smallmouth are actually a stream fish that are crayfish, nymph and minnow eaters. they are and always have been by design,a fish of rocks/structure. However when they are in good size lakes with deeper open water and alewives they completely change their habits.. They suspend and follow the schools of bait that they feed on, even when they aren't actively feeding.. Trout behave exactly the same way under the same conditions as do stripers/wipers/ walleyes,even largemouths.. They can be caught.. Best bet if using lures is jigging not far from the bait balls with "marks" near them.. Use something that mimics a herring/alewife/sawbelly.. OR as stated, try the real thing.. I have had good luck picking fish out of balls of alewives with these..
http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABEL...it%26CQ_st%3Db
They swim just like a wounded herring, and are readily nailed when used around bait balls.. There is a natural shad dot color that I use here in NY for salmon and trout near alewife pods.. I bet they would work just as well for SMB,, They were after all designed for deep water bassing in big southern lakes that are loaded with "shad"... bob
