I need some help catching smallmouth in Maine lakes. I can't buy a bite from a smallmouth. I recently did a tournament on Long lake. Which is a good smallmouth lake from what I heard. All I caught was LMB. A lot of people caught there limit with smallies.

So I am looking for tips on location and techniques. I tried spinnerbaits tubes jerkbaits and got no takers.

Did you catch your LMB in tight to the bank? Your SMB, at least the bigger ones for me are not going to be as tight to the bank as the Largies. To be honest with you I catch my SMB on the same lures I use for LMB. I know some people say you need to downsize, but I don't. I catch them on 1/4oz., 3/8oz and 1/2oz foot ball jigs with craw trailers or chompers double tailed grubs. I've also used spinner baits, 10inch Berkly power worms and the new Rage Anaconda worms also 10inch, Berkly beast, Tubes, brushhogs, punch hogs, flappin hogs and cranks.

When I target SMB I usually key into points or shorelines leading into points. I wear polarized glasses, so I can see bottom, and I'm looking for where I can see the bottom go from a light color to where it turns dark. Meaning the drop-off from where it goes from 5 feet to 8-10 feet fairly quick. I then cast whatever I'm fishing parallel to this change in depth and work it back using different lures and retrieves until I find a lure and action combination that works. I don't know if this makes any sense? but this is how I have been catching my smallies. I think you have seen my last couple of smallie post. Good luck and keep at it, you will finally find something that works. It took me awhile to figure out the early SMB bite, I didn't just go out and start catching them on the first outing. Well I did this season but that's because I put in many, many hours of fishing the last several years.

I just recently fished at long lake too for a USA bassin tournament. I came in with my smallie limit... basically what i used was a jerkbait all day. I was targeting rocky shorelines...what i was doing is casting my jerkbait *** close to the rocks on shore and i would do a jerk jerk pause method and i would hold that pause for about 5 seconds and the fish were hitting on that pause. On other lakes it seems to be jerkbaites and spinnerbaits.

As the water gets warm i go deeper off of bluffs or points in 15 to 25 feet of water and use tube baits and somtimes jigs. Good luck

Posted by: MaineBassMan Did you catch your LMB in tight to the bank?  

Yes I did catch them tight to shore. They were hanging out on the rocks next to shore.

Thanks for the tips guys. I am heading up to Lovewell Pond this weekend with a couple of my buddies. We are going to try to catch some smallies.

Posted by: triton26 I just recently fished at long lake too for a USA bassin tournament.  

Wow small world man. I did the same tournament you did. I fished with my friend Eric.

Open the Maine Atlas, pick a lake.  Find a rocky shoreline.  Throw hard and soft jerkbaits, tubes and spider jigs on 6 or 8 lb. line.  You WILL catch smallmouth.

Find a rocky shoreline. Throw hard and soft jerkbaits, tubes and spider jigs on 6 or 8 lb. line. You WILL catch smallmouth.

That sounds like good advice anywhere there are smallies!

Hey guys thanks for all the help. MY friend and I caught 6 smallies on saturday. Took a couple pics with my cellphone.

There's some nice fish. See perseverance pays off  :

My buddy and I have been using tubes for smallmouths with great results. Pumpkinseed Tube, put a rattle, and a 3/8 oz jig head..........they are killing it on the fall.

Steve