This is a strange phenomenon I’ve observed, especially in certain types of anglers. This one friend of mine thinks there are all of these hard and fast rules with zero exceptions, some science based or at least logical sounding and some just nonsensical.  I should mention this is regarding river smallmouth, I’m sure he has an entirely separate playbook for their lake dwelling cousins.

 

Some examples, ranging from sensible to just plain moronic:

 

- Never retrieve upstream, baitfish only swim downstream 

 

- Never throw moving baits after spawn until the fall bite

 

- Never use snaps or snap swivels, fish can see these and you’ll lose bites 

 

- Absolutely NO mono except for topwater, bass are incredibly line shy and you must use fluorocarbon which is invisible 

 

- Smallmouth prefer sun and will bite better when it is sunny. The only reason bluebird negatively impacts fishing is due to barometric pressure, absolutely nothing to do with being ambush predators who prefer shade and cover. 

 

- ALWAYS match the hatch, especially when it comes to size and color. This would suggest that every strike is an actively feeding fish rather than reactionary, which we all know the inverse is usually true.

 

There are several others that aren’t coming to mind but you get the idea. Do you think there is much if any legitimacy to any of these ideas? I can get behind bits and pieces of them but as a whole I think smallmouth are reactionary and nomadic (within the section of river they live) enough that timing and luck play as pivotal a role as anything.
 

You can study and learn their behavior and habits obsessively and enjoy great success from the advantages this gives you, but at the end of the day I don’t believe bass are quite as predictable as some think.

 

I keep an open mind because they wander around and if there hungry or you can make her mad she is gonna eat . But you can’t catch them from home. That I do know 

Do you know any fishermen who have strict rules ?

Yes ~ Me.

But I have just ONE rule.

Location, Timing, Presentation and Persistence Matter.

That is All.

A-Jay

 

You need some new friends. 

15 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

You need some new friends. 

The vast majority of the company I keep does not adhere to this nonsense. I usually fish alone anyway.

White spinnerbait 24/7

19 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

White spinnerbait 24/7

Lol what 

3 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Lol what 

It's a strict rule.  Look it up.

A typical day on bassresource.com.

30 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

It's a strict rule.  Look it up.

I like mouse rat + Clearwater Shad for these conditions, painted chartreuse in the spring when it’s up and muddy.

Is your know it all friend looking back at you in the mirror😎.

Smallmouth like all bass live in the water.

Can’t catch a bass with the lure in the tackle box.

Reopen this thread when it’s snowing and you can walk on the water.

Tom

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Is your know it all friend looking back at you in the mirror😎.

Smallmouth like all bass live in the water.

Can’t catch a bass with the lure in the tackle box.

Reopen this thread when it’s snowing and you can walk on the water.

Tom

Lol when I have ever given you the impression I adhere to silly rules?

Baitfish only swim downstream? They’d all be in the ocean by now or stuck with their nose in a dam 

I went fishing for smallmouth today and broke all these rules.  I still managed to catch a good quantity of fish and some nice ones.  Rules are made to be broken.

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Baitfish only swim downstream? They’d all be in the ocean by now or stuck with their nose in a dam 

Thanks, ive always thought that too

 The catfish, musky, snakehead ate them all. 
 

The won’t be shallow in winter

 

The flood water pushed them all down stream

I see shad swimming upstream mostly, especially at dams and up creeks . And then They’ll swim 360 degrees to avoid a smallmouth haha

Those are pretty good guidelines, but I have caught thousands of smallmouth with mono. 

There’s one steadfast rule that has always proving to be 100% right for me. No matter what type of line, what color lure, sunny or cloudy, water temp matter at all, If I don’t get my butt off the couch and hit the water I get skunked.

Going down that list:

Disagree; wrong; “never” is a hard word but I do agree; disagree; maybe; wrong.

 

I’m typically against this placing hard rules in animal behavior. I’m all for general guidelines, but “never” and “always” don’t exist for wild animals, at least when it comes to behavior.

Oh yeah, we use mono for 99% of all SMB fishing and they bite 

56 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Oh yeah, we use mono for 99% of all SMB fishing and they bite 

I have caught over 100 smallies six lbs & bigger on mono leaders attached to braid and three over seven lbs so my success dispels the mono versus flourocarbon myth. None of those were on topwater baits. 

8 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I have caught over 100 smallies six lbs & bigger on mono leaders attached to braid and three over seven lbs so my success dispels the mono versus flourocarbon myth. None of those were on topwater baits. 

Lake or river? What state?

If that is what they believe and they don’t impose it on you, then I’m fine. And you’re right. Some of it borders moronic, lol, particularly the “nevers”. Never say never, 😂

14 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Lake or river? What state?

Lake Erie, OH with a little PA mixed in