Smallmouth Bass
The Boundary Waters and Quetico are considered to have some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in North America.
Lures
- Topwater: River2Sea Whopper Plopper #90, Skitter Pop, and other poppers (especially from mid-May through mid-June).
- Subsurface: Blue Fox Vibrax Spinner (Size 5, gold or yellow), jigs with soft plastics, Zoom Flukes, and Rapala Jerk Baits.
Bait (BWCAW only)
- While less common for bass, a leech or nightcrawler can be effective.
Techniques
- Topwater: Casting topwater lures toward the shore is a thrilling way to catch smallmouth.
- Subsurface: When they aren't hitting topwater, casting spinners or jigs with soft plastics near structure is a great alternative.
- Fall: In the fall, look for schools of bass near natural pinch-points with access to deep water.