Condition Connundrum

[Preytorien]

My local smallmouth river is....

 

1. Low, and the water's dropping - like....3ft will be a "hole"

 

2. Slow and flow is dropping

 

3. Cool, and cooling by the day - probably in the mid 70's maybe low 70's

 

4. Clear - like whiskey

 

What patterns and techniques should I zero in on this coming Saturday morning?

[Steveo-1969]

That sounds similar to a stretch of river I fish. Right now the water is at a season low (for a mile stretch I can walk all the way across the river and it's about 150 yards wide), it's flowing slow, the deepest areas are only about 3 feet, it's crystal clear, water temp is low 70s and cooling.

 

Last weekend I caught fish everywhere from a foot deep to 3 feet, slow moving and faster moving water.  But the better fish came out of slower "deeper" water. I couldn't put down an 1/8 ounce SK Bitsy Bug jig with Baby Rage Craw trailer.  For a faster presentation I caught some fish on a Keitech Swing Impact as well.

 

I'm so excited to get back out there tomorrow I can barely stand it.  Good luck tomorrow morning!

[Jeff H]

That sounds typical of autumn small river environments everywhere....unless there is above average rainfall in the area.  When they get low and slow I concentrate on the holes and usually do my best at the head end of them.  I like to throw cranks or jigs.

 

This is the only kind of fishing where I use live bait.  Walleye then become a bonus catch on red tails or big Fatheads.

[FryDog62]

I'd consider any crayfish colored plastic (Baby Rage Craw, or tube if you need to go slower) ....  but if you really have some isolated "holes" you want to keep the bite in the strike zone I'd try drop shotting or even a Wacky Worm.