Wade's World Fishing: Stream fishing is a simple pleasure, but it comes with a few inherent dangers. Wading anglers should always exercise common sense and obey simple rules of safety to ensure their trips won’t result in unnecessary risk and/or injury.

One ever-present danger in wading is slipping on a slick rock and falling. Wading shoes with felt soles are the best option for a good grip. Sneakers with an aggressive sole pattern would be next. Also, a wading staff will provide stability for walking on slick or uneven surfaces or where current is strong.

Wade Bourne: It's a typical scenario in bass fishing. A bass explodes on a topwater lure, but it misses! The angler may or may not have set the hook, but if he did, there was nothing there. In either case he is left disappointed and wondering what to do next.

Streamfishing offers some of the greatest rewards in this sport. Many streams are loaded with fish that rarely receive any fishing pressure. The scenery is beautiful. Streamfishing is quiet and relaxing. You don't need a lot of fancy equipment to do it. You just need a little basic tackle and knowledge of how to present your lures to the fish.

Early spring supercharges the smallmouth aquatic environment, making for good times when it comes to catching the gamiest bass of them all. Here are two proven tips for catching smallmouth bass in the springtime. Cast a 1/8-ounce jighead impaled with a grub. Raise your rod to the 10 ‘o clock position, then make eight or 10 quick turns of the reel handle to cause the grub to look like a minnow swimming off the bottom. Then, stop reeling, and the grub will swim toward the bottom instead of falling vertically. When you see slack in the line, the grub has hit the bottom. Then, reel eight or 10 more times, and stop the grub again.

Trolling deep-diving crankbaits across rocky points may be one of the most-effective techniques anglers can use to catch big smallmouths. Bump the bait across the bottom, and crash it into underwater rocks to gain the attention and often the strike of a big smallmouth. Alternatively, try these proven techniques. Cast out light line and ultralight baits to catch big smallmouth in deep water. Fish a 4-inch worm and a 1/4-ounce jig on light spinning tackle along sheer rock bluffs. If you fish parallel to the bluffs and let your lure fall straight down beside the rocks, you’ll offer the smallmouth a meal it can’t resist.

If you’re hoping to catch smallmouth in the summer, you need to know the type of structure and cover on which the fish are holding, and the way the smallmouth want the bait presented. Try these tactics to locate the fish and identify a pattern. Fish a fast-falling bait like a 1/2-ounce jig in the summer months when most lakes are relatively clear. To increase the speed of the jig on the fall, feed line to the jig when you cast it out to allow the bait to fall vertically. If the smallmouth doesn’t take the bait on the fall, hop the jig up off the bottom about 3 feet. Let the bait fall back on a slack line, watching your line as the bait falls for any interruption in the drop of the lure.

Smallmouth fishing at night is best around a full moon, particularly in April or May in shallow water. Throw crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, buzzbaits and three-bladed buzzbaits in about 4 to 6 feet of water. Also fish points of islands where water’s running over a point. When there’s not a current, fish flats. In other situations, try these helpful tips.