Best Tactics For Small River Smallies?

[Jtrout]

There's a small river about 40-50 feet wide by my house and I've caught one little small mouth there and was wondering what u guys think I should start out with to try to catch the bigger ones. There's downed trees, curves, bends a bridge two parts of the river go into one. Any info would be helpful! Thanks

[HoosierHawgs]

Finesse jigs and weightless stick baits have caught small stream bass for me this year. Double Indiana blade spinnerbaits have caught some as well. Finesse casting jigs w/a twin curly tail caught the biggest ones for me this year.

[B-Dozer]

try a fly rod with a olive woolybugger

[MassBass]

Spinners!

[Bluebasser86]

Shakyhead with a small craw around those outside bends and laydowns. Walk a Sammy as fast as you can at the bottom of the riffles at the head of the deeper pools. 

[smalljaw67]

Target eddies, the larger fish will have prime feeding areas and in small flows eddies are going to be the best spots. There are a number of things that will work, I'd go with a 2.75" or 3" tube or a 4" fluke jr. as the bait in that river isn't going to be big but keep it simple. When fishing the tubes or other bottom contact baits, try to use the lightest weight you can use that will still hit bottom but won't just go straight down like a rock, it will also help keep you free from snags.

[Catch 22]

JT,I used to wet wade a river just like you described.  The smallies were nuts over 1/4  & 3/8 spinner baits.As mentioned ,eddies and break water objects seem to be the best spots. The long deep pools never seemed to hold much ,as least in the summer. Don`t know why 

Tubes  did well too.

Loved to fish there on the weekends. The local canoe company would  drop off many inexperienced  boaters  and at one particular fast rapid bend, they would upset and the girls would often emerge  without their tops. Didn`t bother the smallies though,I could cast right behind the  canoes and catch them.

C22  

[mrmacwvu1]

Jerk baits tubes and spinners for me

[fisherrw]

I've used a panther Martin and that's a god lure for river smallmouth smeared with some pro cure thred fin shad

[fishinMichigan52]

Try a hair jig you customism it colors good luck tight lines

[scaleface]

Texas rigged craws are what Ive done the best with. Top waters work well . Night fishing is good in the summer. 

[Scott F]

Texas rigged craws are what Ive done the best with. Top waters work well . Night fishing is good in the summer. 

 

Night fishing a small stream is something I'd never even consider. Being able to see breaklines, shallow structure, and overhanging branches is so critical, I don't know how it would even be possible in the dark. No to mention trying to wade in the dark.

Summer time is the best time. While smallies are heading deep in lakes in summer, they are always shallow in small streams. Just have to find moving water which is cooler and  has more oxygen and the smallmouth will be there. I don't like crankbaits in small streams. They are hard to work moving downstream and the streams themselves are often so narrow you can only cast straight up stream or down stream. Weightless Senkos, in-line spinners and topwaters are my 3 favorite small stream baits.

[scaleface]

Night fishing a small stream is something I'd never even consider. Being able to see breaklines, shallow structure, and overhanging branches is so critical, I don't know how it would even be possible in the dark. No to mention trying to wade in the dark.

Summer time is the best time. While smallies are heading deep in lakes in summer, they are always shallow in small streams. Just have to find moving water which is cooler and  has more oxygen and the smallmouth will be there. I don't like crankbaits in small streams. They are hard to work moving downstream and the streams themselves are often so narrow you can only cast straight up stream or down stream. Weightless Senkos, in-line spinners and topwaters are my 3 favorite small stream baits.

I walk the rock bars , wade and even take midnight canoe trips.  Its no more difficult than fishing lakes. I think the small river I do this on is  perhaps a little larger than the ones your fishing.

 

I also dont use cranks very often .

[cyclops2]

Smallies are great sight feeders.  Let out while floating. About 70' of line. then do the retrieve. DO NOT WALK OR CAST !!  Treat them like spooky small stream trout. 

 

Enjoy

[fishinMichigan52]

How deep is it clear water

[fishinMichigan52]

How deep is it clear water

[Amarley]

Tubes

[brgbassmaster]

My aunt has lived on a small river in Michigan like youbdescribe for about 15 years now. I have fished every in of that river for 4 miles up and down stream and the baits that have produced for that long are always poppers,white spinnerbaits, strikeking 1/8ounce buzzbaits and spro bbz shad swimbaits. Bass are usually in the 2-3lb range. But have caught a few 5lbers and 1 6lber. I love smallie stream fishing.

[Ozark_Basser]

Jitterbug at night in the summer. Fast floating jerkbaits worked fast is my favorite in the daytime during summer. Jigs all year round.

[ChrisWi]

My aunt has lived on a small river in Michigan like youbdescribe for about 15 years now. I have fished every in of that river for 4 miles up and down stream and the baits that have produced for that long are always poppers,white spinnerbaits, strikeking 1/8ounce buzzbaits and spro bbz shad swimbaits. Bass are usually in the 2-3lb range. But have caught a few 5lbers and 1 6lber. I love smallie stream fishing.

what river would this be?

[RHuff]

 Lots of rivers in southern WV that hold Smallmouth Bass. Any type of Floating Minnow, Jerkbait, or small spinner will work well. Believe it or not I've also caught some good sized fish on small buzzbaits and topwater in the summer. 

[Ron Kruger]

I use a lot of baits, because I guide and fish a lot, but the best of all for me for decades has been a 1/16 Road Runner with a curlytail grub.

[BigSkyBasser]

If you can find a good deep ledge on one of the bends to toss a lipless crankbait that best mimics the forage then it's a sure fire way to slam the big girls! I fish the Clark Fork all year long and we fish only drop shot and lipless cranks. I'm sure a a jig with a fat craw trailer would be great as well. Just depends on the present conditions. Good luck!

[HOG727]

1/4 ounce football  head jig, smallie beaver trailer,  match colors to crawfish living there,  pumpkin/watermelon great place to start, 10 lb fluorocarbon line with bait caster,  fish it very slow with plenty of pauses in the deepest holes/  The question was for big fish. and i had fished a stream dozens of times catching hundreds of nice fish.  When i switched to the jig I started catching the monsters that lurk deep.

[Mainebass1984]

1/4 ounce football  head jig, smallie beaver trailer,  match colors to crawfish living there,  pumpkin/watermelon great place to start, 10 lb fluorocarbon line with bait caster,  fish it very slow with plenty of pauses in the deepest holes/  The question was for big fish. and i had fished a stream dozens of times catching hundreds of nice fish.  When i switched to the jig I started catching the monsters that lurk deep.

 

I would fish a jig. When its not iced over I fish a river near me a lot from my boat. It maybe 15-20 feet wide. I have had great luck with a craw imitating jig and trailer.