Has anyone had any luck fishing 40+ deep for smallies. I was thinking maybe with a jigging spoon or the popular drop shot?

why in the hell would you fish 40+ feet deep for smallies?
tg

seriously though-at least during the soft water season you will always find smallies shallower than that, usually <20ft

Something to consider: The mortality of fish (except lakers) caught and brought up from deep water goes way up and they may not be releasable.

A famous article published in In-Fisherman magazine back in the early 90's covered this specific situation- deep water smallies. From what I remember the smallies are that deep in the fall, like after first frost or something like that. But again, why would you even want to fish that deep for smallies? Dave

All of our Smallmouth have been caught in less than 20 feet. Their main food source seems to be crayfish and bait fish which are shallow. My depth finder confirmed very few fish in deep water except what were probably Lake Trout and ciscoes.

I'm thinking there are easier ways to catch smallies than controlling a bait 40+ feet down in a canoe. But, I would never want to curb another man's ambitions. Like my dad always said, "There is more than one way to skin a cat".

You would be surprised how deep fish go.

I have caught walleyes in 60-70 feet of water. Northerns in 40-50'. Both while fishing for lakers. Thought I was marking lakers on the depth finder. As others have suggested mortality is higher and I would not suggest targeting deeper fish if you are planning to catch and release.

For some reason I remember one of the Lindner's kids winning the Rainey Lake Bass Torunament a couple of years back targeting deep smallies. They were untapped schools of humongous smallies that adapted to follow schools of ciscoes around much like Lakers. I don't remember their technique and I believe the fish were more like 30-35 feet deep. Every smally they brought in was a lunker---don't know about their mortality though. Maybe try a search for Lindner and Rainey Lake bass Tournament.

one thing is for sure though, the meat would be firmer and have a much richer flavor due to the pressure increase.

My biggest smallie was caught in deep water on Sarah Lake in Quetico. I took a 3 inch light blue/white bottom floating rapala and pinched on a barrel type sinker about 2 feet up the line.

This rig got it down to the bottom in about 25-30 feet and I just jerked and paused it along till I got this massive strike. I never weighed or measured it but I remember I could barely get my hand around its back. It was a beauty but I was solo and there's no picture, just the memory.

spottedowl---My dad also said "There is more than one way to skin a cat." But he always added, "Front to the back or back to the front."

Years ago we were fishing in water about 20 feet deep on Fourtown Lake, just to try it. My husband hooked the biggest northern he has has ever brought to a boat. I say that sadly because as we brought it in, it snapped the line hit the side of the canoe and was gone. I almost cried for him. No time for a picture:((