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Tips

Prespawn Smallies

Targeting prespawn Smallmouth on a river can be the best time of the year depending on the weather and water levels. If conditions are right you can expect to catch really big fish in March and April along with the first week in May. You must first know where the smallies are wintering at. As soon as the temps start warming the water to around 40 degrees plus this can trigger the smallies into feeding that starts in March here in Pennsylvania. If the rivers are high and muddy this will slow the action until the water comes down and clears a little. If there is debris floating in the water I don't fish slight stain to the water is best but you don't really want chocolate milk colored water.
  First thing you want to find is slow moving current in slack water that is pretty deep say 5-10 feet with shallow water not far and some faster water also close by. Start in the deeper water bringing your lure up into the shallow water then start shallow and go deep into the slower current, letting the bait drift from spot to spot on or near the bottom. I use a few different baits this time of year my most effective bait has been a tube the second is any minnow type jerkbait and the third a hair jig I mostly use 1/8 or 1/16 oz baits. As far as colors of the bait I like green and brown along with orange. Other baits can also work but these three have worked the best for me. Again make sure you try to find a spot that can support bass in the winter start there and work into the shallows any given day they can be deep or shallow.