Smallmouth Fishing Tips For Spring Bass Fishing!

Its Smallmouth Time! If you live in the North, its go time for big smallmouth! We love chasing big bronze backs and get pretty fanatical about our tackle. Come along for a deep dive into our favorite baits for consistently catching jumbo smallies throughout Spring. 

Smallmouth can be found all over the country but the Great Lakes region is the Mecca of big smallmouth. This entire region is about to fire up so today we're shedding some light on our key baits for fishing in the North. From swimbaits, to topwater, to finesse, these are the baits we rely on to catch the big ones. 

Below you'll find links to all the baits discussed in the video. We've included our favorite sizes, colors, and weights for each application. We've also included some of our favorite high-end smallmouth gear and a great budget combo as well. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

SWIMBAITS...

Bait- Keitech 4.3" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Color: Chartreuse Electric Blue

Head- Tactical Finesse Head (3/8 oz): http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

-Megabass Dark Sleeper (1/2 oz): http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

Colors: Wakasagi, Haze

Bait- Megabass 3" Spark Shad: http://bit.ly/2XcLZk4

Colors: Albino, Real, Purple Haze

Head- Megabass Okashira Screw head (1/8 oz): http://bit.ly/2EpluSA

CRANKBAITS... 

-R2S Tactical DD 75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Colors: Ghost Minnow, Glass Minnow, Green Pumpkin Craw

-Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

Colors: See Thru Chart, Elegy Bone, Sexy Ayu

-Spro Rock Crawler: http://bit.ly/2BLmsVN

Colors: Goby, Phantom Brown, Phantom Green

TOPWATER... 

-Lucky Craft Gunfish 95: https://bit.ly/3MUktST

Colors: Chrome, Bone Shad

-Evergreen Shower Blows 105: http://bit.ly/2zIkqUH

Colors: Bone, Full Metal, Skeleton Chartreuse

-Reaction Innovations Vixen: http://bit.ly/2rp11nr

Colors: Bone, Lime Ice

-Whopper Plopper 90: http://bit.ly/2bsPbQV

Colors: Loon, Monkey Butt, Bone

DROPSHOT RIGGING... 

Hook- Owner Mosquito Light (Size 1): http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

Weight- Swagger Tungsten "Tie On" Dropshot: http://bit.ly/2YAoMuv

DROPSHOT BAITS... 

-Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

Colors: Green Pump orange black blu flk, Chick Magnet

-STH Finesse Crush: https://bit.ly/3s5BcIn

Colors: Smokin Joe, Magic Chart, Bang

-Berkley Flat Worm: https://bit.ly/3lAAorL

Colors: Black, Natural Shad, Smoke Black Purple

TUBES... 

-Big Bite Baits Tour Tube: http://bit.ly/32e23VR

Colors: Green Pump Purp Cop Flk, Green Pump Orange

-STH Finesse Tube 2.5: https://bit.ly/3aU0oeU

Colors: Juvenile Goby, Ten Point, Dark melon Purple

TUBE HEADS... 

-Bite Me Tackle Big Dude Goby (1/2 oz): http://bit.ly/2CV3o7S

-Blade Runner Inhaler Head (1/8 oz): https://bit.ly/2NX7nYr

-Dirty Jigs Guppy Head (1/8 oz): http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

HAIR JIGS... 

-Oukast Tackle Feider Fly: http://bit.ly/2G7TBwj

Colors: Black

NED WORMS... 

-Roboworm 3" Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

Colors: TW Black Blue Pumpkin, Desert Craw

-XZone Ned Zone: http://bit.ly/2mRiYhF

Colors: 309, Big Limit 

-Zman Finesse TRD: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

Colors: Green Pumpkin Goby, Canada Craw, Goby Bryant

JIG... 

-Keitech Finesse Football (3.8 oz): http://bit.ly/2FDQ3o1

Color: Green Pumpkin Blue, Green Pumpkin Black

Trailer- Zman TRD BugZ: http://bit.ly/2oiavEE

Color: Green Pumpkin

DARK SLEEPER COMBO... 

Rod- Megabass P5 "Dark Sleeper": https://bit.ly/30GcHqb

Reel- Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 (HG): http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- Sunline 12 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

DROPSHOT COMBO...

Rod- G Loomis NRX+ 822S DSR: https://bit.ly/2RB0oJP

Reel- Shimano Exsence A 3000: https://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- Power Pro Super Slick V2 (10 lb): https://bit.ly/3vSwa6Z

Leader- Sunline Super FC (6 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

CRANKBAIT COMBO... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Shimano Bantam MGL HG: https://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- 12 lb Sunline FC: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

BUDGET FINESSE COMBO... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano NASCI 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- Sunline Super FC 7 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Topwater Popper and BFS (Bait Finesse) For Spring Bass!

Come along for a fun day of fishing! Need to go finesse but don't like spinning reels? Its time for Bait Finesse! We're fishing clear water on a sunny day but we know how to fool these fish! A small topwater popper and creature baits fished on BFS gear will do the trick!

Some days you have to turn to finesse gear to get bit. We turned a potentially tough day into an awesome day on the water by embracing light tackle! The popper got our biggest fish of the day but once the sun was high over head, nothing else would work except small ned creature baits rigged weedless on 7 lb line. Matt pulled out the Bait Finesse gear and went to work!

Below you'll find links to all the baits, as well as the gear Matt used throughout the day. We've also included some budget-friendly gear options that will work in this same situation. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

POPPERS...

-Megabass Pop X Popper: https://bit.ly/3i9T3sg

Colors: Deadly Black Shad, M Wakasagi, 

-Yellow Magic (1/4 oz): http://bit.ly/2al0dKP

Colors: Smoke Shad, Alewife

WALKING TOPWATER... 

-Evergreen ShowerBlows 105: http://bit.ly/2zIkqUH

Colors: Skeleton Chartreuse, Bleeding White, Half Mirror

-River2Sea Rover 128: http://bit.ly/2acSVea

Color: Abalone Shad, Ghost Minnow

BFS BAITS... 

-Z Man TRD Bugz: http://bit.ly/2oiavEE

Color: Sprayed Grass

-Z Man TRD Crawz: http://bit.ly/2U9vx6P

Color: Motor Oil

BFS RIGGING... 

Peg- VMC Sinker Stops: https://bit.ly/38XLQd4

Weight- Swagger Tungsten Worm (1/16 oz): https://bit.ly/3c28mks

Hook- Owner Rig-N-Hook (Size 1): http://bit.ly/2BnniXN

STICK BAIT... 

Bait- Yamamoto 5" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Hook- VMC Wacky Rig (Size 1): https://bit.ly/35Gtj31

SWIMBAIT... 

Savage Gear 8" RTF Trout (Slow Sink): https://bit.ly/33GROg1

Color: Dirty Silver

AFFORDABLE POPPER COMBO... 

Rod- 13 Fishing Fate Black 6'7" Medium: https://bit.ly/3xSUZB3

Reel- Shimano SLX 70 MGL (XG): https://bit.ly/3gIUCgJ

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 30 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

HIGH-END BFS COMBO... 

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 842C MBR: http://bit.ly/2iL1PAY

Reel- Shimano Curado BFS: https://bit.ly/2QGRVF2

Line- Sunline Super FC (7 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

MID-PRICED BFS COMBO...

Rod- Shimano Curado 7'2" Medium Light: https://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado BFS: https://bit.ly/2QGRVF2

Line- Sunline Super FC (7 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

SWIMBAIT COMBO...

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 966: https://bit.ly/3ktZFnF

Reel- Shimano Tranx 300: http://bit.ly/2kYsvRw

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 80 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Sunline FC100 35 lb: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Spring Buyer's Guide: Worms, Creatures, Neds, Tubes, and Swimbaits!

In video #4 of our Spring Buyer's Guide Series we're talking soft baits for Bass! Stick baits, curly tail worms, Neds, creatures, tubes, swimbaits, and more! We took the main bait categories for Spring, then assembled our favorite baits for each. These are baits you can rely on the next time you hit the water. 

Walk into any tackle shop and there are walls and walls of soft plastics. With 1000s of soft baits on the market, its impossible to know where to start. From a distance its overwhelming but if we focus on each style of bait, we can easily narrow it down to a few key baits that catch the majority of the fish.

Below you'll find links to the exact baits shown in the video. We've included our favorite sizes and colors for each to help you make the best selections. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of the different baits. 

STICK BAITS... 

-Yamamoto 5" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Colors: Green Pumpkin Watermelon Laminate, Natural Shad, Green Pumpkin Blk

-Yamamoto 6" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Colors: Green Pumpkin Blk, Green Pumpkin Watermelon Laminate

-Magnum Worms 10" Mag Stick: http://bit.ly/2KBhPWU

Colors: Black Blue, Green Pumpkin, Junebug

BIG WORMS... 

-Zoom Ol' Monster: http://bit.ly/2adPtjs

Colors: Junebug Red, JuneBug, Green Pumpkin

-Keitech Mad Wags Long: https://bit.ly/3dkFMLl

Colors: Junebug, Green Pumpkin Pepper, Plum

-Big Bite Bait Tour Swim: https://bit.ly/3ut2QR1

Colors: Purpletoma, 1099, Tilapia

DROPSHOT WORMS... 

-Roboworm 6" Straight Tail: http://bit.ly/2asZyH3

Colors: MMIII, Margarita Mutilator, Pro Staff Peoples Worm

-Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

Colors: Grn Pump Org Blk, Purp prl, Chick Magnet, Green Pumpkin Purple

-Netbait STH Crush Worm: https://bit.ly/3s5BcIn

Colors: Smokin Joe, Green Pumpkin, LON Goby Pearl

NED RIG... 

-Zman Finesse TRD: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

Colors: Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Goby, MudBug

-Zman TicklerZ: http://bit.ly/2mGyDAC

Colors: Green Pumpkin, Drews Craw, Canada Craw

-Roboworm 3" Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

Colors: Desert Craw, TW Black Blue Pumpkin, Twilight

-Savage Gear Ned Salamander: https://bit.ly/3rSNi8g

Colors: Green Pumpkin Purple Copper, Mojito, MudBug

TUBE BAITS... 

-Big Bite Baits Tour Tube: http://bit.ly/32e23VR

Colors: Green Pumpkin Orange Firetail, Green Pumpkin Blue

-Netbait STH Finesse Tube: https://bit.ly/3aU0oeU

Colors: Juvenile Goby, Dark Melon Purple, Ten Point

PADDLE TAIL SWIMBAITS... 

-Keitech Swing Impact Fat: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Colors: Pro Blue Red Pearl, Electric Shad

-Storm Largo Shad: https://bit.ly/3vxP0NB

Colors: Pro Blue Red Pearl, Sexy Shad, Tennessee Shad

-Gambler EZ Swimmer: https://bit.ly/2OLlyUf

Colors: Gold Rush, New Shad, Tennessee Shad

CREATURE BAITS...

-Reaction Innovations Man Bear Pig: http://bit.ly/2s51oIV

Colors: Hematoma, Magic Craw Swirl, Payback

-Big Bite Baits BFE: https://bit.ly/2Ce0tf7

Colors: Tilapia, Black Blue Flake, Green Pumpkin

-Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver: http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

Colors: Magic Craw Swirl, Green Pumpkin Red, Tramp Stamp

-Netbait Paca Slim: http://bit.ly/2M5cuGF

Colors: Okeechobee Craw, Green Pumpkin, Black Shadow

FAVORITE TERMINAL FOR RIGGING... 

Wide Gap- Gamakatsu Superline (4/0): http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

Oversize- Owner Jungle Wide Gap (4/0): http://bit.ly/2sBsR1Z

Wacky- Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap (1/0): http://bit.ly/2aKGmHM

Dropshot- Owner Mosquito Light (size 1): http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

Ned- Swagger Flanders (1/10th): http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

Tube- Blade Runner Inhaler (1/0): https://bit.ly/2NX7nYr

Swimbait- Dirty Jigs Matt Allen (3/8): http://bit.ly/29RrTYN

Weedless Swimbait- Owner Beast (4/0): http://bit.ly/2ancP66

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

How To Catch Bass With Plastic Worms! **INSANE UNDERWATER FOOTAGE**

Want to become a better fisherman? There is no better way than to head underwater and study bass behavior! Come along as Matt teaches how to get the most out of plastic worms while studying footage of actual bass eating a ned rig, dropshot, shaky head, and texas rig!

We learn a ton about bass behavior when we head underwater, but we also learn about the lures we're using. From above, a ned rig doesn't look like much but when it hits the bottom it comes to life, and its obvious bass can't resist them! Did you see any stand out baits in today's video? Perhaps it was the way that Smallie Smasher shakes at even the lightest touch on a dropshot, or the way the shaky head sways on its way to the bottom. 

Below you'll find links to some of our favorite baits from each category. We've included our best colors and rigging components for each. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

NED WORMS...

-Savage Gear Ned Salamander: https://bit.ly/3rSNi8g

Colors: Mojito, Green Pumpkin Purple Copper

-X-Zone Ned Zone: http://bit.ly/2mRiYhF 

Colors: 309, Green Pumpkin Purple

-Roboworm Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy 

Colors: TW Black Blue Pumpkin, Desert Craw

NED HEADS...

Tungsten- Swagger Tackle Flanders Head (1/10th): http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M 

Lead- ZMan Ned LockZ HD (1/15th): http://bit.ly/2kIgRYK

DROPSHOT BAITS...

-Big Bite Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY 

Colors: Grn Pumpkin Org Blk Purp Prl Bl, Smoke Purple Flake

-STH Crush Worm: https://bit.ly/3s5BcIn

Colors: Bang, Green Pumpkin, Smokin Joe

-Roboworm 4.5" Fat: http://bit.ly/2awYSxM

Colors: Hologram Shad, Baby Bluegill

DROPSHOT COMPONENTS... 

-Owner Mosquito Light Hook (Size 2): http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3 

-Swagger Tackle Pencil Drop Shot Weight (3/16 oz): http://bit.ly/2UY7cgx

SHAKY HEAD WORMS...

-Netbait T-Mac: http://bit.ly/2jndwj9

Colors: Green Pumpkin, Junebug, Texas Craw

-Strike King Fat Baby Finesse: http://bit.ly/2jqIGEJ

Colors: Morning Dawn, Magic, TW Green Pumpkin

-Missile Baits Quiver 6.5: https://bit.ly/2xehVgx 

Colors: Fishalicious, Bluetonium Green Pumpkin Core

SHAKY HEAD...

-Dirty Jigs Shakey Head (1/4oz): http://bit.ly/2aFOs0V

STICK BAIT... 

-Yamamoto 5" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Colors: Green Pumpkin Blk Flk, Natural Shad

STICK BAIT RIGGING... 

Wacky- Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap (1/0): http://bit.ly/2aKGmHM

Texas- Gamakatsu EWG (3/0): http://bit.ly/2d07gvp

TEXAS RIG WEIGHTS... 

-Swagger Tungsten Vader (1/16th): https://bit.ly/3c28mks

HIGH END DROPSHOT COMBO... 

Rod- G Loomis NRX+ 822 DSR: https://bit.ly/2RB0oJP

Reel- Shimano Twin Power 2500: https://bit.ly/3df3hX5

Line- Power Pro 8 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Super FC 5 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

"BANG FOR THE BUCK" NED/DROPSHOT COMBO... 

Rod- Shimano Curado 7' Light: https://bit.ly/3FhEn6d

Reel- Shimano Vanford 2000: https://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Super FC 6 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

BUDGET FINESSE COMBO...

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7' Medium: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano Nasci FC 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- Sunline Super FC 8 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz