HOW TO CATCH BROWNIES?

[Dalton Tam]

Aight I'm from Louisiana and I'm used to fishing the merkey swamp waters but I also have a camp in Northern Arkansas along the buffalo river and was just wondering all the different things I'm doing wrong when going up there because I just can't catch them beautiful smallmouth. I use 15 to 20 lb line around here. Are they seeing my line in the clear water? And last, what is the best lure to use in these fast flowing rivers to catch smallmouth?

[retiredbosn]

The biggest mistake I see people make is using to big of a lure and too heavy of a line. I would reccomend dropping the line size to around 8lb test, if you are fishing really fast water try using a 1/4 to 3/8 jig head with a four inch grub tail, or tube, keep the lure low. Also any eddies within the fast water hold smallies, drop a senko or fluke into those, they imitate a wounded or dying minnow. The smallies main diet here are creek chubs and crayfish, any minnow imitator and crayfish imitator work great. A hair jig with a baby paca trailer is a top producer, but really fast water isn't a good place to throw it. By really fast I mean water moving above 10 mph, the type you find in rapids. For slower waters your typical crankbait will work, just go a little smaller in size, jerk baits are awesome. In short there isn't any shortage of techniques that catch smallies, and most mimick the same techniques used for LM. BTW smallies are called Bronzebacks a brownie is a brown trout or a young girl scout,  ;D

[Crestliner2008]

Your line is way too big for smallmouth fishing. Get yourself a 6'6'' - 7' medium action spinning rod with matching 1500 series spinning reel. Load it with 6 - 8 lb. test monofilament. Buy a bunch of 1/8 and 1/4 oz. plain, ballhead jig heads and a selection of 3" and 4" curly tailed grubs (chartreuse, white, smoke/silver flake, green pumpkin, etc..). Rig the tails to follow the bend of the hook. Cast quartering upsteam and let your lure drift downsteam until about the time it starts to swing up. Then reel in slow. You will get bit!

Next - same rig - 4" & 5" Senkos and some 1/0 Gamakatsu weedless finesse hooks. Wacky rig them (center hooked) and present in same fashion as above.

Finally, when all else fails, get a dozen RoosterTail in-line spinners; 1/8 oz. - 1/4 oz. size. Present in similar fashion. One of these three techniques will put plenty of small mouth in your lap.

[Dalton Tam]

Thnx that is very helpful I appreciate the posts. I will be sure to try that.

[bass wrangler569]

Like others said, downsize your line. The heaviest I ever go with smallies is 15lb fluoro when I'm fishing spinnerbaits. Most of the time I use 8lb on spinning rigs and 12lb on baitcasters.