“Oh my God,” recalls Zona, host of Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show and The Bassmasters TV co-host. “It was one of the most ferocious strikes I’ve ever gotten from a bass. It was mind-blowing.” 

A few years have passed since that big revelation occurred on a brisk fall day, but you can bet Zona has an umbrella rig on his deck anytime he heads north during the fall. 

What is an umbrella rig? It consists of a lead head with multiple wires sprouting out behind in an umbrella-like configuration. Small jigs, rigged with swimbaits, are attached to the wires, and the rig is pulled through the water to resemble a school of baitfish. 

Larry Mazur of Elma, N.Y., is another umbrella rig believer. Although he fishes primarily on Lake Erie — and uses the rig just about year-round — he discovered its potency on New York’s Lake Oneida. 

“I used it in shallow water on Oneida in a tournament and loved it,” he remembers. “I tied it on during practice for my next tournament on Erie and caught 6-2 and 4-10 smallmouth. I knew I was onto something.” 

Mazur says most people who fish Erie use tube jigs and drop shots, which will catch plenty of smallmouth. But when it comes to catching big smallmouth consistently, he says the umbrella rig is tough to beat. 

“The bite is so addicting, too,” adds Mazur, who estimates he’s caught over 500 smallmouth weighing 5 pounds or more using the rig on Erie, the St. Lawrence River and other inland lakes. 

Indeed, the rig works just about anywhere you find big smallies putting on the feed bag in the fall. Zona says the good umbrella rig bite in his area usually begins in shallow water around early September and lasts to about the second week of October. Once the water temps get into the low 50s, it moves to deeper water. 

Once believed to be a deep-water tactic, the umbrella rig can be equally deadly when the bass are foraging on shallow flats in early fall. He says it’s as powerful shallow as a bladed jig, spinnerbait or jerkbait that time of year. 

However, he notes, the transition from shallow to deep can happen quickly. 

“When the bait leaves the flats, the bass move deeper and you can catch them out there until the lakes freeze,” he explains. “Just look for balls of bait offshore and sling the [umbrella] rig out around them.” 

As a caveat, he adds, it tends to work best on lakes where alewives, shiners and yellow perch provide the primary forage in the fall. 

The rig 

It’s important to balance the rig with your jigheads. For example, Zona places lighter Strike King Baby Squadron jigheads on the top wires with slightly heavier ones on the bottom to serve as a keel when he’s moving it fast. His basic rig has 3/16-ounce jigheads on all wire leads and a 1/4 ounce below. As the water gets colder, he slows his presentation and will go to 1/8-ounce jigs, top to bottom. 

“I’ve found if I go too heavy, I’ll have to move the rig too fast,” he says. “I’ll rig with Strike King Rage Swimmers in pro blue or ayu. I like 3.75 sizes early, but when the bass get on smaller bait later in the fall, I go with the 3.25.” 

He also will dye the tail chartreuse on one of his swimbaits — usually the one in the middle. 

“Maybe it’s all mental, but I think it matters,” he says. 

Umbrella rigs come with and without tiny spinner blades added. Zona prefers those without but says there are times when the bladed umbrella rigs work better. Experiment, he adds. 

He fishes it on the Lew’s Hackney Frog Rod, a 7-3 graphite rod with a soft tip and good backbone. His reel is a 7:1 Lew’s HyperMag spooled with 20-pound Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon. 

“It’s imperative to make long casts; it’s exhausting but helps you cover water effectively,” insists Zona, who was using Strike King Titanium A-Rigs for five-wire presentations. He’s also taken a liking to Frenzy Baits’ The Sniper for fishing with seven wires but uses dummy baits on two of the wires. 

Many states limit the number of hooks allowed on an umbrella rig. “Dummy” swimbaits are fastened on jigheads without hooks or on Hitchhikers that twist onto the lure head. 

“The extra baits give the rig the look of a larger baitfish school,” explains Zona. 

The retrieve can be critical to how many bites you get. In shallow water, Zona winds as fast as he can. 

“I’ll wind it along, then turn the reel handle quickly a few times to make the baits flare,” he describes. “When out deep in late fall, I’m scratching the bottom, occasionally making it flare.” 
Mazur fishes similarly but takes it to the extreme. Because the wind blows often on Lake Erie, he will bomb the rig out past the fish he sees on his electronics, release his baitcast spool until he knows the rig is at the right depth, then drift with the wind. 

“It’s sort of like long lining,” he says. “The key is to keep the rig just above the fish but don’t let it rise too much.” 

His winding is slow, and like Zona, he will pop it on occasion to make it flare. 

He uses a similar jig setup. In 50 feet or more, he puts two 1/8-ounce jigheads on top, with a 1/4-ounce jighead below. He always uses Keitech Swing Impact FAT Swimbaits in sizes 3.3, with a 3.8 in the middle. He uses a variety of colors but always puts the electric blue chartruese color in the middle. 

“For some reason, that’s the one they hit,” explains Mazur. “I’ve tried using all of that color, but it doesn’t work as well. They key on the one different bait.” 

He prefers the Brown Dog Tackle Co. umbrella rigs with blades and fishes them on a G. Loomis IMX-PRO 915C Umbrella Rig Rod and an Abu Garcia Revo Beast spooled with 20-pound Trilene 100% fluorocarbon line. 

“Tighten the drag all the way down,” he advises. “When long lining for big smallmouth and setting the hook from a distance, you need to get those buried.” 

And yes, it’s not unusual to have more than one smallmouth hit your bait simultaneously. 

“I’ve shot Zona shows in which I had all the footage I needed in 10 casts,” he says. “It’s amazing how ferocious those big schools of fish can be. They hit like a big muskie or saltwater fish.” 

Yes, hurling that wiry passel of swimbaits can wear you out and create a tangled mess on the boat deck. But, when you get around schools of big smallmouth this fall, there may not be anything better to sling their way. 

Swimbait options 
Plastics can vary in size and color for a versatile look. 

Jighead 
Heads can match to give the look of a school or differ for variety. 

Blade 
Blades provide extra flash to induce strikes. 

Umbrella rig head 
The main head provides weight and represents the school leader. 

Swivel/snap 
Swivels allow the swimbaits to move freely, and snaps allow for quick changes. 

Umbrella riggin’ river smallies 

Umbrella rigs aren’t just for big-water smallmouth. 

They can be just as effective in rivers, especially those connected to the Great Lakes, says Bill Mathews, Southwest Michigan College coach and avid smallmouth angler. 

He’s a perennial threat to win fall tournaments on the St. Joseph River. The river empties into Lake Michigan at Benton Harbor, Mich. 

And he usually does it with an umbrella rig. 

“If you’re not throwing it in a fall tournament, you’re losing,” insists the Dowagiac, Mich., angler. 

The St. Joseph River has resident smallmouth, but cooling fall waters lure baitfish and bigger Lake Michigan bruisers into the lower river once the water temperature drops into the low 60s. 

“Whenever the bait moves into the river, it happens,” he says. “The smallmouth will follow them all the way to the next dam.” 

He keeps his rig simple. He uses the Yumbrella Jr. rig, with blades on cloudy days and without on sunny days. 

He puts 3/16-ounce jigheads on the two top and middle wires and 1/4 ounce on the bottom. He uses 3.3 swimbaits — Strike King Rage Swimmers or Keitechs. 

“I really like shad colors, but alewife can play at times,” he notes. 

When up the river, he’s usually fishing shallow, but he will catch them around bridge pilings and other current breaks downriver near Lake Michigan. 

His retrieve is simple as well. 

“I wind it straight and sometimes burn it, then kill it, to get a fish to react,” he describes. 

Originally appeared in Bassmaster Magazine 2024.

Practically speaking, the best stewards of any resource are the folks who value its longevity. B.A.S.S. tournament anglers are not the only ones exemplifying this truth, but whether it’s modest use of ice in livewells, or properly fizzing (venting) deep-caught fish before release, Bassmaster Elite events certainly showcase best practices.

Every fish matters, but the jumbos that tournament anglers seek deserve the extra care they often require.

“The fish heavier than 5 pounds are often over 12-15 years old,” said Dr Bruce Tufts, Professor and Fisheries Biologist at Queens University, in Kingston, Ontario. “We’ve actually aged a smallmouth that was 21 years old. The biggest fish are the ones you want to create more offspring, because they have the best genetics.” 

Personal data

So, how do biologists determine fish age? Two methods, one of which benefits from tournament assistance.

As Tufts explained, examining the growth patterns of fish scales provides reliable aging for younger fish up to about year five. The other method, effective on fish of all ages, but pretty much the requirement for older ones, examines an inner ear bone called the otolith. Taking a cross-section view, biologists count annual age rings, similar to those found inside a tree.

Scale samples can be taken from live smallmouth prior to release, while biologists remove otoliths from deceased fish.

“We’ve actually used tournaments as good way to contribute mortalities to science,” Tufts said. “We take them back to the lab and get as much information as possible about diets, conditions, etc.

“Over the last decade, people have been releasing more fish instead of harvesting them. We’ve tried to work with tournaments and it’s been a good relationship to get those fish for science. It’s been a win-win.”

Significant strides

B.A.S.S. staff always strive for 100% live release, but water temperature, rough weather and individual fish health play into the equation. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has collected Elite event mortalities for aging and other scientific study; but while B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland views this as a respectfully beneficial use of legally harvested fish, he offers keen perspective.

“Let’s get away from the idea of talking about mortality and talk more about survival,” Gilliland said. “That’s important because 20-40 yeas ago, all those fish that got caught in a tournament or by recreational anglers were harvested.

“Now, there are a small number of fish that don’t make it. But when you look at the percentage that survive to be caught again, compared to what it used to be, it’s night and day.”

Protecting the resource

That survival rate is no accident and Gilliland lauds the considerable effort that B.A.S.S. anglers and weigh-in staff invest into fish care.

“A lot of people don’t know about all the things that our anglers and tournament staff go through to try to maximize that survival,” he said. “It’s hidden behind the scenes, so they make assumptions that all the fish we bring to weigh-ins are dying.

“We know that’s not true and studies that have been done across the country on (tournament survival) over the past 20 years will back us up on that. Yes, there is mortality, but it’s a relatively small percentage.”

Most importantly, B.A.S.S. interacts with various state and provincial agencies throughout the tournament range. As Gilliland said, feedback from fishery managers indicates that tournament mortalities do not significantly impact bass populations.

“When fishery managers are looking at things over the long term, that’s what we have to consider,” Gilliland said. “It’s not just one day, it’s the long-term management that we’re looking at.”

The culprit: Neogobius melanostomus, the round goby — an invasive species native to the Caspian Sea. Entering the Great Lakes via bilge water from oceanic ships in the early 90s, gobies have since rapidly expanded throughout these waters.

Among their targets: Smallmouth bass nests.

“Gobies are kind of a double-edged sword,” said Dr Bruce Tufts, Professor and Fisheries Biologist at Queens University, in Kingston, Ontario. “They’re a really easy food source for bass and they spawn several times a year.”

Christopher Legard, Lake Ontario Unit Leader for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Bureau of Fisheries adds: “Round goby is an abundant prey item for bass, which has resulted in a dramatic increase in bass size and condition since goby entered the systems.”

No doubt, gobies have bolstered the fishery, as evidenced by the seven Century Club Belts earned during the past two Elite events at the St. Lawrence River — two in 2022, four in 2023. (The Bassmaster Century Club recognizes anglers who reach 100 pounds with four days of 5-bass limits.)

Show makers, for sure, but Tufts points out the goby’s larcenous nature. 

“The bad part is that gobies are nest predators, so when spawning bass are removed from a nest for any length of time, gobies can get into the nest,” Tufts said. “They’ll either eat all the eggs or damage the nest to the point that the bass will abandon the nest (when returned).

“It’s a good and bad thing — everyone’s enjoying the good side, but we need to be aware of the downside.”

Exploiting vulnerability

Now, even the fiercest goby is no match for a nest-guarding smallmouth. However, while he’s not knocking tournament fishing, Tufts makes a sensible observation regarding the vulnerability of an unguarded nest.

“It’s not so much gobies on their own, but the combination of people (catching) fish at the time they’re on beds,” he said. “Gobies are able to get in there and basically eliminate the nest if they have enough time.”

In the big picture, one lost smallmouth bed may seem inconsequential, but multiplying the average number of eggs produced by a spawning smallmouth — Tufts said approximately 10,000-20,000 for large females — by the number of nests raided raises a valid recruitment concern.

For clarity, recruitment refers to the number of hatchlings that make it into that year class as adults. For example, if 2024 has a good recruitment, aging studies several years down the road would show strong representation from this year.

“Bass don’t need to have a giant year class every year, but they do need a decent recruitment every few years,” Tufts said. “If we get a good stable spring when the fish are spawning and the water warms in a uniform way, that helps (the bass) have a lot of eggs that survive and have a lot of young that survive.”

Conversely, Tufts said harsh spring cold snaps or stormy weather pushing cold water into spawning areas can doom bass nesting efforts.

Science says

Fortunately, the NY DEC’s annual smallmouth bass gill net surveys for eastern Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River have shown that gobies thus far have not inflicted a significant impact on smallmouth recruitment. 

“The average number of smallmouth bass caught per gill net has been relatively stable in both eastern Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River since 2005,” Legard said. “DEC’s fisheries assessment programs indicate that smallmouth bass total abundance in eastern Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River has been relatively stable since round goby colonization.”

Legard went on to state that the smallmouth bass assessments for eastern Lake Ontario have comprised at least 13 year-classes of fish each year since 2019. In the Thousand Island portion of the St. Lawrence River, the smallmouth bass assessment catch was made up of 14 year-classes in 2022.

“Multiple year-classes present in assessment catches indicates that there is some level of recruitment in the smallmouth bass population in both eastern Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River each year,” Legard said.

As Legard explained, assessment data presently presents no cause for alarm. Nevertheless, the goby’s taste for fish eggs keeps them on the watch list.

“Assessment data indicates that round goby do not appear to have a negative population-level impact on smallmouth bass in eastern Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence River. However, round goby are nest predators, and have been observed preying on individual bass nests in both Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. 

“Nest predation by round goby does have a negative impact on individual bass nests. If nest predation is high in a given year, it can negatively impact smallmouth bass year-class strength and could have a negative impact on the smallmouth bass population in the future.”

Concerns and caution

Circling back to our opening topic, there’s no denying how gobies have boosted the “WOW!” factor for Bassmaster’s St. Lawrence River events. However, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland said it’s important to balance the awe with awareness.

“B.A.S.S.’ position is that gobies are an invasive species and, despite the fact that there have been these benefits to smallmouth bass fisheries in some places, the negative impact of gobies to other species and other fisheries (e.g. lake trout) has been well documented,” Gilliland said. “We don’t want people spreading them around; we don’t want them moved to other locations, because we don’t know what the unintended consequences might be.

“Like many invasive species, bad things can happen. We’d rather not take that chance, so we encourage anglers to avoid moving them.”

Bait bucket dumping — intentional or incidental — defines the unlawful transport of invasive species outlined in New York State Regulation 6 NYCRR Part 575. However, invasive plant and fish species are really good hitchhikers, so anglers can help prevent unintended invasive species expansion by thoroughly flushing bilges and cleaning boats, motors and trailers prior to entering another water body.

“I (often) hear anglers say, ‘Look how great the smallmouth fishing is on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, but there are fisheries for other species (like lake trout) that have gone downhill because of gobies and the people that fish for those species that aren’t smallmouth bass anglers are pretty upset.”

Gilliland makes a fair point by noting that bass fishermen share natural resources with anglers of various preferences. So, while the notion of adding gobies to the local lake might sound enticing the long-term implications (not to mention the short-term legal consequences) could be environmentally tantamount to opening Pandora’s box.

“As it is with any invasive species, the risk (of introduction) is just too great,” Gilliland said. “Some people think, ‘If they’re great here, let’s put ‘em everywhere.’ That’s the wrong kind of thinking because we don’t know what will happen in other places. We want to be careful because there could be some bad consequences.”

All things considered

Science is about facts, not feelings, but Tufts describes his outlook for the eastern Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River fishery as a bright one. Fisheries managers will continue to monitor goby impacts, while anglers must share the responsibility for protecting this magnificent smallmouth factory.

“Like many situations, the more knowledge we have, the more information we have, the better our chances of doing the right things,” he said. “There’s been a lot of science in recent years on bass, gobies and what’s going on in the Great Lakes; and with what’s going on with live release tournaments and how to do things better.

“Gene (Gilliland) and I talk a lot about what can be done by tournament anglers to make sure they’re having a minimal impact on the fishery. In their hands are the best, biggest fish in the fishery, so it’s important that they do their job and release them in the best condition that they can.”

Tufts said he’s encouraged by an increasing emphasis (beyond tournaments) on the value of releasing trophy fish.

“There are still examples of badly run events, but there are more and more well run events and there is more and more education among anglers,” Tufts said. “We have more knowledge than we’ve ever had and I think people are more willing to do whatever they can to protect this fishery.” 

Editor’s note: Continue to part 2

Growing up fishing Lake of the Woods in Northern Ontario, I was introduced the marabou jig, or the fluff as it is now often referred to, as a kid. While our season is short, we have a number of good tournaments throughout the summer months, which is where I caught the bug for competitive fishing at an early age. As a youngster, maybe some of the competition felt the need to help me out, but I was shown the marabou jig and its effectiveness for shallow-water smallmouth when I was around 13 or 14 years old. All these years later, I have probably caught more 4 pound-plus fish on a fluff than any other bait.

When I mention the marabou jig’s effectiveness in shallow water, I’m talking 12 feet and less. Sure, you can catch fish using it in deeper water, but shallow is where it shines. For the most part, three sizes are used the most — 1/16, 3/32 and 1/8 ounce. I use the 3/32 the most, relying on the 1/16 if fish are higher in the water column or I’m fishing under 5 feet. I’ll go up to the 1/8 if I want to get down a little deeper or I’m battling wind and current.

The key with fishing these small finesse jigs is to never let them hit the bottom. The effectiveness comes from simply gliding or swimming them through the water column. As you fish with them, you’ll start to get a feel for where they are in the water column. As a general rule, I like to keep them in the middle. What I mean is if the water is 6 feet deep, I want to run my jig around 3 feet. If it’s 10 feet deep, I’ll try and run it around 5 feet.

Since most smallmouth water in the North features clear water, you can often see things as they are happening. These jigs are great for casting at smallmouth holding around cover like boulders, logs, grass clumps and even docks. Cast past the cover and swim the jig near it. If there is a smallmouth hiding around it, you’ll probably get their attention very quickly. These jigs are easy to fish because you simply reel them slowly, similar to a spy bait, making them great for covering water on vast flats, which is how we see anglers using them on the Great Lakes.

One of the questions I’m asked the most is, “What do you think the bass think that jig is?” Obviously, it could be a small bug or a leech, but I like to use the analogy that these marabou jigs are like an after-dinner mint, where a spinnerbait or a topwater might be more like a steak. My experience is, if you put these little jigs in front of them and they don’t know you’re there, you’re going to get a bite.

While these jigs can be found in many colors, 90% of my selection is black. Black just seems to work everywhere, and I’ve never really experienced another color working better. That being said, I have caught fish on white and brown, and olive-colored jigs can be effective when the mayfly hatches are going on.

These jigs do require some specific equipment to get the most out of them. You want to use a longer, softer-action rod that will give you the ability to launch these jigs out there and then not tear the small hooks out of the fish’s mouth as you battle them. The G. Loomis NRX+ 901 (7-foot, 6-inch light action) is my go-to rod for this technique. I like a 3000 sized reel like a Shimano Exsence that can hold a good amount of line. I’ll spool up with 8-pound Power Pro Braid and then use an FG knot to attach an 8-pound Mastiff fluorocarbon leader.

As far as jigs go, the guys at Northland Fishing Tackle have crafted up what I think is the best marabou jig you can buy. I have made my own for years, but I just use the Northland ones now, which come two to a pack, feature a Gamakatsu hook and are tied with premium marabou feathers.

If you are fishing in smallmouth country this summer, give these little after-dinner mints a try.

Northern smallmouth are about as reliable as an Ariens snowblower after a 2-foot blizzard, or pushing the power button on the Yamaha outboard minutes before takeoff. In reality, the smallmouth disconnect between northern and southern fishermen has everything to do with forage.

“People think patterning smallmouth is so intimidating,” said Elite pro Jay Przekurat, who last year broke the Bassmaster Elite Series record for heaviest total of smallmouth ever weighed. “I’ve seen several Elites get all worried and worked up over smallmouth. We northerners sort of laugh at that. There’s no disrespect; it’s just that our experience helps us understand the different levels of dependability.”

According to Przekurat and fellow smallmouth stalwart and Bassmaster Classic winner Jeff Gustafson, bronze beauties can be placed into five diet-distinct classifications. On this smallmouth continuum, the lower number equates to greater reliability.

1) Ultra-reliable

Smallmouth cramming crayfish

“When I’m targeting smallmouth that are eating crayfish, there’s really no doubt that I’m going to catch fish; it’s just a matter of the caliber,” said Przekurat. “A crayfish is like a turtle. It can only move so far overnight. Crayfish are always hiding and tucking themselves under and between rocks, so I like baits that are on the bottom.”

In snaggy river situations, Przekurat opts for a weedless Ned rig, the smaller the better. For glacial crayfish lakes like Mille Lacs, he’ll opt for a 3/8-ounce Strike King Structure Jig with a Menace (blue craw) trailer.

“When people come up to Lake of the Woods I always tell them to first find sand,” said Gustafson. “Where the sand meets the rock, that’s where you catch smallmouth all summer long because that’s where the crayfish are. The hotter and brighter it is, the better those smallmouth are going to bite. The crayfish get more active, and then the smallmouth are more active. With cooler, cloudier weather, they get a little more fickle and usually end up sliding deeper. But even then, they’re pretty reliable.”

Gustafson will throw a Bagley Sunny B or Diving B1 to cover ground before slowing down and pitching the Ned rig.

2) Steady Eddy

Smallmouth eating yellow perch

“Perch move, but they don’t move as much as you think,” explained Przekurat. “There are several lakes around me in central Wisconsin that are these glacial bowls. Around the edge of the bowl is sand grass. That’s the No. 1 ticket to finding perch smallmouth. They’ll be a foot or two off the bottom. It’s the same exact deal on Lake St. Clair and several lakes in New York.”

Przekurat said it’s not uncommon for perch to roam a mile from one day to the next. Reconnecting with them takes some work, but it’s worth it.

“You know they’re not too far, and then you just have to put in the zigzag pattern. When you finally see that pocket of fish on your LiveScope, perch-relating smallmouth are super easy to catch. They’ll eat it immediately, usually before it hits the bottom.”

Przekurat’s favorite perch-related technique is a Baby Z Too (Arkansas shiner) on a drop shot. Other productive baits include a 5XD crankbait (chartreuse perch), Alabama rigs and a 3/8-ounce tube for snapping in the grass.

Gustafson has had success with both sand grass and cabbage fields that hold perch.

“I have been burned on those on St. Clair perch fish before, but you know that if you’re around them, they show themselves real quick. If they’re not on your waypoint, you just have to put your trolling motor on a higher gear and find them. If it’s calm, I’ll start with a walking topwater like a Bagley Knocker B. If it’s windier, I’ll throw a jerkbait to start. Once I find them, I’ll slow down with a 4- or 5-inch Jerk ShadZ on a drop shot.”

3) Rock Solid

Smallmouth scarfing gobies

Gustafson and Przekurat put Great Lakes smallmouth in another category entirely because of gobies, an invasive baitfish introduced more than two decades ago. Round gobies are unique to the Great Lakes, and while smallmouth love these bottom-dwelling feeders, they’re usually paired with other baitfish that are also eating plankton.

“There has to be some kind of structure on the bottom,” Przekurat went on. “If you’re fishing a 20-foot rock pile, and you catch a goby, that’s actually a good sign.”

“It would blow your mind how many gobies are on the bottom of Lake Ontario,” recalled Gustafson. “Using the Aqua-Vu, you can see places where they are thick; it looks like there’s millions of gobies. But where the bass are, the gobies disperse and hide a little better. In general, Great Lakes gobies love to hang out around rock piles and shipwrecks, and the smallmouth will be hunting the gobies. Those summertime gobies are super consistent and reliable when they’re playing the guard-the-rock game.”

Gustafson and Przekurat both mentioned that gobies love to pursue smallmouth spawning grounds. But in the springtime, a change in wind can change everything on the Great Lakes.

“At Sturgeon Bay, you can literally catch 100 smallmouth one day, and then the wind switches, your spot is blown out and you’ll catch zero,” Gustafson added. “The wind blows that warmer surface water and everything changes.”

“With gobies, you want to find a mixture of bigger boulders and sand,” said Przekurat. “I use the Fat Coffee Tube — 2.75 inches — in the light melon purple color. It’s lighter than green pumpkin and blends in with the bottom more. They get tricked into thinking it’s a goby, and they snatch it up.”

“After four years on Lake Ontario, I’ve learned to love a green pumpkin Hula StickZ on a Ned Rig. I also use a drop shot with a short leader,” Gustafson said. “When fishing around gobies, keep the leader 10 inches to a foot off the bottom.”

4) Wildcard Worthy

Smallmouth munching minnows (alewives, smelt)

“Alewives come in and spawn after the smallmouth spawn,” said Przekurat. “This is usually summertime up north — like later June and July. During that time, you can actually imitate alewives by throwing spybaits and big swimbaits.”

Przekurat cautioned that alewives spawn in odd areas, not just your typical shallow rock and sand.

“After the spawn, the patterns just go nonexistent. The nice part is that you can tell when it’s over. During the spawn, you’ll see hundreds of dead alewives floating around. When you don’t see those, that’s when you know the pattern is going away. After the spawn, alewives roam and live in no-man’s-land, so you’ll need electronics to locate them.”

“Smelt are a big deal for us the second half of the summer on Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake,” added Gustafson. “These are my favorite smallmouth to fish for, but they can also break your heart. Often they do suspend and go wandering, but usually they relate to a point or a hump. If the wind is blowing on it, that’s a good thing. If the wind slacks off, the bait will go deeper. Forward-facing sonar is now making those fish a lot more predictable than they used to be. You can still find the dream school, and the next day the smelt are gone, and the fish are gone with them. That’s what happened to me last year at Oahe. After Day 1, they moved, and I wasn’t able to relocate them. My go-to smelt bait is a Jerk ShadZ on a Smeltinator jig.”

5) Danger – Proceed with Caution

Smallmouth chewing shad

It’s true that Gustafson won an Elite Series Tennessee River event two years ago with solely smallmouth. “They were shad eaters, but when I won, that was full winter, and the bass were just waiting for shad to float over them. For years, people have been picking me to win these reservoir tournaments because they have smallmouth, but the smallmouth fishing I do back home has nothing to do with reservoirs. Reservoir bass relate to what the shad are doing.”

Przekurat is willing to target shad-relating smallmouth, but he trusts only the current conditions.

“You have to let the smallmouth tell you what’s happening that specific day. One day they will be on a 4-foot rock hump, but just because they were there before, they likely won’t be there again. This happened to me on Lake Cherokee. I was fishing a shallow rock flat one day, and then the next day that smallmouth is 30 feet down over 100 feet. The new technology makes it a lot easier, but in general, when they’re around shad, that’s the worst time to be able to depend on a smallmouth.”

It was stinking hot the other day while I was wading a stream west of Indianapolis. As I took a shade break beneath a bridge, a truck pulling a bass boat clattered overhead, and I wondered if that fisherman realized he’d just driven over some prime smallmouth water. Then I stepped back into the sunlight and continued wading downstream. I’d recently caught a 22-inch smallie weighing nearly 5 pounds from that little creek, and I was intent on hooking into an even bigger fish.

I’ve caught wall-hanger smallmouth from Lake Michigan, lunker Florida largemouth, big Tennessee stripers, even trophy peacock bass from the Amazon River. But to me, nothing tops wading for stream smallies. It’s a total escape from work pressure (I’m a real estate broker) and an incredible way to connect with nature — plus, it’s convenient (I can go from a business meeting to a nearby creek in minutes), and compared to “normal” bass fishing, it’s cheap (no boat, no gas-sucking tow vehicle and only minimal gear required). Most of all, it’s the challenge of stalking and battling big smallmouth on the fish’s level — both me and my quarry in the same water — that drives me to keep wading! 

Many bass anglers have never caught an 18-inch smallmouth, but fish this size and bigger are available in plenty of creeks nationwide. My longest stream smallie spanned 23 inches. On one recent wade, my five best fish totaled 81 inches. Even though a creek may look too narrow or too shallow, I’ve found quality smallmouth are usually there. It just takes determination, the right gear and some basic know-how to catch them.

Stream smallmouth targets

Like all bass everywhere, stream smallmouth hold around submerged objects and will gravitate to something different in their surroundings, especially a sudden depth change. Here’s a breakdown of my favorite creek casting targets.

• Isolated rock and wood cover slows or diverts current and provides perfect holding/ambush spots for stream smallies. Midstream logs are especially productive and often have a washout (hole) under them where smallmouth can hide. 
• Deep holes with a hard bottom (not sand or muck) and scattered, isolated cover are reliable fish holders, especially in fall and winter. Of course, “deep” is a relative term; some streams I wade have 3-foot holes; others have 10-footers. 
• Laydowns (fallen trees) extending over the water provide shade and cover. Smallies will suspend around the ends of submerged branches where they can dart out into the current to grab a meal.
• Bottom depressions of as little as 1 or 2 feet can hold big fish, even when there’s no cover present. 
• Points and flats with mixed gravel, chunk rock and scattered wood are money; smallies spawn on them in spring.
• Undercut banks with exposed tree roots have the ideal combination of depth, shade and gnarly cover to hold big smallmouth.
• Bridge pilings provide current deflection and shade; these usually have a washout as well. 
• Water willow and other semi-aquatic plants can hold quality smallmouth, which typically prowl the edges and pockets within the cover versus the thick stuff.
• Current seams, eddies and switchbacks concentrate forage species and thus attract bronzebacks. “Reading current” is a skill that comes only with experience and will help you intuit where big smallmouth are probably sitting.

Dress for success

You’ve got to dress right to wade, regardless of the season. I fish streams from ice-out to ice-back-in. I’ve caught quality smallmouth in 37-degree water in January and when the air temp topped 100 in August. Trust me, if you’re too cold, too hot, too sweaty or if your feet or knees hurt, you can’t focus on fishing.

Unlike Bassmaster Elite Series pros, I don’t have sponsors supplying me with product. I buy my own fishing stuff, put it through the wringer and stay with what works. I’ve stomped around streams for four decades, and the best waders I’ve found are Simms G4Zs. They’re expensive (around $1,000) but worth it if you’re serious about creek fishing. Their big zipper makes them easy to get on and off quickly, and the fabric is breathable Gore-Tex, a godsend on strenuous wades. In cold water, I’ll wear insulated underwear and fleece wading pants under my waders. These layers keep me warm and negate the need for heavier and even costlier insulated waders.

Since your feet do most of the work when wading, you need the right boots. Mine are Simms Flyweights, which are super-light and durable. I also like Korkers DarkHorse boots, which have interchangeable soles — nice if you wade several creeks with different bottom conditions.

I’ll wear waders until the water temp climbs to around 65 degrees, then I’ll wet-wade with lightweight, quick-drying “guide pants” (not jeans — they soak up water like a sponge), a breathable fishing shirt with extra pockets and wading boots. Wading forces you to edit your equipment down to the necessities. Some creek anglers wear a backpack; I find these too bulky and constrictive, and I don’t need all that storage space because I travel light. Both my waders and my lightweight Simms wading vest have zippered pockets, which organize and secure my necessities: basic lures, pliers, clippers, rain jacket and cellphone (which I use only for photography). Of course, polarized sunglasses are mandatory, especially in clear streams where you’re often sight fishing for holding or cruising fish. My waders, fishing hat, shirt and vest are all a drab khaki color to avoid spooking these wary fish. 

Putting in and taking off

Most bridges offer decent stream access, but understand that any stretch of water close to the most convenient access spots invariably receives the most fishing pressure. For this reason, I use Google Maps to scope out creeks and locate less obvious places to enter the water. (Tip: Deep water shows up darker in satellite photos.) I’m also willing to approach property owners and ask permission to cross their land to gain stream access, stressing that I’m a catch-and-release angler. I’ve rarely been turned down by politely requesting access. 

Once you’re in the water, try to maintain a low profile and be as stealthy as possible. I can’t stress enough how wary stream smallmouth are. They’re highly susceptible to overhead predation by ospreys, herons and other birds of prey and are very aware of something moving above them (including you). Whenever you cast a shadow, raise your rod high or even pull a bait with a reflective finish out of your tacklebox so it glints in the sun, you risk spooking a fish. Once you understand that these fish are incredibly spooky, finding ways to keep a low profile becomes part of the fun and challenge of catching them. For example, when wading, I don’t shuffle my feet to avoid kicking up muck and debris, and I move slowly and deliberately across loose rocks to make a quiet approach. Then, when I’m within casting range of a target, I stand still, trying to blend into the background, and make long sidearm or loop casts. (The long, relatively stiff rods I use facilitate surer hook sets when I’ve got a lot of line between me and the fish.) When you’re in the fish zone, don’t move around too much. Try to be part of the landscape instead of an intrusive predator. I’ve had big smallmouth swim up to within a foot of me after I’ve stood stock-still for several minutes.

If you can access a casting target by getting out of the water, by all means go for it. Getting on the bank will reduce your chance of being spotted by the fish and will give you additional angles from which to cast. Just avoid stepping on snakes in warm weather!

Tackle and lures

I carry one spinning outfit when wading. My two favorite rods are a 7 1/2-foot St. Croix Legend Elite ES76MF and a 7-3 G.Loomis NRX+ 872; both are medium action with a fast tip. I pair these with either a Quantum Smoke S3 30 or a Lew’s HyperMag 300 reel. These are spooled with either 10-pound fluorocarbon or 8-pound mono. These combos work for every stream fishing scenario I’ve encountered.

Presentation tips

Many creek fishermen make a big effort to position themselves so they can cast upstream and retrieve their lure downstream with the current flow, believing this to be the direction in which stream forage invariably moves. This “rule” ignores the fact that stream smallmouth, like all bass everywhere, are opportunistic predators that will grab a meal when and where it becomes available and can be provoked into striking even when they’re not particularly hungry. Therefore I’ll make multiple presentations to a likely target from many different angles — downstream, upstream, crosscurrent — hammering away until I trigger a reaction strike from a fish. I once made 29 casts to a submerged rock where my gut told me a big smallmouth should be lurking, hitting it from every conceivable angle without success. On my 30th cast, I caught a 21-incher. Patience pays off.

I’ll spend considerable time probing a deep hole from every possible angle, keying especially hard on isolated cover. If the surface temp is around 55 degrees, I’ll start by twitching a Fluke or a jerkbait; if it’s 60 or above, I’ll begin with a surface bait. Then I’ll make a second pass with the Fluke or jerk. Finally, I’ll slow way down and bump bottom with a jig or Ned bait.

Even when I’m crossing a skinny shoal lacking in noticeable cover and thinking about how I’ll fish the hole or undercut bank that I’m heading for, I keep on casting. There might be a well-camouflaged lunker sitting in a subtle midstream bottom depression, or a big cruiser heading back to a current break after chasing a minnow into open water. In a stream environment, you really never know, so never stop fishing!

Lures to throw for stream smallies

Finesse jigs — I use 1/8- through 1/4-ounce jigs paired with craw trailers in realistic crawfish colors to probe deep holes and isolated midstream cover. 

Ned baits — These tiny artificials mimic worms, leeches and aquatic bugs. They’re my go-to baits for coaxing tough bites in deep holes. I fish them on homemade 1/16- through 1/4-ounce mushroom heads with stout No. 2 hooks.

Flukes — They resemble creek minnows and draw strikes when twitched across deep holes and around shoreline cover once the water temp reaches 55 degrees in spring.

Jerkbaits — I’ll work a 4-inch suspending jerkbait parallel to undercut banks and over submerged cover in deep holes.

Topwaters — Stream smallies will eat just about any critter swimming on the surface — I’ve seen ’em grab chipmunks, snakes, even small birds. This makes a buzzbait or a plopper-style surface plug an exciting option from spring through fall.

Six things you didn’t you know you needed when wading streams

Wading for stream smallmouth doesn’t require a lot of gear, but having the right stuff will allow you to fish these small waters more successfully. Here are some easily overlooked items that veteran Indiana creek angler George Verrusio wouldn’t wade without.

Boot insoles — “Wading is tough on your feet, knees, back and shoulders. I wear custom Upstep orthotic insoles (upstep.com) in my wading boots. These reduce aches and pains by promoting better posture and provide great cushioning in rocky streams.” 

Wool socks and liners — “I haven’t found anything that will keep my feet really toasty in frigid water, but thick, midcalf Alpacas of Montana socks (alpacasofmontana.com) and Smartwool sock liners (smartwool.com) sure help.” 

Wading staff — “A lightweight, folding wading staff ($50 to $150) improves your balance and helps you move more confidently in current, a real benefit when covering long, rocky stretches and when exploring places you haven’t waded before.”

Spare reel spool — “Load this with line that’s one step lighter or heavier than the line on your reel so you can adjust to varying water clarity conditions and lure weights.”

Landing net — “The reason we fish for smallmouth is [because] they’re badass. But trying to lip a hot smallie with a jerkbait in its mouth is asking for a hook in your finger. My handmade Wolf Moon C&R landing net (wolfmoonnetsusa.com) subdues feisty fish quickly and has a nice vintage look.”

Insect repellent — “Trout fishermen talk about insect hatches like they’re a good thing, but black flies, mosquitos and no-see-ems? They’ll eat you alive when wading. Repellent in moist towelette form is lighter and more compact than bulky spray cans.”

Originally appeared in Bassmaster Magazine 2023.

I’ve been playing with this hybrid bait for about a year. It takes the proven Ned jig and makes it deadlier than ever. I call fishing with it “Ned swingin’.”

The Swingin’ Ned Rig has the same mushroom-style head and 90-degree line eye of a traditional Ned jig. What makes the Swingin’ Ned unique is its articulated, free-swinging hook.

With a traditional Ned rig, the bait stays as straight as a pencil. The Swingin’ Ned lets the bait move up, down, left and right. That subtle action makes the bait looks more lifelike.

Hook

The straight shank, No. 1 VMC Finesse Neko Hook is the real key to this bait. When you pin a bass with that hook, it stays buttoned. Two stiff fluorocarbon keepers hold the plastic bait firmly in place.

When I’m fishing something like a gravel bottom at Lake of the Ozarks or a rocky shoal on Lake Erie, I rig the hook exposed just as I do with a traditional Ned rig. The Swingin’ Ned also allows me to Texas rig my baits. That’s a huge advantage.

Now I can fish a Ned rig without snagging in places where the bass have never seen one before, such as standing timber, brush and thick grass. Whenever the jig contacts a branch or some other piece of cover, the plastic bait moves about and tempts a strike.

In most situations, I rig the Swingin’ Ned with a Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Lil’ General Worm, which was designed specifically for Ned rigging. Another productive bait for me is Berkley’s Powerbait Water Bug in both the 3.3- and 4-inch sizes.

Buoyant baits

The Water Bug has a forked tail, which gives it a little extra movement. It also floats. The hook on the Swingin’ Ned is so light that floating plastic baits stand up when you pause the retrieve. Floating baits can make the lightest traditional Ned jigs stand at rest. But with the heavier sizes, say 3/16 ounce on up, the bait lies flat on the bottom.

With the Swingin’ Ned, a floating bait always stands up regardless of the jig’s size. It comes in five weights, from 1/16 to 3/8 ounce.

Most guys only fish the lighter Ned jigs, but with the 1/4- and 3/8-ounce Swingin’ Neds I can fish deep water and in a heavy current. I needed the 3/8-ouncer to stay on the bottom when I fished strong flows in the Susquehanna River.

The Swingin’ Ned is available in black, green pumpkin and bright chartreuse. I’ve had a lot of success this year with smallmouth using the chartreuse color. Smallmouth are sight feeders, and I think they can see chartreuse from a long way off.

The basic retrieve

I fish the Swingin’ Ned pretty much the same way I do with a traditional Ned rig. I always cast past the fish. I don’t want it dropping right on their heads. Once it hits bottom, I angle the rod roughly 45-degrees across my body and slowly pull it from about 3 o’clock to 12 o’clock.

I stop immediately whenever I feel the jig hit something. That’s when that articulating hook makes a big difference. It lets the bait float or move about instead of being stagnant as with a traditional Ned rig. The bite comes after I start moving the bait again, nine times out of 10.

I use the same tackle for the Swingin’ Ned that I do with a regular Ned rig. I like a 6-foot, 6-inch to 7-foot medium action spinning rod with a 2000 to 3000 size reel filled with Berkley’s crystal X5 braided line. I tie it to an 8-pound Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon leader most of the time.

However, when I’m fishing in a heavy current, I go with straight fluorocarbon. On the Upper Susquehanna, my braid acted like a parachute in the current and prevented the Swingin’ Ned from getting to the bottom. I was able to get it down effectively with straight fluorocarbon.

Ned swingin’ also shows the bass something they haven’t seen before. I think a lot of guys are going to be switching from a traditional Ned jig to a Swingin’ Ned.