Small River Smallie’n

Haven’t had much time to get out and fish much this summer due to the Ironman training, but am thinking about trying to get out here in the next couple weeks. Thought I’d try something new and hit one of the local rivers for some smallmouth action. Haven’t fished for them before in this setting and wonder what would be a good starting tactic. Basic twister and a jig or stickbait like a Rapala? Figure that be a good a place to start as any. Ideas from others?
Thanks.

Andy

Try some topwater stuff like the Rebel Pop’r or some type of buzzbaits. Very exciting and explosive hits this time of year.

Pop R’s are great plus a few mepps spinners. Torpedos in leopard frog color with a spinner on the back are good here, got alot of smallies on floating Rapalas that come in rainbow trout color that are 2″ to 3″ long. Had smallies hit those Rapalas so hard they break 6 pound line when they hit. All these lures are good and in my tackle box. Its hard to beat the Pop R’s and Rapalas.

I would suggest taking along a few jigs and some tube baits. The smallies just love these.

Hey Lew, great to see you back on here. I know you spend alot of time fishing the smaller rivers for smallies so is there any chance I can talk you into sharing the techniques you use for catching these fish?
Thanks, Bill

Hi Bill,

The very best advise I can give is to recommend that anyone interested in fishing for small stream smallies to search the web for the book “Stream Smallmouth Fishing” by Tim Holschlag. It’s out of print, but you can still find copies.

Fishing for smallies in the streams can be loads of fun. Over the years I have found that I like to take one or two lures that I feel comfortable and confident in and then each year I try out something new or different.

As a rule, I tend to carry jigs to use with tube bates and twister tails. I also like something called a reaper that is a leach-like plastic that is also used on a jig like a twister tail. This year I’ve decided to try a few of the various Rapalas that I have in my tackle box.

I’ve been out three times so far this year and have yet to be skunked. Yesterday the fish I found were smaller, but I was fishing in a branch of the Zumbro that has a lower water level than I had ever experienced before.

I’ll try to put some more information together if there is an interest. I can honestly say that my technics are probably not well suited for real serious anglers or trout fishermen, but they work for me and I usually have a story to share when I come home.

Thanks for askin’ Bill.

Lew \=0 )

The Rochester library has the book that Lew mentioned. I’ve read it – good read.

UG

Fly rodding for smallmouth in southeast Mn has been nothing short of awesome for a few months now.

D.A.

Thanks guys. That book by Tim has to be a very good one as I read alot of his magazine articles on stream and small rivers fishing for smallies. Would more than appreciate any information you guys are willing to share. I always have an open ear as we all need more knowledge about catching fish. This is a great way to get out fishing when you don’t have alot of time to be out [depending on where you would be fishing] and a great way to have some fun.
Thanks, Bill

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Fly rodding for smallmouth in southeast Mn has been nothing short of awesome for a few months now.

D.A.

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I’m with D.A. on this one. Although we weren’t out with the fly rod, we were able to catch fish today.

Very nice fish FishinSmallies! Does that guy with the gray hair ever work anymore?

Unfortunately, yes . Hopefully it won’t be too many more years and I’ll have more days to fish.

Great pics guys. Thanks. Care to share your technique for catching these fish? Not looking for spots just techiques for catching smallies.
Thanks, Bill

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Care to share your technique for catching these fish?

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The nice thing about smallmouth is that they will bite on just about everything. The bad thing is, is that they can be picky from day to day. One day it might be spinners and the next day jigs. You just have to take a variety of lures with you and have the fish tell you what they want. It usually doesn’t take to long to figure out what presentation they want.

I guess this doesn’t really answer your question Bill, but it just goes to prove that they will bite on many different things. You just have to be willing to experiment with a few to find the best one.

Thanks for sharing. Much appreciated.
Thanks, Bill

I’ll chimne in from a fly fishing persepctive. We’ve been using streamers, mainly Zoo Cougars, which are tied to mimic shiners, chubs, and any other small baitfish that are common and prolific on smallie streams right now. The elevated water temps really get the baitfish moving, thus the smallies get going and literally chase down your streamer.

Streamer fishing is really no different than casting a Rapala – we false cast (double haul even for more distance), land the fly, and retrieve it much like spinning gear.

The key is the retrieve. Sometimes it’s straight strips, other times it’s a jerking, bouncing movement, sometimes it takes a retrieve and then a dead stop for them to pick it up. Typically we fish downstream to upstream, but not always. Most of the better fish we’ve caught have been in the bigger, slower water off the edges of riffles and drops. They haven’t been directly up in the fast water as one might suspect.

Standard gear for me is 9′ 5 weight overlinged with 6 weight line (intermedite, so it sinks a bit), a sinking leader and 3x fluorocarbon tippet and maybe some split shot to help get the fly down a bit.

I’m sure the spinner and rapala guys are catching oodles of smallies, but the fly fishers can put up big numbers and big sized fish also.

With the heat and low water, I’ve been doing way more smallie fishing this summer than I have been trout. It’s also pretty simple to pack a fanny pack and wet wade versus wearing waders in 90 degree weather combined witha vest full of gadgets and fly boxes .

Another two cents,
D.A.

Thanks Dave. Much appreciated. Guide business been keeping you busy?
Thanks, Bill

I’ve been free for about a month now, but it will be picking up this month and a few in September.

D.A.

DA….

Yo must have threatened that other guy in the middle of your last three pics with something serious to get him away from trout. Do you suppose he’ll become a convert?

He’ll convert when it’s 90 degrees out and it’s too hot to trout fish. I’ll just keep giving him flies also…. .

D.A.

Once you hook into smallies you can’t help but get hooked. Thanks for getting him out fishing for them Dave.
Thanks, Bill

I would have to say that small tubes in these rivers tend to produce the best size fish. I catch a lot of fish on tubes that are more of a light brown or purple color.