My fascination with smallmouth began at a very young age, being the first gamefish caught on my own. After 50-some years, the fascination hasn’t diminished. Many of the species I pursue entail an inherent challenge requiring near perfection or grinding through the harshest conditions. But smallmouth typically represent the opposite—fun fishing for a species that typically puts on the feed bag, attacks a properly presented fly, and often occurs during pleasant weather periods.
Smallmouth Biology and Habitat
Native to eastern and central North America, smallmouth bass live in a wide range of water types, from small creeks and rivers to the largest bodies of water in North America. Smallmouth have also been transplanted to rivers, lakes, and impoundments outside of their original range. The smallmouth, known for its energetic fighting style and aerial acrobatics, has been called the pound-for-pound hardest fighting fish in freshwater, and it works diligently to maintain this reputation.
Gear
Fishing deep water for smallmouth bass begins with equipment considerations. While some shoreline structure or break walls provide access to deep water holds, a watercraft opens the ability to cover a full range of water. And this doesn’t need to be a $100,000 plus bass boat rigged with all the bells and whistles. I depend on a 17-foot aluminum Lund for my big water fishing, and with the advancements in fishing kayaks and inflatables, there are options out there for nearly any budget.
A nine-foot 7- or 8-weight rod is a good match for big smallmouth. I typically choose an 8-weight for punching a cast into the wind and for extra backbone when fighting a five-to-six-pound bass. A smooth drag is always important, although sometimes a smallmouth is played simply by stripping in line without the use of the reel. The key piece to the deep-water approach is the fly line. For depths of ten to twenty feet, a fast-sinking shooting head style line, such as the RIO Outbound Short Shooting Head fast sink, with a sink rate of 6 to 7 inches per second, works very well. I also like the Outbound Custom with the T-11 tip. Both lines load quickly for the next cast after retrieving the fly to within a few feet of the rod tip and cast long distances with ease.
For covering depths up to 30 feet or when heavier winds push your watercraft at a steady pace, a full sink line like the RIO Premier Fathom in the 7-inch per second sink rate is my choice. The low diameter of this style of line, designed for lake fishing, slices through the wind as well as the water column, allowing greater depth in the presentation. My leader for fishing deep is generally six to eight feet in total length. The stealth gained with fluorocarbon for the leader and tippet seems to work best for fooling a smallmouth. I typically rig with 12-to-13-pound test and may go as light as 10-pound test in ultra clear water conditions. But with the superior strength-to-diameter ratio of the top tippet materials available, it’s best to fish with at least 12-pound test to have enough might to handle a trophy smallmouth when hooked.
Tips and Techniques For Deep Water Smallies
Big lakes and rivers rich with forage have the capacity to produce both impressive numbers and size smallmouth. But big water can be intimidating. Open expanses appear stark, featureless, and daunting. Add depth to the equation, and it becomes even more complex. While smallmouth in larger rivers and lakes can be found in the shallows early in the season, being able to work the fly deep into the water column allows for the ability to cover a range of holding structures and encounter top-end smallmouth throughout the year.
Understand Structure
Bait, structure, and spawning dictate smallmouth positioning and behavior in big water. Spawning is usually a small interruption in spring or early summer to an active pre-spawn and post-spawn period. Finding structure is the key to finding smallmouth in open water. Structure attracts bait, and in turn, attracts eating machines like smallmouth bass. Sometimes structural elements are obvious, such as break walls or known reefs that show as a disturbance on the surface of the water or are denoted by buoys or other types of markers.
Most structure requires further investigation. Enter modern electronics. From a sporting standpoint, I try to keep my electronics use to a minimum, but a sonar that shows bottom contour is an important, if not critical, piece of equipment when fishing deep water. Basic electronics can be rigged on kayaks and inflatables. I’m looking for drops and rises in the bottom. Reefs and bars that create significant depth changes are typically high percentage areas for locating bass. But even small changes of just a foot or two can attract fish as well. Some of my most productive waters are large areas where bait is present with an irregular and ever-changing depth or filled with big boulders.
Master the Drift
The basic presentation begins with the drift, either by river current or the push of the wind when fishing a lake. When fishing a river, the cast is made across the current, and when lake fishing, the cast is made into the wind. Make as long a cast as possible; the longer line allows for greater depth and maintains the fly in the deeper zone for a longer period. Count down the sink of the tip and fly based on the depth and sink rate of the line. A stiff breeze pushing the watercraft may require extra sink time to reach the desired depth. Placing some additional slack in the line beyond the tip also assists in getting the fly to sink. It may take some trial and error to arrive at the proper depth, and a bump or two of the fly touching bottom provides a key indicator. The fly does not need to ride the bottom through the presentation, but it is a good place to start.
Once the desired depth has been reached, retrieve the fly with a slow, irregular strip. Smallmouth seem to prefer this subtle retrieve that also allows the fly to maintain depth. But it should never be one size fits all. Experimenting with retrieve speed and cadence can make a positive difference on a slow day.
When fishing lakes, I prefer a gentle breeze that pushes the watercraft at a slow pace. A 5 to 10 mile per hour wind seems to be perfect. And up to 15 mph usually still works. Winds above that level with gusts may require additional considerations. Safety first, particularly when in a small craft or kayak. Always be aware of the forecast and changing weather patterns. Also, a stiff breeze can push the boat or watercraft so fast that it is difficult to maintain the proper depth. A drift sock can be used to slow the drift and control speed.
Fly Patterns
Simplicity describes my fly selection for deep water. Most of my flies incorporate weighted eyes to allow the fly to sink at the same rate as the tip. The Clouser Minnow may be the most effective smallmouth fly ever concocted and works extremely well with this technique. A gray over white version is a perfect imitation for the emerald shiner that is prevalent throughout the Great Lakes region. The color combinations can be adapted to represent other natural baitfish as well. As a modification to the original pattern tied with bucktail, I mainly use Steve Farrar’s SF Flash Blend for the wing material, along with a few strands of lateral line. The Flash Blend has a lifelike sheen in the water and is more durable than bucktail.
Crayfish, sculpin, and round goby patterns complete my selection. I tie some patterns like the Getting Jiggy on a jig hook with dumbbell eyes tied on the top of the shaft. It incorporates a rabbit strip tail, rubber legs, and hackle and works well as a sculpin or goby imitation. A brown or olive Wooly Bugger on a jig hook, along with rubber legs and a little flash, is a very effective pattern representing a wide range of bass foods. Various Game Changer style flies in natural colors are also quite useful for the deep-water approach.
Final Thoughts
Some of the largest smallmouth bass in North America live in the big open water of the Great Lakes, their connecting waterways, and other large lakes and impoundments. Working deep water structure in the pre-spawn and then post-spawn through fall provides the opportunity to catch the smallmouth of a lifetime.
Your writing is a true testament to your expertise and dedication to your craft. I’m continually impressed by the depth of your knowledge and the clarity of your explanations. Keep up the phenomenal work!
Great article. Thank you.
Good article, thanks!
I particularly like that you advocate for a 7 or 8 wt. Far too many bass fly angler don’t use enough rod, advocating a 5 wt. or even a 3 or 4 wt.