Smallmouth Bass Techniques

Captain Ken Golub breaks down the smallmouth bass techniques that have produced over 25 years of tournament success on the Finger Lakes. From deep water drop shot rigs on Cayuga and Seneca to hair jigs worked along rocky transitions on Canadice, this video covers the core presentations every Finger Lakes angler needs to know.

The Finger Lakes are home to some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the Northeast. These deep, clear, cold-water lakes produce trophy-class fish regularly, with smallmouth over 6 pounds caught every season. But finding and catching them consistently requires understanding the seasonal movements, structure preferences, and forage patterns that drive smallmouth behavior in these unique fisheries.

Ken shares insights from 40 years of meticulous notes — covering water temperatures, bait migrations, structure mapping, and the specific techniques that work best in each season. Whether you're fishing a spring pre-spawn pattern on the rocky shoals or targeting deep summer smallmouth suspended over open water, the approach matters.