Do smallmouth really eat leeches and hellgrammites?
Yes — they sit in the gap between insects and crayfish on the smallmouth's menu. Leeches, hellgrammites and big nymphs live under the same rocks the fish already turns over for crayfish, so they get eaten as they are found: a steady side dish, never the main course. That is the honest basis for two northern traditions — a live leech under a slip float or on a plain jig for lake smallmouth, and hellgrammites for river fish — and for the small dark finesse plastics that copy them. Tiny crustaceans are another matter: scuds feed young smallmouth, but an adult has moved on to crayfish, gobies and fish. Where live bait is used, check the local rules — bait regulations vary by jurisdiction.
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