Oftentimes, smallmouths can be picky eaters, preferring only one certain paddletail (brand, color, or size) while ignoring the others. Then on other days, they will showcase no behavioral or feeding judgment, hammering everything swimming past. Unless your lake's forage species and their sizes are completely dialed in on your end, this is the unpredictability of smallmouth fishing. According to Cory Schmidt, marketing director at Z-Man Fishing Products, “The real sweet spot for a smallmouth paddletail is that 3.5 to 4-inch size.” However, there is a time and place for all lengths. First, they come in downsized finesse offerings. Z-Man capitalized on this need with the 2.5-inch Slim SwimZ. “On the small side, the little 2.5” Slim SwimZ is one of the most versatile, downsized swimbaits in existence. Put it on a 1/5-ounce Finesse ShroomZ jighead and fish it almost any way you want. It’s a killer river bass bait and also awesome as a trailer on the ChatterBait MiniMax.” Slightly larger, “The 3-inch MinnowZ is a thin (slightly flattened) profile that can mimic shiners, ciscoes and baby perch—all staple forage in the north. Its medium size