There are many who say that the smallmouth bass is gamier than the largemouth. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:
The smallmouth bass is the second largest member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae, attaining a weight of almost 12 lb. (5.45 kg). Only the largemouth bass, which reaches a weight of over 20 lb. (9.08 kg), is heavier. The smallmouth is easily distinguished from the largemouth by its clearly connected dorsal fins, the scales on the base portion of the soft-rayed second dorsal fin, and the upper jaw bone which extends only to about the middle of the eye. The coloration is also distinctive being usually more brownish in the smallmouth and more greenish in the largemouth. The smallmouth has faint bars on the body (prominent in the young), while the largemouth has a fairly wide streak of oval or diamond shaped markings or blotches down the midline of the sides. In either species, the colors may vary and the markings may be inconspicuous or absent in individuals based on the time of year and various biological factors. Generally, the smallmouth has bars radiating back from the eyes, and though similar bars may be present in individuals of other species, including the largemouth, they seem to be more prominent and more consistently present in the smallmouth. A smallmouth's eyes are red or orangish. In young smallmouths, there is a distinctive band of orange at the base of the tail. This is followed by a black band with the tip of the tail being either white or yellow.