It was a grim discovery. Smallmouth bass, whose native range encompasses rivers and lakes in much of the Eastern United States and Great Lakes, have long plagued the Colorado River.

We landed bass up to 4½ pounds, and fish in the 3- to 3½-pound range were common. Some put on impressive displays of aerial acrobatics, while others dug for the depths.

Fishing for smallmouth in the fall changes later in the season, as water temps drop below 60 degrees. This is typically when smallmouth will move off of structure and into deeper, open water.