<font size="4">Deep Water Smallmouth Bass - Part 2</font>
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<b>This is part II of an article written by guide and professional bass angler Mark Currie gives his tips how to catch large smallmouth bass that reside in the deeper parts of lakes. Mark likes to take his guests fishing on a number of bodies of water in New York State, Vermont, and Quebec, including Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, Lake St-Louis, Lake of Two Mountains, Lake St. Francis, and the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. Mark's personal website can be found at http://pages.infinit.net/mjcbass </b>
Mike here - Before I let Mark take it away, I will take the opportunity to remind you what was going on in Part I of Deep Water Smallmouth Bass. When Mark finds his underwater structure, he likes to search for aggressive bass by tossing top water baits like Pop-R's, followed up with medium depth-diving crank baits like Berkley Frenzys. After releasing the aggressive fish he settles in with a slower presentation of various jigs with plastics...take it away Mark...
<img align="right" src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/sbass-cur ... 3.jpg">Now that you have determined the whereabouts of the bass that were aggressive enough to bite, you will cover the remainder of the water that you marked earlier. For this presentation I strongly recommend the use of Fireline. This Micro Dinema line manufactured by Berkley has the feel and sensitivity of no other line on the market, and will enable you to detect the smallest pebbles while dragging the bottom of the lake that you are fishing. Fairly short rods of about five to six feet, medium action, six to fifteen pound rated, matched with reels balanced for the same rating and loaded with ten to fourteen pound test Fireline, are the perfect combinations for this method of fishing. As for what to tie at the end of the line, I recommend the use of either tube jigs or spider grubs. These plastic imitations are so realistic that even the finickiest of bass can’t resist when presented properly.
Beginning with the tubes, rigging can either be done on the inside or the outside of the soft plastic bait. My preference is to insert a tube jig of between 1/8 ounce and 3/8 ounce inside of the tube and pop the hook eye out by applying pressure over the top.
Mark catches smallmouth bass like these at will
With the abundance of tubes on the market these days, it’s a personal preference when it comes to makes, styles and colors. Berkley ranks amongst the top three with their Power Bait scent formula impregnated within the plastic. Other companies are now adding salt to their formulas to allow extra retention time once the fish grabs hold to create additional hookups. Tie the jig directly to the Fireline with a Palomar Knot, as this seems to be the preferred knot for non-slippage, when it comes to any braided lines. Wind and depth will determine the size of the jig head that you will want to choose. Keeping contact with the bottom at all times is crucial while using this method, so you want to adjust as needed.
<img align="right" src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/sbass-cur ... if">Anyone who has fished “Lindy Rigs†before will have a better understanding of this presentation, but for those who have not, this technique is very simple. Keep your rod tip close to the surface of the water while drifting, or moving with an electric motor, let the line fall to the bottom as you slowly crawl along, and I do mean slowly crawl. Try to maintain contact with the bottom while you continue to move along the contour, or edge of the structure, feeling for every object or obstruction on the bottom as you go. You may get hung up occasionally, but these places are usually where the fish are, and quite often as you release the line to unhook the snag, you get bit. Be prepared for a hit any time you encounter this and remember where it occurred. Throw another marker if necessary, but be careful not to get tangled up with any of them as you slowly go through the path you created.
Work the edges, the ends and all of the points of the structure, as well as any troughs that you may find during this tube dragging presentation. Cover the area as thorough as possible and don’t leave any stone untouched, if you know what I mean.
<img align="right" src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/sbass-cur ... r.gif">The Spider Grubs can be fished almost exactly the same, except with one small twist. I like to fish them on a slightly heavier jig head and in a Rocker or Football style jig. These can be bought at many larger stores, but are not always available, so I pour my own and use better quality hooks when doing so. I usually run ½ ounce, but occasionally go to ¾ ounce when the weather dictates.
The spider grubs can be single tail, but my preference is the double tail version in either Yamamoto or XPS by Bass Pro Shops. The size comparison is different between the two, so be careful if ordering. The Yamamoto Hula Grubs as they are referred to, are smaller and a five-inch size is equivalent to the four-inch in the XPS and other brand names. Rigged with tails to the sides, they will imitate the crawfish perfectly when dragged across the lake bottom. With this style of jig head, they also have less of a tendency to hang up than the tubes, making them a little easier to fish. With two people working together in the same boat, presenting both styles is recommended. Sometimes you will find that one works better than the other and change to monopolize on what the bass prefer on that particular day. Try both types, but keep an open mind, be flexible and be prepared to change back over if the bite slows again later.
Once you become familiar with this technique, you will find the average size fish significantly larger than the ones you have caught before. Practice and time spent on the water are the only ways to become confident with this method of fishing. Be patient and remember that most bottom crustaceans are not competing in a race down there. Just like the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady is definitely better in the long run.
<img align="right" src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/sbass-cur ... jpg">There are several methods when it comes to fishing these techniques, but just keep in mind one word, “Slowâ€. If you think you are fishing slow enough, slow down some more. Right around the time you are about to fall asleep, you’re just about at the perfect speed. I like to refer to this method as, “Watching Paint Dryâ€.
Give deep water smallmouth fishing a try the next time you encounter a hot August day and think of going back to the cottage for an afternoon siesta. Just because the aggressive ones stop feeding, doesn’t mean it’s time to go in. Stay out, do a little painting and wait for it to dry. I promise, you won’t be disappointed if you just practice a little patience and apply these methods.
Please practice CPR, (Catch Photo and Release) whenever possible to ensure our future fishing!
An avid angler herself, Mark's wife, Christiane, holds up a deep water smallmouth.
Copyright Mark Currie and Fish-Hawk.Net, 2002
