spring river smallies

[Biglouie]

Living up here in central WI, the WI river temp by me is around 50 last time I checked.  Walleye run has pretty much ended.  When (water temp) do the smallies usually move in and spawn?  We've had really nice weather lately, a week of almost 70's to warm the water.  The water could be up into the low to mid 50's by now?  I talked to a guy who said last weekend, with water temps in the hi 40's to low 50's, they were night fishing for smallies in super shallow water with rocky bottom and did well.  Was throwing floating rapalas.  Seems early to me, but I guess, obviously not?  

[Master_Hunter_1977]

I read an article a while ago and it said that smallies will spawn around 55 degrees.  I believe that there is a section on this website that adress this topic.

Good luck

Scott

[glubke]

I headed out on the Milwaukee river yesterday and i happened to get into them. They where hitting a white twister tail. They are not spawning in the river yet. I think we have about another couple of weeks before they start . Work a plastic bait real slow and you should pick some up.

[Biglouie]

anyone try topwater on river smallies early in the year?  I saw KVD doing this on tv recently but targeting large mouts.

[TheBassDude]

i srsly ned some help with my smallmouth techniques though. it will be rivers with not much traffics, and some deep and sahllow spots. i dont know if the 'flashy epeen' will work as it is about 20 degrees colder where i am fishing.

wut do u guys noramlly use?

[uiubassmaster]

I live in NE Iowa and I went out on the Volga River (a small river that has a mean depth of around 2 to 3 ft.) early this spring when the air temp was in the low 50's.  I don't know the exact water temp (probably in the high 40's - low 50's) and I fished the deepest hole I could find (5-7ft) with a strike king bitsy bug (black and blue) matched with a strike king 3X craw trailer and caught some good numbers of big smallies.  So far, when the water is cold, my go-to baits have been the strike king bitsy bug, a small Rapala countdown, or a Rapal X rap.

[bassnleo]

Allegheny River in PA, we start when the water gets into the 40's, best early bite is when it hits 45 or so. Fish wintering areas with tubes, grubs, jerkbaits.

[topwaterbob]

I fished the Monongahelia river today south of Pittsburgh. I caught two 1 lb. smallies on spinnerbaits. Tried cranks and a topwater chug bait with no hits. The river was high and fast. One hit along the bank almost as soon as the spinner hit the water. The other hit yo yoing the spinner back to shore. The water was moving very fast due to recent rains. The barge traffic was heavy also making it difficult to fish.  Tried white and chart. spinnerbaits. The fish came on chart skirt with gold and silver blades. The weather is going to be stable for about four more days so I will be trying some more top water baits.

Bob