Fishing Mountainous rivers !!!HELP!!!

[Dalton Tam]

I'm from Louisiana but my family owns some land near Buffalo River. I have tried fishing the Buffalo for smallies before but didn't have the best of luck. We plan on going up there in the next couple of weeks so I thought I'd bring a fishing pole or two. Can anyone offer some advice on fishing the buffalo river? If you fish the White River and have any info. to spare it may be useful too since they are similar.

Thanx,

Dalton

[retiredbosn]

I grew up fishing river smallies, they are addicting. Fall they should be heavily feeding on minnows and craws, if the craws are still active. 1/8 ounce jig head with a single tail grub, green pumpkin, or smoke, double tail grub in green pumpkin or a brown to imitate a craw. Throw up stream and reel it back, keep the single tail off of the bottom, bounce the double along the bottom. On the double's many times I'll texas rig them with a 1/4 ounce bullet weight, less hang ups, also a paca craw works well. Grub sizes four inch, another trick to try is if the fish are not hitting the above, take your double tail and rig it so that the tails are vertical, then fish it like a regular single tail grub. Good luck.

[Dalton Tam]

Thanks for the advise!! Sounds like you know what you're doing.  What pound line do you suggest in that clear water?  I know it needs to be small in diameter but in those rocks I'm worried about it getting abrasions and being cut?

[retiredbosn]

either 6 or 8 pound Yo-zuri Hybrid, breaks at 12 diameter is .10 and the hybrid has the added benefit of light refractive properties of floro and is very hard for the fish to detect.  Good luck, you will catch a few.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Look for seams in the current and current breaks like rocks and logs. Also check the tail end of pools and around any islands. Good luck!

[NWA-Bronzebackslayer]

I live near the Buffalo and own property on the War Eagle. I also fish the White River, and the Kings. I am somewhat new to the Bronzeback world but i love it. The Buffalo and the rivers out here hold a lot of nice size Smallies. I fish alot i use Watermelon or Pumkin tubes, crawdads and lizards. You cant' beat them, River Smallies are the only way to go. If you have any questions about the Northwest Arkansas Fishing just drop me a line, i will try to help.

[iceintheveins]

I fish Colorado's Yampa River, which is a steep dropping canyon river filled with big smallies. In fall, rivers are at their lowest of the year and clearest (unless a recent rainstorm has been through). I like fishing deeper areas with cover, especially rocks. The more rocks and more current breaks, the better. In the evenings, smallies will be in water barely deep enough to cover their backs feeding on crayfish.

I like natural crayfish colored tubes and grubs with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce heads. In really slow areas a 1/16th ounce head can be best. Medium sized crayfish or baitfish colored cranks, 1/4 ounce spinnerbaits, senkos, and inline spinners round out my repertoire, but don't forget buzzbaits, prop baits, and poppers for topwater bites. I would go with low vis 6 - 8 pound test mono or copoly.

[GRiver]

I live on a river with a lot of smallies, and I use craws this time of year on a 1/4 foot ball jig, but agree with retiredbosn, Texas rigged with bullet weight will save ya  a lot of gear if they are hitting them...good ole  green pumpkin worm works here too in NC.