Cranking for Biggie Smallies
When the first arctic air rolls across the region, many bass anglers hang it up for the year. For myself, mid to late fall is synonymous with big smallmouth bass and little competition out on the water. No other season consistently produces smallmouth over 20 inches in length and fish over five-plus pounds. These are not days characterized by large numbers of fish but rather by days of few fish of exceptional size.
What is the Best Time to Fish Smallmouth Bass?
Deciding when to target these fish is as important as where you target them. The best time to be on the water is when it's awful to be out on the water. Low-pressure systems, rain, wind, and cold fronts all trigger these fish to feed. Warm sunny periods, “Indian Summers,” might be nice days to be out on the water but are far less productive.
By this time of year, many smallies have already headed out into their deep-water winter haunts of 30-feet or more. I don’t spend any time hunting these deep-water fish. It’s my experience that the larger smallmouth will hold shallower longer into the fall than the smaller fish. In my smallie lakes, yellow perch are the primary food base and schools of perch will typically be found roaming along ledges, flats, and deep weedlines from 15 to 30 feet deep. If you find the perch, then it’s just a matter of putting in the time. Ledges and deep weedlines offer the easiest opportunity to locate big bass but in reality, I find far more bigger smallies by systematically working the flats. This translates to long days on the water and lots and lots of casting. For that reason, I prefer medium light spinning setups over heavier baitcasting rigs to reduce arm fatigue.
Why is the Diving Capability of a Crankbait Important?
I exclusively use crankbaits this time of year for big smallmouth. Using patterns that mimic yellow perch or the food base in your local lake will work best. What’s more important is the diving capabilities of your crankbait. I use crankbaits 2.5 to 3.5 inches in length and rated for 15 feet or deeper. To maximize and push their diving capabilities I run 8-pound PowerPro or 6-pound Fireline as my mainline with a 6-foot leader of 12-pound fluorocarbon. The thin line diameter of the mainline maximizes casting distance giving ample space for the crankbait to hit maximum depth, and I can cover more water. Additionally, the thin diameter mainlines minimizes drag in the water allowing the crankbait to dive deep often deeper than what the lure is rated for. The fluorocarbon provides line stealth but is also more resistant to abrasion on rocks and weeds than monofilament or the thin diameter braids. I regularly check my leader for nicks and abrasions and replace accordingly.
What are the best baits for smallmouth? Learn here.
Suitable cranks for this fishery include size 7 shad raps in either the jointed or un-jointed series, X-rap deeps in size 10, 6th Sense Cloud 9 C15, Duo Realis G87 15A, and, my favorite, the Yakima Bait Company hawg boss super toad, a lure no longer in production. I’ve experimented with using scents on my crankbaits and found they make little difference in performance, so I generally opt to not use scents. You should triple check your treble hooks for sharpness. I always upgrade my hooks if the crankbait comes stocked with bronze hooks as I prefer steel treble hooks. Trapper trebles hooks, by Trapper Tackle, in standard diameter are my go-to hooks for this fishery resulting in better hookups and fewer lost fish.
How do Trapper Tackle hooks perform? Read our review here.
If you are in the north, the window for the fall smallmouth fishery typically closes in November but can persist much later in northern river systems and more southerly bodies of water. Don your winter jackets and hats and hit the water this fall. You might just find the fish of a lifetime.
Want to learn more tactics for catching smallmouth that produce results? Read this.