With water temps slowly on the decline now, the smallmouth bass bite here on the Upper Mississippi River has kicked into ultra high gear. Big numbers of above average fish is what is showing up on a daily basis now. Lots and lots of very aggressive fish in very confined areas is what an angler dreams about on every outing. The bite does not get any better in my mind if you are looking for bunches of fish with a shot at producing a possible “personal best”. Everyone dreams of having one of those 100+ fish days and we all cherish them for a lifetime….Well heaven is here my friends, we have been fortunate enough to be seeing 100+ fish per day for the last 6 outings now including a 121 fish this past Monday for a years best thus far..
The bite remains very similar to my last couple reports where you can search for fish down a shoreline and once you find a fish, usually there are more where that came from and typically quite cooperative. One thing that has changed in the past week however is I have found fish to be shifted slightly deeper off the break in 7-10 foot of water versus the 4-7 foot areas that have been productive last week. Slightly deeper hard sand adjacent to a shallow quick break just out of the current seems to hold the most fish and often the biggest of the bunch. This is the time of year where anglers at times can have a hard time recognizing these types of spots as they are often not as visual as they are in the summer time with fish often relating to shoreline cover.
Finding these stacked up areas can be found quite easily right now with a few altered techniques that seem to be working for my boat as of late. Fishing finesse presentations somewhat quickly right seems to show fish and this time of year, I am only looking for a fish or a bump and I will then immediately put the brakes on the Minn Kota 101 and slow down and work the area over more thoroughly with soft plastics and hair. My best search pattern is long lining a YUM Finesse tube back behind the boat or a Jimmy D’ Riverbug. Throwing these jigs back behind the boat and then get on the trolling motor and pick up the pace a bit. Comb shorelines or offshore structure that is 7-10 foot deep and look for the biters right now. Find one and I usually find a pile of them.
With water temps dropping steadily now, look for this bite to remain strong until water temps reach that high 30’s to low 40 degree mark. This is the best time of year for lots and lots of big fish without a doubt. I was able to get my son out the other evening after school and we caught a little over 20 fish in a short 2 hour outing. I have not found one anglers that does not love to be catching fish!
See you all next week and good luck to you all!
More pics
a few more
Steve, 100+ smallies/day=
Looks like I may have to put the bow down for a day and dump the boat in again. Thanks for one heckuva report and congrats on some beautiful looking fish. What has been the biggest fish in the boat so far this fall? Great report as usual! 
Awesome Steve
Those fish are amazing this time of year
PS…I am a little jealous
Great Report Steve
with some beauties to boot
Steve…. you’re killing me!
Getting into these smallies with Steve is one of the best fishing trips you’ll ever experience. I had the opportunity to get out with him last fall during prime time and we had a riot.
If anyone wants to see how good it can be, check out this video >>> Cold Water Smallmouth w/ Steve DeZurik
This video was filmed last fall and should get you late season bassers all worked up for one last shot at these great fish!
James, I agree, I was there last Fall with Steve about the same time you were there.
Sure IS a GOOD and FUN time.
thanks Steve, I do NOT get tired of looking at those fish.
Jack.
Supurb Steve, gonna start lookin here pretty quick.
As always, I’m pumped after another great read Steve
Looks like the place to be for a person too catch a toad too put a replica on the wall
3 just over 21″ now this fall. The bite has been next to ridiculous right now.
Randy…you been out? I figured you would be in a tree stand by now!
That fish on the bump board is unreal.
And deserves repeating. WOW
Great report Steve!! 100 plus SMALLIE!! WOW!! Hey boys drop the remote and get in Steves boat!! You ARE the secret weapon SUPER D!! NICE!!
How much does that fish weigh? 6?
I doubt it goes 6#. I did not weigh this fish, but by fishing tournaments, you get a tend to get a fairly keen eye on the “true” weight of a fish. I would be willing to bet this fish was an honest 5-1/4# fish. A true 6# fish is hard to come by from my experience. They are out there no doubt. I have seen many anglers call a 20″ fish a 6# fish. In some areas of the country that may be correct, but here on the river in mid summer that 20″ fish often weighs 4-1/4# – 4-1/2#….Just my opinion however.
End result regardless of how much a fish of that caliber weighs…..thats a damn nice fish in anyone’s book and be damn proud of it!
You could have fooled me. Looks 6 easy in my book, what a tank! Congrats to that angler! I really want to get one of lighter green, dark tiger stripes for a replica. I prefer it to be about 23″
I would have a hard time not putting a replica of that pig on the wall with a framed picture!
You and me btoh Bret, but you know Kooty’s saying…..”you have to kill it to grill it!”
Would you clarify one point
Carrol58,
Depending on where a person lives in the midwest, the “Upper Miss” can be alot of places. I personally refer to the upper mississippi north of Coon Rapids all the way north to the Aitken/Grand Rapids area. I have been fishing 4 different sections all year long now and they have all been very productive, mainly St. Cloud and north. Coon Rapids/Champlin area has been very good as of late however.
Wow, great fish guys!
Nice job Steve.
Sure is good to be back home and reading all the great reports.
Thanks Steve, I may have to find a partner and head out mid-week. Take a day break from my job hunting.
He’s right. That fish that Steve and I both caught (a day apart!) last year was 22 inches and weighed 6.3lbs. And it was a fat wide (and ugly cuz of part of the back missing!)fish! But that fish definitely looked like it weighed 6lbs. I’m not sure where the thread is on here about that catch from last year but can maybe be searched by someone?
These were caught a day apart in the same area.