Nationwide, hundreds of small streams hold surprisingly big smallmouth bass, yet many are seldom fished. One angler who consistently mines bronze from these overlooked waters is Indiana B.A.S.S. member George Verrusio, the most skilled stream smallmouth fisherman I’ve met in my 52 years as a Bassmaster correspondent. Verrusio has spent a lifetime wading for smallmouth and has caught scores of big ones from creeks you can practically spit across. If you’re thinking of plunging into this minimalist mode of smallmouth fishing, his advice can help you uncover the untapped smallmouth potential of streams in your area.
IT WAS STINKING hot the other day while I was wading a stream west of Indianapolis. As I took a shade break beneath a bridge, a truck pulling a bass boat clattered overhead, and I wondered if that fisherman realized he’d just driven over some prime smallmouth water. Then I stepped back into the sunlight and continued wading downstream. I’d recently caught a 22-inch smallie weighing nearly 5 pounds from that little creek, and I was intent on hooking into an even bigger fish.
I’ve caught wall-hanger smallmouth from Lake Michigan, lunker Florida largemouth, big Tennessee stripers, even trophy peacock bass from the Amazon River. But to me, nothing tops wading for stream smallies. It’s a total escape from work pressure (I’m a
