How/where to find SM bass in the Susquehanna.

[drumat26]

I'm relatively new to fly fishing for ww fish. That being said I wanted to try my luck since it seems other anglers are having success. I fished this past Saturday and for about 4 hours yesterday and managed one nice fish to hand along with a few pip squeaks. I fished where the Mahantango flows into the river Saturday and out in front of millersburg yesterday. I've been fishing mostly big streamers and wooly buggers in white or olive with some white or yellow poppers thrown in. Most of the water I got into was waist deep or lower. I fished mostly tail waters of small Rapids and then directly under the Rapids themselves. all of my trout fishing instincts are telling me I should be finding or seeing more fish. Yesterday I had one fish strike around 12" and saw another around 16". And those were the only fish I saw. With as clear as the water is I feel like I should be seeing more fish.

I guess my question is where can I find some of these fish. Not looking for any specific spots, just general ideas. My gut is telling me to find deeper water but I really don't know anything about bass fishing so any thoughts would be appreciated . Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[drumat26]

Sorry meant to post in beginners forum

 

[IdratherbePhishing]

Check out the dauphin area. Has always been good to me. Don't think that you have to find deep water, as big bass like to sit shallow a lot. Sometimes they're in such shallow water you would think they'd be sticking out the water. Hit weed beds, especially hit the front of the weed bed and behind. Fish right before dark with a popper. Remember big fish don't always like big currents.

 

[Fishidiot]

drumat26 wrote:
I fished this past Saturday and for about 4 hours yesterday and managed one nice fish to hand along with a few pip squeaks.

This isn't bad. Like trout fishing, some days the bass just seem to disappear and or don't seem very active. The areas you hit sound good to me.

~ I would say, generally speaking, that river bass fishing is usually best under low light conditions: fish early and late. When the sun has set behind the hills is often the time when I get the most hits. Bluebird sunny days, especially following a cold front, are often slow bass fishing. If it is sunny, target boulders on their shady side or fish the banks under the shade of the trees. SMBs like shade.

~ If fish are not hitting poppers, go under with nymphs and streamers. Dead drift nymph fishing can be productive, but most of the time a large fly with some movement will get more strikes (not always).

~ River bass feed predominately on crayfish this time of year so a fly that resembles a cray is a good bet. Over the next month however, minnows and baitfish will typically become more prevalent as prey species so you may have more luck with streamers in the fall.

~ Don't be afraid to fish big streamers in the fall - we're talking flies in the 4-5" range. Flies like this look monstrous to a trout angler but river SMBs, even on the smaller side, really love big flies and will hit them with enthusiasm.

~ Fish your flies with a fast, crazy, erratic retrieve while water temps remain on the high side (Roughly 70+). As temps drop in the fall into the lower 60s/50s slow your retrieve a bit. When temps get into the low 50s or less, you will want to slow hop your flies across the bottom.

~ Usually by some time in October, river bass will vacate the shallows and move to deeper pools. Keep this movement in mind. For now, if it were me, I'd continue to target the ledge rock shallows, riffle and current areas, around islands with river grass, and other typical summer hot spots.

This thread is a better fit with the WW forum and will be moved shortly.
Dave W

 

[krayfish2]

Sounds like you hit the right spots. Some days yield good numbers and other days are slow. Don't be discouraged. Keep plugging away and you'll find them. They move a fair bit so when you find one, you usually find several in the same pool / run or piece of structure.