As the resident Ontarian (close to 1/4 million warm water lakes
), I feel compelled to comment here. lol First-off, in most of our lakes bass season doesn't open until the last Saturday in June. Bass spawn in the spring...so our season is set-up to protect them at this vulnerable time. Not sure about AB, especially if they're considered non-native. Not sure. Here in Ontario, smallmouth bass get a little more attention because of their considerable strength (for their size) and tendency to jump. They also tend to like cooler/deeper/more rocky environments than largemouth bass. Some of the biggest LM bass I've caught have been in less than 2 feet of soupy-warm water.
Anyhow, all bass are part of the sunfish family of course...and they share allot of the same behaviors. Namely, curiosity. They're curious, so give them no reason to feel threatened...and they'll want to taste almost anything they don't think will try to kill them. I don't consider them (or any fish) to be "smart", but on the other hand...they're smart enough to sense danger, allot of which comes from above. Shadows (you, your boat, your fly line) can be enough to spook them. Fish to where they should be, don't attempt to sight-fish unless the smaller...risk-taking fish are your targets.
As for what flies~poppers can be good for the hottest, most still days (here in Ontario) but if you had to survive on eating bass...poppers would be about the worst choice of fly/lure to pick day-in/day-out. It's also true that saying "dark day, dark lure...light day, light lure" when it comes to bass. Bright colours can trump all else on bright sunny days...dark ones on dark days, etc. I've had WAY more luck with buggers (brown, black) than any other fly, because I think in a bass' world, they imitate the widest variety of food items. Leeches, crayfish, gobies, hellgrammites, etc. The ones I tie are basically identical to the ones you see in fly shops, crystal chenille bodies (matching hackle) with a lateral line of krystal flash that extends into the tail. Easy. From what I've seen fishing bass for over 40 years, smallmouth tend to move around looking for targets...largemouth (big ones at least) are ambush predators. They'll back into a hole in a weed line, hang around structure etc. waiting for something to fall ON the water, or swim past. If approaching weed bed for instance, assume the LM bass will be on the edges looking out. Position yourself to have your fly/lure travel along the edge of the weed line and hold on.
I'll also add that when pressured, or in very clear water...you need to downsize your flies~just like trout fishing. I always bring my trout flies with me, and have cracked the mystery of lock-jaw-bass with a size 10 beadheaded prince nymph lots of times. lol Olive or natural brown hare's ears tied large (#8, #6) can be good too, and carp will gobble them up as well. Were I asked what fly I'd pick if I could only have one for bass fishing here? Brown Krystal Flash Bugger (as described above) I've also done very well with a bugger pattern of my own too, a black bugger tied with red dumbell eyes, a dubbed black angora goat body (dubbed thick/picked-out) and a black marabou tail.
The last pattern I'll suggest has caught me lots of panfish, a good number of bass, and probably one of the biggest brown trout I've ever caught, a simple variation of the KFB. White marabou tail, white/pearl Krystal Flash body wound tightly (Stroking back fibers with each wrap) and a shiny gold bead head. Tie those around as size #6, not huge. Some have said that white buggers imitate regurgitated food from a struggling bass (and they do that) but oddly enough...they work well. I'm more inclined to tie one on and dead drift it with a few twitches (moving water) than to cast/retrieve in open water. But only this white variation.
Hope this helps, and good luck!