small mouth -- help

[emptyhanded]

Looking for some advice on smallmouths on a 10 acre pond. Was getting bluegill and crappie on small teardrops & mousies - but could not get (very large) smallmouth's to Bite. Approx. 6 foot of water very clear -- could see 4 or 5 feet easy with aqua-view. Never targeted bass but what the hell. Should I be using minnows? As it starts to get warm I will be exploring local ponds because the ice will stay longer. Just looking for advice....  

I have a handheld vexilar flashlight - depth finder - its around 10 foot max -- should I be after the fish in that hole --- maybe more active -- or stay on my 6 foot flat -- weeds are still standing with good rock and log structure

[rmbillettjr]

This time of the season, the bigger the bait the more that the smallies like it.  I fish a pond in NH for smallies and I have been using 4 to 7 inch shinners and killing them.  If you have good structure under you, drop some big minnows down there and just see what the smallies do.  I have caught a few good ones jigging, but the majority have come on the tip-ups.

[fishingking]

always catch smallies on tipups using minnows golden shiners or emerald chiners mainly are you sure theres big ones in there? if there is they wont resist a minnow also dont be afaid to go with light leaders like 4 lb

[jiffyman]

I like to use big shiners. I fish Sayer alot( Howard) and I have done well with largemouth and smallmouth there on tipups with big shiners. I`ve got a number of them 19 to 20 inches. I even lucked into a 39.5 in Musky a few weeks ago. Also using big bait keeps your smaller fish from setting your flags off. Also I try to fish the deepest water possible or that you know of on the lake that your fishing. Take care and good fishing

[HIMO]

fish the rocks. smallies seem to relate to them.

[BJ]

Bass cant resist shiners on a tip up.

[HIMO]

and i can't resist bass on a tip-up. now i am getting hungry.

[TroutFishingBear]

Hmmmm. I catch a lot when icefishing for walleye in rocky areas. Have got some up around 3 1/2 lbs. through the ice. FUN! CAtch them on jigging rapalas.

[tarbot]

The lake we fish in the northeast we target steep drop offs with rockey bottoms in 10 to 20 feet of water.  We have a number of drops that fall of 5 to 10 feet or more in a matter of a few yards.  Always on tip ups with shiners about 2 feet off the bottom.  Went around the lake on my buddies boat with a portable GPS and depth finder to mark the spots for the hard water season.  Caught a number of smallies last year from 19" to 21"!  It's always nice to pull on the line and have it pull right back!!!!

[iceintheveins]

I have caught a couple when ice fishing for walleyes. Have caught them on jigging rapalas and spoons like Kastmasters, Pimples, and Do Jiggers. Smallmouth seem to be even less active than largemouth under the ice. They seem to go almost completely dormant at times. Largemouth seem to be easier under the ice, but usually I think your better off targeting other fish like panfish and walleyes and just happening on the the odd bass. That's just my experience though. If you have lakes where you target bass and catch them well, that's awesome. Maybe I would catch more if I targeted them. But I think I'd rather fish for walleyes or panfish.

Tyler

[fishinboots]

Looking for some advice on smallmouths on a 10 acre pond. Was getting bluegill and crappie on small teardrops & mousies - but could not get (very large) smallmouth's to Bite. Approx. 6 foot of water very clear -- could see 4 or 5 feet easy with aqua-view. Never targeted bass but what the hell. Should I be using minnows? As it starts to get warm I will be exploring local ponds because the ice will stay longer. Just looking for advice....  

I have a handheld vexilar flashlight - depth finder - its around 10 foot max -- should I be after the fish in that hole --- maybe more active -- or stay on my 6 foot flat -- weeds are still standing with good rock and log structure
 
 

i know were ther is big small mouth bass 5lb an biger

[Sax_]

If you can find any crawfish this time of the year they are a great smallie bait but buckeyes ,shiners ,mooneyes or any med sized minnow should work fine . I have also caught theam on dead sticks with a football jig with waixes .

[taxi1]

I have plenty of smallmouth in my pond but you wouldn't know it during icefishing season. They seem to go dormant for the most part while I'm catching a largemouth now and then with plenty of perch and bluegills.

[Smeltecca]

I have plenty of smallmouth in my pond but you wouldn't know it during icefishing season. They seem to go dormant for the most part while I'm catching a largemouth now and then with plenty of perch and bluegills.

I'm with Taxi,  I fish shiners on traps in areas know for smallies but have only ever caught largemouth never pulled a smallie through the ice.

[Hood]

we have been hammering the bass on tipups and a few jigging. Definately fish the deepest water you have in your pond....when we setup on the shallow weed beds (4-10FOW) of our pond we get pike and largemouth...when we set up over deeper (10-20) water with more gravel bottom and some little weeds we get smallies, we also got some bass jiggin in 40 feet on a predominantly trout lake. Set your baits a few feet off the bottom as a bass wont hesitate to rise up for it...they have been taking all size minnows, we even got one on a decent sized perch. You may get some pretty big crappies on the minnows too 

[freaknsweet17]

go with a small leader and a small shiner