October Smallmouths

[JBMasterAngler]

I'll be up in NE MN this weekend, and have never fished for smallies this time of year. Should I be looking shallow or deep? Are they going to be interested more so in soft finesse baits, or can I throw some hardware at them?

[kt]

Could be a tough call on where to look. I've been catching them mostly in the 6-10 foot range in the alexandria/fergus falls area just starting to move up. However with this warm weather they are predicting they might slide back deeper. It's tough to say. I would definitely try to cover water until you figure something out. Gravel/rock flats with patches of weeds typically are good areas to check in the fall. If they aren't there i would look to the first break off of any major flats, humps, and points. As far as what to throw, be versatile. Sometimes its cranks, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, or grubs. Other times its tubes, finesse jigs, dropshots, wacky worms. Let them tell you what they want. If you catch one, more than likely there are several around. They are definitely suckers for telling on their buddies.

[TonkaBass]

Totally depends on the current conditions as kt said. I would go in with a really open mind. That's a pretty surefire approach for fall smallies.

[Raider4ever]

I feel like the lawyer who writes stupid warnings on simple items, but do remember it is C&R only on SMB this time of year. JB, where you going? I am heading up to GR region for some bassin' tomorrow thru Sunday.

[JBMasterAngler]

I'm in finland as we speak, and it is very un october like don't have a clue what to expect!

[TonkaBass]

Smallies love the sun! I would be more happy than concerned

[fishuhalik]

Those ne bass can be weird at times, right now I'd look shallow, like under 3ft, and wind-blown. I don't know where you're heading exactly, but this time of year I'd be throwing x-raps almost exclusively, especially with this stable weather we've been having.

[JBMasterAngler]

No smallies to be found Not a strike, not a follow, not anything! Threw pretty much everything at them.

[reinhard1]

jb it probably wasn't you. i mean on any given day a bronze no.2 mepps would have been a go to lure when their on the bite along with other lures. live bait is more effective when the bite is slow. the north arm of dumbell is a little better for smallies in my opinion, but even if you would have been on crooked you might have had the same results. like you said if you would have had a boat instead of a canoe with the wind you had that could have made a diffenence also. good luck.

[Raider4ever]

Fished up in GR this weekend. Mostly shallow. Did OK. A few SMB, a couple of LMB. The kicker was three walleyes out of about 4 fow in bulrushes with two on spinnerbaits and one on a Zara Spook. BTW, a 23" Walleye slurp off topwater sounds like a classic bass slurp. Weird.