I’ve cast into a confined area in a creek that is about 10-15 ft deep but I’ve never had any luck, is it possible they’re holding bottom?

[Ohioguy25]

The spot I fish has a tight bottleneck rapid that flows into slower moving current and I always catch fish in the 3-5 foot slack water on the other side of the current seam just below it. A little bit further down from that (about 15-20 ft downstream) it really drops off into a hole that is around 10-12 deep feet. Do you think there are almost definitely some monster smallmouth in it? I’ve cast into the area dozens of times and got nothing, is it possible they are just holding bottom all the time? What is the best way to fish them in there w live minnows? I’m thinking I’ll need some kind of weighted rig but I don’t want to get snagged. I just caught some really big creek chubs I’m excited to use there, hoping to awaken a beast!

 

Here is the spot, the hole I fish is at about 3 seconds and the deeper spot comes into frame at about 4/5 seconds in

 

https://kapwi.ng/c/mh5A2BoZ

[Catt]

Quite possible they ain't there ?

[Ohioguy25]

15 minutes ago, Catt said:

Quite possible they ain't there ?

Don’t crush my dreams!

[Catt]

46 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Don’t crush my dreams!

 

It's called reality ?

 

Just because a spot looks good to us doesn't mean the fish will like it.

[Tennessee Boy]

I agree with @Catt.  Sometimes fish just don't know a good spot when they see it.  It's almost like they can't read a lake map.

[Catt]

4 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I agree with @Catt.  Sometimes fish just don't know a good spot when they see it.  It's almost like they can't read a lake map.

 

I've wasted more time fishing spots that looked good to me.

 

I've also caught tons of bass on spots that had me scratching my head.

 

@Ohioguy25 I ain't saying they ain't there cause sometimes it's about timing. They could be there when you ain't!

[Ohioguy25]

4 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

I've wasted more time fishing spots that looked good to me.

 

I've also caught tons of bass on spots that had me scratching my head.

 

@Ohioguy25 I ain't saying they ain't there cause sometimes it's about timing. They could be there when you ain't!

Well I’ve never fished the bottom was my main point, wouldn’t that be different than fishing the top 1-2 ft of the column?

[Catt]

2 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Well I’ve never fished the bottom was my main point, wouldn’t that be different than fishing the top 1-2 ft of the column?

 

I never leave a spot until I've fished the entire water column ?

[GaryH]

15 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

I never leave a spot until I've fished the entire water column ?

Bingo.....

[Spankey]

You probably don’t want to hear this but give them something different to look at. 
 

Fish a light T-rig, Mojo, or split shot rig with a small 4”-5” worm. Weed less with a 1/0 or 2/0 straight shank worm hook or a Tru-Turn Hook. 
 

RoboWorm straight tail or curly tail, maybe a Yamamoto kut tail, PW, something on that line. 

[Ohioguy25]

53 minutes ago, Spankey said:

You probably don’t want to hear this but give them something different to look at. 
 

Fish a light T-rig, Mojo, or split shot rig with a small 4”-5” worm. Weed less with a 1/0 or 2/0 straight shank worm hook or a Tru-Turn Hook. 
 

RoboWorm straight tail or curly tail, maybe a Yamamoto kut tail, PW, something on that line. 

Lol you always respond suggesting lures, I will make the transition eventually but now is not the time to learn a whole new system. 

[Spankey]

10 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Lol you always respond suggesting lures, I will make the transition eventually but now is not the time to learn a whole new system. 

I know a bit late in the year to take on a new approach. But when you are ready worm fishing is pretty simple and hard fishing it wrong. Enjoy the time you have left in the season. 

[Ohioguy25]

27 minutes ago, Spankey said:

I know a bit late in the year to take on a new approach. But when you are ready worm fishing is pretty simple and hard fishing it wrong. Enjoy the time you have left in the season. 

Yeah. I’m still enjoying live bait, I like catching it and the idea of a predatory fish eating another large fish alive.

[Ohioguy25]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

 

I never leave a spot until I've fished the entire water column ?

Are there usually big fish in deep holes after current?

[J Francho]

Jeez dude, ply the spot, no bites, move on.  It's called fishing, not catching, for a reason.  For as many spots I felt like had fish, that actually did, there were untold numbers more spots that did not.

[Catt]

11 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Are there usually big fish in deep holes after current?

 

Usually?

 

There's a lot more to it that just depth changes.

 

Fish the entire water column & then move on!

[Fishingmickey]

4 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Don’t crush my dreams!

It is quite possible that the fish in your creek relate to current. It brings the food to them. No current in the deep hole, no food there? The deep hole maybe a resting/suspend place for them when they aren't on the feed. 

FM

[Ohioguy25]

23 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

It is quite possible that the fish in your creek relate to current. It brings the food to them. No current in the deep hole, no food there? The deep hole maybe a resting/suspend place for them when they aren't on the feed. 

FM

I thought all smallmouth relate to current? Why does everyone say to target the deep holes?

[J Francho]

51 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Why does everyone say to target the deep holes?

Because the likelihood of a deep hole having ANY species of fish is much higher than an shallow riffle.  It isn't a guarantee, which I've noticed you often look for.

[WRB]

Fish can find seams in the current where faster water meets slightly slower water creating a seam with very little current although the water looks like it's moving fast.

The obviuos current breaks are boulders and eddies where fish hold facing the current flow that can be the opposite direction of the main current. Deep holes may be the home of a big catfish in lieu of a big bass. If a big bass is living there it patrols it's entire domain seeking prime spots that bring prey with the current.

Tom

[Ohioguy25]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Fish can find seams in the current where faster water meets slightly slower water creating a seam with very little current although the water looks like it's moving fast.

The obviuos current breaks are boulders and eddies where fish hold facing the current flow that can be the opposite direction of the main current. Deep holes may be the home of a big catfish in lieu of a big bass. If a big bass is living there it patrols it's entire domain seeking prime spots that bring prey with the current.

Tom

So if I’m not catching it in the spot I’ve been fishing it’s unlikely it’s just sitting in the hole?

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

Because the likelihood of a deep hole having ANY species of fish is much higher than an shallow riffle.  It isn't a guarantee, which I've noticed you often look for.

I don’t want guarantees I’m trying to learn

[WRB]

Look at the deep water as a pool. The head of the pool is where the faster current is emoting into the slower moving pool water and the tail of the pool is where the current excellerates again leaving into shallower water. Most of the prey caught in the faster moving water is located at the head of the pool where it mixing with slower moving water. Pool heads are your best areas to find feeding predators followed by the tail end. The pool mid section is usually a low activity zone.

You want the prey to enter with current unweighted or with a split shot. Any bass that sees it will strike if interested.

Tom

[MassBass]

Oftentimes in small rivers the initial presentation into a key pool has to be perfect. If the initial presentation goes afoul the fish will spook or get shy/wise. For example if your first cast into the pool is a hack lob that hauls in a branch, be prepared to move on and then come back later for a better presentation.

[Ohioguy25]

3 hours ago, MassBass said:

Oftentimes in small rivers the initial presentation into a key pool has to be perfect. If the initial presentation goes afoul the fish will spook or get shy/wise. For example if your first cast into the pool is a hack lob that hauls in a branch, be prepared to move on and then come back later for a better presentation.

Yeah my first cast is usually a free lined shiner, no weight or bobber let it swim until it is hit. I usually catch 2-3 right off the bat.

[gall]

So in my experience sometimes the deepest water isn't always the go to. Some stretches I fish literally maybe a half a foot change is a big deal for smallies like others said they do weird things. You could try dragging a tube with a heavier weight the goofe tube etc would prevent snags. Or the slider heads a few companies make also would work.