Professional Bass Angler and champion from the Bassmaster Elite Series joins Bass University to teach a technique he loves for catching smallmouth bass in cold water. He uses a finesse swimbait method and his favorite bait is the Reins Fat Rock Vibe Shad on a Dobyns Jig Head. He also explains the fishing equipment he uses, such as his rod, reel, and line. Paul emphasizes the importance of using electronics like pan-optics and side imaging to locate the best spots for these large smallmouth bass during this season.
Paul also employs a "freestyle technique" as a backup when the fish are being difficult to catch. This technique involves using very light 5lb test line for a super subtle presentation. While he's out on the water catching plenty of smallmouth bass, Paul shares a bunch of useful tips that will help you catch more fish. Some of these tips include maintaining control of your boat, changing the angles of your casts, and ensuring your bait stays in contact with the hard bottom these smallmouth relate to.
You can learn a lot from watching Paul Mueller, a Bassmaster Elite angler, as he catches numerous smallmouth bass and provides in-depth insights into finesse fishing for this species in this comprehensive on-the-water class with Bass University.
Finesse Swimbaits for Smallmouth & Sonar Electronics Class Chapters

0:10: Finesse Swimbait Fishing Gear
5:22: Keys to Finesse Swimbait Fishing
12:09: Mapping and Graphing
17:28: Fishing the Finesse Swimbait
26:40: Targeting Hard Bottom
34:55: Changing Boat Angles
37:50: Keeping Bottom Contact
41:10: Freestyle Technique
45:30: Boat Control
49:00: Targeting Fish with Pan-optics Forward-Facing Live Sonar
55:48: Triggering a School of Smallmouth Bass
1:04:32: Rotating Spots - Finding Hard Bottom
1:10:30: Changing Casting Angles
1:22:06: Paul's Finesse Smallmouth Fishing Breakdown

What's Covered in this Smallmouth Bass Fishing Class?

What makes the Reins Fat Rockvibe Shad Swimbait and Dobyns Light Hook Swimbait Heads special and how can it help me catch more fish?
What is the ideal rod length for finesse fishing a swimbait in the winter?
Do I want a fast or slow reel for this cold water technique?
Is this technique best fished with monofilament, fluorocarbon or braided fishing line?
Where am I looking for bass when the water is frigid?
How do I use my electronics to identify areas that may be productive?
How do I use my electronics to identify hard and soft bottoms using side imaging?
Where to fish a swimbait in the water column when fishing for smallmouth in cold water
What to do when a smallmouth misses your bait
How smallmouth relate to smelt during the late fall, winter and early spring
Approaching offshore structure and how to fish the areas effectively
How Paul Mueller utilizes a Reins Bubbling Shaker Worm as a follow up to his finesse swimbait
Video game fishing and how do you see your bait on your depth finder / electronics
What to do when you upset the school
Catching smallmouth bass out of cold water schools
How to catch big smallmouth, and Paul catches a lot of them

Buy tackle from this class from our partners at Tackle Warehouse
As an affiliate, we receive a small commission if you purchase using these links
Lew's Custom Lite Spinning Reel - https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dobyns_Sierra_Series_Spinning_Rods/descpage-SPSI.html?from=butv
Reins Bubbling Shaker Lures - https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Reins_Bubbling_Shaker_Worm/descpage-RBS.html?from=butv
Reins Fat Rockvibe Shad Swimbait - https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Reins_Fat_Rockvibe_Shad_Swimbait/descpage-RFRVS.html?from=butv