Old75 Loc: Broken Arrow, OK

I have been fishing for largemouth and never for smallmouth. I have been using 7’ MH rods with 4000 series spinning reels and various bait casters. I know that I can go down to a lighter weight line ok like a 6-10 lb test, but I am wondering if the rods are ok. Your thoughts? Thanks.

GLA Loc: WA State

Medium or Medium Heavy rods will work fine for Smallmouth. They can be scrappy and put up a good fight. I use 15 or 20 lb braid and an 8 lb fluoro leader. Give it a try with what you have and after you've caught some decide if you want to invest in a lighter rod. Good luck!

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Smallmouths are srappy and great fun to catch but why not make it even more fun? I don't know about where you're at but here where I fish a 5 lb fish is a monster. Go light.

Rob March Loc: Baltimore md.

I agree go light . my friend and I go small mouth fishing a good bit during the summer at the Susquehanna River in md. The average is usually about 3-4 lb. Every now and again a 5lb or little heavier. We usually use ultralight rods with 5-6 pound test. Good fight but you have to be smart with the lighter pound test and not horse them in. Sometimes in the fall I'll use a med-light rod as I can cast further with it but I run 6 pound test. Note : we usually wade in for them.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

I fish a particular lake that is loaded with them in the springtime, from a float tube. They're sitting on their beds in open water and there's need for me to horse them. I use 8 pound braid with a 2 or 4 pound Fluoro leader and throw a Kastmaster. They pound it. Ultra-light rod with 1000 spinning reel.

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

Drop-Shot

Kevin VanDam is from Michigan, surrounded by Great Lakes. "A drop-shot rod for smallmouths needs to be a little different up here," he said. "The water is so clear you can't always approach the fish as closely. You really need to make longer casts." His choice is a 7-foot 4-inch Quantum Tour Kevin VanDam TKVDS744 coupled with a Quantum Tour PT 30 spinning reel.

Longer rods provide more room to blend qualities, which is crucial when those qualities are divergent from one another. "Drop-shoting requires a soft tip section, so the fish can't feel you," VanDam said. "But it also requires a stiff spine. In Lake Michigan, it's not uncommon to find smallmouths deep on wrecks, and deep hooksets with drop-shot rigs demand rigidity from the handle to the midsection. This rod offers both qualities. It's sensitive and versatile. Sometimes you need a rod to do more than one thing, and this longer rod really adapts well to a lot of clear-water situations."

🎣

Rob March Loc: Baltimore md.

With rock formations we have on the river there isn't to much grass to tend with. We usually pick them off in slow moving water and in pools. When further up by the Damn you qould need heavier test bc of the weed formations. Either way its a lot of fun.

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

I like to fish smallmouth with a 6 wt. The fish tend to run small. The best I've caught on the Brandywine is about 14 inches. My favorite methods in the summer is a Stimulator fished dry. Sometimes I'll drag them like a streamer if I get lazy and don't want to change out a saturated fly.

Old75 Loc: Broken Arrow, OK

You guys are great. I appreciate each and every reply. I emailed a friend here that is quite the fisherman and he mentioned swivel head jigs, biffle bugs and wide gap hooks. I have used the wide gap hooks before with largemouth bass, but had never heard the other two.

Any comments?

They do not seem to be in stock locally at BassPro, Walmart or Academy, but are available at Amazon. I have not checked online at Walmart.

Old75 Loc: Broken Arrow, OK

You guys are great. I appreciate each and every reply. I emailed a friend here that is quite the fisherman and he mentioned swivel head jigs, biffle bugs and wide gap hooks. I have used the wide gap hooks before with largemouth bass, but had never heard the other two.

Any comments?

They do not seem to be in stock locally at BassPro, Walmart or Academy, but are available at Amazon. I have not checked online at Walmart....I just checked Walmart and they didn’t have squat.

Old75 Loc: Broken Arrow, OK

You guys are great. I appreciate each and every reply. I emailed a friend here that is quite the fisherman and he mentioned swivel head jigs, biffle bugs and wide gap hooks. I have used the wide gap hooks before with largemouth bass, but had never heard the other two.

Any comments?

They do not seem to be in stock locally at BassPro, Walmart or Academy, but are available at Amazon. I have not checked online at Walmart.