In today’s article, smallmouth fishing tips – catching chasers, we are going to look at how to get those smallmouth bass that chase after your offering or the fish that you have just hooked and either swipe at it or just follow the lure to the boat and then disappear.
How many times have you been fishing for bronzebacks and you are retrieving you lure when you either see one or more bass chasing the bait but never committing to eating it.
Smallmouth Fishing Tips – Catching Chasers
As described in this article from North American Fisherman Magazine, Summer of 2012, Darl Black describes a technique where he can sometimes entice reluctant bass to strike after they have followed a bait to the boat.
On days when the bite’s aggressive, it’s not uncommon to see one or more bass follow a hooked fish to the boat. Sometimes following smallies will drop out of sight just below the surface or move under the boat. “If a fish follows a bass my partner is fighting, I’ll swing my rodtip in an arcm slap the bait hard on the surface then let it sink. A lot of times, an amped-up smallie will grab it; then suddenly you’ve got a package of dynamite on a short fuse!” This is particularly effective with jig-style baits. From North American Fisherman article “Slap Happy Fishermen”
Another tip that I learned from Blaine Mengel of the Backwoods Angler Guide Service is if you are fishing a top water bait or another active bait such as a jerk bait, and the fish swipes your bait but doesn’t eat it, throw out a Senko, a tube or some other bait you can allow to sink right in the area of the strike and get ready for the big thunk, when that hungry bass goes for the one-two punch!
This is one of many smallmouth fishing tips that can help you catch more of the chasers that you are frustrated seeing because you aren’t catching them!
Let me know if you find this tip helpful and if you try it on your next outing!
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