Damn Good Smallmouth Bass Guides

Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 41 smallmouth bass trips, and the most popular trips are Hill Country Bass or Trout on the Fly guided by Chris, Hill Country Backcountry Bassin' guided by Carson, and Full Day or Half Day Walk & Wade Trip (Multiple Rivers) guided by Greg.

Our guides are rated a 5 out of 5 based on 683 verified reviews on Captain Experiences.

All guides on Captain Experiences are licensed, insured, and vetted by our team. You can access their reviews, click through trip photos, read bios to get to know them, and preview trip details like species, techniques, group sizes, boat specs and more.

River fishing is the most popular for smallmouth bass as well as lake fishing.

The most common fishing techniques are light tackle fishing, fly fishing, and artificial lure fishing but trolling and drift fishing are popular as well.

for smallmouth bass prices can range anywhere from $200 to $3,000 and up, but the average price for a half day for smallmouth bass is $481. The average price for a full day for smallmouth bass is $1,419.

The most popular season for smallmouth bass fishing is spring, and most anglers book their trips 23 days in advance.

See here for more information on smallmouth bass fishing licenses, smallmouth bass bag limits, and fishing season regulations for smallmouth bass. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right smallmouth bass rules and regulations.

Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu), sometimes referred to as bronzeback, brown bass, brownie, smallie, bronze bass, or bareback bass, are a very popular freshwater gamefish known for their incredible fighting abilities. This member of the sunfish family have a slender but muscular body that make them powerful swimmers.

They range in color from a golden olive to dark brown, that shades into a yellowish white with dark brown vertical stripes or splotches along their body, with dark brown horizontal stripes on their head. With this camouflaging and their powerful swimming, they make excellent ambush predators.

There are two subspecies of smallmouth bass. These include the Northern smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui dolomieui) and the Neosho smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui velox). The Northern smallmouth bass are widespread through North America, where as the Neosho are found in the Central Interior Highlands which are found in southwestern Missouri, northern Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma.

Male smallmouth bass usually max out at about two pounds, where as females will on average be three to six pounds. For either gender, smallmouth bass that live in lakes tend to be larger than those that live in streams and ponds.

The IGFA lists the all-tackle world record smallie at 11 pounds, 15 ounces and 27 inches in length. It was caught by David Hayes out of Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee on July 9th, 1955. He brought it back to the Cedar Hill Resort, now known as the Dale Hollow Marina, to be weighed.

Smallmouth bass are native to the Great Lakes and southeastern Canada, as well as areas of the mid-south in Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma. However, they have now been introduced across the United States, other than Florida, Alaska, and Louisiana.

They prefer cooler and clearer waters than largemouth bass, and can be found in both still and running water. When in lakes, they will be around rocky or sandy areas and stumps.

Smallies can be caught year round, however the best time to fish for them is in the summer. Summertime is when they are the most active, since with rising water temperatures their metabolism rises as well. They will be feeding more often, making them more interested in hooking onto your bait.

However, they will also be in deeper and cooler waters in the summer, making them more difficult to find. The spring and fall are other great times to go, although they will be less active, they will be easier to locate as they swim in more open waters.

No matter what time of year you go, early morning or late evening are the best time to fish for them. The calmer the water, the better.

Smallies can be caught by using spinning, bait casting, or fly fishing gear. Although they are smaller than their largemouth relatives, they are still strong fighters. If using a spinning rod, a six to ten pound test line should be used. If using a fly rod a six to eight rod is recommended.

For bait, insects, jigs, minnows, plugs, plastic worms, night crawlers, spinning baits, and flies can be used.

Smallmouth are known to be some of the best panfish you can eat. They have a soft, white flesh, and are caught by fishermen both for sport, but also specifically to eat.

The best way to eat smallmouth is pan fried. To prepare, combine flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs and cornmeal. In a second bowl, whisk together egg whites and water. Then take each fillet, first shake them in the flour mixture, then dip them in the egg mixture, then finally roll them in the bread crumb mixture.

They are then read to fry in oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once golden brown on both sides, serve with lemon wedges.