Hello everyone. Been a pretty good year when I've gotten to the place to fish. The enormous amount of rain we've seen and long drive times have kept me closer to home. This is good because I discovered two new smallmouth creeks which are productive closer to home. Hitting about a 17"er an hour this year, which is pretty ridiculous. Lots of rain has made the choices slim, but there have still been some if one looks hard and goes before the next deluge. Been looking forward to piecing together a long wade. Fishing has very much been old school which is a delight after years of low water. This Saturday, I got up at 6:30am and drove an hour and forty five. At the bridge, my first wake crank cast brought a 17"er quickly to hand :) :
It would be the only fish on the day on that bait, as the tube bite was really good.
I've been tossing a more compact tube on a light jig head, the idea being the slow drop requires patience to be allowed to sink, which has paid off in bites. I nabbed 5 more smallmouth very quickly with a 16.99"er and 17.25" fish before a 15 minutes was up. The smaller tube had a nice hook up rate. Was nailing lots of big googs too.
Fish were in the holes at the back of pools in ambush positions or near cover.
Soon hit this fat 18"er on a tube, smallies were pulling hard in the current. As you can see, the gnats and mosquitos were thick. I used a buff to keep them out of my ears, but they still got under the bill of my hat.
At the back of another pool I started hitting nice fish again, 16" 14"13", etc, not many dinks all day.
Then I a big fish hits the tube and goes nuts, in one of those, nothing big in there spots. But the stained higher water had the bass out and about. Another 17"er.
I was taking a leisurely pace and the number started to pile up. It looked like I could keep catching nice smallies as long as I could keep my body going.
They came in bunches 3-6 fish in 10 minute spurts. Conditions were perfect for me to work slow, unnoticed from close. Man they can fight. Picked a 16" on a Sammy a few 14-15"ers on tubes. Always tubes. Would have had so many fewer without the finesse game.
Tried tickling this rootwad with a spinnerbait. Thunk! Game on! Big fish and what a fight in that current. Finally got her to hand at 18.5".
Now that I had a spinnerbait fish, I had to try it some more. At the next fast rootwad, I got it spinning then let the bait roll into the bottom then as it was about to be pulled over a diagonal log another beast, in the fastest current this time. Pulled off 20' of drag downstream in no time. By the time I pulled the fish in some willows, the third 18" of the day.
Kept catching as I hit 40-30, then 50-40. It was 3:30, but I was at least 4 miles walk back to the car. Confess my body was done without the practice this year.
51 SMB (3-18-18.5", 3-17-17.25", 3-16-16.99", 4-5 15") 40 Googs and a handful of chubs who took the small tube
It would be the only fish on the day on that bait, as the tube bite was really good.
I've been tossing a more compact tube on a light jig head, the idea being the slow drop requires patience to be allowed to sink, which has paid off in bites. I nabbed 5 more smallmouth very quickly with a 16.99"er and 17.25" fish before a 15 minutes was up. The smaller tube had a nice hook up rate. Was nailing lots of big googs too.
Fish were in the holes at the back of pools in ambush positions or near cover.
Soon hit this fat 18"er on a tube, smallies were pulling hard in the current. As you can see, the gnats and mosquitos were thick. I used a buff to keep them out of my ears, but they still got under the bill of my hat.
At the back of another pool I started hitting nice fish again, 16" 14"13", etc, not many dinks all day.
Then I a big fish hits the tube and goes nuts, in one of those, nothing big in there spots. But the stained higher water had the bass out and about. Another 17"er.
I was taking a leisurely pace and the number started to pile up. It looked like I could keep catching nice smallies as long as I could keep my body going.
They came in bunches 3-6 fish in 10 minute spurts. Conditions were perfect for me to work slow, unnoticed from close. Man they can fight. Picked a 16" on a Sammy a few 14-15"ers on tubes. Always tubes. Would have had so many fewer without the finesse game.
Tried tickling this rootwad with a spinnerbait. Thunk! Game on! Big fish and what a fight in that current. Finally got her to hand at 18.5".
Now that I had a spinnerbait fish, I had to try it some more. At the next fast rootwad, I got it spinning then let the bait roll into the bottom then as it was about to be pulled over a diagonal log another beast, in the fastest current this time. Pulled off 20' of drag downstream in no time. By the time I pulled the fish in some willows, the third 18" of the day.
Kept catching as I hit 40-30, then 50-40. It was 3:30, but I was at least 4 miles walk back to the car. Confess my body was done without the practice this year.
51 SMB (3-18-18.5", 3-17-17.25", 3-16-16.99", 4-5 15") 40 Googs and a handful of chubs who took the small tube
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