While many lakes and rivers house both large and smallmouth bass, they almost all have a dominant population of one or the other and it is important to know how to target each of the two species. There are many different ways to do this, but the general rule is that smallmouth prefer long, skinny baits and largemouth prefer big, chunky baits. Next time you get out onto the lake, do some research and find the dominant species for that body of water and then adjust your lure selection accordingly. This will help you to become a much more successful angler and will help to put more bass in the boat.