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?

[Scott F]

Smallmouth will often hold in deep pools and it could even be a spot they stay in all winter.  But it isn’t a feeding area. When they feed, they’ll move up near or in the riffle, feed, then move back deep. During the winter, in a wintering pool, they’ll lay almost dormant stacked up like logs but won’t bite at all. Warm, sunny afternoons, some of those fish may feed again, near the deepest water but seldom at the bottom of the pool. Then again, they are fish and don’t always do what we think think they should be doing.

[Ohioguy25]

4 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Smallmouth will often hold in deep pools and it could even be a spot they stay in all winter.  But it isn’t a feeding area. When they feed, they’ll move up near or in the riffle, feed, then move back deep. During the winter, in a wintering pool, they’ll lay almost dormant stacked up like logs but won’t bite at all. Warm, sunny afternoons, some of those fish may feed again, near the deepest water but seldom at the bottom of the pool. Then again, they are fish and don’t always do what we think think they should be doing.

Well that’s kind of a bummer lol. But that makes them easier to find. How do people still catch them in slack water so often?

[Scott F]

4 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Well that’s kind of a bummer lol. But that makes them easier to find. How do people still catch them in slack water so often?

Smallmouth cannot live full time fighting current. The spend very little time actually in it. They find slack water eddies which can be identified by the current breaks. They tuck in behind and between rocks, or logs waiting for the current to bring food to them. Probably 70% of all the river smallies I’ve caught were in the eddies right next to faster current. In slower water, they’ll cruise flats and be scattered. 

[Ohioguy25]

20 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Smallmouth cannot live full time fighting current. The spend very little time actually in it. They find slack water eddies which can be identified by the current breaks. They tuck in behind and between rocks, or logs waiting for the current to bring food to them. Probably 70% of all the river smallies I’ve caught were in the eddies right next to faster current. In slower water, they’ll cruise flats and be scattered. 

So it’s not worth casting anywhere without current nearby?

[Scott F]

20 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

So it’s not worth casting anywhere without current nearby?

I didn’t say that. If you are wading for example, covering water, you are moving relatively slowly.  Fish all the water you can, just don’t spend a lot of time fishing low percentage spots. Stop and spend more time on those eddies and current breaks where you are more likely to find feeding bass. 

[Ohioguy25]

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

I didn’t say that. If you are wading for example, covering water, you are moving relatively slowly.  Fish all the water you can, just don’t spend a lot of time fishing low percentage spots. Stop and spend more time on those eddies and current breaks where you are more likely to find feeding bass. 

Gotcha, makes sense. I usually kayak, so I can cover a lot of water that way. Like you said I cast all over but spend a good amount of time at those current breaks.

[ajschn06]

On 11/2/2020 at 6:44 PM, Ohioguy25 said:

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.

That doesn’t sound like fishing to me....

[Ohioguy25]

8 hours ago, ajschn06 said:

That doesn’t sound like fishing to me....

That’s kind of out of context lol, I normally fish the hole 20 ft upstream on the current seam and I consistently pull 10-12 smallmouth out of it. Nothing huge but some solid 15-18” chunks.

[J Francho]

17 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Nothing huge but some solid 15-18” chunks.

Sounds more like catching than fishing

[Ohioguy25]

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

Sounds more like catching than fishing

Well before I was injured it was only one of many spots along the stretch of river I kayaked. Now that I’m confined to crutches unfortunately I can’t cover any water so if I’m gonna be fishing you better believe I’m gonna optimize my catching! ?