hpbcrillo

What about a football head with a swinging hook? have you tried those? Do you think they would be less snaggy than the standard ned head jig? Thank you!

Yep...I've been fishing below a spillway and the fish are not in the calm water...but in the fastest current. I wish I had thought to throw a rattletrap...but have been doing well with a fluke.

I went out a couple days ago and smoked the smallmouth (and saugeye) on flukes in fast water on the river. 18"+ smallie, 22" Saugeye. Water 4' depth, 54 deg water temp. Plan to keep crushing them into Dec (hopefully)

I just started fishing the GMR this year, and already have 23 smallies 17" or longer, and 12 of them were fish Ohio bass....18" or over. So it is an awesome smallie river. As far as a good place to launch a boat from...that is tough. I use a kayak in the Dayton area and it is way too shallow for a boat. I think you need to get further south, closer to Cincinnati to use a boat safely. Others have much more experience on the river than me, and may know a good place for a boat. Following...

That's not what I wanted to hear...LOL. By the way, is your avatar a hair jig? I just started tying them and caught a smallie and a drum on one the first time I tried it.

Hello everyone. I am planning on going up to fish Lake Erie (Ohio waters) for smallmouth early this October. I live in Cincinnati. I plan to fish from my kayak or from shore. Where would be the best spot for me to fish? I guess I need some options that would work in good weather and also in bad weather. I don't plan to venture out into the main lake in big waves or big wind, but could perhaps fish near the shoreline in that weather. Anyway, where do you think I would have the best luck that time of year (Cleveland, Sandusky, etc)? Thanks for any advice you can give me regarding area or tactics for early October....this is the best forum for smallie info!!!

In my small river, this bass pro shops thumper spinner has been killing them for me. Even bass post-spawn will hit this viciously. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/Bass-Pro-Shops-Nitro-Thumper-Spinner?ds_e=MICROSOFT&ds_c=Cabelas|Shopping|Smart|Hunting|Hunting|NAud|TopPerf|NMT&msclkid=262347fa4b0710f688eb2568e631dd0a&gclsrc=ds

The dam is maybe 4' high, and the river is about 5' deep on average, perhaps 150 yards across.

Hello everyone, I just started fishing for sm this year and am hooked on it! I found an awesome spot just below a low dam in the river that provided fast and furious action in the last 2 weeks of April. From one specific spot in my kayak, I caught at least 21 smallies 17" and over, including my largest at 19-3/4" and 4.5 lb. One morning I caught smallies on the first 8 consecutive casts, and had hits but lost them on the next 3 casts. Incredible! I noticed during the last few days of April into May the action in that spot immediately below the dam slowed greatly, and I started catching them further downstream on the banks...I guess they were getting ready to spawn. HERE IS MY QUESTION..... Do you think that the bass will return to immediately below the dam after the spawn, or will I have to continue looking for different spots further downstream. Since this is my first year river fishing for smb...I don't have any experience as to the seasonal movements of the river bass right below a dam. Thanks in advance for all your advice and insights....I really appreciate it!!!

Thank you!

Old thread, but my largest this year (only started sm fishing this year) is 19.75" and 4-1/2 pounds. From a small river...