Skunked again

[topwater.va]

I went out to the new river again today in Montgomery  county and Radford.  I can never seem to get a bite there.  I throw everything in the Tacklebox, but nothing bites.  There water was really up today, and the current was quite fast.  I dont know if that had anything to do with it, but I really want to get a bronzeback soon before the school year is over here at VT.

So what I am asking is what does everyone look for when they go out for smallies from the bank.  Do you look for pockets behind rocks where there are current breaks or what?!

Also what types of baits are you throwing.  I was trying mainly tubes today with some jigs thrown in there.

Also is it easy to tell when you have a bite, because whenever I cast out I always get the little ticks of it jumping over rocks and into little crevices in between rocks and mud and such.

Any help is much appreciated because like I said I want a smallie, and with the New River possibly being the best smallmouth fishery in virginia I would say that I have pretty good chances.

Thanks.

[chris090981]

Try a 3 inch swimbait .. Storm or berkley ! You don't need the real expensive ones ... A 5 pack for $3.50 outta do the trick .. Try a rattletrap as well .. I say swimbait and rattletrap because it will be easier to reel up hill and not get snagged !

[newriverfisherman1953]

Yeah, I fished below the Little River Dam Friday and didn't get any action.  Usually get some white bass there this time of year. 

[Crestliner2008]

Make sure you focus on current breaks - any time of the year. Don't just haphazardly cast to open water. Reverse flowing eddies and moving water along any backwater sloughs can hold them as well.

If you are really hurting to tied into a smallie this time of the year, spend your time casting an 1/8 - 1/4 oz. in-line spinner, like a Mepps, Roostertail, or Panther Martin. Yep, you'll loose some. If not, you're not fishing in the right places. You'll get bit, sooner or later though!

If you have some time on your hands, probe every nook & cranny of any productive area you find, with a 4" Senko, texas rigged with a 2/0 EWG worm hook, on 6# test fluorocarbon (just put a small, quality crane swivel (like a Spro PowerSwivel) about 2' up your line to prevent line twist). The spinner will find active bass quickly. The Senko is what you use once you find them, in order to maximize the number of strikes you get. JMO.

ps : If you try the spinners, put a quality ball bearing tyep swivel up ahead of it, about 2' up on your main line. If you are pleased with the results you get with this set-up, switch your main line to 4# test Fireline Crystal, with a fluoro leader. You'll be even more pleased that you did. 

[Md]

If the water is "REALLY UP", you're better off staying home and waiting until it clears up some and nears normal flow. That's when it is often the best for river smallies. 

[rookiesmallmouther]

crestliner2008 and Md are both right. i have found that doing what they said worked for me (i was told the same thing from my teacher who showed me the river) yes inline spinners like sonic roostertails work for finding active bass and it can cover alot of water fast! i like the sonic roostertails for murky water or low light conditions that way the colorodo blade cause the vibration better than a typical willow leaf blade i mean cmon the sonic blades causes enough flas just like the willow leafs but why not give it an extra edge with vibration also! anyways i found that when theres current your best bet is to cast diagnal upstream and reel in while the lure weather its a inline spinner or crankbait or tube flows down stream with the current while adding the tube twitch for action or other things like that. bass usually wait for food to drift down to them thats why it works. so far this year my best bet was the inline spinners for some reason but yea and for even a more edge on a lure i buy a high end scent like Bio-edge fishing potion with the crayfish scent, its very good scent to use but it comes in a 2oz bottle so i just boil some water wrap a vassilene container in foil and boil the vasilene til it melts and becomes a liquid pour the Bio-edge in stir it up and frigerate it til its back to a gel form. this will make the scent stay on lures longer and makes for more use.