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Trophy Smallmouth Bass Can't Resist Live Bait
Frankfort, Ky. - I was once a purist - until I got over it.
I used to feel that you should only catch smallmouth bass - or any fish for that matter - on artificial lures. Throwing a hair jig, grub, blade bait or other lure was the most sporting way to fish in my mind, and the best example of the concept of "fair chase" for fishing. "Only meat hogs use live bait," I would scoff with an air of moral superiority.
But, a funny thing happened on the way to my first trophy fish award for a smallmouth bass. My fishing buddies had no such compunctions about using a live shiner or large crappie minnow to fool fall and winter smallmouth bass on Lake Cumberland or Laurel River Lake.

Frankfort, Ky. - I was once a purist - until I got over it.
I used to feel that you should only catch smallmouth bass - or any fish for that matter - on artificial lures. Throwing a hair jig, grub, blade bait or other lure was the most sporting way to fish in my mind, and the best example of the concept of "fair chase" for fishing. "Only meat hogs use live bait," I would scoff with an air of moral superiority.
But, a funny thing happened on the way to my first trophy fish award for a smallmouth bass. My fishing buddies had no such compunctions about using a live shiner or large crappie minnow to fool fall and winter smallmouth bass on Lake Cumberland or Laurel River Lake.
