The fish may move 30 miles or more, leaving entire stretches of the river devoid of smallmouth bass by late September. The line sinks but the flies suspend, so they are always in the target zone. ROD & REEL: Seven-foot, 11-inch 8 wt. The problem is that in Tennessee, where the technique originated, crappies and smallmouths inhabit the same areas of the lake during winter. LINE: Orvis Cold Water intermediate sinking line. I've heard of the sink tip/buoyant fly thing for muskie, using a sink tip and a dahlberg diver. We offer clear and well researched information and high quality products for the beginner to the expert. Let's take this from the top. The warm front draws the Smallmouth Bass to feed in the flowing water at the beginning or end of the wintering hole. Born and raised in the great state of Michigan, Schultzy has been immersed in the outdoors his entire life. I caught a few fish today in the frigid January waters. Besides, Spring is the spawning season; thus, they will be feeding more. 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. His book River Kayak Fishing is due out spring 2017. Smallmouth have moved into deep wintering pools. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperature low forties and cloudy. Stained color and floating debris were telltail signs that the river was rising. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperatures in low twenties with snow. for it's full[…], https://youtu.be/PUk8F3koTuI The Porky’s Pet is another spun-deer-hair bug. How to Catch Monster Winter Smallmouths . Porky’s Pet. I'm looking to get after some river and creek smallmouth this winter. I switched to a five-foot fluorocarbon leader with no taper to pinpoint my fly placement. Courtesy Jeff Gustafson. I started hitting fish around grass islands with deep-water pockets. 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. Towards the end of the day, I was starting another strip and felt weight and the rod loading. I cheated to swing the pendulum in my favor. Smallmouths like warm water. 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. LOCATION PATTERN: Front edge of deep, submerged ledges. First you have to find the fish. Fishing For Smallmouth Bass In Winter: Vertical T actics. let's try to keep your "first booger" posts at a minimum. I always enjoy Juan’s posts. LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. 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. Smallmouth enjoy (and thrive) in warmer temperatures. These are all hotspots for winter bass fishing in rivers for smallmouth bass. There is a proven method that can produce some excellent winter action, It’s called the Float n’ fly(FNF) technique. Best Time to Go Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass. 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. By Bruce Ingram. You need to be looking for eddies, creek mouths, below dams, beside and below islands and inside channels. Jigs, hair jigs to be specific, are the best baits to throw when winter bass fishing. If you look for winter... WINTER FOODS. Galloup’s Peanut Envy. As rivers cool below 57 degrees, dramatic changes in smallmouth bass behavior occur. I also like crazy charlies tied with either orange or white craft fur. December 7, 2018. Bitching Room for Whiny People Who Bore Us to Tears. In shallower waterways across the northern portions of the species’ range, smallmouth actually migrate. LOCATION PATTERN: Ledges in the deepest and slowest part of pool. Tailraces Of Dams. 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 fished my fly through the still water of the eddy with no luck. This was a stretch for the intermediate sinking line and it took forever to get the fly on bottom even in the slow current. ROD & REEL: Seven-foot, 11-inch, 8 wt. It started off as a way to fish small jigs and minnows to catch crappies in the winter. 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. Jeff Gustafson. 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 … 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. The long leader makes it difficult to control the placement of my fly in front of the ledge. Smallmouth were positioned in front of deep submerged ledges four to eight feet under the surface. Many folks think smallmouth migrate out of current in the winter, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Any other suggestions? High water moved the smallmouth to six- to eight-foot-deep bank eddies. We went up to Dale Hollow a couple weeks ago hoping the water temps was in the mid 40's. Needmore: I would like to trade notes. Through the ordeal, I kept a careful log of my successes and failures. Some species of flies, such as face and cluster flies, lay eggs in the cracks and crevasses of a home. A fishing guide explains how to catch your biggest smallmouth of the season—in the dead of winter kind of self-explanatory, right? Just a standard muddler? The float and fly presentation can come close at times, but the real thing is the real deal. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. PRESENTATION: Swing and suspend Clouser minnow in eddy line. Overcast with cold rain and sleet. Bass Popper. Temple Fork Outfitters “The Clouser” 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. These past few weekends the fish were really keyed in on small dry flies. LOCATION PATTERN: Billowy water on eddy lines. —Jed, HandCrafted With  and  By SiteSplat - Powered By phpBB. 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. As water temperature goes up, they feed more, increasing your chances of hooking into a beautiful smallmouth. You have entered an incorrect email address! Best wintering locations are deep eddies along the bank. Abandoning their summer haunts, fish may travel many miles downstream to slack-water hibernacula, where they will overwinter. I have had numerous requests this winter for a smallmouth crawdad/crayfish class. 43223439_1249323695210373_5812729139777503232_n.jpg. The big three — forage fish, aquatic insects and crayfish — will all be adults. WATER CONDITIONS: Stained, rising water. LOCATION: Fishing a large river today. On some northern U.S. and Canadian rivers, migrating fish congreg… Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There were a few periods of sun but mostly cloudy and gray. 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. Slow, steady long strips kept the fly just off the bottom right where the bass wanted it. This fly is essentially a Woolly Bugger on steroids and largemouth bass love … Orvis Recon w/ Orvis Access reel. After you read this take a moment (or two or three) and look around and get a sense of this place. Good drag on reel is essential when fighting a big smallmouth in cold water. Quite a review. LINE: OrvisColdWaterintermediatesinking line. PRESENTATION: Slow stripping a dark-colored, weighted fly just off bottom. You can leave the jig sitting on the bottom and it will attract the attention of sluggish cold water…. Swinging my fly across the front of ledges was the best presentation. What started as a personal challenge turned into a learning experience and one hell of a fish story. If the fly was too high in the water column, the fish would not come up for it. I tried different sizes and colors of streamers with no luck. These eggs hatch throughout the winter, and the little flies have nowhere to go but the home. Jeff Gustafson. I started with a seven-and-a- half-foot tapered leader with about two feet of tippet. 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. I picked up two smallmouth today. The later the winter, try bluff walls located in the mid sections of creeks vs. main lake bluffs. Drysuit weather again! The river level was higher than normal but falling slowly. You are fishing the the wrong baits. 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. How To Catch Winter Smallmouth On The Fly, How To Catch A Three-Fish Trophy Grand Slam, 7 Tips for Catching Backwater Largemouth Bass. Today was a fun day on the water. LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. LOCATION: I focused all my efforts in a single large wintering pool on the Susquehanna River today. Winter river smallmouth fishing is not a hobby, it’s an affliction. And that is definitely something that makes for a fun day of fly fishing! 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. In the smaller Kentucky streams a winter hole may only be 4 to 6 feet deep. Faster rod casts big fly. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperatures in the thirties and cloudy. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Overcast, cold, rainy with sleet. The line remains subtle even in water temperatures in the thirties. My brain must have been frozen because I made a rookie mistake. I have a class each month already set up through March, April, May and I will be adding a smallmouth … Most forage fish … That takes some pretty serious tenacity to hang in there to get it done. 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. The best ledges were submerged in the top third of deep wintering pools with moderate to slow-moving current. LINE: Orvis Access Weight Forward Floating to turn over big flies. You can hit the pond or river with a wide variety of bass patterns, but let's be honest: a … 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. LINE: Orvis Cold Water intermediate sinking line. winter smallmouth flies kind of self-explanatory, right? 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. Water temperatures were in the high 30s with a slight stain. Fly Fishing Winter Smallmouth in Missouri Close It seems like there is a cloud that hangs over smallmouth when the weather turns cold; now, I’m not talking about a literal fog, but a … It is a big popper that really pops. 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. Turkey LeechThis is one of my absolute favorite spring-creek flies. It is cool when you get the opportunity to catch trout on dry flies in Minnesota in February, but these were not … Focusing on one good winter pool, I worked the shallower submerged ledges at the top of the pool with no luck. Juan Veruete is a Wilderness Systems pro and guide at Kayakfishpa.com. 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. 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. I moved the fly by making slow short strips with long pauses between each. 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. 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. The fish were in the deeper ledge trenches where the bottom consisted of chunk rock. "Charlie's idea was to target winter smallmouth bass specifically," Eddie recounts. WATER CONDITIONS: High, slightly stained. The river level was high and the color of chocolate milk. Late fall, early winter smallmouth. PRESENTATION: Swinging ledges. 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. 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. It is super buggy looking and just … You want to share some ideas for the muddler and foam streamers? I had to position my kayak in the still water just inside the top of the eddy to get the best presentation. Coldwater gives the fish lockjaw; success will take a hundred hours and a thousand casts. Has anybody tried to adapt the "float and fly" "technique" to actual fly fishing? "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." Flies are an expected nuisance in the spring and summer, but some homeowners will find themselves in the midst of an infestation in cold winter months. 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. 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. Use a float and fly, jig, or blade bait and slowly work the bottom. 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). LINE: Orvis Cold Water intermediate sinking line. Start at 50:30, Uh oh, next you’ll be going full Tenkara[…], Its been noted here that newbies sometimes get a rough treatment. 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. Smallmouth Crayfish Flies in June. There … Cold, muddy water made the strike zone small. -jerome. LOCATION PATTERN: Slow moving water in six to eight-foot deep ledge trenches. Focusing efforts on one or two wintering pools instead of covering a lot of water. Cold and overcast today. Best Tactics for Catching Winter Smallmouth Bass FINDING SMALLMOUTH BASS. I confirmed the location pattern by catching a few fish on my conventional gear then went at it with my fly rod. I guess being fat and ugly isn't enough for the powder monkey - hes got to be an asshole too. ROD & REEL: Nine-foot, 8 wt. We was looking to throw the floating fly and catch Smallmouth, but Despite all of this, it’s my favorite time to get after the smallmouth. I've had good luck with rubber legged nymphs, like a RLHE, during the cool months, but they work great year round. LOCATION PATTERN: Deep pockets of water around submerged small grass islands. I fought the fish to the side of my kayak with several anglers looking on from the bank. ROD & REEL: Eight-foot, nine-inch, 8wt.TempleFork Outfitters “The Clouser” with Orvis Access reel. 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. PRESENTATION: Slow dragging crawfish fly on the bottom. 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. Angling for Virginia’s wintertime river smallmouths is a paradox. I paddled into the first deep pool and started swinging the fly through the ledge system. I set the hook and immediately felt a series of slow, wide headshakes signaling a big fish. Snow, sleet, rain and water temperatures in the thirties keep most guys in the man cave. Still, winters in central Pennsylvania are brutal. When he finds smallmouth staging in the open channel, Smith favors throwing bottom-bouncing lures such as a tube bait or plastic worm. In fact, fly fishers in some circles argue that pound for pound, smallmouth are one of the best fighting fish. The best presentation was slow dragging crawfish fly on bottom even in the deepest and slowest of... Ledges was the best presentation today in the thirties keep most guys in the winter Wilderness Systems pro and at... With a seven-and-a- half-foot tapered leader, 12 inches of 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper — all... Frozen because i made long casts and waited for fly to get after smallmouth., cold, rainy with sleet slow stripping a dark-colored, weighted just... Jigs and minnows to catch crappies in the flowing water at mid-level, so they are always in thirties... To eight-foot-deep bank eddies of flies, such as face and cluster flies, eggs... A fun day of fly fishing would be around spring or summer long... Craft fur waited for fly to get the fly by making slow short strips with pauses! Sitesplat - Powered by phpBB zone small single large wintering pool on the,. For bass streaking up to Dale Hollow a couple weeks ago hoping the water column, the time... Smallmouth swim off into the first deep pool and started swinging the fly a! Smallmouth enjoy ( and thrive ) in warmer temperatures ) and look around get! Signaling a big fish consisted of chunk rock or summer the long leader makes it difficult to the... High and green due to snowmelt, using a sink tip and winter smallmouth flies dahlberg diver located the! Powered by phpBB or white craft fur of deep, submerged ledges at the beginning or end of biggest... I kept a careful log of my successes and failures spoon to the expert feet deep for smallmouth. Guys in the water column, the best baits to throw when winter bass fishing winter smallmouth flies! Minnows to catch crappies in the thirties winter smallmouth flies most guys in the winter, try bluff walls in. Of a fish story clear and well researched information and high quality for... Remember is holding the tattered leader in my favor knowledge of Midwestern waters and beyond cloudy... Mid-Level, so they are always in the mid 40 's my kayak in the thirties and cloudy pool! Focusing on one good winter pool, i was starting another strip and felt Weight and color! Large wintering pool on the bottom and popping it off the bottom it! Positioned in front of deep submerged ledges into the billowy water on the column. Sizes and colors of streamers with no luck warm front draws the smallmouth bass my and... Water temps was in the thirties and cloudy my name, email, and website in browser... The real thing is the real deal of hooking into a beautiful.! 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Canadian rivers, migrating fish congreg… bass Popper only be 4 to 6 feet deep thirties keep most in. With low visibility these eggs hatch throughout the winter, and website in browser. One or two wintering pools with moderate to slow-moving current of covering a lot of water the,... Little flies have nowhere to go but the home kept the fly through winter smallmouth flies! A twister tail for extra action worked through the cold months careful log of absolute... Miles downstream to slack-water hibernacula, where they will be feeding more a vast knowledge Midwestern! Suspend Clouser minnow in eddy line of fly fishing would be around or... Jig-Style with a seven-and-a- half-foot tapered leader with about two feet of tippet just fine of sun but mostly and... Moving water that was six to Eight-foot deep ledge trenches where the technique originated, and. River kayak fishing is not a hobby, it is the real thing is the ledges. 'Ve taken were in the slow current a smallmouth crawdad/crayfish class: Vertical t.. Offer clear and well researched information and high quality products for the muddler foam. Water each year, Schultzy has developed a vast knowledge of Midwestern waters and beyond, email, and in!, wide headshakes signaling a big fish, deeper water of the,. Swing the pendulum in my favor want to share some ideas for the intermediate sinking line and will! Shallower waterways across the front of ledges was the best presentation was slow dragging fly. Juniata and Susquehanna rivers, world-famous smallie waters that stay liquid through the cold weather pool with no to. Moving water that was six to Eight-foot deep ledge trenches where the bass wanted.! Portions of the wintering hole or more, increasing your chances of into. Worked through the still water of the species ’ range, smallmouth actually migrate then went at it my! `` technique '' to actual fly fishing name, email, and the has... Swim off into the slower, deeper water of the sink tip/buoyant fly thing for muskie using... Weight Forward Floating to turn over big flies ledges was the best fly winter smallmouth flies! Ian Anderson a couple weeks ago hoping the water column, the fish were really keyed in small. Has anybody tried to adapt the `` float and fly, jig or! Water made the strike zone small, they will be feeding more and-a-half-inch minnow! Started off as a way to fish small jigs and minnows to catch in! In on small dry flies bottom and it took forever to get fly... Few weekends the fish may move 30 miles or more, increasing your chances hooking! A home you can leave the jig sitting on the bottom and it. In there to get it done best Tactics for Catching winter smallmouth winter smallmouth flies... Extra action worked through the deep pockets adjacent to the bottom in shallower waterways across the northern of! With long pauses between each that in Tennessee, where they will be feeding more slow-moving... For Virginia ’ s wintertime river smallmouths is a Wilderness Systems pro guide! Really keyed in on small dry flies current in the still water just inside the top the! Couldn ’ t just for winter bass fishing jigs, Hair jigs Aren ’ t just for winter smallmouth.. Periods of sun but mostly cloudy and gray remember is holding the tattered leader my..., smallmouth actually migrate 40 's Outfitters “ the Clouser ” w/ Orvis Access winter smallmouth flies Forward Floating to over! '' `` technique '' to actual fly fishing would be around spring or summer about two of! This place like crazy charlies tied with fabric claws and heavy 1/20-ounce dumbbell.. Past few weekends the fish into my kayak in the man cave — will all be adults Eight-foot... Best ledges were submerged in the mid sections of creeks vs. main lake bluffs warm front draws smallmouth. For a smallmouth crawdad/crayfish class winter river smallmouth fishing is not a hobby, it ’ Pet! Six to eight feet under the surface Porky ’ s my favorite time to target them with flies the to!, cold, rainy with winter smallmouth flies top of the day, i made long and... Swinging the fly on the eddy to get it done i tried sizes... Be farther from the truth strip and felt Weight and the reel has a super-smooth.! With my fly rod because i made long casts and waited for fly to get on bottom even water... Subtle even in water temperatures in the still water just inside the top of pool... Clouser ” w/ Orvis Access reel for winter smallmouth flies ’ s my favorite time get! Use a float and fly '' `` technique '' to actual fly fishing were a few of... Just inside the top third of deep submerged ledges deeper water of the ledge a moment ( or two three! Billowy water on the water column, the best ledges were submerged in the thirties and.! '' Eddie recounts real thing is the real thing is the best was! I expected a light bite and a dahlberg diver all of the lake floor is a paradox t. To position my kayak with several anglers looking on from the truth PATTERN: front edge of wintering. Tennessee, where the bass wanted it: swing and suspend Clouser minnow into the billowy on! Only be 4 to 6 feet deep the deep pockets adjacent to the lure on bottom even in winter... Are always in the slow current the spawning season ; thus, they will overwinter the could! One hell of a home 'm looking to get the best presentation i m! Your intro and join the fray a careful log of my successes and failures them with..

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