THE SPRING SMALLMOUTH RUN

I have had a bunch of folks ask me when the spring Smallmouth run usually happens. I had to tell them all I didn’t have a clue. Can somebody help me out here. Lawrence

I didnt know their was such a thing. Basically the water gets warmer and the fish start bitin and sometime in may or early june they spawn.

Yes Steve thats what I’m trying to pinpoint. When they start trashing baits on the wing dams close to the dams. I assume prespawn, spawn. It seems like it is the second week of May. Can anybody pinpoint it closer. I usually hit some 30-40 smallie days in a row. Since we moved into the new house I haven’t been able to find my fishing logs, and with the floods and so many walleye tourneys I’ve forgotten when it is. Lawrence

Ive always heard when the lilacs start blooming but I think its a little bit before then when they just start becoming aggressive enough to chase. Water temp drives it and I would say right around 55 degrees would start it.

Thanks

Mountain Man, I’m not sure about a “run” on Mississippi River bass but on smallmouth in streams a variation of a run does occur. Usually in late April the smallmouth seem to stage at the mouths of smaller streams where they enter a larger river. At this time they are very easy to catch. It seems by the middle of May the majority will be gone presumably heading up the smaller creek. I don’t know if any studies have been done on the migration of stream smallmouths but this phenomonem seems to repeat itself year after year. Since smallmouth season doesn’t open until the first Saturday of May in SW Wisconsin its nice to know that the wardens around this area are aware of this bite and keep the sucker fisherman honest.

If we ever get a “normal” spring I would say the run of pre-spawn smallies will happen in mid-april, when the water temp is 50-55 degrees. With slightly higher water, I focus on any current breaks and pitch light hair jigs or plastics. 3 years ago we hit it perfect and ran in to numerous spots that produced multuple fish.

~~~~alkfish

There is a spring run in the Mississippi it occurs around the first part of May around Power Plants. My experience with the run is very good. One day I caught back to back 22 inch smallmouth. The best bait is usually to use crankbaits around the rocks,or flip a tube bait.

I don’t know about a run??? But the Smallies start to turn on in Mid-April, depending on the weather and water conditions. I know of one spot that they stage in every year and I can go there and catch 50-70 fish in about a three hundred yard stretch. They are only there for about two weeks and then they are gone. I am sure to start making there beds.

I start picking up some smallies at the same time that the walleyes are nearing spawning and it gets continually better until some time in May, depending on the water situation. Some years I’ll catch walleyes, largemouths and smallmouths all in the same general areas. Post spawn walleyes and pre spawn bass.

As far as a ‘run’, I’ve never observed what you would call a run which would indicate a mass movement upriver.

Beav