Cold Weather Smallmouth Fishing

[bigdawg74]

here in quebec canada the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder expecially in the morning and lots of boats and rodw get put away early. i have the right to fish smallies till november 30th and i plan on doing just that even if i am stanting on snow on the side of the riverbank., what do i need to know as far as baits techniques and so on ?

[Stingray23]

For me, I like jerkbaits.

[NEjitterbugger]

I also have success with jerkbaits, in rivers anyways.. preferbaly black back fading to a silver body.

[wnybassman]

Drag tubes and other soft plastics on jigheads along breaklines and over structure

or

Hop blade baits and jerk spoons over the same areas.

There is no such thing as too cold either. About the time the weather is starting to get uncomfortable for you, is the right time for fall smallmouth. lol

[ww2farmer]

I was out there the day the first picture was taken..................it was not fall LMAO.

[Stingray23]

Awesome pics! where was that?

[Dwight Hottle]

Jerkbaits. Mix up the retrieve sometimes fast & sometimes slow.

[A-Jay]

Jerkbaits. Mix up the retrieve sometimes fast & sometimes slow.

And sometimes BIG !

Can you say LC 128 ?

A-Jay

[Dwight Hottle]

And sometimes BIG !

Can you say LC 128 ?

A-Jay

Shhhhhhh!

[bigdawg74]

so glas to hear that the fishing is good in the snow and cold because i aint ready to give it up for the year like most people.

[wnybassman]

This was a memorable day. Mid December, water temp around 35º and air temp in the teens. No wind.

We start seeing something weird on the surface in a little shallower than we were fishing, and we were in 30 fow or so.

Didn't take long to realize what it was. Ice was starting to form around us, even out in 30+ feet of water. This is a tube jig sitting on the ice.

It was amazing how fast ice actually forms. It built thickness fast enough where the trolling motor was having a tougher time pulling the boat through it. 45 minutes later a breeze picked up and the ice was gone as fast as it formed.

I now joke that not only do smallmouth bite up until ice-up, but also during ice-up We caught several fish that day, and for the next couple weeks.

[RyneB]

Drag tubes and other soft plastics on jigheads along breaklines and over structure

or

Hop blade baits and jerk spoons over the same areas.

There is no such thing as too cold either. About the time the weather is starting to get uncomfortable for you, is the right time for fall smallmouth. lol

Nice Ranger, i believe i have the same color. Check the 2nd to last page in the "show your ride" topic at the top of the Bass boats forum and let me know if its the same color, or if you have a better picture so i can see. Having said that, try the Float an Fly rig. I have caught a lot of smallies on this rig in the dead of winter.