To catch more and bigger smallmouth in the middle of a lake after the spawn, fish with different baits than what everyone else uses.

Most anglers will be fishing a Carolina-rigged plastic lizard or worm on secondary ridges and points. Humps out in the middle of the lake – even distances from the bank – about 10-foot deep are other places where anglers will fish Carolina-rigged soft-plastics.

Instead, use a jerkbait on humps in 5 to 10 feet of water, just like you do when fishing for largemouth. Jerk the bait three or four times, and then let it suspend for 15 to 30 seconds – a technique known as dead-sticking.

Making long casts is the secret to fishing the jerkbait successfully in open water for smallmouth. Use 10-pound-test line, a baitcast reel and a 6-foot, 6-inch baitcasting rod.

The further you stay away from the hump you’re fishing, the more fish you’ll catch. Another method that lets you fish differently from most anglers is to fish deep-diving crankbaits on these same humps.