small rivers, streams, and creeks

[rocknfish9001]

Anybody fish these for brown bass? My most productive river is fairly big (st. joe in SW michigan) It averages around 25-30 yards wide, but in some spots is over 50 yards wide. I havent tried little skinny waters for bass before. Like the paw paw river, which is about 10-15 yards wide in most spots, along with many other "rivers" in this size class. Any tips/experiences in waters like these..........

[Munkin]

Try a small spinner and see what you catch? I used to live near a small stream like that but all I could catch were creek chubs.

Allen

[wvubassfan]

I have caught fish over 5 lbs on a creek that was less then ten yards wide. The key is to move slow and not spook the fish out of the holes before you even have a chance to get a cast in. Use the same baits that you would use anywhere else.

[basspro48]

I fish the Rivanna and several other small creeks that yield monster smallies. The key to this kind of fishing is to move slow to avoid spooking fish, to do this I suggest wearing dark clothing, making long casts, wading or floating slowly, and if you are waiting NEVER wade with the current. This is because all of the debris you kick up will be swept towards the fish and it will spook them, always wade against the current. Also, I downsize pretty much everything when fishing small rivers and creeks. I use a 6' Ultralight with 6lb fluorocarbon for tossing small jerkbaits and topwaters. I use a 6'3" Medium action Shimano rod with 10lb fluorocarbon for tossing small tubes, jigs, senkos, and flukes. And don't overlook flyfishing, a 4 weight flyrod and a creek full of feisty brown bass equals some of the best fishing there is.

[Mobydick]

My most productive body of water is the Tuscaroara crick(Juniata County, P.A.) a crick no more than 20 yards wide. Most places are 15 and some of the best places are 10. I fished it all summer using rocket shads, rebel humpbacks, wacky worms, and jitterbugs. I usually average 15 to 20 smallmouth in a few hours. They isn't no little smallmouth either, some of them get up to 18-20 inches, 2.5-3 pounds. It averages 3 foot, some places are 2, some places are 6, there is one hole calles Imes's hole it is around 20 foot.

[ABA CAST CHAMP 2006]

I fish 3 different creeks around here and the main consensus among the smallmouth is that they don't really care how light the line is since most of them are still unfamiliar with a lot of fishing pressure.  I use 12 lb. test fluorescent line on a spinning outfit since me and my buddies have caught a few over 4 lbs.  For topwater lures, a little Sammy knockoff would work wonders as well as the Booyah Pond Magic chartreuse shad buzzbait.  Every now and then they'll go bonkers for smaller spinnerbaits and jerkbaits.  For plastics, texas rigged tubes are probably the best thing going for me, but trick worms, smaller flukes and crawfish pattern baits also work very well.  If we want to catch every kind of fish known and unknown that would hit a lure, then we'll throw little Roostertails in white, black, yellow, firetiger or trout color.  Also, the greatest creek bait of all time usually gets a workout, the 4" Creme Scoundrel "live" color spinner worm fished weightless with really slow horizontal movement and slow fall w/ tiny rod twitches.  The fish don't seem to care what colors we wear so long as we move s-l-o-w.

[roadwarrior]

ABA,

I have read the comment that "line size is not important to smallmouth" in a number of articles and various piblications. So, I am NOT agruing with you specifically, it must be true on some waters around the country, but that has NOT been my experience with live bait and soft plastics. I have no issue with line size or visibility with "reaction" lures, but very specific line diameters have been critical for me and my fishing partners a number of times in both clear and stained water.

I am SO CONVINCED,  I no longer experiment. I fish line diameters of .010" and less.

[Dan:]

My most productive body of water is the Tuscaroara crick(Juniata County, P.A.) a crick no more than 20 yards wide. Most places are 15 and some of the best places are 10. I fished it all summer using rocket shads, rebel humpbacks, wacky worms, and jitterbugs. I usually average 15 to 20 smallmouth in a few hours. They isn't no little smallmouth either, some of them get up to 18-20 inches, 2.5-3 pounds. It averages 3 foot, some places are 2, some places are 6, there is one hole calles Imes's hole it is around 20 foot.

Sheesh, I used to fish the Tuscarora with my grandpa when I was little. We used to catch a lot of rock bass in there. Were do you usually head out from? We used to wade from the covered bridge.

[Mobydick]

I usually fish around the Ebenezer church road, if you know where thats at. And I do catch a lot of rock bass too. I am planning a trip this summer to fish the whole thing.

[zara spook]

My buddy swears by tubes in these small waters. I've used them with limited success but his finesse with the "flip and pitch" is much better than mine...the "twirl and chuck" ;D

[justfishin]

I am right with you on line size RW. For reaction baits you can get away with a little heavier line but, in my experience for smallies---when the water is fairly clear---you better be using #8 test or below. I have proven it a million times with people that fish with me using #12-#14 test. In the rivers its not just the issue of being line shy ( which is something I am not sure about ) but, its the waters current. A smaller diameter affords your line less resistance against the flow and will keep your bait in the current breaks without all of that line bag. I use #8 test 99% of the time. For these small streams I would say the two best baits would be either a 3 1/2" tube or a 4" grub with maybe a small crank thrown in.