Do you feel like smallmouth fishing has gotten progressively worse over the last couple years?

[Ohioguy25]

It seems it has gotten exponentially worse since Covid saw a huge influx of overnight fishermen. 
 

Even just a couple of years ago I can remember being able to confidently do a float and expect to catch a minimum of 10-12 fish, with at least one or two of size.

 

Now I have trips where I have trouble even finding dinks, it’s getting really frustrating.   The river I fish has (had) a pretty healthy population of good sized smallmouth.  I have seen people post in our local Facebook group about keeping trophy sized fish, do you think it is more likely they are being depleted or simply learning not to hit lures from the pressure?

[Swamp Girl]

7 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

 I have seen people post in our local Facebook group about keeping trophy sized fis

 

Yikes! #freethefighter

[Ohioguy25]

52 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Yikes! #freethefighter

Yeah dude infuriating. 

[TnRiver46]

I’d probably just give up forever 

[Steveo-1969]

Location Location Location

 

 I’m experiencing just the opposite in the river I fish. The last 2 years have been better than the previous couple years because my smallmouth population is improving.

[Ohioguy25]

9 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’d probably just give up forever 

Never lol, just wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar

[TOXIC]

I can only comment on where I go and have gone every year for 20 years.  Same dates, same lake (Lake St Clair).  We’ve had good years, bad years, mediocre years all mixed in.  There’s sooooo many factors that play into it that make it totally untrackable.  I guess you could look at your local DNR studies which may include electro shocking and see if the population is down. 

[TnRiver46]

Since we’ve already blamed hungry fisherman just trying to survive, I say we blame weather next 

[Spankey]

I’ve seen Mother Nature put a smack down beating on my river. But it will rebound. Locations on the river might change but there is where ya have to work to figure it out. Flash floods have been my biggest problem. 
 

Over a long course of years I’ve seen it be cyclical over time. 
 

I’m not trying to be funny or joke but I bet this happens to you. Right now the fishing is off for you whatever reason I don’t think it’s because a few guys are catching some. Keep fishing and your slump will break. You’ll get back to catching some nice ones. These dink feast days will be behind you. 
 

Maybe fish a different body of water for a few time out and then revisit your river. 

[Ohioguy25]

2 minutes ago, Spankey said:

I’ve seen Mother Nature put a smack down beating on my river. But it will rebound. Locations on the river might change but there is where ya have to work to figure it out. Flash floods have been my biggest problem. 
 

Over a long course of years I’ve seen it be cyclical over time. 
 

I’m not trying to be funny or joke but I bet this happens to you. Right now the fishing is off for you whatever reason I don’t think it’s because a few guys are catching some. Keep fishing and your slump will break. You’ll get back to catching some nice ones. These dink feast days will be behind you. 
 

Maybe fish a different body of water for a few time out and then revisit your river. 

Yeah it’s frustrating 

[Spankey]

Dude, I don’t know you. Wish I did. Things will alway work out for you. You are a die hard. You came a long way in a short time with the smallies. You will catch a lifetime smallie in your waters. It will happen. 

[Ohioguy25]

4 minutes ago, Spankey said:

Dude, I don’t know you. Wish I did. Things will alway work out for you. You are a die hard. You came a long way in a short time with the smallies. You will catch a lifetime smallie in your waters. It will happen. 

Thanks buddy, appreciate the encouragement!

[bowhunter63]

Missouri has gotten a little better 

[Swamp Girl]

19 minutes ago, bowhunter63 said:

Missouri has gotten a little better 

 

Heck, yeah!!!

[Tackleholic]

Smallmouth are the hardest fighting and slowest growing.  100% catch and immediate release would receive my vote.

[Susky River Rat]

I fish an extremely high pressured river most the time. I think every year comes with its challenges and you have to adapt. Sometimes it’s moving to a different stretch. Sometimes it’s hammering an area longer. With anything I think it’s timing. I think what’s making it harder for me this year is water level and for awhile colder then average temps. Fishing memories is ok to do as long as the produce new ones. Don’t get hung up if they aren’t producing. 

[Jleebesaw]

Seems like it's been consistent where I fish. Some years are better than others, but overall consistent. I mostly fish a couple of big water bodies though. Lake champlain and the st lawrence. They are big enough that fishing pressure probably isn't as much of a factor. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

On 6/7/2023 at 9:42 AM, Ohioguy25 said:

It seems it has gotten exponentially worse since Covid saw a huge influx of overnight fishermen. 
 

Even just a couple of years ago I can remember being able to confidently do a float and expect to catch a minimum of 10-12 fish, with at least one or two of size.

 

Now I have trips where I have trouble even finding dinks, it’s getting really frustrating.   The river I fish has (had) a pretty healthy population of good sized smallmouth.  I have seen people post in our local Facebook group about keeping trophy sized fish, do you think it is more likely they are being depleted or simply learning not to hit lures from the pressure?

Ran across this guy on the Duck River in middle Tennessee couple weeks back. He was fishing live crawfish under a float and keeping the smallies he was catching. Broke my heart. There are so few already that I sometimes go all day without a single brown one but I won't fish livebait just to catch one.

[gim]

15 hours ago, Darnold335 said:

I think what’s making it harder for me this year is water level

The river I normally fish in midsummer is directly related to drought the past 3 years now.  Very low levels have definitely affected the quality of the fish size present.  And it appears to be headed on that same path again this summer.

 

The lake I target them in has not seen a decrease in population or trophy sized fish.  But its become tougher because of clear water and pressure.

 

I joined the Mille Lacs Smallmouth Alliance last year.  Its a conservation group that is made up of guides and local semi-pro bass anglers that promote catch and release of smallmouth in Mille Lacs lake.  "Free the Fighter" is their slogan.  Luckily, I don't personally know anyone that specifically targets smallmouth to harvest them.  Everyone is after walleyes for that purpose and I hope it stays that way.

 

It takes a smallmouth (and a largemouth) about 10 years to reach trophy caliber size here in the north - 5 pounds/20 inches.  Not a renewable resource by any means.

[TnRiver46]

47 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Not a renewable resource by any means.

They reproduce so they are indeed renewable. 80 year old trees are a renewable resource 

[gim]

39 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

They reproduce so they are indeed renewable. 80 year old trees are a renewable resource 

You're correct.  If you harvest 1 every 10 years then they are renewable.  Or one tree every 80 years.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

You're correct.  If you harvest 1 every 10 years then they are renewable.  Or one tree every 80 years.

Guess I’m over the limit! I’ll let you know when they become extinct 

 

the biologists say I can have 5 a day 365 days per year as long as they are over 18”,  But what do they know???

 

lucky for all of us, bass lay lots of eggs every year and trees drop lots of seeds every year 

[Jleebesaw]

10 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Guess I’m over the limit! I’ll let you know when they become extinct 

 

the biologists say I can have 5 a day 365 days per year as long as they are over 18”,  But what do they know???

 

lucky for all of us, bass lay lots of eggs every year and trees drop lots of seeds every year 

I agree within reason. I wouldn't think too highly of anybody keeping a limit of any species ever day though. Lol. I'm not going to knock someone who likes to keep some fish to eat. I get several limits of crappie every spring. Right in the middle of their spawn. I don't know about population density of different species, but it seems to me that, other than during the spawn, crappies are harder to find than smallmouth bass. During the summer I can always catch a bass or 2 at least. Usually several. If I try to catch crappie post spawn, I rarely find them. Yet nobody bats an eye at killing and eating 200 of them a year. I think responsible harvest of them is fine. 

[gim]

23 minutes ago, Jleebesaw said:

Yet nobody bats an eye at killing and eating 200 of them a year.

I haven't kept a crappie in ages.  And the only time I specifically fish for and catch them is right before or during their spawn.  They all go back to complete the reproductive process.

 

The Smallmouth Alliance I joined was largely responsible for turning Mille Lacs into what it is today.  For years, they lobbied to have the bag limit as only 1 fish over 21 inches, and they were successful for about a decade.  They are the primary reason there's so many large, old smallmouth in that lake.  The population was protected from harvest until the bulk of it reached maturity.

 

The smallmouth that @TnRiver46 targets are not the same age as the ones here.  Fish grow much faster in the south than they do in the cold waters of the north.  Our lakes are locked in ice for 5 months out of the year and there is no growth.

[Ohioguy25]

19 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Guess I’m over the limit! I’ll let you know when they become extinct 

 

the biologists say I can have 5 a day 365 days per year as long as they are over 18”,  But what do they know???

 

lucky for all of us, bass lay lots of eggs every year and trees drop lots of seeds every year 

I thought like 99% of the fry don’t make it?