Pop and Drop for Summer Smallmouth

We refer to our favorite summertime smallmouth technique as the” Pop-and-Drop.” This deadly tactic pairs a fly rod with a spinning outfit for the freshwater version of bait-and-switch. The premise is to entice smallmouth into action with the disturbance of a popper, then serve up a soft plastic. Summertime is prime time for the pop…

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Smallmouth Along the Bronzeback Byway: Chapter 2

smalllmouth bass on the fly

Our late summer smallmouth bass reprieve rolls on Local Knowledge I’ve milked some valuable beta from stool-weights at roadside dive bars. The formula is simple: spot a rosy grog blossom beneath a camo cap, buy the chap a drink, and lend an ear to slurry directions leading to local fish and game hot spots. The…

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Smallmouth along the Bronzeback Byway: Chapter 1

A smallmouth river at dawn

The smallmouth bass of the north woods are calling and I must go… Wildfire Refugee I left Missoula in a huff with smallmouth bass on the brain. Lingering smoke and heat had spoiled our precious summer and I’d been out in the elements, guiding clients through the putrid haze. Our ample snowpack was long gone,…

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