Smallies

[pcray1231]

As a kid, I used to do plenty of river fishin for smallies. In modern times, its kind of a hole in my resume.

Last weekend I visited a friend in Indiana (the state, not the town). Camping trip, nearby a fairly highly thought of smallmouth stream. The main point wasnt "serious" fishing but I tied up a nasty crayfish pattern and took my stuff. Caught a few in a few hrs. Was fun.

Any little things you've learned about smallmouth? Like type of water to target? Found myself targeting trouty looking runs, but a few casts to shallow frog water did pretty well. They are aggressive and come towards a weighty plop! Any advice on flies? How big do you go? Baitfish imitations vs crayfish, etc. Any odd colors that drive em wild?

 

[pcray1231]

 

[BrookieChaser]

I've caught bass on streamers, nymphs, poppers, and traditional dry flies.

In the summer I'll throw poppers in slow pools from the middle working the banks. I'll also throw clousers in the riffles of the big rivers.

I've caught bass as by-catches nymphing for both trout and carp.

As for odd sizes or flies, I tend to fish a 1/0 clouser (saltwater ties) in chartreuse and white for river smallmouth.

 

[Dave_W]

pcray1231 wrote:
Any little things you've learned about smallmouth? Like type of water to target? Found myself targeting trouty looking runs, but a few casts to shallow frog water did pretty well. They are aggressive and come towards a weighty plop! Any advice on flies? How big do you go? Baitfish imitations vs crayfish, etc. Any odd colors that drive em wild?

Well, I finally get to educate my favorite science teacher.

- Water to target: One thing I've learned and have mentioned frequently on this forum is that many small streams and bass creeks only hold fish seasonally. By first frost, most if not all, the bass are gone.

-SMBs like current, especially in summer. However they are much less likely to hold on a "station" in current like trout and much more likely to cruise. They are not school fish but often move in groups of three or four.

-They are not picky on flies. Poppers are always a favorite but I have found the SMBs, even small ones, often take poppers deep. I have since switched to larger poppers. You get fewer hook ups, but fewer bleeding fish. Smallies are slower growing than trout. It takes about 4-5 years to produce a fish only a foot long so they should be carefully released.

-They are even more impressed by big flies. Anyone who fishes muskies knows river bass are gluttons for smashing huge flies and lures. I tend to like bigger flies in late summer and fall; most of my streamers are between 3-5 " and sometimes larger. Take a look sometime at a river bass gear fishermen's tackle - a trout fly guy will be surprised how large many of his lures are; lots of plugs and tube lures in that 3-6" size range.

-Baitfish vs crayfish: the conventional wisdom is to use crayfish or nymph imitations in summer and baitfish in the colder months, especially autumn. I tend to stick with this, but depth and speed probably has more to do with success rather than pattern. I just happen to like imitating specific prey species so I usually put up my crayfish patterns after Sept.

-Colors: earth tones or white in clear water. Most crayfish are in the olive color tone; ditto for hellgrammites. Dirty water I like black or black with a bit of orange or chartreuse. Bigger flies in dirty water too.

 

[Dave_W]

pcray1231 wrote:
As a kid, I used to do plenty of river fishin for smallies. In modern times, its kind of a hole in my resume.

Welcome back to the Warm Water Insurgents.

Now, remember our motto: "trout are for suckers."

 

[jifigz]

I consider myself a smallmouth junkie and an unofficial "pro," so here we go. First of all where they hold is all seasonal. In summer you can definitely find some nice bass in "trouty runs" but generally the biggest fish will hold in deep water in the main current. Winter they go sluggish pools tight along shoreline where if the river floods they can easily find protection from the current. In Autumn, well, they could be anywhere as they begin migrating, get very aggressive, and at this time of the year the fishing is the best. I truly believe that as the autumn migration takes place miles of stream or river may be void of fish and they stack up all in one place. They may travel miles to reach winter grounds.

I tend to fish smart flies. Size 6 buggers, size 6 gurglers, and size 2--6 clousers cover 99% of my fishing.. sometimes I'll throw big bunny strips or other streamers but I generally fish smaller stuff. In Autumn, as Dave mentioned, that's when I go biggest.in winter I scale back down to small. Summer I fish small as well. The one benefit of small flies is that I still seem to catch plenty of bass with size but can also hook up with Rockies and redbreasts.

 

[pcray1231]

Thanks.

Only covered a bit of water in this stream, though it's well known year round fishery. It's low too. Started at a head of a pool, deep run, some rocks, good current break, looked good to me. Tied on a poorly tied clouser crayfish, rust colored, probably too dark, just something I whipped up at the vice. Quickly hooked and landed several medium sized fish right off the bat. Left that place looking for more like it, and well, that turned out to be the best looking water in the area I was at. Long slow pools.

That bigger one was cruising in an area right like I'm standing in. Ankle deep, flat bottomed, and like that for 100 yards in both directions, no depth, no current. Saw him ahead of me and ran him down, and he saw me and started swimming away. That familiar look when a few small bass, one big one, and a bunch of rough fish are all meandering away from you because you are plainly visible, as are they in very shallow water. Tried to cast ahead of him, like bonefishing, lol. Thought there's no way, this fish is spooked. But the cast came up short, and as soon as it plopped he turned and made a b-line for it (as did several other small bass). No hesitation at all. Fish on. That really surprised me how aggressive they were even in plain sight and spooked, and made me wonder if that shouldn't have been my tactic all along. Sight fish the frog water flats. Did that a bit more and caught a few smaller ones the same way.

Also had the impression every fish I showed a fly too hit right away, and hence should spend less time in one spot, and move more looking for new fish.

Then I found another run. Not real big, but some depth and rocks lots of current, looked great. Nuthin. Nowhere to get out of the current though. And I left thinking how did that flat water produce and this beautiful rocky run did not? I have too much trout on the brain, maybe.

 

[tomgamber]

BUGGERS AND GURGLERS AND CLOUSERS OH MY...THESE THREE WILL PRETTY MUCH COVER ANY SITUATION FOR SMALLIES.

I PREFER THE GURGLERS BECAUSE THE ARE ON TOP AND VERY PRODUCTIVE.

TAN BEAD HEAD BUGGERS WILL FOOL ANY CRAYFISH HUNGRY BASS AND CLOUSERS ARE GREAT FOR DEEPER MOVING WATER.

I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT A STRIP STRIKE WILL HOOK YOU MORE FISH AND THE TROUT LIFT.

OH, AND YOU'RE A WUSS IF YOU DON'T WET WADE FOR BASS...OR SO I'M TOLD.

ALMOST FORGOT...WHILE I DON'T TIE THEM SO MUCH ANYMORE, MY MOST PRODUCTIVE FLY FOR SMALLIES EVER IS SCHENK'S WHITE STREAMER.

 

[RLeep2]

If I were stranded on a remote smallmouth river and had to fish for sustenance, I'd use my Clousers, Gurglers, conventional buggers and crayfish flies for kindling and fish my Murray Marauders...

White/Pearl, Black, Olive and a few in Root Beer brown, 3XL #4-8.

 

[tomgamber]

RLeep2 wrote:
If I were stranded on a remote smallmouth river and had to fish for sustenance, I'd use my Clousers, Gurglers, conventional buggers and crayfish flies for kindling and fish my Murray Marauders...

White/Pearl, Black, Olive and a few in Root Beer brown, 3XL #4-8.

Sure, its a bugger with dumbbell eyes and too long of a tail. Is basically a Clouser/Bugger hybrid. might get lots of short strikes with that one unless you only fish it off the bottom. Maybe not so much with a smallie.

BTW, the marking on Pat's smallies are really vivid. Very cool.

 

[Bopper]

I am reading "Smallmouth, Modern Fly Fishing Methods, Tactics and Techniques". Think it was recommended by someone Rosenbauer interviewed in a podcast. The book is very well written and very informative!