how do i find smallmouths when....

[rookiesmallmouther]

i been fishing as much as i can now but the weather has been too nice that i catch nothing! clear blue skies in this spring season over at the rum river dam in Minnesota were my wood shop teacher told me was a great place for smallies. i went to a large "pond" connected to the Mississippi witch the rum river flows into not too far away. i fished but had no luck for some large-mouths. i later then drove to the rum river and it got a bit late around 7:30 sunset but my second cast (in-line spinner) landed me a 3 pound smallie! after a few more cast it got dark then i snagged and left to buy some tubes at gander mountain. so far the next few trips were nice days. one of these days was hot but the skies had a few small clouds just enough that you wouldn't call the day a clear sky day and that's when i was catching pikes! just a few tho small size. from there on out all the days i go happens to be nice clear sky days and i have had no luck! i throw everything in my tackle out there! cranks, in-line spinners, tubes, plastic lizards, and i get nothing! all my success so far has been fishing above the dam were the water is calm and just today the water was pretty shallow about knee to waist deep only. so what i'm asking is how do i fish in these conditions from what i have just explained? i have fished below the dam in the faster waters but doesn't look like anything is there. should i try going on a cloudy day? what days should i try going? what other lures and techniques should i try? i have fished around logs in the water but around those spots are pretty shallow and i mostly just get snagged. were and how do i locate were the smallies are? its the rum river dam were i have been fishing for smallies and i mostly fish above kind of close to the dam were it over flows and pours down. thanks for helping and taking time to read and answer my question. i just want to become a better bass fisherman

so far from what i have told all i have caught this year so far are

1 small-mouth bass

3 small northern pikes

1 very big pike that cut off my monofilament line :'(

please help me improve my list :-/

thanks again for answering

[Dwight Hottle]

Keep trying. The high pressure bluebird sky might not be the problem. Since your water temps are still pretty cold you may be a little early. This time of the year the smallies are moving from wintering  areas to transitional feeding areas adjacent to spawning areas. They can be moving from deep to shallow & back again. Keep tring the area your shop teacher told you about. Try jerk baits like floating rapalas, husky jerks , etc. It probably not your lure selection but lack of fish where your fishing. If you can talk to some other fisherman from your area maybe they can help point you in the right direction regarding location of good spots.

[acmaul13]

One tip I can offer would be to locate pockets of slack water that also have faster water flowing into or around it.Smallies have the tendency to locate in these kinds of areas this time of year in my experience.Hope it helps ya.

[rookiesmallmouther]

Keep trying. The high pressure bluebird sky might not be the problem. Since your water temps are still pretty cold you may be a little early. This time of the year the smallies are moving from wintering areas to transitional feeding areas adjacent to spawning areas. They can be moving from deep to shallow & back again. Keep tring the area your shop teacher told you about. Try jerk baits like floating rapalas, husky jerks , etc. It probably not your lure selection but lack of fish where your fishing. If you can talk to some other fisherman from your area maybe they can help point you in the right direction regarding location of good spots.

not sure about water temps believe me "GLOBAL WARMING" the temps here in minnesota has been pretty dang high actually higher than what it should be on averege i mean like right now in MN in the spring im wearing shorts outside and idk its just warmer than what should be from what i can tell..... last year around the same month and day like now and even later into april from last year i can go out on the river at Taylors Falls and have my tip top guide frozen with ice! but now it just will never happen because the climate for us has changed drasticly 8-)

wearing jackets last year all through april and now this year wearing shorts and t-shirts all through april!

o yea and im not sure but my shop teacher LOVES!!!!! fishing he has told me the rum river is very good for smallmouth bass from shore since im a shore fisherman so i dont think lack of fish is the problem as well

[Frog Turds]

dude you are knowingly targeting smallies and other game fish out of season here in minnesota, not cool!! >

[rookiesmallmouther]

dude you are knowingly targeting smallies and other game fish out of season here in minnesota, not cool!! >

pretty sure you are too.

im fishing whitebass open continuously in minnesota but im catching smallies and pikes

well whatta ya gon do? cant control what i catch right?

[Frog Turds]

pretty sure i am too? thats where your very wrong scumbag. unlike you, i'm a true sportsman & abide by the rules. that means not targeting gamefish out of season. you admitted going for smallies as well as others.

if the MN DNR see's that your throwing lizards as you say, tubes and cranks. their not going to buy the whitebass excuse. hope you get nailed and they confiscate your gear on top of the fine.

you should be banned from this site imo. you've confessed to targeting species out of season. i don't believe that coincides with the ethics of BR.

[rookiesmallmouther]

pretty sure i am too? thats where your very wrong scumbag. unlike you, i'm a true sportsman & abide by the rules. that means not targeting gamefish out of season. you admitted going for smallies as well as others.

if the MN DNR see's that your throwing lizards as you say, tubes and cranks. their not going to buy the whitebass excuse. hope you get nailed and they confiscate your gear on top of the fine.

you should be banned from this site imo. you've confessed to targeting species out of season. i don't believe that coincides with the ethics of BR.

i hadnt confessed. all i have been doing is targetting whitebass which are open continuosly and cranks, lizards, tubes, inline spinners, and even topwater can catch whitebass, whitebass are pretty similar to bass in general they can be caught using the same methods as you would fishing for smallies but hey if i catch a smallie its not my fault because like i said theres no way i can control what i catch

[Frog Turds]

no, white bass are not quite fished the same way as LM or smallies. you don't throw tubes & lizards for whitebass and depending on the cranks as well. the MN DNR knows this & aren't idiots. its up to their discretion whether they believe you are or are not targeting gamefish. they'll see right through that bucket of bull your trying to sell.

you wrote this;

i fished but had no luck for some large-mouths ~

its the rum river dam were i have been fishing for smallies

the above you wrote is confessing to targeting these species.  seriously, who you trying to kid here?

[rookiesmallmouther]

no, white bass are not quite fished the same way as LM or smallies. you don't throw tubes & lizards for whitebass and depending on the cranks as well. the MN DNR knows this & aren't idiots. its up to their discretion whether they believe you are or are not targeting gamefish. they'll see right through that bucket of bull your trying to sell.

you wrote this;

i fished but had no luck for some large-mouths ~

its the rum river dam were i have been fishing for smallies

the above you wrote is confessing to targeting these species. seriously, who you trying to kid here?

awwww u got me! but do you see how easy it is to lie... i can simply be a rookie thinking a lizard can catch a whitebass and i read somewere online that had a description of some tubes and it even says that it can catch smallies LMB and whitebass! this is why the rugulation cant work! you just cant keep people targetting out of season fish and even if you can there are always excuses and like i said for the thousands time YOU CANT CONTROL WHAT YOU CATCH!!!!!! if they tell me to fish a new place they cant because i have the right to fish were i want for WHITEBASS open yearly!!!!! even if i havnt actually caught one i can still keep TRYING!!!!!!!!!!!

[Frog Turds]

i guess you missed the sentence where i said its up to their discretion. if they feel your targeting gamefish or not. regardless of what you have to say. what part of that don't you understand?

also this was told to me by the mn dnr. that if an officer feels what your throwing(lures) that is geared towards and/or highly likely to catch gamefish, your in the wrong and will be ticketed.

you know exactly what your doing with illegally fishing for smallies and other gamefish out of season. theres nothing to respect about that.   

[rookiesmallmouther]

i guess you missed the sentence where i said its up to their discretion. if they feel your targeting gamefish or not. regardless of what you have to say. what part of that don't you understand?

also this was told to me by the mn dnr. that if an officer feels what your throwing(lures) that is geared towards and/or highly likely to catch gamefish, your in the wrong and will be ticketed.

you know exactly what your doing with illegally fishing for smallies and other gamefish out of season. theres nothing to respect about that.

i dont care shoot ill bring all inline spinners and cranks that i use for whitebass even those paddle tail swimbaits catch whitebass these 3 lures i used last year for whitebass and they all 3 work (i just started smallie fishing this year by the way)! but guess what!!!! they catch pikes and smallies too so what are you gonna do? im sure when a officer looks in my bag and sees tools scale camera inline spinners some decent size cranks and some small paddle tail swimbaits all what i used for whitebass last year he'd be fine with it. live bait? i can still catch smallies with it just cant control what will take it! i can simply be carp fishing or something. so your telling me if i was an officer and i came along and you were fishing whitebass with inline spinners and i see you catching a smallie on "ACCIDENT" i then take all your gear boat and car and fine you even if you are targeting whitebass not smallies, you are going to accept what i just did to you?

[Frog Turds]

its up to their DISCRETION. they've seen it all & have heard all the lame excuses just like yours a billion times.

you just may find out the hard way. i hope you do, cuz your purposely breaking the law, targeting out of season species and you know it!! thats what makes you a scumbag and far from respectable as a sportsman. i'm done wasting time with you.

[rookiesmallmouther]

its up to their DISCRETION. they've seen it all & have heard all the lame excuses just like yours a billion times.

you just may find out the hard way. i hope you do, cuz your purposely breaking the law, targeting out of season species and you know it!! thats what makes you a scumbag and far from respectable as a sportsman. i'm done wasting time with you.

didnt even answer my question about you being in the situation which only means you know im right all you can do is repeat yorself over and over again in denial that im right

:P :P :P :P :P :P :P

[Glenn]

Sounds to me you are intentionally breaking the law, with the hopes of talking your way out of a conviction.

We at BassResource DO NOT condone such activity!  >

This thread is closed.