Why do smallies stay on silt bottom areas until the water turns 45 and then start the transition to cobble. At 50 they are roughly 35% on silt and 45% on cobble. When the temp hits 60 degrees what do you think the percentages of silt vs. cobble are? If you didn’t know the first 2 statements you do now. I forgot to mention that right now they are split up on sand and silt, should quite be on cobble for a couple weeks.
Jc
JC,
I’ll swing hard in case I hit it.
“Why do smallies stay on silt bottom areas until the water turns 45 and then start the transition to cobble?”
I would say that the craws come out about 50 degrees around the rock. silt allows for the invertibrate feast.
“When the temp hits 60 degrees what do you think the percentages of silt vs. cobble are?”
I’d say they’d increase to the cobble with some (30%) still on silt.
Thanks -oh, and guess what pulls into the drive way tomorrow morning? That’s right! OTW’s new (used) 520!- 
,
JC,
Well in the context of lakes, and I assume river
backwaters, they cruise there in early spring because the
warm spring sun charges the black bottom with heat, and
that wakes the eco-system from it’s winter sleep. Craws
may be one forage, but pulling a small minnow colored
boot tail grub, on a Spider Slider jig, accounts for
some of the biggest smallies of the year, in these
black bottom bays. Between 58F and 62F I find almost
no smallies in the black bottom areas, and find many
over sand/gravel areas, with scattered wood, and/or
boulders.
Silt areas will be good at times after the spawn, when
insect hatches, like mayflies, occur. The smaller fish
get active on the bugs, and the larger fish get active on
the smaller fish. Also polywogs, holding around scattered
wood, in silt will draw bass. At these times of the year
I don’t note the water temps, but I would bet they are
consistent. I don’t have to check the water, because
when I start picking bugs out of my teeth on the high
speed boat rides, I know it is time to check the Black
Bottom Bay Bar and Grill for feeding activity.
Big Bass Bane
You guys are right on. These areas wake up first. The odd thing in rivers is that many smallies go to these silt bottom areas for wintering. Many are even shallower than most think. Its the fact that the majority use this that gets me thinking. Everyone seems to have problems locating smallies in the early spring and I always see the boats beating up the riprap.. Actually I like it that way. lol
Fact is that on the big muddy smallies typically winter over silt and reasoning must be the minimal current areas are prone to siltation along with being the next primary place to be.
jc
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
