Winter Time Smallmouth Bass

December ushers in the beginning of wintertime here in South Carolina. For many years, I thought this marked the death of river fishing and a time better spent on the coast. This year that mindset has changed as I began to understand and find success fishing for Smallmouth Bass. A fish not associated with the South, it has become one of my favorite fish to target. The key for me has been bait profile, water depth, and time of day.

My go to bait for winter smallmouth has been craw imitations between 2-3 inches. The Zman baby goat, the Berkley trooper, and the zoom ultra vibe have been my 3 go-tos. Pairing them with a 1/8 shaky head or ned rig hook has worked well.

Water depth has also played a huge role. My favorite locations are deep pockets right above a shallow shoal. This seems to be the nearest point of refuge for these shoal loving bass in the coldest months. Working my bait slow, and keeping close to the bottom are paramount in these 6-8 foot areas.

Finally, time of day has been a huge deal. 1-4pm when the water is the warmest of the day has been my most successful time. Targeting water that gets a lot of sunlight.

By using these strategies I have caught multiple fish over 4lbs and I encourage you to brave the cold and give it a shot!