Smallmouth Bass: Seasonal Movements - Jonathon VanDam : Remastered

Smallmouth can be confusing fish to target. While they are also one of the most fun fish to target, their everchanging nature makes chasing them a complicated task for many anglers.

“The one thing I can tell you I've learned is that time and time again, the only thing you can count on with a smallmouth bass is that you can't count on them," said Jonathon Vandam. "These fish move. A lot. They change habits in an hour, almost by the minute. It's a fish that when you're specifically targeting them you have to be able to adjust on the fly. You want to be able to change your colors and change your presentation tactics. You might be catching them on a crankbait one minute and all of a sudden something will change and you'll have to switch to a drop shot.”

In this seminar, Vandam breaks down his tactics for targeting smallouth throughout the year, and provides his favorite baits for the different times of the year. While his bait selection changes depending on the time of year, Vandam relies heavily on a tube and drop shot regardless of the time of year – especially after he’s located fish. While those finesse tactics are often known for catching big smallmouth, Vandam also uses moving baits like jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and deep diving crankbaits to help cover water and locate fish. However, one of the most important elements of catching smallmouth is being able to read your electronics, according to Vandam. By utilizing his Hummingbird’s Side and Down Imaging, Vandam can locate offshore structure and baitfish, which can help put him in a key position to catch more and bigger smallmouth. Vandam highlights all of this and more, including how smallmouth position themselves throughout the year and their feeding habits.