Smallmouth Bass

Soft plastic grubs, tubes, swim-baits, worms and creature baits in 1.5-3 inch sizes paired with 1/32 to 1/16 ounce jig heads in green pumpkin, brown, black, white, or orange colors. Larger 3-5 inch soft plastics require 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig heads. Crankbaits and jerkbaits in shad, bluegill and crayfish patterns.

Olive, black and brown streamers, Clouser Minnows in sculpin, silver shiner, or olive and white, size 2 Bead-head Woolly Buggers in olive, brown or white, various jig or bead-head flies in natural colors, Chocklett's Polar Changer in tan and Murdich Minnow.

In streams, approach runs, riffles, boulders and woody structure from downstream, casting upstream or cross-current. In lakes, fish deeper structure, points, humps, and suspended fish around the thermocline typically at 18-22 feet depth.

Adult Smallmouth Bass diets in Ozark streams primarily consist of fish and crayfish, with crayfish more often making up the majority of their diets. They also consume macroinvertebrates like hellgrammites and stoneflies, though these insects seldom dominate adult diets.

Arkansas streams make up the southern border of the native distribution of this species within the United States. Smallmouth Bass occur throughout the Ozark and Ouachita Highlands in the western and northern portions of Arkansas, being most abundant in streams with permanent flow of clean water, low turbidity, and...