I need a little help. I've been primarily a walleye angler who is now trying to get up to speed fishing for smallmouth bass on Canadian shield lakes. Does anyone ever troll for smallmouth? If so, how and what bait are you trolling?

Yeah, I know you all are waiting. But I'm not going to say it this time.

L.D. (who doesn't troll for bass)

I get it -- no one wants to own up to trolling.

At a tournament where I was a volunteer working the docks I noticed a bottom bouncer laying on the floor of a tournament angler's boat. When I asked him if he was trolling for smallmouth he said very quickly that the bottom bouncer had fallen out of his tackle bag.

Come on guys give me a little direction -- I won't tell a sole.

I've honestly never done it myself, but a good friend of mine trolls lake erie for smallies on a fairly regular basis. He uses only crankbaits - I believe the Shad Rap is a favourite. No downriggers needed, just look for humps, drop offs, weed edges etc and troll along or above them at a slow pace til a fish hits. Not much skill involved with trolling for a bass... thats probably why I don't do it.