Prespawn Great Lakes smallmouth bass start sliding up on vast rock flats when water temperatures range between 40- to 50-degrees. Bass staging for the spawn are often spread out, so Bill McDonald opts to fish small swimbaits with a steady retrieve, which speeds his search over slower moping baits like a tube.
TACKLE & GEAR
• SWIMBAIT – Strike King Rage Swimmer: https://wired2.fish/rageswimmer
• JIG – Hayabusa Beat Roller Ball Jig Heads: http://wired2.fish/HayabusaBeatRollerBallJig
• ROD – Lew’s Team Custom Pro Mark Rose Ledge Spinning Rod: http://wired2.fish/LewsTeamCustomProLedgeRodSpinning
• REEL – Lew’s Custom Pro Speed Spin Spinning Reel: https://wired2.fish/LewsSpeedSpin
• LINE (braided mainline) – Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green Braided Line, 20-pound: https://wired2.fish/SeaguarSmackdownFlashGreen
• LINE (leader) – Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon, 8-pound: https://wired2.fish/SeaguarTatsuFluoro
• OTHER GEAR – Rapid Fishing Solutions Rapid Hook All: http://wired2.fish/RapidHookAll
• FISH FINDER – Garmin GPS MAP XSV: https://wired2.fish/GPSMAP-XSV-Chartplotter
• TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex Trolling Motor: https://wired2.fish/MinnKotaUltrex
Bill relies on letting the fish tell him how they want the swimbait presented by paying close attention to his retrieve. With every bite, he reflects on what he did to make that fish react and replicates this. Generally speaking, McDonald always casts and lets the bait sink straight to the bottom, then engages the bait on a slow and steady retrieve. He periodically stops the swimbait and ball head jig combo to regain bottom contact, keeping the lure on or near the bottom. Set the hook if you feel anything different and out of the ordinary.
Lastly, McDonald stresses the importance of recording a track on your fish finder map as you drift or troll while making sure to drop a waypoint when you contact a fish (catch or miss). Doing so allows you to either duplicate a productive pass, make targeted casts to groups or individual fish relating to specific spots (as indicated by the waypoint), or covering new water after an unproductive drift (don’t follow the same track).
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What size swim-bait do you prefer for smallmouth?
I gotta work on remembering my retrieve patterns and keeping rhythm
Great video, really good great lakes smallmouth tips! I just have to say though that it always blows my mind when the 'pros' try to hold a fish horizontally by its jaw. Letting it hang vertically, fine, but torquing its jaw to try to hold it vertically is just unnecisary and proven in studies to be stressful for the fish. I would think we would be past this by now, everyone I know is as gentle as they can be with any species, and then you see a seasoned career fisherman and they're pretty rough on the fish. Not trying to be disrespectful, I'm just saying, I mean the in-fisherman crew for example is awesome, amazing anglers that have revolutionized the sport, but as far as fish handling they make me cringe everytime lol if your going to be a teacher in the sport I believe you have a responsibility to set the best example all of the time.
Nice catch’s I went fishing today I am going to actually post it soon on my channel but noeone really watch’s it cause I am a kid 😂 😂
Like I said…
Never put that disks on zman baits, never
awesome video!!! He explains something so simple so well…
Thank you for all the tips and advice! I have me a swimbait ready to go, now to just get to the water's edge. =)
Awesome video! Those smallies are agresive
Good boss
This dude has a great goatee
When fishing theses little swim baits for smallmouth what is more important, color of swim bait or profile?
Awesome! Great Lakes content 🔥