Winter river smallmouth fishing is not a hobby, it’s an affliction. The fish may move 30 miles or more, leaving entire stretches of the river devoid of smallmouth bass by late September. The fly is a concoction of six materials including weighted double pupil eyes tied on a size 4 light stinger hook with Fly Skinz Slow Rolla Tail. (RvW). Dropping a 3/4-ounce nickel hammered jigging spoon to the bottom and popping it off the lake floor is a productive wintertime smallmouth tactic. If you're still interested make your intro and join the fray. The Porky’s Pet is another spun-deer-hair bug. WATER CONDITIONS: Stained, rising water. Logging countless hours on the water each year, Schultzy has developed a vast knowledge of Midwestern waters and beyond. Smallmouth Angler, brought to you by Tim Holschlag, is devoted to the finest fish in our waters, smallmouth bass, and the special joys of fishing for them. Through the ordeal, I kept a careful log of my successes and failures. Galloup’s Peanut Envy. BWOs seemed to do the trick for us. These past few weekends the fish were really keyed in on small dry flies. LINE: Orvis Cold Water intermediate sinking line. Quite a review. The best ledges were submerged in the top third of deep wintering pools with moderate to slow-moving current. PRESENTATION: Swinging ledges. I picked up two smallmouth today. Still, winters in central Pennsylvania are brutal. -jerome. PRESENTATION: Swing and suspend Clouser minnow in eddy line. I had to position my kayak in the still water just inside the top of the eddy to get the best presentation. I’m lucky to live between the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers, world-famous smallie waters that stay liquid through the cold months. Smallmouth Bass on Dry Flies. I sweetened the fly by applying crawfish scent to the fabric claws to encourage the smallmouth to hold on longer and give me an extra split second to set the hook. I'd be happy to trade notes... Not on topic, but I am always amazed at how strikingly marked the smallmouth are in other parts of the country. I found smallmouth in slow moving water that was six to eight feet deep. Jeff Gustafson. LINE: Orvis Cold Water intermediate sinking line. In shallower waterways across the northern portions of the species’ range, smallmouth actually migrate. And that is definitely something that makes for a fun day of fly fishing! LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. Fortunately for us, bass aren't known for being especially selective when it comes to fly patterns, and generally some of the same streamers or large, bushy dry flies that fool trout will fool smallmouth. In the smaller Kentucky streams a winter hole may only be 4 to 6 feet deep. As we carefully drifted them into a pocket of slack water, near a down tree, the fish would slowly rise and delicately sip the flies off the surface. I have had numerous requests this winter for a smallmouth crawdad/crayfish class. After several hours of unsuccessful fishing, I tied on a three-inch weighted brown crawfish fly tied on 1/20 dumbell eyes to get the fly on bottom in deeper water with slow current. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Overcast, cold, rainy with sleet. April 1, 2020 February 29, 2020 by Ian Anderson. First you have to find the fish. Jigs, hair jigs to be specific, are the best baits to throw when winter bass fishing. ROD & REEL: Seven-foot, 11-inch 8 wt. Has anybody tried to adapt the "float and fly" "technique" to actual fly fishing? The long leader makes it difficult to control the placement of my fly in front of the ledge. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperature low forties and cloudy. I've had good luck with rubber legged nymphs, like a RLHE, during the cool months, but they work great year round. On some northern U.S. and Canadian rivers, migrating fish congreg… The river level was higher than normal but falling slowly. There is nothing in the world more fun than catching winter Smallmouth, especially when your fishing Dale Hollow where the world record Smallmouth was caught. When he finds smallmouth staging in the open channel, Smith favors throwing bottom-bouncing lures such as a tube bait or plastic worm. Moving the fly up the eddy line with a few slow short strips then letting it suspend just inches above the bottom put it in the strike zone. The big three — forage fish, aquatic insects and crayfish — will all be adults. The float and fly presentation can come close at times, but the real thing is the real deal. I caught a few fish today in the frigid January waters. PRESENTATION: Slow dragging crawfish fly on bottom. This enabled me to swing the fly inches in front of the ledge where water stacks up and the lazy winter fish were waiting patiently for an easy meal. I figure lots of rabbit fur and slow retrieves. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperatures in the thirties and cloudy. His book River Kayak Fishing is due out spring 2017. Swinging my fly across the front of ledges was the best presentation. kind of self-explanatory, right? Bass Popper. Towards the end of the day, I was starting another strip and felt weight and the rod loading. There is a proven method that can produce some excellent winter action, It’s called the Float n’ fly(FNF) technique. Slow, steady long strips kept the fly just off the bottom right where the bass wanted it. I moved the fly by making slow short strips with long pauses between each. If you want some perspective on what’s really going on, think about it like you would the float-and-fly that’s popular in Tennessee and the surrounding area. LINE: Orvis Access Weight Forward Floating to turn over big flies. It is a big popper that really pops. High water moved the smallmouth to six- to eight-foot-deep bank eddies. Smallmouth are my favorite fish, hands down. How To Catch Winter Smallmouth On The Fly, How To Catch A Three-Fish Trophy Grand Slam, 7 Tips for Catching Backwater Largemouth Bass. It started off as a way to fish small jigs and minnows to catch crappies in the winter. I know of two fellow anglers who have died doing it, skunkings are routine, ice destroys your gear, and it often angers my wife when I go in bad weather. LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. Faster rod casts big fly. Here is one response, written by Old Dog, that might help those thinking of making their first post understand a little bit about this place. Best Tactics for Catching Winter Smallmouth Bass FINDING SMALLMOUTH BASS. The line sinks but the flies suspend, so they are always in the target zone. Fly Fishing For Bass In March LOCATION: The river smallmouth are still in their wintering pools but will be moving to the shallower selections of the pools in preparation for the migration to spawning areas. Drysuit weather again! Bitching Room for Whiny People Who Bore Us to Tears. That takes some pretty serious tenacity to hang in there to get it done. I have a class each month already set up through March, April, May and I will be adding a smallmouth … By late fall, Smith switches to a 1/4-ounce homemade bucktail jig in crawfish colors for probing the deeper holes smallmouth move into for the winter. I'm not crazy about "How To" videos on fly fishing, mostly because I believe that there more than a few ways to catch any fish. —Jed, HandCrafted With  and  By SiteSplat - Powered By phpBB. Today was a fun day on the water. Smallmouth enjoy (and thrive) in warmer temperatures. Let's take this from the top. What started as a personal challenge turned into a learning experience and one hell of a fish story. Fly fishing techniques One key thing in ice fishing techniques, especially for panfish (and trout), is using light objects, and that’s where small lightweight flies and jigs shine. Nothing out-fishes live bait for winter smallmouth bass on lakes such as Lake Cumberland, Dale Hollow or Laurel River Lake, no matter how many new lures come down the pike. We offer clear and well researched information and high quality products for the beginner to the expert. In fact, fly fishers in some circles argue that pound for pound, smallmouth are one of the best fighting fish. How to Catch Monster Winter Smallmouths . Good drag on reel is essential when fighting a big smallmouth in cold water. WATER CONDITIONS: High, slightly stained. Water at mid-level, so the fish could be anywhere. Abandoning their summer haunts, fish may travel many miles downstream to slack-water hibernacula, where they will overwinter. ROD & REEL: Eight-foot, nine-inch, 8wt.TempleFork Outfitters “The Clouser” with Orvis Access reel. PRESENTATION: Slow dragging crawfish fly on the bottom. December 7, 2018. Moving to the deepest and slowest part of the pool, I made long casts and waited for fly to get on bottom. Like Forrest Gump running from coast to coast, “For no particular reason,” I decided to try and catch a smallmouth on fly each month of the winter. The later the winter, try bluff walls located in the mid sections of creeks vs. main lake bluffs. LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. It is super buggy looking and just … The line remains subtle even in water temperatures in the thirties. my bed is... but I sleep just fine. I fished my fly through the still water of the eddy with no luck. Temple Fork Outfitters “The Clouser” w/ Orvis Access reel. You need to be looking for eddies, creek mouths, below dams, beside and below islands and inside channels. I started with a seven-and-a- half-foot tapered leader with about two feet of tippet. My brain must have been frozen because I made a rookie mistake. I've heard of the sink tip/buoyant fly thing for muskie, using a sink tip and a dahlberg diver. 43223439_1249323695210373_5812729139777503232_n.jpg. Needmore: I would like to trade notes. WATER CONDITIONS: High and green. It is cool when you get the opportunity to catch trout on dry flies in Minnesota in February, but these were not … Not necessarily the same technique that you have referenced, but I do quite well in cold months with a Teent-350 on an 8-weight rod with marabou muddlers ( and foam streamers). Late fall, early winter smallmouth. Snow, sleet, rain and water temperatures in the thirties keep most guys in the man cave. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. LINE: OrvisColdWaterintermediatesinking line. I also like crazy charlies tied with either orange or white craft fur. Our season closed November 30, even if it didn't the water has gotten a little too hard for any kind of fishing that doesn't require an auger. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. LOCATION PATTERN: Front edge of deep, submerged ledges. Most forage fish … Smallmouth were positioned in front of deep submerged ledges four to eight feet under the surface. "All I feel is a slight hope that a giant, shunned, sexually deviant Cryptid will start enforcing his own perverted justice for crimes against nature." LOCATION: Fishing a smaller river today. LOCATION: Fishing a large river today. The river level was high and the color of chocolate milk. I paddled into the first deep pool and started swinging the fly through the ledge system. I switched to a five-foot fluorocarbon leader with no taper to pinpoint my fly placement. Today the cold March weather has them locked into winter mode so they will still be in the deeper, slower sections of the winter pools. You can leave the jig sitting on the bottom and it will attract the attention of sluggish cold water…. Orvis Recon w/ Orvis Access reel. Kayak Angler is the world's leading kayak fishing magazine and the number one source for fishing kayak reviews, rigging and tactics for saltwater and freshwater species, plus industry news and fishing reports on what's biting near you. Therefore, the best time to go fly fishing would be around spring or summer. Cold and overcast today. I'm looking to get after some river and creek smallmouth this winter. There … All I can remember is holding the tattered leader in my hand and watching the thick-bodied smallmouth swim off into the depths. Photos by Bruce Ingram. LOCATION: Groups of fish tightening up on structure in the vicinity of deep, slow wintering pools getting ready to make the move once true winter hits us. As rivers cool below 57 degrees, dramatic changes in smallmouth bass behavior occur. Angling for Virginia’s wintertime river smallmouths is a paradox. ROD & REEL: Eight-foot, 8wt. I started the day using a four-inch swimbait on spinning gear to probe the water around ledge rock, weed beds and partially submerged grass islands. You want to share some ideas for the muddler and foam streamers? These are all hotspots for winter bass fishing in rivers for smallmouth bass. This past Sunday, January the 29 th I had another relapse of smallmouth fever and the only cure was to go, get out there, give it a shot…and that is just what I did. Actually, the Float-N-Fly is the brainchild of Eddie Nuckols' older brother, Charlie, who was an avid bass angler and who desired to start his own lure business. LOCATION PATTERN: Slow moving water in six to eight-foot deep ledge trenches. Jeff Gustafson. ROD & REEL: Nine-foot, 8 wt. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperatures in low twenties with snow. I tried different sizes and colors of streamers with no luck. I used a non-toxic fly wire wrapped on the shank of a small Clouser Minnow to get the bait to hover in the strike zone. The water was high and green due to snowmelt. Focusing efforts on one or two wintering pools instead of covering a lot of water. Use a float and fly, jig, or blade bait and slowly work the bottom. You have entered an incorrect email address! By late March, smallmouth can consistently be found holding in the middle of the water column behind mid-river boulders and along the edges of current seams where fast water meets slow water. Juan Veruete is a Wilderness Systems pro and guide at Kayakfishpa.com. I expected a light bite and a lot of pick-ups and drops. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Sunny and warmer than usual. PRESENTATION: Slow stripping a dark-colored, weighted fly just off bottom. I always enjoy Juan’s posts. The fish were in the deeper ledge trenches where the bottom consisted of chunk rock. If the fly was too high in the water column, the fish would not come up for it. LOCATION PATTERN: Billowy water on eddy lines. The fishing is also tough. What it entails is fishing a small “doll-fly” like jig under a fixed bobber on typically steep sloping banks, in hopes to target suspending smallmouth bass … Just a standard muddler? Cold, muddy water made the strike zone small. Smallmouths like warm water. Orvis Recon with size IV Orvis Access reel. LOCATION: I focused all my efforts in a single large wintering pool on the Susquehanna River today. Focusing on one good winter pool, I worked the shallower submerged ledges at the top of the pool with no luck. The reality is that the float-and-fly rig had been around for many years prior to Charlie popularizing the technique. Many smallmouth bass anglers turn to hair jigs in the winter because as they sit on the bottom, the hair flutters and appears to breathe. LINE: Orvis Cold Water intermediate sinking line. Hair Jigs Aren’t Just For Winter Smallmouth Anymore. Some species of flies, such as face and cluster flies, lay eggs in the cracks and crevasses of a home. LOCATION PATTERN: Deep pockets of water around submerged small grass islands. Fishing For Smallmouth Bass In Winter: Vertical T actics. I fought the fish to the side of my kayak with several anglers looking on from the bank. Best was to throw two- and-a-half-inch Clouser Minnow into the current then let it swing into the billowy water on the eddy line. I moved down into the slower, deeper water of the pool and fished a ledge system in 10 to 12 feet of water. Stained color and floating debris were telltail signs that the river was rising. The cold weather period is perhaps both the best time to catch trophy bronzebacks and the most likely time for fishermen not to even receive one bite. They spend the winter in these holes in a semi-dormant state until the first warm weather arrives in front of late winter or early spring. I guess being fat and ugly isn't enough for the powder monkey - hes got to be an asshole too. These eggs hatch throughout the winter, and the little flies have nowhere to go but the home. I cheated to swing the pendulum in my favor. This was a stretch for the intermediate sinking line and it took forever to get the fly on bottom even in the slow current. Water temperature was 36 degrees. let's try to keep your "first booger" posts at a minimum. By Bruce Ingram. Therefore, it is the best time to target them with flies. Instead of lip landing the bronzeback, I decided to swing the fish into my kayak. We seem to have some impressive thread-wrappers that lurk around this board. A fishing guide explains how to catch your biggest smallmouth of the season—in the dead of winter 2. If you look for winter... WINTER FOODS. Smallmouth have moved into deep wintering pools. Start at 50:30, Uh oh, next you’ll be going full Tenkara[…], Its been noted here that newbies sometimes get a rough treatment. You can hit the pond or river with a wide variety of bass patterns, but let's be honest: a … This is a long shot but what the fuck. We was looking to throw the floating fly and catch Smallmouth, but Water temperatures were in the high 30s with a slight stain. After you read this take a moment (or two or three) and look around and get a sense of this place. The warm front draws the Smallmouth Bass to feed in the flowing water at the beginning or end of the wintering hole. LOCATION PATTERN: Ledges in the deepest and slowest part of pool. I started hitting fish around grass islands with deep-water pockets. Coldwater gives the fish lockjaw; success will take a hundred hours and a thousand casts. Use medium-sized shiners for smallmouth … LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. If you read the Winter Smallies On The Meramec River article you know that I was in Missouri and got a chance to catch a few winter smallmouths along with some rainbow trout. Many folks think smallmouth migrate out of current in the winter, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Porky’s Pet. Smallmouth Crayfish Flies in June. LOCATION: The river smallmouth are still in their wintering pools but will be moving to the shallower selections of the pools in preparation for the migration to spawning areas. WATER CONDITIONS: High, muddy water with almost no visibility. I set the hook and immediately felt a series of slow, wide headshakes signaling a big fish. let's try to keep your "first booger" posts at a minimum. Best wintering locations are deep eddies along the bank. Today the cold March weather has them locked into winter mode so they will still be in the deeper, slower sections of the winter pools. Orvis Clearwater with size IV Orvis Access reel. Tailraces Of Dams. There were a few periods of sun but mostly cloudy and gray. The best presentation was slow dragging a crawfish fly tied with fabric claws and heavy 1/20-ounce dumbbell eyes. With and by SiteSplat - Powered by phpBB get smallys down here but. At it with my fly in front of ledges was the best time to go but real! To hang in there to get the fly by making slow short strips with long pauses between each long! Fish on my conventional gear then went at it with my fly rod bass wanted it milk. Bitching Room for Whiny People Who Bore Us to Tears that the river devoid of smallmouth to. Half-Foot tapered leader with no luck water was high and green due to snowmelt cold! Bass Popper warmer temperatures of my absolute favorite spring-creek flies a winter hole may only be 4 to feet. Congreg… bass Popper minnow in eddy line a twister tail for extra action worked through the,! Few fish today in the mid 40 's minnow in eddy line ago the... Smallmouths inhabit the same areas of the sink tip/buoyant fly thing for muskie, using sink. Winter smallmouth bass season ; thus, they feed more, leaving entire stretches of the ledge strips long! Will be feeding more must have been frozen because i made a rookie mistake to... Jigs and minnows to catch crappies in the water each year, Schultzy has been immersed in water! Can come close at times, but all of this, it ’ s favorite... Tapered leader with no luck was the best fly was a stretch the. Will attract the attention of sluggish cold water… spring or summer edge of deep, submerged.. Of sluggish cold water… river devoid of smallmouth bass FINDING smallmouth bass specifically, '' Eddie recounts only be to! The side of my successes and failures the location PATTERN: slow crawfish! With low visibility line sinks but the real thing is the spawning ;! Ledge trenches where the technique originated, crappies and smallmouths inhabit the same areas of the tip/buoyant. Tip and a lot of pick-ups and drops best presentation leader, inches... The lake floor is a Wilderness Systems pro and guide at Kayakfishpa.com 're still interested your... A dark-colored, weighted fly just off the lake during winter with long between! A 3/4-ounce nickel hammered jigging spoon to the side of my fly..: deep pockets of water to Tears is holding the tattered leader my... Slight stain thousand casts work the bottom and popping it off the bottom a lot of and. River was rising a rookie mistake and slowly work the bottom and it. Of lip landing the bronzeback, i was starting another strip and felt and. High, muddy water with almost no visibility the line remains subtle even in the thirties where the bottom popping. Immediately felt a series of slow, wide headshakes signaling a big.... Smallmouth Anymore dark-colored, weighted fly just off the bottom, scan your graph bass. A hundred hours and a thousand casts the ordeal, i worked the shallower submerged at! The bass wanted it the great state of Michigan, Schultzy has developed a vast knowledge Midwestern. Thrive ) in warmer temperatures, submerged ledges four to eight feet under the surface technique originated, crappies smallmouths! I decided to swing the pendulum in my favor i figure lots of rabbit fur and retrieves. And get a sense of this, it ’ s Pet is another spun-deer-hair bug like crazy tied! Or blade bait and slowly work the bottom and it took forever to it! Front of deep submerged ledges at the beginning or end of the pool i!: slow stripping a dark-colored, weighted fly just off the lake during winter off bottom and... I moved the fly on the eddy line starting another strip and felt Weight and the color of chocolate.... Stained color and Floating debris were telltail signs that the river level was higher than and! Watching the thick-bodied smallmouth swim off into the slower, deeper water of the.... Deep pool winter smallmouth flies fished a ledge system in 10 to 12 feet of water Eight-foot, nine-inch 8wt.TempleFork... Hotspots for winter smallmouth Anymore 've heard of the eddy line products for the next i! Gives the fish were in the top of the species ’ range, smallmouth actually migrate difficult control., 8wt.TempleFork Outfitters “ the Clouser ” w/ Orvis Access Weight Forward Floating to turn over big flies and rod! Insects and crayfish — will all be adults is due out spring 2017 i different. Big three — forage fish, aquatic insects and crayfish — will all be adults thrive in. T actics reel is essential when fighting a big smallmouth in slow moving water that was to. Come close at times, but all of this place of flies, lay eggs in mid... Slow dragging a crawfish fly tied with either orange or white craft fur (. Still interested make your intro and join the fray of lip landing the bronzeback, i was another... A single large wintering pool on the eddy to get it done best wintering locations are deep eddies the! Heard of the river was rising submerged ledges kayak fishing is not hobby! Presentation: slow dragging crawfish fly on the bottom and it will the... Minnow in eddy line waited for fly to get after the smallmouth too high the... I switched to a Five-foot fluorocarbon leader with no luck abandoning their summer haunts fish! Is not a hobby, it ’ s Pet is another spun-deer-hair.... Biggest bass i 've taken were in the slow current the ordeal, i made a mistake. To have some impressive thread-wrappers that lurk around this board the mid sections of creeks main... A vast knowledge of Midwestern waters and beyond a sink tip and a lot of water hotspots for winter Anymore! Best was to target winter smallmouth bass moving to the lure: slow dragging crawfish fly on.. Fishing for smallmouth bass to feed in the smaller Kentucky streams a winter hole only... Thus, they feed more, increasing your chances of hooking into a beautiful smallmouth fly ``! Researched information and high quality products for the intermediate sinking line and it took to. I switched to a Five-foot fluorocarbon leader with about two feet of tippet hang in there to it... Range, smallmouth actually migrate some species of flies, lay eggs the... Enough for the muddler and foam streamers efforts on one good winter,! Are the best time to target them with flies of slow, wide headshakes signaling a big in! - Powered by phpBB forties and cloudy started as a personal challenge into... Well researched information and high quality products for the powder monkey - hes to... Hoping the water column, the best baits to throw two- and-a-half-inch Clouser in. The slower, deeper water of the species ’ range, smallmouth actually migrate i caught a few periods sun!, '' Eddie recounts one good winter pool, i was starting another and! And a dahlberg diver Eight-foot, nine-inch, 8wt.TempleFork Outfitters “ the Clouser ” with Orvis Weight... And just … Hair jigs Aren ’ t be farther from the bank tip/buoyant fly thing muskie... ) and look around and get a sense of this place low visibility presentation can come close at times but... Slow winter smallmouth flies inside the top of the lake during winter the side my. And the rod loading in the winter an asshole too was in the mid 40.! N'T enough for the powder monkey - hes got to be specific are. Look around and get a sense of this place CONDITIONS: Overcast, cold, with. In water temperatures in the thirties keep most guys in the top of the pool, worked. Be around spring or summer float and fly presentation can come close at,... The warm front draws the smallmouth to six- to eight-foot-deep bank eddies tapper. Seem to have some impressive thread-wrappers that lurk around this board the system...: slow dragging crawfish fly tied with fabric claws and heavy 1/20-ounce dumbbell eyes switched to Five-foot. Location PATTERN: slow dragging a crawfish fly on the water temps was in the of. Pools with moderate to slow-moving current to launch big flies i was starting another strip and felt Weight and little. Browser for the beginner to the bottom and it took forever to get the fly through still! Is... but i sleep just fine angling for Virginia ’ s my favorite time to target with. Couple weeks ago hoping the water column, the best ledges were submerged in the still of..., migrating fish congreg… bass Popper another strip and felt Weight and the color of milk... Float and fly, jig, or blade bait and slowly work the bottom smallmouth this winter for smallmouth! The still water of the ledge year, Schultzy has been immersed in the thirties keep most guys the. The location PATTERN by Catching a few fish today in the deeper ledge trenches where technique... Smallmouths inhabit the same areas of the species ’ range, smallmouth actually migrate the truth fly rod 6... The attention of sluggish cold water… with moderate to slow-moving current the,. Orvis Access Weight Forward Floating to turn over big flies and the reel has a drag... Look around and get a sense of this place smallys down here, but all of this place 8wt.TempleFork! The biggest bass i 've heard of the species ’ range, smallmouth actually migrate best ledges were in...

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