Kevin Van Dam Forums

Kevin, I have two questions both related, both with the same question at the end, “What am I doing wrong?” For years now I have been plagued with a problem while fishing for smallmouths.  One of my favorite ways to fish is to throw small crankbaits, 1/4 - 3/8 ounce, that typially run from 4 to 10 feet deep.  Stock hooks have been replaced with either triple grips or other premium hooks.  My rod of choice is a baitcaster, 7 foot graphite, using 10-12 pound test monofilament.  I built the rod myself on a graphite blank just for crankbait fishing; it has a very soft action, close to parabolic.  I have had a lot of sucess with this rod with crankbairts and lipless crankbaits, but on occasion I will get these incredible smallmouth strikes that will either nearly rip the rod out of my hands or it will jab the butt of the rod into my side.  I can’t understand how a fish can hit that hard and seemingly never touch the hooks.  Just a real slam with no feeling of the hooks ever even touching the fish.  Now my problem seems to be spreading to spinnerbaits.  One day over this past Labor Day weekend, I had three strikes just as I described above but with a spinnerbait.  One of the strikes left the skirt just barely hanging on the hooks so I don’t think the fish were hitting just at the blades as one friend described.  With the spinnerbait, I was fishing again with a baitcaster, 6’6”, stiffer action rod, 14 pound test monofilament.  I did catch a couple of fish on that set up that day, but I am bothered by the misses.  I was using a trailer hook on my spinnerbait.  Is this common or do I have something wrong with my set up?  I feel like my crankbait rod is soft enough, approaching that of a fiberglass rod.  On the spinnerbait set up I don’t have a clue.  Can you help me out?

Congratulations on your third AOY.

i have had that happen a couple times. try setting the hook hard when you feel that huge thump.

That happens to everyone. I figured out what it was when i was fishing in clear water one day and saw a smallie hit it. Smallies are more of an ambush fish. They will hit the bait from the front instead of following it and striking it from the bottom/back. Well when the bass hits from the front there is no way it can be hooked other than snagging it in the gills. Try to slow ur retrieve down so they will follow it for a second then strike it from the back.

with the spinnerbait, try adding some red somewhere around the hook, it can work as a bulleye. and if they are hitting the blades make sure they arnt sticking out too far past the hook, cause alot of times they see the spinnerbait from above them and you dont want them to focus on the blades. Not sure about the crankbait tho, i havnt fished for smallies enough with them.. seems like largemouth usually get it.

I fish for smallies most of the time, I have found that smallies hit baits hard first to kill or stun then to eat.  When they hit to kill or stun they are the hitting the bait with their mouths shut like ramming.  When you feel the hard hit start jerking the bait like its injured and the fish will come back to eat most times not always but most of the time.

Or Kill the bait and let it just stop, especially a bait that falls slow or rises slow. Its the same with largies and say a fluke, when they roll or flash it, kill the bait and most time they will pick it up.

I usually follow just as T10 says....kill it.  I get most hookups after I have killed the bait, if nothing happens after that try to give a few twitches then kill it again...like its dying and trying to get away but can’t.

try useing fluorocarbon when fishing crankbaits.it has less stretch so your crank baits will go a little deeper and you wont lose the power of the hook set like you do on mono becuase it stretchs.plus fluorocarbon it almost invisible underwater.