3 Hot Baits For Summer River Smallmouth

Being born and raised in the Ozarks of southern Missouri, I have spent my entire life living in the middle of a fisherman's paradise. Within an hour's drive in any direction, I can sit on Norfork Lake, Table Rock Lake, or the Lake of The Ozarks, all popular destinations for bass anglers. To sweeten things up more, I am also within a short distance of the Eleven Point River, Jacks Fork River, and the Current River, which are sought-after bodies of water for smallmouth anglers to spend their summers.

All three small rivers, called creeks by some fishermen, hold excellent smallmouth bass. Much of the creeks are fed by cold water springs throughout the year. The cooler waters keep the smallmouth bass thriving all summer, even on the hottest days, due to the springs providing clear and well-oxygenated water, creating prime areas for smallmouth. Another reason the smaller creeks provide excellent summer smallmouth opportunities is that the waters are filled with flat rocks, logs, and other structures, providing much cooler hangouts than the calmer and more shallow waters that can often hold warmer water during the peak of the summer.

Many smaller rivers or creeks with excellent smallmouth fishing are filled with crawfish as the primary food for hungry summer bass. The same is true for the smaller creek areas I have been accustomed to fishing for much of my life. Over the years, I have discovered that using baits and lures that resemble crawfish work the best, in conjunction with finding small pockets or areas that provide cooler water. When the two strategies are paired, smallmouth fishing in these small creeks and rivers is incomparable against any other body of water nationwide.

Structures

The first time I discovered the benefits of the many trees and logs found on the bottoms of the rivers was when on a summer float in an aluminum canoe. As I slowly paddled, I noticed several bass lying near the bottoms or hanging out under the wooden structures. As with humans, when we get hot, we go to shaded areas to become cooler; the same goes for smallmouth bass. Many of the logs provide shady waters, which stay cooler.

When fishing logs or other shaded structures such as rocks, it is common for smallmouth to stay still unless food swims past in close range. Because the smallmouth stays hidden, the angler can typically cast a plastic bait such as the Yamamoto Baits 4” Yama Craw upstream and let the bait slowly sink past the structure, eye level of the hidden smallmouth. The bass often emerges from hiding to snag a bite, resulting in incredible fighting action for the fishermen.

Deep Water

When fishing larger lakes during the summer heat, many anglers focus on deeper water, which is typically much cooler and holds more bass. On the smaller creek or river areas, it is common to find small holes of water at the end of a shoal that can feature water ten to twenty feet deep in some areas. The darker deep-water holes on the rivers can also be excellent areas to find more prominent smallmouth bass trying to stay cool.

Staying with lures that resemble the favorite smallmouth bait, the crawfish, anglers can motor or paddle past the deeper holes of water and use a deep diving crankbait such as the Bill Lewis MR-12 in the color called “Strawberry Craw,” which closely resembles native crawfish that live throughout the creeks.

The MR-12 was designed and developed to trigger bass holding in deeper water. The deep diving crankbait can dive down to depths of twelve feet. When reeling the MR-12, the lure will provide extreme vibration and tight wiggling action that causes giant smallmouth to strike and feed.

Shallow Cover

As mentioned, finding areas on the river where smallmouth often hang tight during the hot summer is a great way to target fish. Anglers often choose baits and lures resembling crawfish, yet there is another area where summer smallmouth can often be found and caught using an action-packed topwater lure such as the Bill Lewis STPF620 4.0” Ghost Bluegill. The great thing about fishing creeks and rivers in the summer is that fishermen don’t always have to fish deep water to find cooler areas with bass. On many occasions, along the banks of the creeks, the water shallows down to literal inches deep. Large smallmouth conceal themselves in foot-deep water in areas with heavy grass or vegetation. The cooler spring-fed water and the heavy vegetation provide enough shade and cold for bass to hang out during the peak of the day when temperatures are at their peak.

Using a topwater lure such as the 4.0” Ghost Bluegill, the angler can fish along the edge or through the middle of the cover, creating a heavy commotion that triggers relaxing bass to come out and eat. If the fishermen keep their boat, kayak, or canoe far away, they prevent spooking shallow bass. The angler can cast out farther and pull some giant bass away from the cover that many other fishermen would avoid or miss entirely.