• Eternal patience of the hopeful fishermanfishing image by BengLim from Fotolia.com
  
  A predatory nature and aggressive fighting style when hooked make the smallmouth bass a popular sport fish. Although mostly inactive during the cold season, smallmouth hit their peak of activity when the weather and water are warm. According to the Chapleau Lodge Fishing Guide website, pound for pound, small mouth bass put up the best fight, which goes a long way toward explaining why anglers seem never to get enough.
  
  

Location, Location, Location

• Before anything else, you're not likely to catch any smallmouth bass unless you drop your line in the water where they are hanging out. That means shoals, drop-off points, rocky spots and anywhere that feeder fish congregate, to take advantage of the smallmouth's ambush mentality. The smallmouth bass is an omnivorous predator, willing to eat other fish, crustaceans, insects, and crayfish. Bouncing your bait off a rocky bottom is a good way to catch the smallmouth's attention.
  
  

Lures and Bait

• Smallmouth.com suggests that flies, small crank baits and tube jigs work best for catching smallmouth bass. When it comes to color, opt for that which imitates the smallmouth's favorite dinner, such as brown, orange, yellow, olive and black. If you're river fishing in an environment that supports crayfish, tie on something to match their reddish-orange shell color. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, murky water or unclear conditions might call for brighter colored lures.
  
  

Wading vs. Floating

• Smallmouth bass are caught either from a boat or by wading. The angler might choose a boat to reach deep water on a larger stream or lake. When fishing a larger body of water, it allows you to cover more ground. Conversely, small streams with a shallow draft are better approached on foot wearing waders.
  
  Some feel that the wading method puts the fisherman more in touch with nature, allowing him to notice more scenery by remaining in one area longer. Wading also lets the angler target a good spot more easily and stick with it by repeated casts. In a boat, you're likely to have floated past before you even noticed. This doesn't mean one method is superior to the other, merely that it's "different strokes for different folks" as the old saying goes. A person new to the sport should try both and see if he prefers one over the other.