What is the science behind larger smallmouth being so difficult to catch in the summer?

[cyclops2]

I am better. The Bay is into FULL fall feeding !!   ?

[The Maestro]

I'm not sure but smallmouth are notorious for being "here today gone tomorrow".  Staying on those fish is challenging to say the least. Even top tournament guys who really know how to use their electronics struggle with it on multi-day tournaments.

[A-Jay]

35 minutes ago, The Maestro said:

I'm not sure but smallmouth are notorious for being "here today gone tomorrow".  Staying on those fish is challenging to say the least. Even top tournament guys who really know how to use their electronics struggle with it on multi-day tournaments.

Yup

And hacks like me stand No Chance.

#brownghosts

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[The Maestro]

13 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Yup

And hacks like me stand No Chance.

#brownghosts

Fish Hard

A-Jay

I've seen the videos. You do pretty good when it comes to big smallies. I on the other hand....

[cyclops2]

Drive out to the welL KNOWN rocks in Lake Ontario. The ones all PRO BASS EXPERTS USE FOR limit catches.  There is usually no great knowledge needed.  Week ends can look like a major bass boat sale going on.

[slonezp]

Going to do some local river smallie fishing this weekend. Weather like I've had in Chicago as of late would mean off shore fishing up north. Going up north in 2 weeks. Hoping to get out and fish and not just go apple picking with the women.....

[Spankey]

On 9/4/2021 at 6:54 PM, MickD said:

I have not found any smb that was too fat and slow to chase a swim bait.  

I’m also shooting down any theories of movement, speed, too fat and energy theories because I’ve caught many of my nicer fish, Smallies and Greenies on reaction baits.  In the summer and early fall. I’m not a scientist or a biologist, not gonna start to be one now. Just gonna fish hard and try to find them. Sometimes that picture perfect piece of structure doesn’t produce fish regardless of how long or hard you fish it. Only to drift down 50 yards to a lone branch sticking up and you run your Shad Rap through it a few times and nail an 18” Smallie or Greenie. That’s fishing. 

[Tatsu Dave]

On 9/4/2021 at 12:22 PM, Sphynx said:

That's definitely true, add in a tube and it's almost cheating too

Yesterday a swimming craw tube was all I could catch them on, terrible conditions w/ water 1 1/2' higher than last week, dead weed clumps 3-4' across and tons of algae floating everywhere. Water so dirty that visibility was about a foot, all I caught was 4 SM and one pickerel before the next front blew in. Craw imitators especially in tube form can be a day saver..........just ask me.  Fish hard  Dave

[gim]

Not sure when this thread morphed from river smallmouth fishing into lake smallmouth fishing.  Many large rivers fish more like lakes but for purposes of this thread, I believe the OP was referring to a relatively small river, not one like the St Lawrence.

 

I fish a small river in midsummer most years several times and July & August are by far the most productive periods because of the warmth.  When I lake fish for smallmouth, its very difficult in midsummer.  My most productive period in lakes for brown bass is pre-spawn.

 

The river is at its best when the water is warm.  Like bathtub disgusting warm.  They usually locate around some sort of current or current breaks.  A little depth helps, but not necessarily required.

 

Unfortunately this river was too shallow to float even with a jon boat that can go through 2 inches of water this season because we are in the worst drought since 1988.  I hope to for better conditions next season to get back out there...

[cyclops2]

River dropped 2 feet,  by spawning time.  All types of shallow water fish moved to strange spots.  Water levels are dropping again.  Due to lack of Great Lakes rain and winter snow.

 

I found them sort of grouped up on a point of rocks. Both up & down river sides.

[Sphynx]

5 hours ago, Tatsu Dave said:

Yesterday a swimming craw tube was all I could catch them on, terrible conditions w/ water 1 1/2' higher than last week, dead weed clumps 3-4' across and tons of algae floating everywhere. Water so dirty that visibility was about a foot, all I caught was 4 SM and one pickerel before the next front blew in. Craw imitators especially in tube form can be a day saver..........just ask me.  Fish hard  Dave

Our dam quit pulling water the way it has all summer, so I'm having to find new spots that have sufficient bank access, I managed to snipe a couple of dinks in close, but there is far too many scrub brush plants and trees to work with that spot right now, kind of a bummer. 

[cyclops2]

Right on Sphynx !  We are changing Because the fish must relocate.  For 100 years it was perect.

 

 All this climate changing ?  I think it is all the countries  Military WEATHER LABS    screwing up badly.  They have to test their ideas.  So they continue to have a job & pension.  So someone locked us into a pattern that is disastrous.  How to correct it with more GUESSING ?

[Tatsu Dave]

Oh its alright! We just change with the new patterns and reset, I'm simply going to a lake close by and avoid the highwater, dead weeds, and new upper bank fishing in bushes. Right now however a cell of huge storms are nearly on top of us so a little more water to help with our "drought" conditions. 

 

Fish gotta eat, plain and simple.........I just have to work some productive waters that aren't so level effected like anything with river in its name right now. Thats what I do, adapt and overcome. If I wasn't on a tight time period left to fish I would just take a break but.......instead FISH HARDER! I'll be ready to pull out Friday for a change of pace, deep water and hopefully some big smashers waiting for my lures. If you guys wern't so far away you could go with me ?

[cyclops2]

Went to a old faithful up river point. With tiny white rubber tube on a # 8 hook. Snagged for 3 seconds.  The then a HUGE  SMB starts to move slowly.  4# line. I lip her.  She could go into a pro bass weigh in.  

 

   No   I did not kiss her.  No mask on either of us.  ?

[TnRiver46]

22 minutes ago, cyclops2 said:

Went to a old faithful up river point. With tiny white rubber tube on a # 8 hook. Snagged for 3 seconds.  The then a HUGE  SMB starts to move slowly.  4# line. I lip her.  She could go into a pro bass weigh in.  

 

   No   I did not kiss her.  No mask on either of us.  ?

Atta boy 

[WRB]

The science is simple smaller big bass population density vs abundant prey available during the summer period.

During the spawn we can see the big bass and know they are there. What happens next is those big bass disappear with only a few caught during other seasonal periods.

Big bass don’t get big by making mistakes, they have learned to avoid lures and surrounded by abundance of prey to eat.

Tom

[cyclops2]

You have it. They eat & sleep in the school of food.  Kind of like humans in a pizza Parlor ?                             

?

[Big Hands]

On 9/14/2021 at 7:00 PM, slonezp said:

Hoping to get out and fish and not just go apple picking with the women.....

A little insight into your avatar pic?

[PaulVE64]

Last week we went from crystal waters, highs of 80, nightime low of 65 and low water with plenty of cabbage to torrential downpours, highs of 70, nightime low of 50 and fast, high muddy conditions with high winds.

 

 

It might take a week or two to find those smallies again. Regardless,  i will be fishing

1 hour ago, WRB said:

The science is simple smaller big bass population density vs abundant prey available during the summer period.

During the spawn we can see the big bass and know they are there. What happens next is those big bass disappear with only a few caught during other seasonal periods.

Big bass don’t get big by making mistakes, they have learned to avoid lures and surrounded by abundance of prey to eat.

Tom

Agreed. 

I think it demonstrates why my bigger fall bass are usually (i believe) on reaction baits.

[slonezp]

2 hours ago, Big Hands said:

A little insight into your avatar pic?

Al Bundy is the everyman. A dying breed. He's a man we strive to be and don't want to be. He loves his family and hates his family equally. He's brutally honest. He goes thru life just wanting to be left alone. A man who gets up every time he gets kicked to the floor. 

 

[Big Hands]

5 hours ago, slonezp said:

Al Bundy is the everyman. A dying breed. He's a man we strive to be and don't want to be. He loves his family and hates his family equally. He's brutally honest. He goes thru life just wanting to be left alone. A man who gets up every time he gets kicked to the floor. 

 

[cyclops2]

Know when you can not  B S   the fish .............of ALL sizes on your fish finder.  My finder was FILLED with all sizes suspended for a 1/4 mile by a 1/2 mile !!   NOT A BITE. I checked the finder by running in & out of the MOB of fish. Different depths. Works fine on all adjustments............Hundreds ? thousands of ALL sizes filled the screen for 2 hours. 

What is going on this year ?   No idea. I went shore line fishing  with 1.5" Rapalas on 4 # line. Caught 4 to 6" perch & 1 Rock Bass. I spooked schools of tiny baitfish.   I came in.

[cyclops2]

Went out today.  Very few suspended fish.   All gone.

Except 1 huge mama cruising between 2 docks.  She made the day.  lasted 40 seconds on 4# . ?

[Columbia Craw]

Depth.  Smallmouth, if it’s available prefer colder water, clearer water and higher levels of oxygen and security. Bodies of water that have depth provide those elements.

 

A diver was searching for a car that left the road and entered the Columbia River.  He found it in over 70 feet of water along with numerous smallmouth, big smallmouth.

 

Most of us don’t or won’t fish that deep.   In some cases you just can’t.

[cyclops2]

Excellent point Columbia Craw.  We have deep rocky bays along the main channel. I have raced around for over 15 minutes looking for schools of big fish. These fish are USED TO  constant swimming to locate food.   So I do it their way. Run around to find them. Then relocate them as the school moves to the next stop.  Sudden school break ups occur for no visible reason. I blame those break ups to chemical blobs from tankers & freighters as they clean out any tanks.

Some SMB are docile. Others are a well over 5 to 10 minute contest in     OPEN water.  Weeds or snags ?  Why I use crushed barbs on all hooks.  Finding & a hook up are what I enjoy. The rest is not that important to me. I still think I can catch a fish where there are none !!