Newbie Question: River Smallie/Water Temp/Structure

[drakesndrum]

Hello all, relatively new to river smallie fishing, just started this summer when I bought my kayak. Fishing mostly central Virginia(upper James), just paddling upstream a couple miles, then floating back to the ramps. Anyway, I've had good success catching plenty of fish on each trip, some better than others. However I've not found any big fish yet, biggest so far is 14.5". River water temp was pushing 80 still yesterday.  A friend of mine told me 60-70 degree water is primo.

I guess my question for you guys is, do the bigger fish tend to move shallower when the water cools off? I haven't had many bites this whole summer in the deeper holes(can't see the bottom deep), most of my bites have been right along the shoreline in slow moving water around rocks and wood, or in shallow current seams. So I guess what I'm asking is, will bigger bass tend to frequent these types of structure as the water temps drop?

Yesterday was a white fluke bite, caught a better class of fish. Lots of grass and leaves on the surface, found it very frustrating trying to fish a spook. I usually have a spook/plopper rigged, along with a fluke/wacky worm, and either a black jig/Ned rig for the bottom. Also throw small squre-bills on occasion but haven't had as much success on those.

Thanks for any tips, I'm ready for cooler water and weather.

[Kdizzle]

In my neck of the woods, structure like laydowns and stumps in somewhat deep pools always hold the most value in terms of size and quality of fish.  I tend to texas rig Pit Boss's, Chigger Craws, and Strike King Coffee tubes and place a size 7 or 5 split shot anywhere from 6 to 12 inches up the line from the bait and cast into the structure, and reel in slowly while popping the bait every 10 seconds or so.  It produces a ton of fish for me. 

 

Wacky rigged Zman Hula sticks and Yum dingers either weightless or on a weighted jig head always produce for me too in or around cover.

 

Cover is the key for Smallmouth in rivers that aren't what you would call wide, but not creeks either.  The fish are either huddled against the bank or inside some sort of cover or shaded area.

[Manly Studson]

Here in Indiana the smallies like structure—large rocks, gravel bottoms, or felled trees. They like to be next to current so that they can ambush prey in the current. In the spring they are savages, striking everything you throw their way. In early summer they strike fast moving lures. But in the high heat of summer they become lethargic. They’ll still bite, but it has to be a slow presentation (e.g. a jig slowly crawled on the bottom). The fall brings in the top water bite and moving baits again. I have found that jigs with craw trailers work no matter what the season is (except winter). Regarding depth, I’ve found that smallies relate more to current than depth.

[BenjaminNowak]

On 10/10/2019 at 9:28 PM, Manly Studson said:

Here in Indiana the smallies like structure—large rocks, gravel bottoms, or felled trees. They like to be next to current so that they can ambush prey in the current. In the spring they are savages, striking everything you throw their way. In early summer they strike fast moving lures. But in the high heat of summer they become lethargic. They’ll still bite, but it has to be a slow presentation (e.g. a jig slowly crawled on the bottom). The fall brings in the top water bite and moving baits again. I have found that jigs with craw trailers work no matter what the season is (except winter). Regarding depth, I’ve found that smallies relate more to current than depth.

I've found the same.  I also love throwing a squarebill or shallow small body crankbait in the fall.  Lots of time with rivers and small lakes, finding any sort of current breaks will stack fish up and you can catch a bunch of fish in one small area because they're sitting there just feeding up on the bait moving by in the current.

 

Most of the fish up here will move towards the deeper water as the weather cools down, but until then you can catch them dirt shallow around laydowns, shallow rock piles, anything that offers a current break or change in the bottom

[Cam R]

SM love Logs, trees hanging over the water and shade in shallow creeks. Poppers/Whopper Ploppers/Grubs are killer

[Crestliner2008]

Smallies will stage in current breaks and/or breaks to deep water. Tough locating fish from a kayak without a sonar of some sort, but it can be done. (I did it from a small jon boat for many years in my younger days.) Focus on a small section of the river at a time. Eliminate water and remember where the successes occurred. Location is key.

 

When the rivers cool down (as they are now in my neck of the woods) I'd focus on wacky rigged 4" Senkos and blade baits jigged subtly on/off the bottom. You'll get bit.

[Bdnoble84]

I fish smaller streams and I find current to be the name of the game when the water temps rise. Either burning spinnerbaits across riffles/rapids, or working swim jigs, Nero rigs, frogs, ploppers in the eddys, current breaks

[MGF]

My river isn't very large or deep. Current and cover seem to rule but I have to admit to being confused about the whole thing. LOL. I had one day where I spent an hour and a half catching a bass almost every cast in 2 feet of water, mid river, when the sun was high and 90 deg F. There were some rocks (small current breaks) and scattered patches of weeds with a moderate river level/current.

 

Last year I had a day where I made it out earlier than usual. I started with a whopper plopper figuring that I'd change when things slowed down. Again, hot sunny day and they just kept hitting that surface bait.

 

Other times they seem to associate more with obvious current breaks or eddies. 

 

Regarding the small boat/no sonar thing. I fish from a canoe or a 14 ft flat bottom boat. In my river I rarely bring my Lowrance. I can see the bottom or stick a rod tip down and feel it. On most days it's a one way trip because there isn't enough water to motor back to where I started.

[TnRiver46]

8 hours ago, MGF said:

My river isn't very large or deep. Current and cover seem to rule but I have to admit to being confused about the whole thing. LOL. I had one day where I spent an hour and a half catching a bass almost every cast in 2 feet of water, mid river, when the sun was high and 90 deg F. There were some rocks (small current breaks) and scattered patches of weeds with a moderate river level/current.

 

Last year I had a day where I made it out earlier than usual. I started with a whopper plopper figuring that I'd change when things slowed down. Again, hot sunny day and they just kept hitting that surface bait.

 

Other times they seem to associate more with obvious current breaks or eddies. 

 

Regarding the small boat/no sonar thing. I fish from a canoe or a 14 ft flat bottom boat. In my river I rarely bring my Lowrance. I can see the bottom or stick a rod tip down and feel it. On most days it's a one way trip because there isn't enough water to motor back to where I started.

I catch a lot of river smallies in the dead center of the river. People think I’m crazy not casting to shore. You’re right though, it’s almost always summer when it happens. I try it year round

[Bdnoble84]

On 3/1/2020 at 9:46 AM, MGF said:

My river isn't very large or deep. Current and cover seem to rule but I have to admit to being confused about the whole thing. LOL. I had one day where I spent an hour and a half catching a bass almost every cast in 2 feet of water, mid river, when the sun was high and 90 deg F. There were some rocks (small current breaks) and scattered patches of weeds with a moderate river level/current.

 

Last year I had a day where I made it out earlier than usual. I started with a whopper plopper figuring that I'd change when things slowed down. Again, hot sunny day and they just kept hitting that surface bait.

 

Other times they seem to associate more with obvious current breaks or eddies. 

 

Regarding the small boat/no sonar thing. I fish from a canoe or a 14 ft flat bottom boat. In my river I rarely bring my Lowrance. I can see the bottom or stick a rod tip down and feel it. On most days it's a one way trip because there isn't enough water to motor back to where I started.

When the water temps rise, smallies will locate themselves in spots the offer more oxygen, I.e. riffles, faster current areas. There may have been a bait presence u couldn’t see as well.

[MGF]

8 hours ago, Bdnoble84 said:

When the water temps rise, smallies will locate themselves in spots the offer more oxygen, I.e. riffles, faster current areas. There may have been a bait presence u couldn’t see as well.

There was definitely bait. Seeing bait being chased is what got my attention in the first place but the time of the day was still a bit of  a surprise...to me.

 

The same with the other case I mentioned...a surface bit lasting all day when I would expect conditions to stop it by mid morning.