Smallmouth Bass

The smallmouth bass, also known as the smallie or brown bass, is one aggressive tough hard fighting fish. For river smallies that live their life in current, it is the equivalent to “pumping iron”, and it sure shows when one is hooked. Pound for pound, the smallmouth bass is probably one of the hardest fighting freshwater fish you will encounter. Peeling out drag as they dig for the bottom of the river and aerial acrobatics are what one can expect when doing battle with smallmouth bass.

We fish for smallmouth during the warmer months of May through September. Because this coincides with nice weather, a smallmouth bass charter is a great way to spend a day on a West Michigan river. I mainly do my smallmouth bass guide trips on either the Grand or Muskegon River. Both of these rivers have a good population of smallmouth with the opportunity for large fish. During a smallmouth bass charter, you can expect to have encounters with other resident fish such as largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye and freshwater drum just to name a few. Typically we use light spinning gear, casting our offerings around structure as we cover different sections of the river. During the summer months, the scenery is amazing and a lot of the time we pretty much have the river all to ourselves. Another great thing about smallmouth is that they will usually bite all day. Both experienced and new anglers all get a kick out of these fish. We usually start our guide trips in the morning, but upon request we also offer afternoon trips lasting to dusk. If your looking for a Grand River smallmouth bass guide or a Muskegon River smallmouth bass guide, give me a call at (616) 813-5989 to discuss details.