New to Creek Fishing

[AJ Hauser]

Hey everyone,

I'm in Illinois and while I was out with my son on the kayaks in a little creek, I was very surprised to see a whole bunch of smallmouth bass in the water. I went back to fish them the next day, caught 5 and missed 6 (I don't want to talk about it) on an inline spinner and jigworm over a 2 hour period. They were super active. Went again the other day, and I only caught 1 on a jig: I was working the same area with the same baits with no luck. 

 

The water was a bit muddier, and the weather had been HOT. My question is this: 

 

How do these fish move in creeks? There is a river below this stretch I was in, and riffles above so they can't swim upstream. Downstream is deeper but the water is slower and muddier (probably kickback from the river). 

 

Do they hunker down as the water muddies, or gets really hot? Again, on the first day they were out and about all over and hot to trot, next two times, not very active or I was nowhere near them... what do you think?

 

Thanks! Appreciate the feedback, really trying to figure this out and hopefully find a place where I can keep fishing in the fall when the largemouth in my area shut down...

[PaulVE64]

When it gets muddier it tends to push them closer to the bank or structure. They hold pretty tight.

[AJ Hauser]

I'll have to get in closer - thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it. Is there a way that you like to dissect creeks when you're fishing new water? 

[PaulVE64]

for creeks and river smallies I feel that its not as important to break down a specific area as it is to start with a search bait (crankbait, swimjig, topwater) and just locate the fish. Those smallies move with their prey, so you have to find them and then breakdown the pattern (lure type, colour, speed)

on new water i contrast the conditions with what I think looks "fishy". Experience will eventually lead to success  

[cyclops2]

A school /  group of smalls  will chase baitfish forever . Until they eat enough of them or the baitfish can go thru a long enough and shallow enough stretch that the bass can not pass thru. The creeks can & do have cool pools or stretches of dark shade all day. The Minnows  & other small stuff. Eels insects and anything elsethat lives in the safety of SMALL CREEKS ......MIGHT..... have to go downstream in certain water conditions to eat or survive heat or lower oxygen levels  etc.   My town creek has pairs of smalls spawning over a MILE up the creek in the spring.  Higher water more Oxygen warms up very quickly with dark rock all around around in sunlight areas. HUGE male and female pair in a 30 foot pool. They leave after the kids hatch out.

 

Edit...... on rare occasions I have seen a SINGLE bass at a time go long distances up stream for no reason. They are leaned over to get thru the riffles. Did not make sense.  So I followed them to a large pool. Bingo They were forming a large group.  Not feeding on anything. But that indicated that they were going to chase every thing downstream to a massacre pool or open water in the main river to munch on them.

 

 

[AJ Hauser]

Ah, very interesting, both of you! Thank you so much @PaulVE64 and @cyclops2 - I think I need to spend more time exploring the creek. It's beautiful and it is so different from the local city lakes. Those are filled with all sorts of noises that aren't... natural... loud music, motorcycles, kids screaming on the playground - not that it's bad, but it sure is different than going miles up the creek and being surrounded by trees and farmland... and silence. 

 

Dang, this makes me want to go fishing...

 

In terms of seasonal activity - my lakes seem to shut down here in Illinois when it starts to get cold at the end of October, early September - is it different in creeks? Do these areas have the potential to extend my fishing season??

 

Thanks guys, talk soon!

[king fisher]

It sounds like you found a nice little spot.  If no one else is fishing it, I recommend giving it a rest.  Find another couple good holes on the stream, and rotate through them giving each a few days rest.  Hitting a good spot in a small stream to often, only makes it a bad spot.  If other anglers are fishing it, your only option is alternating different presentations with different lures, or fishing off hours or at night. 

[AJ Hauser]

Got it - thank you so much @king fisher - that sounds like a great idea. I will venture ahead and see what I can find to give it a rest for a bit. Have a great weekend!