouth seem to run in schools much more often than largemouth do in our lakes. 

Smallmouth seem to run in schools much more often than largemouth do in our lakes.

x2

Thanks, I was kinda thinking once we were to get one with a crankbait to follow it up with a finesse worm/drop shot or something that moves slower. We try to fish different lures but when they are hitting one thing it's hard to tell your parent or yourself to switch to something different lol

Thanks, I was kinda thinking once we were to get one with a crankbait to follow it up with a finesse worm/drop shot or something that moves slower. We try to fish different lures but when they are hitting one thing it's hard to tell your parent or yourself to switch to something different lol

 

Don't slow down but speed it up. Works more  times than not unless your fishing really cold water.  

From my experience, smallmouth are even less likely to be isolated than largemouth are. Also a little easier to get the school wound up. The problem lies in the consistency of locating these fish. You can stumble on a school of 20 one day and even if the conditions are verbatim next day, they will have moved. Maybe just to the next point or rock pile, or across the bay.