A Lifetime of Smallmouth Bass Lessons

It wasn’t a giant—probably less than 2 pounds. But river bass pump iron. They battle current every day. It fought so much harder than the largemouths I chased in area lakes that I figured it must be one of the river’s larger brown trout. Laying at my feet on the sandy bank, I was disappointed by its size but intrigued by its spirit.

So, about half a century ago, my hunt for bronze bass began. It took me down the Muskegon in a canoe with my college friend, Gary Kramer. We caught something like 120 bass on a half day drift—all on #3 Mepps Spinners. None were over 4 pounds, but they bit aggressively, leapt high, and battled like something from salt water. I was...

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