Bass prefer to do their feeding in shallow water, where minnows, frogs, and insects are abundant. And even in the hottest weather they will move into such water under favorable conditions; although as a rule they seek shelter in the depths of streams and lakes during the day.
Bass feed regularly from dusk until early morning along the shores and shoals. If the day is cloudy and cool, perhaps with showers, they may remain in the shallows most of the time. The darker the day, the more secure bass feel in shallow water. Also, cloudy, and rainy weather cools the shallows.
A windy day that sends heavy ripples or waves rolling across the surface of a stream pool or lake also invites the angler to shallow water fishing. Quiet, shallow water speedily loses much of its oxygen content under the summer sun, and fish avoid it. But the wave action aerates the water, and the fish can live comfortably in it.
Bass have a certain habit that betrays them into the landing nets of observing fishermen. They like to lie in wait for their prey — and to dash to the kill of a minnow, frog, or some other natural food. They refuse to get excited about lifeless natural forage.
The first lesson the angler should heed from the fishing tips he’ll receive in this matter is that he should use lively baits and artificial lures that have flash and action.
That means a minnow should swim around in the water; that a frog should swim; that a hellgrammite should snap its tail, and that a nightcrawler should wriggle in its best style. It means that glittering spinners and spoons and plugs that twist and dart and wobble are best for bass.
The second lesson for the angler is that he should do his fishing in areas where there are places for bass to hide. Weed beds, jumbled rocks, undercut banks, and sunken logs are illustrations.
Smallmouth bass often feed in riffles of rivers and creeks. They prowl there in search of natural food which the force of the current loosens from the bottom of the stream.
A surprising fact from among smallmouth bass fishing tips is that fish of fair size will go into riffles that sometimes are scarcely deep enough to cover their bodies completely.
Live bait fished on a long line gets results when bass are feeding in the riffles. The angler who prefers artificial lures will get good results with a fly and spinner or a small spoon.
Incidentally, the best way to fish a riffle for bass is not to wade out into the water and fish directly downstream. A far better method is to walk or wade close to the shore and fish across the current.
The fisherman will do well to look for little pockets of deepe-than-average water in the riffles, or for big rocks or other obstructions that break the flow of the current and create pockets of comparatively quiet water. These are the favorite feeding stations of riffle-prowling bass.