New To River Smallmouth Fishing....advice?

[Preytorien]

So I'm very new to fishing for smallmouth, especially in the river. I come from a largemouth background, then one day at the request of a friend joined him in wading a river here in central IN for smallmouth. We did very good that day, and I discovered that I like wading probably more than being on a boat, I'm completely addicted. Got a very good pair of Orvis waders, a wading tackle bag, upgraded my spinning rig to some better stuff, and I go out now every Saturday morning.....like I said, I am addicted. Even when the catching is slow, I just love the serenity of it all and being a little more "one with nature" than I get in a boat with all the latest gadgets and such. It's a bit intrinsic and speaks to the basal fisherman within.....poetic eh?

 

That said, this will obviously be my first fall/winter transition from summer. Here in Indiana fall seems to have smacked us in the mouth pretty abruptly, the water's down, but very clear and getting cooler every day. I know the techniques and presentations for largemouth in bodies of water for these kinds of conditions, but I have no clue about river smallmouth.

 

What do I need to throw? I usually go with something topwater, I actually have very good sucess with a 1/4oz buzzbait many times, also a pearl weightless fluke. Any other suggestions?

 

Where do I need to throw? At the advice of Google searches, I throw to eddies, just below riffles/falls, and slow moving water. Really the only place I don't throw is in the falls themselves. Where else?

 

Is there any time of year that the bite "stops" or gets so inactive it's not productive to be out in the cold water? I've got good waders, good insulation garments, so I'm game for wading pretty much any time the air is above 30F or so, but I don't want to go out unless I will likely catch something since I don't relish an unproductive time of year all while nearly freezing my toes off!

 

Any advice for a river smallmouth newbie would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

Thanks guys!

 

[Crestliner2008]

This week's In-Fisherman TV show featured a section on just what you are talking about. The late summer/fall transition period. Although it was fishing from a boat, I don't think it would matter. They offered that a plain ole' wacky rigged Senko-type bait was just about as effective during the cool down period, as anything else in your arsenal.

 

From my experience, I have to concur. Fall is always tough, being a transitional period. The fish are definitely feeding up, but they can be difficult to locate. But, when you do locate them, your odds of tying into a giant are greatly increased. I tend to focus on feeder streams and main river breaks for my targets here in the northeast. But again, I'm boat fishing and using a control method called "slipping" (Dan Gapan style).

 

Senkos, Fat Ikas, paddle tailed swimbaits and the venerable 3" curly tail on a 1/8 oz. ball head are staples here. Good Luck!

[Turkey sandwich]

River fishing for smallmouths can be awesomely fun. I grew up fishing he north branch of the Susquehanna and north east PA weather isn't unlike Indiana. You'll want to pay some attention to water temperature to help dictate the size/speed of what you're throwing (2.5-4" curly tails on 1/16 to 1/4 - oz depending upon conditions are super consistent producers).

Location is all about finding what's different (like any other type of bass fishing) and will provide access to food. Bringing your bait on the edges of ripples, behind bridges, around trees/stumps/windfall, edges of weedbeds, and across visible eddies are great ways to present, but don't forget about what you can't see. Often, you'll have smallmouth sitting behind submerged rocks and holding to their underwater eddies, especially near changes in depth.

Some over suggestions to help locate active fish - bring crank baits you can rip along the bottom and spinnerbaits you can run at different depths. Mind water clarity, and if it's clear, match what they're feeding on - crayfish, helgramites, shad, perch, etc with your color selection. And of course, bring your top waters. Depending upon what the current is like, I love throwing Spooks, Pop-Rs, Skitterpops (I've retired at least 3 sunfish colored because they've been destroyed), and buzz baits or prop baits.

I like using he above to help locate active fish, especially over flats where I can't see the underwater terrain. Once I have them located or if I'm fishing specific pieces of structure or cover, the grub or tube on a jig has always been money.

On the topic of water temperature, once it starts to get legit cold, don't be afraid to switch up to buck tail jigs. They tend to look a lot more life-like than frozen plastics.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

[bankguy315]

Are you fishing the white river? I'm in central IN as well and I've been having goodluck on squarebills and rage-rigged menace grubs and structure bugs.

[Preytorien]

Are you fishing the white river? I'm in central IN as well and I've been having goodluck on squarebills and rage-rigged menace grubs and structure bugs.

 

Yea the White River below Anderson area. I'll have to try those, I have a couple of each.

[WdyCrankbait]

Try Zoom Ultravibe speed craw, go with your areas best colors.  I use green pumpkin here in VA.  2/0 hook, probably a 3/16oz. bullet weight, I did switch to an 1/8 later because of supply reasons and the paddles did not flap too well.  I have had great success with yo-yoing the lure and swimming it.  Also, 3" Little Otters in Hurricane Craw, same rigging as the Zoom.  I am not familiar with the river you are fishing, but throw anywhere.  Smallies defy logic sometime, but that is what makes fishing for them so great!

 

The picture attached is the result of my latest smallmouth trip to the James River using Gambler's Little Otters.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

[J Francho]

Take a look at Jeff Little's site: http://www.blueridgekayakfishing.com/.%C2'> He's one of the finest river smallie fisherman I know.

[bankguy315]

Yea the White River below Anderson area. I'll have to try those, I have a couple of each.

I fish in muncie. I have been catching them in deeper(3ft+) fast moving water. drifting a 4" senko under a float has been a good producer as well.

[MassBass]

You can't beat an inline spinner fished over grass in the current, and fished thru shade near the bank. I put my yak in the river for fall and this was my go-to tactic.  

[Preytorien]

Take a look at Jeff Little's site: He's one of the finest river smallie fisherman I know.

 

He's got excellent videos and advice. Thanks for putting me onto that John.

[jitterbug127]

I also fish muncie and pop r and squarebills are the ticket

[EvanT123]

I guess this could go for all types of fishing but don't get caught up on what worked yesterday, last week or last year. i have a spot on my river that consistently produces nice fish but some days they want the fluke some days they want the senko. Some days they are not there. On the river you need to be ready to adapt. I don't waste a lot of time on one spot. I'll cover the water columm with multiple casts and if there is nothing going on; time to move to greener pastures. My opinion is river small mouth generally won't pass up a food opportunity and if my presentations aren't getting bit they aren't there.

[FunkJishing]

i fish river smallmouth more than anything else and you can bet that a crankbait (lipless or lipped) will produce. Spinnerbaits, jigs, and drop-shotting works well too. Or you can work a topwater/jerkbait in the shallows with a little chop and a cloudy sky, you'll be suprized.

[cyclops2]

Fishing & wading in moving water CAN & IS very dangerous. I was almost drowned in a 20' wide creek with a rocky bottom & 7 ? mph current. Fished it dozens of times.  Was moving downstream in hip deep water. foot slips & I spin around backwards. Foot catches a rock.  I CAN NOT BEND FOWARD TO BREATH.

The small current has me bent backwards. I struggle as hard as possible to touch bottom to push up for a gulp of air. No can do. I stop and think what I can do. I am starting to drink water.  I shove the rod into the rocks under me. AIR by about 2" of mouth clearance above the surface.

 

Fishing the spring run of shad on the Delaware River.

 

Wading 3 feet from shore & 3' deep.  Ken is upriver & behind me as I cast out & down river. I feel odd So I turn around & see a almost submerged 55 gallon drum coming right at me.  Would have did a real job on me in 55 F water.

 

After the near pinned down drowning. I now have a skipole STRAPPED to my left wrist all the time & wear a FULL 200 mph flotation vest. They are huge.

 

Maybe I can wake up some of you to the dangers to wading fishing............VERY VERY addictive. 

 

That little creek I found out had killed others in the same way, with feet caught in large boulder gaps

 

Another time I walked out on a stepped 300' long ledge that created a long still 300' long pool the full length of it. Loads of Smallies. BIG smallies. Walking a nd catching fish. UNNGGH. I slip & land FLAT on my back on the green slime. I can not breath or move. White clouds in the sky. If I slid into the 3' pool. Stunned ?

 

I did not die again.  FRIGGIN LUCK means a lot when fishing alone.

 

I Have had some close ones in 77 years

[BigSkyBasser]

Drop Shot is a sure fire way but when it comes to deep rocky rivers it turns into a snag-filled nightmare. Use the long skinny drop shot weights. I also love Rattle Traps and deep cranks just as much. Just depends on the kind of river, but once you get the hang of that area; It's a blast!

[5fishlimit]

You can never go wrong with grubs.

[jjconnaire]

go on youtube a search Kayakbassfishing channel.  Jeff Little is the name of the guy who runs it, he is an guru for river smallie fishing.  He runs his own homemade bait company called Confidence baits. (www.confidencebaits.net)  He has a whole bunch of videos on winter, spring, summer, and fall river smallie patterns.  I used to fish rivers often for smallies, however I most recently inherited a nice aluminum boat and I my GF happens to have a house on Candlewood lake in CT, which is #34 in Bassmaster top 100 lakes so its hard to beat. However I do think river smallies fight better then lake smallies. Plus its nice to wade.  Good luck

[FunkJishing]

USE THE TUBES

[fishinMichigan52]

Worms work

[scaleface]

Craws .

[WdyCrankbait]

If you are a bookstore take a look at the latest BassMaster magazine, there is a good little article in there about smallmouth fishing.