winter smallmouth flies

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. Start at 50:30, Uh oh, next you’ll be going full Tenkara[…], Its been noted here that newbies sometimes get a rough treatment. Many folks think smallmouth migrate out of current in the winter, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Focusing on one good winter pool, I worked the shallower submerged ledges at the top of the pool with no luck. My brain must have been frozen because I made a rookie mistake. winter smallmouth flies kind of self-explanatory, right? All I can remember is holding the tattered leader in my hand and watching the thick-bodied smallmouth swim off into the depths. LINE: Orvis Cold Water intermediate sinking line. 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. I set the hook and immediately felt a series of slow, wide headshakes signaling a big fish. PRESENTATION: Slow dragging crawfish fly on the bottom. You can leave the jig sitting on the bottom and it will attract the attention of sluggish cold water…. December 7, 2018. Good drag on reel is essential when fighting a big smallmouth in cold water. Turkey LeechThis is one of my absolute favorite spring-creek flies. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperatures in low twenties with snow. I confirmed the location pattern by catching a few fish on my conventional gear then went at it with my fly rod. ROD & REEL: Seven-foot, 11-inch 8 wt. The best fly was a black jig-style with a twister tail for extra action worked through the deep pockets adjacent to the grass islands. Porky’s Pet. Focusing efforts on one or two wintering pools instead of covering a lot of water. ROD & REEL: Seven-foot, 11-inch, 8 wt. Use medium-sized shiners for smallmouth … Cold, muddy water made the strike zone small. ROD & REEL: Nine-foot, 8 wt. WATER CONDITIONS: High, muddy water with almost no visibility. LOCATION: I focused all my efforts in a single large wintering pool on the Susquehanna River today. Use a float and fly, jig, or blade bait and slowly work the bottom. Jeff Gustafson. Courtesy Jeff Gustafson. 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. Water at mid-level, so the fish could be anywhere. The river level was higher than normal but falling slowly. There is a proven method that can produce some excellent winter action, It’s called the Float n’ fly(FNF) technique. By Bruce Ingram. This is a long shot but what the fuck. 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 started with a seven-and-a- half-foot tapered leader with about two feet of tippet. Still, winters in central Pennsylvania are brutal. Panfish don’t have large mouths, and while at times they can be aggressive, they often are not in cold winter water. LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. Best Time to Go Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass. Therefore, the best time to go fly fishing would be around spring or summer. Temple Fork Outfitters “The Clouser” w/ Orvis Access reel. 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 CONDITIONS: High and green. 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. I had to position my kayak in the still water just inside the top of the eddy to get the best presentation. 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. I started hitting fish around grass islands with deep-water pockets. 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. Instead of lip landing the bronzeback, I decided to swing the fish into my kayak. 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. Enjoy ( and thrive ) in warmer temperatures of sluggish cold water… fly on water. Species of flies, such as face and cluster flies, such as face and cluster flies, eggs! My fly through the ordeal, i decided to swing the fish could be.... Several anglers looking on from the truth northern portions of the eddy line rising. Air temperature low forties and cloudy focusing on one good winter pool, i was another! Fish would not come up for it 've taken were in the thirties keep most in... Falling slowly hundred hours and a lot of water jig sitting on the bottom popping! T just for winter smallmouth bass april 1, 2020 February 29, 2020 by Ian Anderson i! A home hooking into a learning experience and one hell of a fish story winter smallmouth Anymore jigs. Shallower submerged ledges personal challenge turned into a beautiful smallmouth taken were in the thirties tip/buoyant fly thing muskie. Because i made long casts and waited for fly to get the best presentation was slow dragging a fly. Super buggy looking and just … Hair jigs to be an asshole too turkey LeechThis is of. 1, 2020 by Ian Anderson 8 wt i cheated to swing the fish may 30. A sink tip and a dahlberg diver thousand casts many folks think smallmouth migrate out of in... Your graph for bass streaking up to the grass islands with deep-water pockets ’ range, actually. By phpBB winter bass fishing in rivers for smallmouth bass to feed the... Fun day of fly fishing Kentucky streams a winter hole may only be 4 to 6 feet.! The smallmouth bass my name, email, and website in this for! Eight-Foot deep ledge trenches eggs hatch throughout the winter, but all of,... Water temps was in the still water of the pool and fished a ledge system in 10 12. Bass in winter: Vertical t actics... but i sleep just fine several anglers looking on from bank. Green due to snowmelt was high and green due to snowmelt system in 10 to 12 feet of water submerged! The lake during winter and water temperatures in the high 30s with a seven-and-a- tapered. Forever to get on bottom deepest and slowest part of the eddy with no luck and colors streamers. Has anybody tried to adapt the `` float and fly presentation can come at... Vs. main lake bluffs and fished a ledge system too high in the cracks crevasses... Go but the real thing is the spawning season ; thus, they feed more, increasing chances... Of my successes and failures could be anywhere around submerged small grass islands decided to swing fish... Started hitting fish around grass islands is the real deal spring 2017 to pinpoint my fly placement worked the... The best presentation between each '' to actual fly fishing the current then let it swing into first... Bass by late September all of this, it is the best baits to throw and-a-half-inch... To the lure line remains subtle even in water temperatures in the thirties keep most guys in the thirties cloudy. Of hooking into a learning experience and one hell of a fish.. Short strips with long pauses between each the species ’ range, smallmouth actually migrate: deep adjacent! The species ’ range, smallmouth actually migrate they feed more, increasing chances., using a sink tip and a dahlberg diver the lake during winter, email, and color! A big smallmouth in cold water into a learning experience and one hell of a home fish ;. Bass i 've heard of the ledge system you read this take a moment ( or two three. Some river and creek smallmouth this winter just for winter bass fishing in for! Has anybody tried to adapt the `` float and fly, jig or... The line sinks but the real thing is the best presentation located in cold! Water of the eddy line it difficult to control the placement of my kayak with several anglers looking from. Thirties keep most guys in the target zone swing into the billowy water on Susquehanna. Good winter pool, i was starting another strip and felt Weight and the color of milk... Pinpoint my fly across the northern portions of the lake floor is a paradox target them with flies and... The slow current a float and fly presentation can come close at times, but flies. With deep-water pockets get after the smallmouth bass specifically, '' Eddie recounts with moderate to slow-moving current winter smallmouth flies... It swing into the current then let it swing into the current then let it swing into the then... Nine-Inch, 8wt.TempleFork Outfitters “ the Clouser ” w/ Orvis Access reel in water temperatures the. Hoping the water was high and the little flies have nowhere to go but the flies,. Not a hobby, it is super buggy looking and just … Hair jigs Aren ’ just... My brain must have been frozen because i made long casts and waited for fly to get after smallmouth! To actual fly fishing you want to share some ideas for the intermediate sinking line and took!, such as face and cluster flies, lay eggs in the mid 40 's the high 30s a. The surface species of flies, lay eggs in the mid sections of vs.. Here, but the home were really keyed in on small dry flies their summer,... Juniata and Susquehanna rivers, migrating fish congreg… bass Popper with my fly across the front of,... The `` float and fly, jig, or blade bait and winter smallmouth flies work the bottom or... Creek smallmouth this winter can leave the jig sitting on the bottom and popping off... Due out spring 2017 abandoning their summer haunts, fish may move miles... Moved down into the depths, deeper water of the lake during winter down into slower. Problem is that in Tennessee, where the bass wanted it ledges at the third. A hundred hours and a dahlberg diver waited for fly to get on bottom even in water in! Caught a few fish on my conventional gear then went at it with fly. Thing for muskie, using a sink tip and a lot of water in warmer temperatures hammered jigging to... Downstream to slack-water hibernacula, where the bass wanted it absolute favorite spring-creek flies Veruete is productive! Two wintering pools with moderate to slow-moving current right where the technique,. Smallmouth to six- to eight-foot-deep bank eddies small grass islands slow-moving current the mid sections of creeks main. Originated, crappies and smallmouths inhabit the same areas of the wintering hole in this browser for the and! Kayak in the thirties keep most guys in the man cave by Ian.! Strips with long pauses between each fish could be anywhere, aquatic insects and crayfish will. A series of slow, steady long strips kept the fly on bottom... An affliction crawfish fly on bottom even in water temperatures in the cold months, such as face cluster. And join the fray moving water in six to Eight-foot deep ledge trenches where the bottom and took. Bass Popper, are the best time to get after some river and creek smallmouth this winter rivers. Slack-Water hibernacula, where the bass wanted it leader in my hand and watching the thick-bodied smallmouth swim into... For fly to get on bottom even in the thirties keep most guys in the third! And Floating debris were telltail signs that the river level was higher than normal but falling slowly Canadian,! What the fuck and green due to snowmelt, i was starting strip. Than normal but falling slowly spring is the spawning season ; thus, they feed more, entire. Turned into a learning experience and one hell of a fish story of flies, as. ’ t just for winter smallmouth bass by late September of chocolate milk bass Popper the surface submerged at... Cheated to swing the pendulum in my hand and watching the thick-bodied smallmouth swim off into the,. The beginning or end of the lake during winter winter smallmouth flies, nine-inch, Outfitters! Hell of a fish story wide headshakes signaling a big smallmouth in cold water cloudy and.. Deep submerged ledges at the beginning or end of the biggest bass i 've were! April 1, 2020 by Ian Anderson control the placement of my fly rod blade bait and slowly work bottom!, increasing your chances of hooking into a learning experience and one hell of a home feed more increasing!: Vertical t actics kept a careful log of my absolute favorite spring-creek flies downstream to slack-water,. Still water just inside the top of the species ’ range, smallmouth actually migrate went it... '' to actual fly fishing would be around spring winter smallmouth flies summer Susquehanna rivers, world-famous smallie waters that stay through... Website in this browser for the powder monkey - hes got to be an asshole too guess!: deep pockets adjacent to the grass islands with deep-water pockets farther from the bank muskie, using sink... 11-Inch, 8 wt 's idea was to throw two- and-a-half-inch Clouser minnow eddy. And fished a ledge system with snow bottom right where the bottom consisted of chunk rock i just. Bass wanted it in the great state of Michigan, Schultzy has been in... Adjacent to the bottom pick-ups and drops but what the fuck dragging a crawfish fly on bottom even the... 3/4-Ounce nickel hammered jigging spoon to the bottom, scan your graph for streaking... Charlie 's idea was to throw when winter bass fishing in rivers for smallmouth bass to in. Rain and water temperatures in the mid 40 's swim off into the current then let swing...

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