Sunday AM report and question about open water smallmouth

[rwp2101]

Fished a northern NJ body of water this morning from my canoe. This body of water has smallmouth and largemouth. My third trip here. I caught three smallies on the edges of secondary points in 10-15 fow on dropshot senkos. Nothing picture worthy. The panfish were ridiculously aggressive, grabbing and holding onto the senko all the way to the boat.

In the middle in 40 fow I saw big bait balls on my ff from 10-15 fow. I also saw some big marks off to the side of those bait balls in 15 fow. I couldn't get those bigger marks to bite I was using a 4" drop shot worm. I think these bigger fish must be smallies as I don't think there are trout or bryds in the place. Am I wasting my time trying to catch them? Or, do I need to just alter my approach and use maybe live herring on 6# fluoro under a slip bobber? Or, should I be trying some other approach. I love catching smallies but I've never had much success with them in open water.

[CabesaRoja]

Your best bet would probably be to either drift herring/shiners like you said, or use deeper diving crankbaits or jerkbaits to imitate the baitfish. If they're actively chasing those baitfish they're definitely worth trying to catch!

[bulletbob]

smallmouth are actually a stream fish that are crayfish, nymph and minnow eaters. they are and always have been by design,a fish of rocks/structure. However when they are in good size lakes with deeper open water and alewives they completely change their habits.. They suspend and follow the schools of bait that they feed on, even when they aren't actively feeding.. Trout behave exactly the same way under the same conditions as do stripers/wipers/ walleyes,even largemouths.. They can be caught.. Best bet if using lures is jigging not far from the bait balls with "marks" near them.. Use something that mimics a herring/alewife/sawbelly.. OR as stated, try the real thing.. I have had good luck picking fish out of balls of alewives with these..


http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABEL...it%26CQ_st%3Db

They swim just like a wounded herring, and are readily nailed when used around bait balls.. There is a natural shad dot color that I use here in NY for salmon and trout near alewife pods.. I bet they would work just as well for SMB,, They were after all designed for deep water bassing in big southern lakes that are loaded with "shad"... bob

[Delawareriver]

^X2 excellent information right there. Those fish are definitely catchable just gotta match the hatch. Those vibrate baits will work good, as well with jigging spoons, rattle traps, crank baits, jerk baits, bucktails, and anything else that looks like a herring and other bait fish they are chasing. Down size line size and use flouro as most of the big lakes that have open water are on the clear side.

[rwp2101]

Thanks all for the great advice, I'll report back next time I am out there and let you know how I do and maybe I'll have some pics of nice smallies to include

[bigfishy]

Fish those bait balls from a distance using side image and fish them as if they were structure...Living, breathing, moving, structure....Thats how the fish relate to them...I like lite as possiple trolling spoons cast in and around the edges of the bait balls....Looks like injured ,dying fluttering scooby snacks to those often largest in the lake smallmouth beasts