One of the classic sporting images is that of a smallmouth bass leaping from the water, its bronze sides reflecting the bright morning sunlight.

Those who know fish call smallmouths the "fightingest" freshwater game fish. Their power is awesome. Their endurance is legendary. Could there possibly be a better way to start a new spring of angling than at one of Pennsylvania's world-class smallmouth fisheries?

Keystone State regulations allow for bass fishing year 'round with special regulations for specific waters. At most waters, bass fishing is strictly catch-and-release for the first few weeks after smallmouths start hitting in the spring, but there are opportunities to catch the smallmouth of a lifetime during this peak period for trophy fishing.

Following are some top picks for the top 10 spring smallmouth waters across the Commonwealth. If you disagree with these waters or the order in which they are listed, send us a map of your secret smallmouth spots and samples of your favorite smallmouth lures. Be sure to include at least a half-dozen of your best smallmouth flies. We will do our best to check out your story and get it right next time. Our crack team of smallmouth researchers are willing to go to great lengths for our readers!

LAKE ERIE
Without question, the best smallmouth bass fishery in the world is Lake Erie. Pennsylvania's 46 miles of coastline happens to contain some of the best of the best. Here is a place where you can expect to catch 5-pound smallmouths and have a realistic chance of catching 6-pound and even 7-pound smallmouths.

Among the five heaviest smallmouths registered with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission each year from 2000 through 2004, 19 out of 25 were caught from Lake Erie. No other water accounted for more than one such fish.

A special season from April 16 through June 17 allows anglers at Lake Erie to keep one bass per day. The minimum keeper size during this time is 20 inches.

Spring smallmouth fishing at Lake Erie typically gets better through May, peaking in late May or early June.

Habitat is the most important factor in locating big smallmouths. As anywhere, smallmouths like rocky bottom. There is plenty of this in Lake Erie, but a relatively small portion of it is right for smallmouths. The real secret is rocky rubble, a mix of rocks of different shapes and sizes. The biggest concentrations of smallmouths will be over a rocky rubble bottom with an irregular shape: drop-offs, humps, dips and similar steep depth changes.

Depth is important. Most of the fishing effort directed at smallmouths on Lake Erie takes place during spring because the bass are in relatively shallow water. However, relatively shallow water here is considerably deeper than at most other waters. It might be more than 35 feet deep. Most anglers hope to find smallmouths in depths of about 15 feet.

Because you will be fishing deeper water here than you'll find at most spring smallmouth hotspots, lure selection will be different. Bring a good assortment of jigs, jigging spoons and blade baits. Gobies have become the major smallmouth food in Lake Erie, so brown tube jigs, which mimic them, are excellent lures. Silver lures that resemble emerald shiners or rainbow smelt are also effective.