SMs yet anyone?

[afishinado]

The trout fishing has been very good on most streams with the good flow and temps with the rain and cooler weather, so I'm not really complaining, but next week is July and I still haven't been out fishing for SMs!

The SM rivers I fish (Skuke, Susky, and D) are running high. Maybe I should look at fishing some of the smaller streams. Has anyone been out there catchin' em?

 

[jayL]

I'm waiting for you to give the go ahead!

 

[Fishidiot]

I'm pretty much in the same boat with you - enjoying the good trout stream flows (there is still a lot of great trout fishing in "open" water and virtually nobody fishing it) and yes, the bigger bass waters here in the SC part of the state have also been blown out or high/muddy at best (and cold). I usually fish the Juniata and Potomac for SMs and haven't yet. The local bass creeks I frequent only hold bass on a seasonal basis. They're usually loaded with bass by this time of year - however, they are only just showing up in small creeks this week. I have some time off this afternoon and will be checking a medium sized bass river before heading over to Allenberry to help with the youth camp. I'm guessing it will still be cloudy.

 

[eggman]

I caught a beauty SM on the First Fork on Sunday while trout fishing at 40 Maples. 2 lbs I would guess, close to 15" on a sulphur. Just a-real-nice-surprise....

 

[AdamM]

The local bass creeks I frequent only hold bass on a seasonal basis.

Iv seen this too, do they migrate upstream during the summer? or do they just get hide themselves well?

 

[LigonierA1]

From what I've read, they migrate to deep holes and sit out the winter but not the summer. So they're hiding well. This info however is "book smart" and nothing that reflects actual experience. IE, heckifIknow.

I got into a few smallies on a small stream last night although it was pretty slow fishing and there were more stocked trout visible than smallies....

 

[wetnet]

Fishing this Sunday on the Susquehanna. I'll let you know.

 

[Fishidiot]

Adam,
Each creek has its own characteristics but, as a general rule, the small bass creeks I love to fish in summer hold few if any bass from late autumn until Memorial Day or so. Even in large rivers, there is seasonal migration of SM's usually to deep holding areas above dams. In many small creeks, bass simply migrate out completely. I suspect they move out downstream to larger waterways. I see this with both largemouth and smallmouths. Sometimes I have seen this movement as early as mid - Oct, typically around first frost. When the fish return in early summer, it's as if they just re-appear. There doesn't seem to be a discernable movement upstream - they're just there all of a sudden. I don't think all bass migrate every year. I saw some SMs in one of my favorite creeks this past winter - with the very low and clear flows in Feb/March they were clearly visible in some deeper holes but during the summer there are usually many more.

This year they seem to be running a bit late in my neck of the woods.

 

[MattBoyer]

I was fishing for trout in the Lower Little Swattie last week and got one about 12 inches. I was a good distance upstream from the big Swattie, so it was a nice bit of fish for a little bit of creek. I was certainly happy to have found him with a 2/3 WT.

Boyer

 

[JasonS]

Afish,

I'm in the same boat as you. By this time last year I had pretty much given up trout fishing and was chasing smallies, but with the cooler weather I haven't even thought about going for smallies yet. It's starting to heat up though, so I'll probably start fishing for them in the next week or so. Besides, all the reports I've been reading/hearing about the big D, the bite hasn't really turned on yet.

 

[afishinado]

Fishidiot wrote:
Adam,
Each creek has its own characteristics but, as a general rule, the small bass creeks I love to fish in summer hold few if any bass from late autumn until Memorial Day or so. Even in large rivers, there is seasonal migration of SM's usually to deep holding areas above dams. In many small creeks, bass simply migrate out completely. I suspect they move out downstream to larger waterways. I see this with both largemouth and smallmouths. Sometimes I have seen this movement as early as mid - Oct, typically around first frost. When the fish return in early summer, it's as if they just re-appear. There doesn't seem to be a discernable movement upstream - they're just there all of a sudden. I don't think all bass migrate every year. I saw some SMs in one of my favorite creeks this past winter - with the very low and clear flows in Feb/March they were clearly visible in some deeper holes but during the summer there are usually many more.

This year they seem to be running a bit late in my neck of the woods.

Dave,

Interesting observations. I never thought much above the seasonal migration of SMB into the tribs. For the most part, I only fish for SMs in the summer, and in the larger rivers. When I think about it, when fishing certain streams in the spring for trout, I seldom if ever catch or observe SMs, and yet in the late spring/summer some of these same streams, especially the ones that are tribs to larger warm or cool water rivers, hold a huge population of SMs. Something new to ponder. Thanks.

 

[Stenonema]

Get over and fish the JUniata river. Levels and temps are good. Chartreuse over white.

 

[eballat]

I know the Big Pine in the Waterville/Slate Run area is fishing pretty good for smallies/trout between days with high/muddy water. That is a stream that gets the seasonal migration. Most of the smallies in there winter in the Susky.

 

[fa544e4]

Hit the Yough today for a few hours. Picked up a couple of sm, bit nothing over 12inches. Saw at least two that were pushing 16-inches. Could not get them to strike. I was sight fishing along the banks under the shade of the trees.