Located in central New Hampshire is a little fisherman's mecca known as the Lakes Region.  With over 270 lakes and several nice rivers you will find plenty of opportunities to catch some nice smallmouth along with several other species.  Some of the more popular lakes include Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lakes, Newfound Lake, and Lake Wentworth just to name a few. If you are not familiar with the area I recommend you get in touch with guide Jim Flanders.  He runs a nice operation and he is a very experienced guide.

Right after ice-out is a great time to catch a lunker (5lbs. +) as the bass are beginning to actively feed after the long cold winter.  During this cold-water period I recommend throwing a blade-bait like the Silver Buddy or a spider-jig in 20-30 ft. of water next to mid-lake humps.  Another great lure this time of year is a hair jig. The smallies will most likely be parked deep at the base of the humps. If you don't find them here try scanning open water for schools of baitfish.

As the water warms to the mid 40's, smallmouth will begin there move from their winter homes towards the shallows.  They are there to warm themselves, search for baitfish and other food sources, and to check out possible spawning areas. During this time a shallow running crankbait like the Bomber Long-A can be deadly.

This time of year can be real tough.  The females will be holding in deeper water adjacent to their spawning beds.  Many anglers will tell you they will not bite but I've caught them using a "dead-stick" presentation (cast out a soft plastic jerk-bait like Lunker City's Slug-O and let it fall and rest on the bottom for at least a full minute before imparting small jerks of the rod tip).

Best advice - fish early and late.  After the water has climbed to the low 70's you can expect the smallmouth to have recovered fully from the spawn and to start feeding agressively again.  During the early-morning or evening it's a great time to throw on your favorite top-water lure. As the sun begins to rise higher in the sky the bass will move in closer to cover.  Try throwing a soft jerk-bait under docks and along weed edges with drop-offs close by.  During this time of the year the bass may be in anywhere from 2-30 plus feet of water so make sure you cover from the shallows to the deep.  Boat traffic and tourism is at a peak, so as I said before, fish early and late!

During this time period the bass will begin their annual fall feast.  They will vacate their summer haunts and start schooling up in order to chase baitfish.  This is a perfect time to throw a double-willow bladed spinnerbait.  The spinnerbait allows you to cover a lot of water in a short period of time. Once you hook into one you can expect others to be close by.  Start shallow and work your way deeper until you find a school.

Many anglers make the mistake of winterizing their boats too early.  As the water drops into the 40's the bass will become more sluggish but they still will react to the right lure and presentation.  Spider-jigs and Silver Buddy's are 2 baits that will get the fish to bite once you can locate them. The key is to slow down your presentation and use a sensitive rod as the bite may be very light.

Good luck & tight lines!