I want to start fishing lakes that have spotted bass and some smallmouth bass in them and I need some tips. I know for a fact that the spotted bass has a smaller mouth than a largemouth. Does that mean the size of the mouth is some what in between a smallmouth and a largemouth?

 

Since both a spotted bass and a smallmouth bass have small mouths, are bigger baits pretty much ruled out when targeting spotted and smallmouth bass? I listen to a lot of fishing podcasts and a die hard tournament angler once said that he could not catch any spotted bass or smallmouth bass when using baits that were too large and that did not fit in the spotted bass or smallmouth bass's mouth. He quickly learned that the best way to fish for them was to downsize the baits that he was using.

 

On the other hand, I watch a lot of YouTube videos on fishing and I have seen numerous videos of spotted bass and even smallmouth bass being caught on large baits even though they have small mouths. Catching a spotted bass or smallmouth on a 6-8in glide bait and/or swim bait seems like a pretty common occurrence now a days depending on the location/fishery. I like fishing bigger baits no matter what kind of bass species or size of fish that is in a lake. A larger bait makes fishing more efficient and usually casts better, fish's deeper, covers more water and usually catches a better quality/bigger size of fish. Therefore, why I am all confused.

 

I have never fished for spotted bass or smallmouth bass in CA.

Not sure how they may differ in each location, 

but I have spent the past several seasons specifically targeting northern Michigan Smallmouth bass.

When it comes to bait size, I am not confused.

Sometimes, I even get a few.

IME, fishing large profile 6-8 inch baits for smallmouth (like big glide baits) is not the best approach

to consistently get bites. 

While there's always a few suicidal fish that will hit anything, day in & day out,

presentations in the 3 to say 5 inch range with a somewhat slimmer profile,

are far more productive for brown bass. 

Tubes, standard size jerkbaits, 1/2 oz spinnerbaits, regular crankbaits and an assortment of topwater baits, just to name a few, have been putting large smallmouth in nets all over the country for decades.  More recently Bladed Jigs and an A-Rig has proven effective for me at times.

As always, timing & location both play huge roles as does matching one's tackle to the presentation.

Finally, I'm very willing to say that for every trophy sized smallmouth caught on an 8 inch bait,

there are 100 caught on something else.

YMMV

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

 

Here is where I would start for smallmouth / spotted bass in CA.  : First would be a paddle tail swim bait (Strike King 3.25" Rage Swimmer (Electric Shad paired with a VMC Hybrid Swimbait jig head (3/16th oz.) in open water or if some weeds are present I would rig with a Owner Flashy Swimmer jig head with Willow Blade  (3/16th oz.) Next would be top water (Berkley Choppo 75 , 90 or 105 in Bone color. Last would be a Shaky Head (1/8th oz. to 3/16th oz. stand up  shakey head jig head with a 5" ~ 6" finesse worm (Green Pumpkin color).