So I've been actively fishing for smallmouth in a narrow river with very little success

[Arobb2012]

Get a thermometer to check the river temps. Do a google search for little miami river water temps also. The lmr,gmr and the mad river should all be in the mid to high 50's right now. 

Lure wise i would try some 4 inch fluke style baits. Rig them weightless and toss them into rome rapids and work them with some rod tip twitches into slack pools of water just out of the rapids. A 3-5 inch white grub on a 1/8 - 1/4oz jig head drug on the bottom is a killer bait choice now too. 

Lastly don't rule out too water either. Buzzbaits,spook type baits and poppers  will be productive too. 

[Ohioguy25]

On October 24, 2016 at 0:56 PM, Drowning A Worm said:

I don't believe it's the baits that you are using, it's the time if year. The hottest days of the year in July-August will be your best action. Especially in a drought. You can catch them on anything during those time periods. Already look forward to next smallie season. Good luck and tight lines

Interesting, really? I was always told hot sunny weather makes for bad fishing.

[Some tissues]

In August when the water was low the smallies were Like catching bluegills

[Drowning A Worm]

4 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Interesting, really? I was always told hot sunny weather makes for bad fishing.

A lot of times in lakes and ponds that's very true, but for some reason river smallies turn on in hot weather. Caught my 3 biggest smallies in 95 degree + weather.

[Ohioguy25]

9 hours ago, Drowning A Worm said:

A lot of times in lakes and ponds that's very true, but for some reason river smallies turn on in hot weather. Caught my 3 biggest smallies in 95 degree + weather.

 

13 hours ago, Fish yeeter said:

In August when the water was low the smallies were Like catching bluegills

d**n now I'm REALLY pumped for next summer 

[Some tissues]

16 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

 

d**n now I'm REALLY pumped for next summer 

Same I hope the water level stays low 

[Ohioguy25]

On October 26, 2016 at 10:47 PM, Drowning A Worm said:

A lot of times in lakes and ponds that's very true, but for some reason river smallies turn on in hot weather. Caught my 3 biggest smallies in 95 degree + weather.

Should I not even bother going out on the river Sunday or Tues? Weather is gonna be relatively warm, I believe low 70s sun and high 70s Tues, but water will still be colder than in the summer.

[Some tissues]

13 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Should I not even bother going out on the river Sunday or Tues? Weather is gonna be relatively warm, I believe low 70s sun and high 70s Tues, but water will still be colder than in the summer.

I'm going to the river to get some smallies but it's been cold recently I'll let you know if its yeay or nay

[Ohioguy25]

2 minutes ago, Fish yeeter said:

I'm going to the river to get some smallies but it's been cold recently I'll let you know if its yeay or nay

Cool. What part of the LMR do you hit? I'm hoping it's still decent, my kayak is coming tomorrow.

[Some tissues]

4 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Cool. What part of the LMR do you hit? I'm hoping it's still decent, my kayak is coming tomorrow.

I fish the fox river in Illinois but sounds like the weather is about the same 70s to 60s

[Ohioguy25]

3 hours ago, Fish yeeter said:

I fish the fox river in Illinois but sounds like the weather is about the same 70s to 60s

I looked that river up, it's WAY bigger than the Little Miami. Here's a pic of the LMR for comparison

Wouldn't the temperature's effect on fishing be much different?

[Some tissues]

3 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

I looked that river up, it's WAY bigger than the Little Miami. Here's a pic of the LMR for comparison

Wouldn't the temperature's effect on fishing be much different?

Yeah the water temperature for the larger river is going to drop a little slower 

also the fishing was slow only a few dinks 

["hamma"]

River smallies are different then their lakebound brethern, The bite can turn on in a river when the bite on a lake is dead. Current and its direction/speed seems to rule and you need to be attentive to it. Temps will also dictate their location, beit a deep pool, or eddy on a straight run. This time of year I will locate them with either a small 1/8 oz spinnerbait, or a small crappie type  squarebill crankbait on a light action rod. Then pick them apart with a jighead and small plastic.  The air temps, and faster moving fronts in Fall will give you a headache, if you try to "figure" whats going on in a river. Best bet is to go, fish, have fun.

 You could miss the best bite of the year at home, sitting on the couch, thinking the fish are in a slower bite mode. For as far as smallies go? in a river? anything can happen. anytime of year, under any conditions

[Some tissues]

1 hour ago, "hamma" said:

River smallies are different then their lakebound brethern, The bite can turn on in a river when the bite on a lake is dead. Current and its direction/speed seems to rule and you need to be attentive to it. Temps will also dictate their location, beit a deep pool, or eddy on a straight run. This time of year I will locate them with either a small 1/8 oz spinnerbait, or a small crappie type  squarebill crankbait on a light action rod. Then pick them apart with a jighead and small plastic.  The air temps, and faster moving fronts in Fall will give you a headache, if you try to "figure" whats going on in a river. Best bet is to go, fish, have fun.

 You could miss the best bite of the year at home, sitting on the couch, thinking the fish are in a slower bite mode. For as far as smallies go? in a river? anything can happen. anytime of year, under any conditions

Lol so in the end it's just a Wild card

["hamma"]

river smallies in the fall?,..yeah pretty much

[fishwizzard]

Went after some small river smallies myself today.  The river is question has a dam that has about a 3/4 mile pool with a deep and rocky bottom, then a series of riffles/cutbanks and long silty bottomed runs.  There are several spots with large rocks that form good deep pools.  Today I fished 3" senkos/stickos, both weightless and with a pegged 1/16oz bullet weight.  Caught a few small SMBs and a few smaller redbreasts.  I switched up to a J5 jerkbait and caught a few more super tiny Redbreasts, like fish barely larger then the lure.  

This spot usually produces a good number of small (8-12") SMBs and good sized Redbreasts during the spring/summer/fall, but the bite has slowed a ton.  I am not even seeing the larger fish I usually do.  Where are the bass hiding when it is low and cold? I almost never fish the pool due to it getting a ton of pressure but maybe they have moved there? 

[Hubercatman]

I'm not an expert by any stretch but some things I learned this year in my first year that has been successful.  Got a few 15" smallies and a lot of LMB as well.  

 

- match the hatch:  fish what the bait fish look like in your body of water you're fishing.  you will catch more fish using that strategy.  not to say you will only catch fish using that but you will be more successful.  an example is using a silver or white inline spinner if shad are in your river.

 

- know your quarry:  one thing I learned when reading the biology of bass is that bass have been seen feeding on fish that are up to 50% of their size.  I always was afraid to go too big.  also, as theyou mature their diets change.  Fry go from feeding on bugs and critters to mostly other fish when mature.  

 

- fish what's different:  you will catch fish in open water but you get lucky when that happens.  fish anything in your body of water that is different.  ANYTHING.  if you notice it's uniqueness so does the fish.  

 

-confidence is key: as crazy as it sounds your confidence shows in how you fish.  if you are impatient and full of doubt you aren't fishing as effectively as you could if you fished with confidence.  do or do not, there is no try.  

Also I'll echo the sentiment of losing the swivel.  it may be easier to put new baits on but I've found (especially with spinners) it messes with the aerodynamics of the lure.  you might be slow tying at first but you get faster with practice.  at the beginning of the season it took me forever to tie a palomar knot.  now I can bust it out in 30 seconds.  

 

Also, line selection is more key to what your fishing with and the hazards than the size of the fish you're after.  if your in open water and casting spinners you can get by with 4lb test.  fishing jigs in rockpiles you need high test or braid.  I caught a nice 15" in the GMR on Sunday using 4lb test on a popper.  but I switched to my 10 lb test pole when hitting hybrids with my heavy half Oz jig/swimbait with hard jerks.  

Finally I'll say bring multiple poles.  I bank fish currently and I have a pack that I can have 2 prerigged poles in and carrying a third.  each has a purpose and different use.

 

Tight lines!

[Turkey sandwich]

Fall can be a headache to pattern sometimes, but when you get it, it's maybe the best time of the year for size.  There is a ton of good information on this thread already, but man, KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Trying to get into anything too complicated will only make learning more difficult.  A  7' Medium power fast action spinning rod spooled with 6-8lb mono is a great, inexpensive start.  For now, just leave the swivels at home. Learning how to fish basic techniques/lures like inline spinners, 4" grubs, tubes, poppers, jigs, and Crankbaits will pay dividends because you'll catch fish when you find them, and because you're going to learn a lot of the more advanced stuff as you get better.  Also, especially now, start keeping a journal. Note the conditions at the time if each catch (best you can) and include weather (including the week leading up) depth, location, water level, lure/presentation, and any other basic details you can.  Once you start collecting your own data and learning patterns, you'll be better able to figure out or even eliminate a lot of tough days and have more fun on the water.  Good luck!

[TheRodFather]

I have been doing really well on the Ned rig in small rivers near me, DO spend the money on the Z-man TRDs because they are so buoyant that the plastic stands up, and that's what the fish like IMO.  DO NOT spend the money on the special shroom heads, a 1/8 ball head jig with a 2/0 hook can be bought for 25 bucks for 100 (unless you don't mind spending the bucks on the shroom heads).  Rig some up, superglue the plastic to the ball head, and that thing will last as long as you have it tied on, or you snag it and break off.

In early spring I started with the rebel craw, as the summer went on, Hellgrammites on very light jig heads were the ticket.  Now the Ned rig is my go to.  Paddle tail swim baits have been working pretty well, usually catches the bigger fish.

Regardless, I have had the most luck drifting into the bass.  Casting upstream gets me snagged the most, so use the lightest jig you can, keep the rod tip high and keep the bait light on the rocks.  Casting perpendicular to the current and giving little hops that swing it down current works well too.

Rarely will I catch fish consistently retrieving against the current.  It's just not natural to the fish I think.  Oh, and I have had much better results on the Mepps inline spinners VS Rooster tails, I remember when I was a kid, using the rooster tails, they often stopped spinning.  The Mepps rarely do that.

 

[Spankey]

I love your thread. Been keeping an eye on it. You've been given a lot of great advise. 

I hate to see you get discouraged, hope you don't. 

I take it the fish are there. That's The most important thing. This is what I'd do if I were you. Maybe this is for next season. When you go out only take 4" power worms, grubs and some tubes with you. You don't need a ton of stuff. The right colors. Email me about that or repost about some decent colors. Leave all the other stuff home. Learn to rig the above mentioned baits. These baits will make you fish slow. Very very slow for real. These baits will keep you in contact with the bottom. You'll learn the water you are fishing. When things are slow go this way. I'm not trying to be a kcid by telling you to leave your other stuff home. Just saying this will force you to fish slow. You'll have to. You won't have anything else to tie on or resort to. Youll fish what you brought or go home and I don't want to see you go home. You'll become a better fisherman that way. Than at some other time down the road do the same thing with some spinnerbaits. Than crank baits.

You probably think I'm crazy but I'm serious as a heart attack. I'll bet you land more fish. 

[TheRodFather]

8 hours ago, Spankey said:

I love your thread. Been keeping an eye on it. You've been given a lot of great advise. 

I hate to see you get discouraged, hope you don't. 

I take it the fish are there. That's The most important thing. This is what I'd do if I were you. Maybe this is for next season. When you go out only take 4" power worms, grubs and some tubes with you. You don't need a ton of stuff. The right colors. Email me about that or repost about some decent colors. Leave all the other stuff home. Learn to rig the above mentioned baits. These baits will make you fish slow. Very very slow for real. These baits will keep you in contact with the bottom. You'll learn the water you are fishing. When things are slow go this way. I'm not trying to be a kcid by telling you to leave your other stuff home. Just saying this will force you to fish slow. You'll have to. You won't have anything else to tie on or resort to. Youll fish what you brought or go home and I don't want to see you go home. You'll become a better fisherman that way. Than at some other time down the road do the same thing with some spinnerbaits. Than crank baits.

You probably think I'm crazy but I'm serious as a heart attack. I'll bet you land more fish. 

I agree, about halfway through the summer I started primarily using baits that drag or hop on the bottom, only exception was a swim bait here and there like I mentioned before, but even still I would let that hit bottom then swim a bit, then back down.  I found that I was getting much more consistent catch rates than I did the first half of the season.

[king fisher]

In my  opinion for the size of river you are fishing, an inline spinner  fished with a light to medium action spinning rod, and four to six pound test line would be the ideal combo to start with.  Inline spinners will catch any species of fish,  in small riffles, runs, and pools.  Can be cast upstream and retrieved straight down, or swung across the current.  Even retrieved  straight upstream  paused and dropped back into likely spots can be an effective way to fish them.  I prefer Vibrax or Mepps in size 3 most of the time but other brands, in smaller and larger sizes work great too.  There are times when a Panther Martin will significantly out fish any other blade.  I will go against most of the advice here and recommend a size appropriate swivel for the inline spinners.  Any one that tells you an inline wont twist your line has never fished all day with a  spinning rod tied to an inline spinner in fast moving water.  You can use a barrel swivel and a leader if you are worried about a snap swivel keeping the blade from spinning at slow speeds.  I have fished inline spinners in rivers for everything, from blue gill to king salmon and have never had trouble with the action  while using a quality snap swivel of appropriate size for the  lure,  line combination. ( the swivel in your picture is way to big and will have a dramatic effect on the way it spins.)  With the exception of spoons, I wouldn't use a swivel with any other lures.    Tubes and jigs, would be better for deeper holes with little to no current.  Floating Rapalas, small crank baits, swim baits, and many soft plastics may be better lures to use once you find the depth and current the fish are holding in.  Many times I have found fish in small streams covering water quickly with an inline spinner, then tied on  every lure in my box trying to find a more  effective offering,  Switched back to the spinner finding it was the best producer. 

[fishwizzard]

I have messed with pitting a swivel in-front of my inlines but it is hit or miss if it kills the slow speed action.  I fish them all the time for white perch and and with a spinning reel using light braid w/ leader I have never noticed any line twist to speak of.  I did throw some larger inlines with a BFS combo and it got line twist very badly however. 

When I was messing with swivels I found that these Decoy ones worked great for attaching right to the lure.  However, even the "small" isnt really that small and is too much for less then an 1/8oz spinner.  

[jr231]

I second the spinner. I like Mepps black fury. They have yellow/green/pink/orange. 

Yellow and orange are where it's at.  

I caught a big channel cat on a #5 silver blade white skirt though. 

[Hurricane]

On 10/24/2016 at 8:28 AM, OddChase said:

The Ned rig might be the answer to your problem if there are smallmouth in the area that you're fishing. The Z-Man Finesse TRD and Finesse ShroomZ jig head are all you need. If your river has a lot of current try the 1/10 oz size head but I prefer a 1/15 when the water is a little more calm. Keep colors simple - green pumpkin and junebug. Depending on the size of smallies, you can also consider getting a pack of the Turbo CrawZ; have not been able to get mine wet due to the fact that the river smallies here are just too small. 

Here's the Ned Rig BR resource.

Tight lines

Exactly what i use....