The smallies up here on the Might Mississippi River continue to bite regardless of the conditions mother nature decides to throw at them. Sunday I dodged several lightning filled thunderstorms that rolled through the area at snails pace. Some were severe enough for me to hit the bank in short order to avoid getting struck.
This time of year the smallies are starting their transition period from summertime roaming behavior characteristics to a more tightly schooled and at times a little less aggressive overall. This is the time where covering water until you find a looker or a biter is key. Find one, and you may find a bunch more. In this particular stretch of water, the deeper the breaks right off shore, the better chance of a pack of smallies somewhere along that breakline. As fall wears on, these smallies will gang up in these areas and prepare for cooler water temps ahead.
Rebel Pop-R’s and Buzzbaits have been good for locating fish in short order, but generally I can get one or two fish to show themselves on them and then I pull out the more finesse tackle and try to optimize the rest of the school. Jimmy D’s riverbugs and BFT’s Superdoo heads in the 1/8th and 1/4oz coupled with a YUM Vibra King 4-1/4” tube. Colors on the tubes have been Smoke with Red Pepper and a Dark Grasshopper.
Overall the afternoon/evening bite has faired better, but this past Sunday was completely 180 degrees of that statement. I think this was mainly due to the frontal conditions that were moving in. Typically as the day grows older with high sun, the fish pull tiht up on these steep banks under all the over hangs and brush where the shade is. Pulling 19-20” fish out of a foot of water under all this cover is about as exciting as it gets.
This best bite is yet to come, the next 4 weeks should deliver a very predictable pattern. Patterns and presentations will need to be tweaked on a hour by hour basis, but rest assured the fish are getting ready to feed hard.
Those are some nice fish Steve!
The Smallies down here are still scarce as far as overall numbers. I’m hoping that changes quickly. I’ll move the family north if I have to.
Thanks buddy!
Always room for a herd of Blue’s up here!
Thats what dreams are made of there! Wow! Nice fish!
Great fish Steve, I was out on Sunday too and those storms that rolled in around 12.30 were nothing to mess with, lots of thunder and lightning. Great report. Thanks
WOW!!!!
Your arms have got to be sore from lifting those hogs. With the schools you are on, I think you might be just a cast away from the next state record. 8lbs isn’t too far from the 6’ers you are already bangin’.
Beauty Fish Steve
Thanks for sharing the report and pics. Keeps me going in between times on the water to see such Hoggs
Funny you say that…thats what I tell my wife to let me go fishing each day!!
All kidding aside, I do believe there are some really monster bronzebacks in the Mississippi. State record? My guess is no, only because these fish generally run a bit leaner than there sisters out of Mille Lacs or other inland waters fighting the current all day everyday. The biggest that I have tangled with out of the River thus far is this 22-1/4″+ and about 6-1/2# monster last summer. I never did have the opportunity to weigh it, but that was my guess. Fish over the 20″ mark are more common on some stretches than others. I can count on one hand the amount of 21″ fish I boat a year. Most of the 20″ fish that we catch right now are anywhere from 4-1/2#-5-1/4# is my guess. A true 6# fish is really a big fish. I cannot imagine catching an 8# river fish. Lord only knows that I will die trying!!
Nice report and pictures Steve!! Those are some dandy’s.
If I see you on the River within the next couple weeks I will plan on greating you in my own special way. Spraying a nice wake over you with my new jet boat
Nice fish Steve!
Those smallies are really nice! The first and second pics. are real beauties and i wouldn’t turn any one of them down. Those are some really nice fish.
Nice report Steve.
Those are some great Photos…
wow
wow that is a sow…and so are the rest of them! that is amazing how you consistantly pull those fish. I have to strongly consider having you guide me up there. Those fish are just amazing. My biggest smallie is about 18-1/2 inches and if i got a 22-1/4, i would flip my lid. I have heard though that our pool (pool 8) is not a good producer of those monsters. NIce fish man
bigfish,
We are truely blessed up here at the quality of smallie fishing that exists. I have been to some premier smallie waters over the years and have to say that the Upper Miss is something pretty special that I feel could compete with some of the best waters around. Sunday morning I had a real good bite all the way up until the storm came in around noon. Up to that point, my smallest fish was a shade over the 17″ mark. Some days the average size of the fish continues to surprise me.
The next 3-4 weeks are definately some of the best smallie fishing that the Upper Miss is capable of delivering. This is the time where fish over the 20″ mark put the feed bag on. My Dad has a couple pet smallies under his boat on the dock that are so tame every year at this time that he feeds 18-20″ smallies with his bare hand in about a foot of water. Its something you have to see to believe.
Oh man, forget fishing, when can I go see that? I promise not to bring Briank with. He would probably try to put his tongue in the water for a kiss
Mack,
I agree, its the neatest thing to watch right before your eyes. I bring my 3 yr old little boy to feed them on a regular basis now. I think I get a charge out of it just as much as he does.
Anyone that wants to see a little video clip of this hand feeding taking place, PM me your email address and I will shoot you a little mpeg. When I took this video last summer, there was only one fish that came out and he was only about 17″ and not nearly as tame, but you get the idea. I will get some good footage of the big ones in the next couple days as I will be at my parents place towards the end of the week.
Steve,
SUPER fish and report. wow, those are some dandies. sure do envy you guys that can get out all the time. I’m having a lean summer, and prob more this fall. hope to wet some line soon. Keep those pics and reports a comin’.
Jack….
uffda vertin snickle
Steve’s Smallie Feedin Video
Thanks Mack!
I will get some good ones this weekend and send them to you early next week.
Thats pretty neat Steve, i’d like to see those big ones do that. Nice looking water and bottom too
Steve,you are usaly so careful with your pictures,but that woody house in the back ground is just so inviteing,
those are great fish.
Please keep us updated,and take more pictures close to the shoreline
Great fish as always this time of year Steve. I know you wait all year for this time. Have fun and keep the great reports and pic’s coming.