Turkey sandwich

The specs are determined by what lures you plan on fishing with it. In general, a 6'6-7' Medium power Fast action rod covers a lot of ground. Right now, Fenwick is selling last season's Aetos (an excellent $180 rod) for $94. It's the best sub $100 stick I know of right now and it's a rod you'll enjoy using for a long time.

The more hydrodynamic end is designed to point forward.

Wait.. Are you guys suggesting he mount his transducer backwards?

Finding smallmouth (or most fish, really) in rivers is all about understanding seasonal patterns, current, and forage. If you want to start catching fish quickly, while beginning to understand the bigger picture, I'd start here. If you can't find fish, you can't catch fish and focusing on this stuff will teach you where to find fish. Jeff Little is a river smallmouth guru and his seasonal patterns DVDs, along with his YouTube channels and other online content make a great place to start and are a nice break from Shows where pros are more focused on selling products than actually teaching you to fish. The other thing that a lot of new river fishermen have trouble with early on is learning how to present lures naturally in current. Think of current as a natural conveyor belt that brings food and oxygen to fish. Staying patient, learning how to feel the bottom, current, etc is very important, as well as understanding that you're going to be spending time freeing snags. It's just a part of the game, especially in rivers. I also suggest starting by learning how to fish some really basic stuff like tubes, 3-5" grubs, and in line spinners etc is a good investment of time because they're high percentage baits that will catch you fish, they can be fished on most tackle and they aren't expensive.

Another big concern is staying comfortable. An uncomfortable kayak with a lousy seat or lack of space can feel very cumbersome. In most water, I also suggest at least an 11.5' boat with deck space and an adjustable seat. I'm recovering from back surgery last year and still have back and neck issues, so the seat and space on a Feel free Lure 13.5 closed the deal for me. They are big and not the fastest/most maneuverable boats, but they will be releasing a plug in pedal/electric drive any time now. Bulky boats also tend to have rudder kits that make a great investment. Tracking straight and fast eliminates a lot of fatigue. Another consideration is transportation. Big boats like the Lure, ATAK, Jackson Big Rig, etc all range from extremely difficult to impossible to load car top on your own.

Welcome to the forum! I would check out the fenwick site to see if they're still selling last year's Aetos for $94. They're excellent rods for $180 and a ridiculous value for under $100. As far as reels, J Francho is spot on. Cheap baitcasters are much more difficult to learn on and are typically prone to backlashing a lot more in inexperienced hands. Most of mine are Chronarchs that can be bought for around $200 and are very easy to use, reliable reels. I would also back them with 15-20lb mono and spool them with a quality braid. The braid will make learning easier because it carries no memory, makes picking out backlashes much easier, and takes less damage during backlashes. Going this route will cost under $350, will set you up well with a combo you'll enjoy for a long time, and frees up $150 to pick up a PFD and a few spools of mono or copolymer for leaders. Also, with inflatable PFDs, pick up a couple of extra cylinders if possible.

Dude, you are getting ridiculous! I feel like you've already gotten your money's worth out of the new boat and it isn't even a year. Congrats!

I have no idea which river you're fishing, but I can suggest checking the smallmouth forum for a ton of threads about how to fish smallmouth in rivers. There are posts covering virtually every set of conditions in there.

I've had Nikes, but I prefer something lighter and with more sensitivity when I'm fishing a jig. Typically, I wear water shoes when I'm jig fishing, and change into New Balances when I'm throwing top water. They give me a better feel.

There are tons of books on the subject. Bob Clouser and John Tertuliani have several books out on smallmouth fishing in streams, but I'd check out any books on nymphing and presenting dry flies for Trout. Chris Hansen's fly fishing for beginners covers some basics on different presentations for nymphs and dry flies, Orvis has a video channel that covers some pretty solid basics on YouTube, also.

Yep. And out of nowhere they'll scare the hell out of you when they start breaking the surface for seemingly no reason.

I have a bunch of coworker's from old jobs that I stay close with, and it's always a good feeling knowing you'll be missed. How long have you been bouncing? I did it through college and for a while after and after I left, it felt great to not deal with crazy drunks or have to function on no sleep. Props for keeping the door open. It sounds like you'll be welcomed back if/when you decide.

Sonar - I don't know that specific unit, but they don't seem out of whack, and if the lake isn't overly nutrient rich and blooming, I wouldn't be so fast to write off potential baitfish markings as algae blooms. I would look for arches underneath the potential bait balls, but they may still be worth a cast - remember, your sonar cone is only going out 30-45 degrees from your transducer, so you may not be seeing a whole lot. Structure - So, change in bottom composition can also be important. If you have silt bottoms that transition to green weeds or silt that transitions to rip rap, those are also areas of interest. With spots like that bridge, I would paying attention to those bridge pilings and the current breaks created by the two points and any bottom irregularities in that area that would act as eddies or ambush points. With current present, fish are using it to push baitfish towards them and will almost always be oriented facing into the current. That kind of muck on the bottom can be rough to fish with jigs, but C-rigs, drop shots, swim jigs, and especially Crankbaits running just deep enough to tic the bottom can be good options. What's the water clarity like? Mostly tannic and stained? Into the fall, if you can find those anywhere near current and/or a channel swing, those can potentially make a great jig/pitching or spinnerbait pattern, especially if you see schools of Shad being pushed into them.

I mean, I'm sure you'll find some, but my guess is that the majority are more keyed on the shad than the sunfish. Shad are less spiny, have a higher fat content and can be ridiculously dense in schools. A simple way to find out is to just do some basic finesse fishing off the docks. Skipping 4" Senkos is pretty money for figuring out if anything is holding under those docks.

@Yeajray231 - hot perch was an awesome color! It's one of my favorite discontinued colors and reminds me of Berkely discontinuing Christmas Cider Power Worms. I caught a lot of 3-6lb fish in tea stained water on those worms...,

Possibly? What other baitfish are present in the lake? Are sunfish the primary forage?

Maps make this much easier! So, while this doesn't necessarily look like a topo map Catt would break down on his threads, the same ideas apply. In this case, you don't have a ton of "offshore" structure, but you do have a ton of creek channels creating points. The points off of Lawrence Landing Rd and The Highway 89 bridge both provide relative deep water access. These spots also create something of a funnel or pinch point for current (also see Dix Creek West Access area). What's the bottom composition like in these areas? What kind of cover are you working with in these areas? What forage species are present? Without knowing anything else, these are the likely places I would check out first. Now, there's a good chance someone like Catt or WRB will see something totally different/better, but this is where I would start.

Welcome to the forum! Bald eagles are absolutely massive and pretty awesome to watch dive on the river. I see them pretty regularly when I make trips to the Susquehanna and am pretty constantly amazed by how efficiently they'll spot shallow fish and critters on the shoreline. That stretch you're fishing is mostly trout water, no? Most of the folks I know that head up that way are tossing flies for big rainbows and browns. How deep were you seeing the smallies and what were you fishing the river out of? When I know they're holding in more than 3' of water, (colder water like the north end of the Delaware), I favor stuff I can walk across the bottom like football jig or heavier tube, and won't shy away from throwing 3/8-1/2oz in 4' of water if the current calls for it. With jigs (or any bottom contact bait) in faster current, it's very important to keep it dragging on the bottom and not allowing it to get up in the faster current and drift. Because of this, slowly stroking or dragging the jig with the rod is extremely important - moving it with the reel will pull it off the bottom and get it up in the current. Also, to make following this much easier, I really like having visible braid with a hybrid leader that I can follow and mend when need be. The catch to the braid, though, is that it will create more drag in the current by floating on top than a sinking line like flourocarbon. Your casting angle and the way it sets up your presentation can make a huge difference in effectively working baits in fast/moderate current. I very strongly suggest reading up on basic dry fly and nymph presentations even if you never intend on picking up the whippy stick because they'll teach you a TON about how to make current work for you versus against you. Good luck and post results from your next trip!

I like grubs and Keithech fats. It all kinda depends on how active and deep the fish are, how big the baitfish and bluegill are, and what kind of water clarity you're working with. I'm a pretty big match the hatch guy 80% of the time.

Seriously, take him up on the offer. I'm pretty confident in my ability to catch brown bass, but @A-Jay is definitely someone I'd love to get out on the water and learn from. He seems like a genuinely good dude and has been very humbly boating some seriously not so humble fish. Guys like him and Hootie are like the resident smallmouth whisperers around these parts. Also, unless that dude is a midget, that thing is an f'n behemoth.

Welcome to offshore fishing! Can you post a map of the lake? I would start by drawing a map of the lake and noting any bends in the original creek channel. In shallow lakes, any abrupt change, especially if cover is also present, can be a fish magnet. Not all points, flats, and weed beds are equal, and a map can be useful. Even if old topo maps aren't 100% accurate anymore, they still provide a guide to finding fish holding structure. As for the "globs", depending upon your unit and how sensitive you have it set, they could be baitfish, crappie schools, detached vegetation, etc.. A picture and knowing your settings can be helpful. Also, in shallow water, your unit isn't going to be casting a very wide cone, so relying on it to ID fish is very difficult. I fish shallow rivers and lakes mostly in my kayak and I typically use my electronics to track depth, weedline, and bottom composition. The upside is that while it may not actually spot fish, it will give you the information necessary to find places LIKELY to hold fish.

Catfish and carp, to me, are by far the most fun when you just want a good fight. Coincidentally, they're also relatively easy to fish for, exciting for kids/friends who don't fish often, and you can relax with a beverage while waiting for your next strike. They make for great campsite fishing.

Congrats! 7+lbers up north aren't easy to come by.

Great smallie, and congrats!!! Where are you that you already have fall turnover and 37 air temps?

I'm kinda with A-Jay. Too many people on here are super knowledgable and seem to have good temperament that I'd feel bad leaving anyone out. Anyone who can teach me something, or offer a different, interesting perspective while I'm on the water would be more than welcome. @Catt. Smallmouth rock! What are the odds we can get a Bass Resource trip together up north? Maybe somewhere like Champlain where 5lb largemouth and smallmouth are common.