Mini Baits -- Downsize For An Uplifting Summer

A stone’s throw from my childhood home in northwestern Pennsylvania, the Shenango River meanders though bottomland. The occasional rocky riffle or fast-water chute punctuates long quiet stretches. It was here, at age 8 or 9, that I caught my first bronzeback.

I was casting a small original Rapala Minnow borrowed from my dad’s tackle box when the bass struck. I vividly recall the bass going airborne at least three times. Amazingly, the smallmouth stayed pinned during its acrobatic somersaults. Looking back, I realize that that particular fish hooked me for life on smallmouth fishing.

Since then I’ve had opportunities to fish smallmouth waters, large and small, across the United States and Canada. No matter where I go, smallmouth streams hold a particular attraction. Even with all the high-tech advantages given today’s anglers, I still find it easier to consistently locate and catch smallmouth bass from flowing water than from impounded water. For me, nothing beats plodding into a stream with a single rod in hand and a few lures tucked into a vest. That’s real fishing!

Anatomy of a Smallmouth Stream

Smallmouth bass inhabit all sorts of flowing waters, but it’s the watercourse commonly referred to as a creek or small river that’s dearest to my heart.

According to the dictionary, the difference between a creek and a river is size, but no definitive parameters exist. Depth, width, and amount of water flow vary by the season, and from region to region. In some areas what’s called a river would only rate as a creek elsewhere. A watercourse may have a pool exceeding 10 feet in depth, but with knee-deep water flowing into and out of the hole.

So here’s my simple definition: If at normal summer level I can wade across the watercourse at some point, then it falls into the creek category. Bigger than that, it’s a river. Admittedly, the upper reaches of some big rivers fit this category. But from a fishing standpoint, I call ‘em creeks.

Small waterways are perfect for summertime fishing. Some can be fished only by wading. Many can be navigated by canoe. On some, you can run a jet boat. But for the most part, watercraft are simply a way to move from place to place. The real fishing starts when you exit the craft.

In creeks, what you see is what you fish. There may be deep holes or long pools where you can’t see bottom, but for the most part, your wading staff is your depthfinder.

On these watercourses, smallmouth bass become ambush feeders, waiting for the current to bring food to them. Using the hydraulics of water going over and around objects and current collisions that form seams, smallmouths hold in slower or slack water to conserve energy. From there, they dart into a stronger flow, snatch a meal, and return to their resting spot. Reading water is key to success.

Dynamics of Downsizing

When fishing a stream, bass size isn’t important. There are no tournament quotas to fill with the heaviest fish. I’m there for fun. Even the smallest bass display incredible stamina, often putting up a stronger fight than lake bass twice their weight. Living in current will do that.

When it comes to lures, however, size matters. Like the corporate executive struggling to keep his firm solvent by reducing the fat, the angler on a creek must consider downsizing in order to succeed. Summer is a time of varied food sources for stream smallmouths. The stream is like a smorgasbord, allowing fish to feed almost at will. Insect larvae and adults are part of their diet. Many minnows and darters grow no longer than three inches. Among the larger chub and shiner species, newly hatched offspring are plentiful in early summer and midsummer. Crayfish, too, are reproducing, so tiny crustaceans are scurrying about.