By: Mark Romanack
Smallmouth bass are beautiful fish. How an angler catches them is not an ethical dilemma, but rather simple “angler's choice” according to the author. Jake caught and released this impressive smallmouth in Lake Erie during early spring.
I’ll probably need a body guard for saying this, but live bait works especially well on bass. It may go unwritten in the regulation books and even unspoken among avid anglers, but believe it or not it’s legal to fish for bass using live bait. Of course many would consider this topic sacrilegious commentary, but here’s how I look at it.
I’ve fished both smallmouth and largemouth bass my entire adult life. Not once have I killed a bass for the table or even to get one mounted for the trophy room. Because I’m live releasing every bass I catch anyway, what difference does it make what lure or bait was used to catch the fish.
I’ll climb down from the soap box just long enough to explain why live bait makes lots of sense for targeting bass. The same way that live bait is so popular with panfish, walleye and trout fishermen, it’s hard to beat the natural action and scent associated with using live bait. It could also be said that live bait in part helps to make up for marginal angling skills. In other words, if you’re a novice fisherman, live bait may be the edge that helps you catch fish.
The live baits that are most often associated with sport fishing include minnows, nightcrawler, leeches and crayfish. All of these baits are effective on both smallmouth and largemouth bass. Which bait makes the most sense, is more about the time of year than bass showing any particular favoritism.
MINNOWS
Early in the year and late in the year when the water is cold, live minnows are hands down the live bait of choice for targeting bass. In part this is because minnows are fairly delicate and hard to keep alive during the warmer parts of the year.
Here in the north, right after ice out, bass are just starting to get active and they are especially hungry having spent the last few months in a semi-dormant state. A 3-4 inch long minnow fished slowly along the bottom is something no self respecting bass can pass up.
Golden shiners, emerald shiners and spot-tail shiners are all widely available and bass love them. Of these three minnow choices, spot-tail shiners rank as a little easier to keep on the hook. Availability at the local bait shop will ultimately decide which minnow species gets the nod.
Slip sinker rigs (aka Lindy Rigs) and three-way swivel rigs are the most practical means of fishing minnows along the bottom. Of these two options, I tend to favor the three-way rig because I can better control where the minnow is presented in relationship to the bottom.
Ideally, the minnow should be a few inches to about a foot off the bottom. If the minnow is closer to the bottom, it’s not nearly as visible to nearby fish.
A three-way swivel rig with the weight dropper about 12-18 inches long and the hook leader 48-60 inches long works nicely. I like a tungsten dropper weight because it helps to telegraph the make up of the bottom (sand, gravel, rock, clay, etc.) better than lead pencil sinkers.
The hook leader should be made from 10 pound test fluorocarbon and at the terminal end a Trokar No. 1/0 Octopus hook is perfect for fishing these larger size minnows.
For those who opt for the slip sinker rig, I’d strongly suggest substituting the traditional walking style sinker for an Eagle Claw Slinky Sinker. The Slinky Sinker will slide along the bottom far better than walking sinkers, helping to eliminate annoying snags.
The author caught this stud smallmouth fishing a three-way swivel rig on bottom using a golden shiner for bait. Slowly dragging this rig on bottom is a deadly effective tactic for targeting trophy bass during the catch and immediately release seasons.
NIGHTCRAWLERS
Because a nightcrawler is easy to keep alive even in the summer heat, they are a very practical bait alternative when the days start to warm up. By simply keeping crawlers in a small cooler on ice, they can be kept fresh and lively for weeks.
There are lots of ways to fish a crawler for bass, but my favorite is to pair this bait to a bottom bouncer sinker using a 42-48 inch long nightcrawler harness. I live a No. 2, 3 or 4 blade when fishing crawler harnesses. Smaller blades can be fished slower and still get good rotation compared to larger blades that are heavier.
The best hook size/type for crawler harnesses is a No. 2 Octopus style hook. Octopus hooks snell nicely onto fluorocarbon leader material, making them the perfect hook for live bait rigging.
LEECHES
Leeches are a multi-purpose live bait option. Because they are not readily available early in the year, they are most popular for late spring, summer and early fall fishing opportunities.
A leech is tailor made for slip-bobber fishing. Because a leech has great action when it’s literally sitting still, suspending one in the water column is deadly, especially when bass are found using weed cover, rock piles or submerged wood.
To get the most action from a leech, a No. 4 Octopus hook is essential. Using larger hooks or even small jigs will peg the leech to one location and limit it’s natural swimming action. Place a few split shot on the line about 12-24 inches above the leech to sink the bait.
If smallmouth show up in deep water, substituting the split shot for a 1/4, 3/8 or 1/2 ounce in-line sinker will help to sink the bait quickly. Commonly called “power corking” this trick is especially handy when fishing in heavy winds that would otherwise make it tough to sink a leech using split shot on the line.
CRAYFISH
When you can find them, crayfish are another effective live bait for targeting bass. Because crayfish are bottom loving creatures, a three-way rig is the best way to present them naturally. The same three-way rig described above for minnows works equally well when crayfish are used for bait.
A crayfish swims best when it is hooked through the tail. A short shank Octopus style hook at least 1/0 in size is required to achieve the hook gap needed to deliver consistent hookups.
SUMMING IT UP
While bass pros will scoff at the idea of using live bait to catch smallmouth or largemouth, in many parts of the country using live bait is commonplace. I look at this as an “angler choice” situation rather than an ethical dilemma. Bass are readily caught using live bait and catching fish is what fishing is all about.