Ohioguy25

Thanks for all the info and advice everyone! The section of the Little Miami I am fishing is between 2-4 ft deep in most spots. I can usually see the bottom and fish swimming by in the areas I have had luck. Not sure what the water temp is but I was referring to the air temp.

I am off tomorrow and was wondering if it would be worth going out on a narrow, shallow river near me. It is the Little Miami River in Dayton Ohio, and I am fishing for smallmouth from a kayak. I have heard various conflicting things regarding temperature and fishing, and I seem to have had my best luck on this river when it was warm (75+) and sunny and the water was clear. What do you think? Edit: I just discovered it will only be 65 tomorrow. 70 next Thursday.

Cool, thanks everyone! Btw, when I was loading my boat yesterday I saw a couple guys w poles, I asked what they were fishing for they said smallies. I asked what they used for bait and they said jigheads helgramites and rooster tails with a small piece of live worm on them. They said it helped a lot. Is that true? I was always told stick to soft plastics and that live bait attracted catfish carp and other trash fish. They said they had a lot of success with it. The said it helps that they can smell them in murky water.

I have a 12 ft Old Town Dirigo 120. It is brand new and I really like how it looks. I've just started using it and one of the places I go is the Little Miami River in Southwest Ohio to fish for smallmouth, but the guy at the canoe rental place said that the river destroys nicer kayaks and that they have to buy very tough ones to rent out. river is mostly about 3-5 ft deep throughout but has a few areas where it gets very shallow and my kayak drags on the rocky bottom. Should I avoid rivers like this and stick to lakes or is my boat built to handle that? I don't want to age my boat any faster than I have to. Thanks!

I looked that river up, it's WAY bigger than the Little Miami. Here's a pic of the LMR for comparison Wouldn't the temperature's effect on fishing be much different?

Cool. What part of the LMR do you hit? I'm hoping it's still decent, my kayak is coming tomorrow.

Should I not even bother going out on the river Sunday or Tues? Weather is gonna be relatively warm, I believe low 70s sun and high 70s Tues, but water will still be colder than in the summer.

d**n now I'm REALLY pumped for next summer

Interesting, really? I was always told hot sunny weather makes for bad fishing.

Be careful, they just let a bunch of water into the river from the dam at Caesars and the water is high and fast. I'm going upstream to Beavercreek to put in at the narrows.

Cool thanks for the tips everyone. Should I not even bother fishing tomorrow, is the water too cold in southern Ohio or can I still catch fish? It's gonna be 68 degrees and sunny.

What is then? You mean the thing w a diving lip? How do you use that w a jig, and is it better than soft plastics? And when you say venture to another area do you mean a different river/lake or diff spot on the LMR? Do I really have to get rid of the swivel? It's much easier than retying every time I want to change baits. I have since downsized to a smaller one.

I don't mind spending the money, I'm already into this for a couple hundred. What should I buy to get the best or traditional Ned Rig? Do you mean soft plastic craws? If so that's what I've been using, any advice on how to work them or what I might be doing wrong? I've been casting them on a size 6 hook w a jig head as advised by the guy at Cabela's. Is this too big? I throw them, let them sink, and then lightly jerk it up off the riverbed every minute or two.

I've been fishing from a kayak in the Little Miami River in southwestern Ohio now for over a month. I've been a total of 5 times, using a medium-light fast action 6' St Croix Premier w a Pflueger Summit reel casting everything from soft plastic craws and grubs on jig heads to rooster tails to buzz bait to tubes to diving minnows to swim bait. I've cast in heavy rapids and the deeper areas right below them, I've fished deep 10-20 ft calm pools in both shade and sunlight, and I've covered roughly 10-15 miles of the river and I've only caught a total of 4 fish only one of which was a smallie. I've read multiple places that the Little Miami is one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the state, I don't understand why I'm having so much trouble? I've seen them in there, swimming below me in shallower areas. Smallmouth, carp, and several other species. Any suggestions in regards to where and how I should be casting, what baits I should be throwing and how to work them would be greatly appreciated, I'm more determined than ever! Last Sunday, my most recent trip, I went w my dad and finally landed my first smallmouth! It was pretty exciting, even though it was tiny. I hit it in a tiny pool right below a rapid as I had been advised, using a 1/16 yellow rooster tail. I stayed and kept hitting the same spot for about 45 minutes after I caught the buzz. Thanks again! Btw, what species of fish is this? I researched all of the species in the river and the Sauger is the closest resemblance I could find.

Cool, thanks everyone. Can't wait to get on the water Sunday, the rain killed it this weekend.

Does anyone know if this case will work well with a 2 piece 6 ft spinning rod?https://www.amazon.com/Sage-Ballistic-Reel-Case-Double/dp/B00ED2N7D8

I want something that will make transporting and carrying my 6 ft 2 piece St Croix spinning rod when fishing from a kayak. I want to both protect the rod and reel as well as consolidate it and make it easy to carry. I would like it to be as small as possible and to be able to leave the reel attached. Thanks!

No, hard plastic w trebles and soft plastic. The soft are in some kind of scented liquid. Nice, thanks. Man the way smallmouths are revered I am more determined than ever to start catching them. Must be a lot of fun to fight. I'm going back out again sunday and tues. Pretty much every day I have off until it gets cold.

Great, thanks! Reloaded my tackle box and hit the river again today, same results. I wonder what it is I'm doing wrong? I tried rooster tails, soft plastic craws and worms, diving minnows, boo ya, and some helgamite. I fished shaded, deeper water and aimed for current breaks and holes behind rapids. Any ideas?

Cool thanks. Is smallie river fishing not that popular?

Yeah that's what I was told, I did that quite a bit with crawdad soft plastics, is that the wrong bait? If so what should I use for those holes and if not how should I be casting/working it?

Hi everyone, I'm new to smallmouth fishing. Recently bought a 6' St Croix Premiere spinning rod and Pflueger President reel after hearing about how fun smallmouth were to catch and what a good fight they put up. I also recently bought a kayak to fish from. I live in southwest Ohio, just outside of Dayton and had been advised that the Little Miami was one of the best spots for smallmouth. I went yesterday using several of the different types of baits I had been recommended by Cabela's; soft plastic crawdads and worms, buzz bait, crank bait, a helgermite and a boo-ya micro pond magic. Nothing seemed to work all that well although I got a handful of pretty serious nibbles and a few big bites towards the end of the day/early evening. Any advice for me on what lures/baits I should be casting and where and how I should be casting/working them? Thanks!