Entry 85-4
Roger Stegall's 10 Tricks For Boating Big Smallmouths
Big Smallmouths In The Middle Of The Lake
Editor's Note: Roger Stegall of Iuka, Mississippi, one of the nation's leading smallmouth bass guides, is Mr. Smallmouth on Pickwick Lake on the Alabama/Tennessee/Mississippi border. Stegall shows his clients when and where to catch the big ones. Smallmouth weighing over 5 pounds are common, 6- and 7-pound smallmouths are caught frequently, and every now and then you may catch an 8 pounder or better. Stegall has been smallmouth fishing for 20 years, and his personal best record is an 8-pounder. Each year Stegall and his clients will catch and release 150 smallmouth that weigh at least 5-pounds each. This week he'll give us the 10 secrets for catching monster-sized smallmouth.
Stegall: I believe to catch more and bigger bass you have to use different baits than what everyone else does. For this reason, instead of casting a lizard or worm on my Carolina-rig I'll fish a Zero. Most people haven't caught on to fishing the Zero on a Carolina rig. However, I promise this rig will catch big smallmouth -- especially on secondary ridges and points. Humps out in the middle of the lake that are about 10-foot deep are also productive places to fish the Carolina-rigged Zero.
I use the Spit-N-King on humps in 5- to 10-feet of water just like I do when I'm fishing for largemouths. For some reason, most fishermen don't fish top water lures in open water. But you can catch big smallmouth with this tactic. I pop the bait three or four times and then let it lay dead on the bottom. Pop it three or four more times, and allow it to sit still on the water. I've had some big smallmouth blow up on this bait and scare me to death. I may be fishing a mile from the bank on either side of the boat. But if you want to have fun fishing, try the Spit-N-King on humps in open water.
Don't think you can't catch big fish deep on this bait also. I've seen smallmouth come from a 12- or 14-foot bottom to hit this bait on the top of the water. Being able to make long casts is the secret to fishing the Spit-N-King in open water. For this reason, I use 10-pound-test Stren and a baitcasting rod. The further you stay away from the hump you're fishing, the more fish you'll catch.
Contents:
- Part 1: Springtime Smallmouth Fishing
- Part 2: Slow Down Your Retrieve
- Part 3: Late Spring Through Early Summer
- Part 4: Big Smallmouths in the Middle of the Lake
- Part 5: Smallmouth Fishing After the Spawn
