A Mid August Weekend Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in Indiana 8/11 and 8/12

A comparison of contrasts, one stream cool, clear, no shade cover, the other, stained from algae, lower flow and more shade. Stream one had fish in the riffles when I found them. I had to go a long way to get away from the people that are everywhere on this stream. When I did, I caught 20+ bass in 50 yards of riffle. Using a sparkly new Duo Pencil 85. Catching the sunlight, the bass went nuts for it even coming out of 4' of fast water to chase it. BUT. Nothing bigger than 14-15". In the corner of one large pool with a large hill on a bend lay a solitary laydown shaded by an overhanging tree branch. I pitched a senko in there and immediately rewarded by a nice thick 17" smallmouth. The fish was followed in by up to 8 others.

Not long after the parade of kayaks and canoists started. I hate this. Day ruined I waded back leapfrogging the girls a bunch of times and beating them back to the takeout. Found another bridge for a downstream wade, which turned into a walk through death valley. The heat and intensity of the sun just roasted me. Went home kind of early with 35 SMB.

 

Next day, I was burnt and didn't fish until 2:30pm. Couldn't find a bite until I started throwing a senko again. Then quickly lost the only two worms I had with me. I walked up on a 15" bass in 4" of water in a riffle and new what had to be done. Long casts with light lures. At least until the sun lessened. I threw a Sammy 65 and quickly had four bass including a fiesty 15"er.

 

Spying from a high bank above, I noticed several other larger fish in that oxygenated water. Of course they spooked, but I had discovered the pattern.

 

Started throwing the Duo 85 again, with great success, another 15", 14", and a bunch of other decent size smallmouth came to hand when the toilet flushed and produced a nice fight from this 18"er below.

Another 15.75" bass and a couple violent shakeoffs from the shallow water. I was throwing along a larger dirt bank, when the largest smash came on a Sammy 100. Fish was quickly in the air, 18"+ before I could react. Lure flying out of his mouth. Drat. Hate to lose those opportunities.

From there on out, it was decent fish smashing the lure, with a number of fiesty flop offs between dead water and wood I couldn't fish thoroughly in the time I had before dark. Of one log in particular I had a number of nice fish swat the Duo, but only landed one. Just couldn't get them to go for a tube or fluke. Ended with 29, on what should have been closer to 35, if I had found a second short range finesse lure. Oh well, a fun little run and gun.