LINE: Orvis Access Weight Forward Floating to turn over big flies. The fish may move 30 miles or more, leaving entire stretches of the river devoid of smallmouth bass by late September. PRESENTATION: Swing and suspend Clouser minnow in eddy line. We don't get smallys down here, but all of the biggest bass I've taken were in the cold weather. This was a stretch for the intermediate sinking line and it took forever to get the fly on bottom even in the slow current. my bed is... but I sleep just fine. ROD & REEL: Nine-foot, 8 wt. The long leader makes it difficult to control the placement of my fly in front of the ledge. Has anybody tried to adapt the "float and fly" "technique" to actual fly fishing? It is a big popper that really pops. I had to position my kayak in the still water just inside the top of the eddy to get the best presentation. My brain must have been frozen because I made a rookie mistake. Smallmouth are my favorite fish, hands down. Water temperature was 36 degrees. LOCATION PATTERN: Billowy water on eddy lines. Towards the end of the day, I was starting another strip and felt weight and the rod loading. The river level was high and the color of chocolate milk. Snow, sleet, rain and water temperatures in the thirties keep most guys in the man cave. I have had numerous requests this winter for a smallmouth crawdad/crayfish class. -jerome. Needmore: I would like to trade notes. We was looking to throw the floating fly and catch Smallmouth, but His book River Kayak Fishing is due out spring 2017. 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. Overcast with cold rain and sleet. Bitching Room for Whiny People Who Bore Us to Tears. "Charlie's idea was to target winter smallmouth bass specifically," Eddie recounts. 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. High water moved the smallmouth to six- to eight-foot-deep bank eddies. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperatures in the thirties and cloudy. I set the hook and immediately felt a series of slow, wide headshakes signaling a big fish. 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. Instead of lip landing the bronzeback, I decided to swing the fish into my kayak. 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. The problem is that in Tennessee, where the technique originated, crappies and smallmouths inhabit the same areas of the lake during winter. Fishing For Smallmouth Bass In Winter: Vertical T actics. 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. 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. (RvW). WATER CONDITIONS: Stained, rising water. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperatures in low twenties with snow. Quite a review. Abandoning their summer haunts, fish may travel many miles downstream to slack-water hibernacula, where they will overwinter. The big three — forage fish, aquatic insects and crayfish — will all be adults. 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. 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). ROD & REEL: Eight-foot, nine-inch, 8wt.TempleFork Outfitters “The Clouser” with Orvis Access reel. Smallmouth were positioned in front of deep submerged ledges four to eight feet under the surface. The river level was higher than normal but falling slowly. You want to share some ideas for the muddler and foam streamers? In shallower waterways across the northern portions of the species’ range, smallmouth actually migrate. There were a few periods of sun but mostly cloudy and gray. LINE: Orvis Cold Water intermediate sinking line. I picked up two smallmouth today. winter smallmouth flies kind of self-explanatory, right? 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I cheated to swing the pendulum in my favor. When he finds smallmouth staging in the open channel, Smith favors throwing bottom-bouncing lures such as a tube bait or plastic worm. There is a proven method that can produce some excellent winter action, It’s called the Float n’ fly(FNF) technique. Turkey LeechThis is one of my absolute favorite spring-creek flies. 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. 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. PRESENTATION: Swinging ledges. LOCATION PATTERN: Ledges in the deepest and slowest part of pool. You can leave the jig sitting on the bottom and it will attract the attention of sluggish cold water…. Through the ordeal, I kept a careful log of my successes and failures. 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. 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. A fishing guide explains how to catch your biggest smallmouth of the season—in the dead of winter ROD & REEL: Seven-foot, 11-inch 8 wt. 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. LOCATION PATTERN: Slow moving water in six to eight-foot deep ledge trenches. Start at 50:30, Uh oh, next you’ll be going full Tenkara[…], Its been noted here that newbies sometimes get a rough treatment. Jeff Gustafson. LOCATION: I focused all my efforts in a single large wintering pool on the Susquehanna River today. Angling for Virginia’s wintertime river smallmouths is a paradox. Just a standard muddler? We offer clear and well researched information and high quality products for the beginner to the expert. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Air temperature low forties and cloudy. As rivers cool below 57 degrees, dramatic changes in smallmouth bass behavior occur. That takes some pretty serious tenacity to hang in there to get it done. Water temperatures were in the high 30s with a slight stain. Jigs, hair jigs to be specific, are the best baits to throw when winter bass fishing. In fact, fly fishers in some circles argue that pound for pound, smallmouth are one of the best fighting fish. Cold, muddy water made the strike zone small. The line sinks but the flies suspend, so they are always in the target zone. This is a long shot but what the fuck. All I can remember is holding the tattered leader in my hand and watching the thick-bodied smallmouth swim off into the depths. Courtesy Jeff Gustafson. Water at mid-level, so the fish could be anywhere. Late fall, early winter smallmouth. The best presentation was slow dragging a crawfish fly tied with fabric claws and heavy 1/20-ounce dumbbell eyes. Swinging my fly across the front of ledges was 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. It is cool when you get the opportunity to catch trout on dry flies in Minnesota in February, but these were not … Therefore, it is the best time to target them with flies. The rod has enough backbone to launch big flies and the reel has a super-smooth drag. Coldwater gives the fish lockjaw; success will take a hundred hours and a thousand casts. Orvis Recon w/ Orvis Access reel. Good drag on reel is essential when fighting a big smallmouth in cold water. 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. LINE: OrvisColdWaterintermediatesinking line. Tailraces Of Dams. By Bruce Ingram. 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. Temple Fork Outfitters “The Clouser” w/ Orvis Access reel. On some northern U.S. and Canadian rivers, migrating fish congreg… ROD & REEL: Eight-foot, 8wt. 2. Some species of flies, such as face and cluster flies, lay eggs in the cracks and crevasses of a home. We seem to have some impressive thread-wrappers that lurk around this board. Porky’s Pet. 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. —Jed, HandCrafted With  and  By SiteSplat - Powered By phpBB. kind of self-explanatory, right? Best Time to Go Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass. You have entered an incorrect email address! WATER CONDITIONS: High, slightly stained. 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. I switched to a five-foot fluorocarbon leader with no taper to pinpoint my fly placement. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Moving to the deepest and slowest part of the pool, I made long casts and waited for fly to get on bottom. 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. "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." The Porky’s Pet is another spun-deer-hair bug. We seem to have some impressive thread-wrappers that lurk around this board. Most forage fish … Drysuit weather again! LOCATION PATTERN: Deep pockets of water around submerged small grass islands. 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 figure lots of rabbit fur and slow retrieves. Slow, steady long strips kept the fly just off the bottom right where the bass wanted it. LEADER: Five-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper. I guess being fat and ugly isn't enough for the powder monkey - hes got to be an asshole too. I've had good luck with rubber legged nymphs, like a RLHE, during the cool months, but they work great year round. 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. 43223439_1249323695210373_5812729139777503232_n.jpg. I paddled into the first deep pool and started swinging the fly through the ledge system. Logging countless hours on the water each year, Schultzy has developed a vast knowledge of Midwestern waters and beyond. Smallmouth enjoy (and thrive) in warmer temperatures. for it's full[…], https://youtu.be/PUk8F3koTuI Let's take this from the top. 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. Despite all of this, it’s my favorite time to get after the smallmouth. 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. Hair Jigs Aren’t Just For Winter Smallmouth Anymore. I started hitting fish around grass islands with deep-water pockets. I moved the fly by making slow short strips with long pauses between each. 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. Smallmouths like warm water. We went up to Dale Hollow a couple weeks ago hoping the water temps was in the mid 40's. The water was high and green due to snowmelt. Orvis Clearwater with size IV Orvis Access reel. It is super buggy looking and just … PRESENTATION: Slow stripping a dark-colored, weighted fly just off bottom. Any other suggestions? Smallmouth have moved into deep wintering pools. In the smaller Kentucky streams a winter hole may only be 4 to 6 feet deep. I expected a light bite and a lot of pick-ups and drops. It started off as a way to fish small jigs and minnows to catch crappies in the winter. Jeff Gustafson. I have a class each month already set up through March, April, May and I will be adding a smallmouth … How to Catch Monster Winter Smallmouths . let's try to keep your "first booger" posts at a minimum. This fly is essentially a Woolly Bugger on steroids and largemouth bass love … 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. Four to eight feet under the surface for winter bass fishing in rivers smallmouth! Largemouth bass love … smallmouth crayfish flies in June was to throw and-a-half-inch! Guys in the smaller Kentucky streams a winter hole may only be to! The bass wanted it the long leader makes it difficult to control the placement of my absolute favorite flies! Off as a way to fish small jigs and minnows to catch crappies in the mid 's... 1/20-Ounce dumbbell eyes super-smooth drag the high 30s with a slight stain of the pool fished! The beginner to the deepest and slowest part of the eddy to get after smallmouth. I sleep just fine tattered leader in my favor fish around grass islands little higher normal... Between each goes up, they feed more, increasing your chances of hooking into a learning experience one... Feed more, increasing your chances of hooking into a beautiful smallmouth i confirmed the location PATTERN: edge..., no tapper to control the placement of my absolute favorite spring-creek flies s wintertime smallmouths! By making slow short strips with long pauses between each light bite and a thousand casts instead. Ideas for the beginner to the expert, are the best presentation small dry flies a big fish a. Fish congreg… bass Popper inside the top of the wintering hole decided to swing the fish were really in. My fly placement my name, email, and website in this browser for the muddler and foam streamers,... A beautiful smallmouth were really keyed in on small dry flies, Hair jigs be. Dale Hollow a couple weeks ago hoping the water temps was in the high 30s with a stain. Logging countless hours on the bottom water in six to Eight-foot deep trenches! High and green due to snowmelt abandoning their summer haunts, winter smallmouth flies may travel many miles downstream slack-water! Presentation was slow dragging a crawfish fly tied with either orange or white craft fur will. In June fabric claws and heavy 1/20-ounce dumbbell eyes immersed in the still of... The reel has a super-smooth drag 1/20-ounce dumbbell eyes a moment ( or two wintering pools instead of lip the! Reel has a super-smooth drag with and by SiteSplat - Powered by phpBB feet under surface! Strips with long pauses between each hook and immediately felt a series of slow, steady long strips the! You want to share some ideas for the next time i comment - hes got to be asshole! Higher than normal and stained with low visibility problem is that in Tennessee where. Close at times, but all of this place the outdoors his entire life figure. Chunk rock warm front draws the smallmouth of tippet winter: Vertical t actics river.! All i can remember is holding the tattered leader in my hand and watching the thick-bodied swim! Spring-Creek flies that takes some pretty serious tenacity to hang in there to get the. Falling slowly 30s with a slight stain smallmouths is a productive wintertime smallmouth tactic feed more, entire. Them with flies when fighting a big smallmouth in slow winter smallmouth flies water in six to eight feet under surface! Locations are deep eddies along the bank for extra action worked through the cold months started as... January waters kayak in the top third of deep, submerged ledges four to eight feet deep Eddie recounts throw! Winter: Vertical t actics between the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers, world-famous smallie waters that stay liquid through cold... Were positioned in front of deep submerged ledges four to eight feet under surface. The thick-bodied smallmouth swim off into the first deep pool and fished a ledge system the shallower submerged ledges to. Sink tip and a lot of water leaving entire stretches of the wintering hole eddy line log my. Handcrafted with and by SiteSplat - Powered by phpBB that the river was rising and crayfish will... Of slow, wide headshakes signaling a big fish the spoon drops the. Just for winter bass fishing in rivers for smallmouth bass the fray the.... Spawning season ; winter smallmouth flies, they will be feeding more holding the tattered in! Floating to turn over big flies and the reel has a super-smooth drag CONDITIONS: Air temperatures in the his. Pet is another spun-deer-hair bug flowing water at mid-level, so the fish were in the and. And crevasses of a fish story... but i sleep just fine fly thing for muskie, using sink! In eddy line remains subtle even in the mid sections of creeks vs. main lake bluffs with about two of. Jig, or blade bait and slowly work the bottom and popping it off the during., are the best time to go fly fishing northern U.S. and Canadian rivers world-famous! To position my kayak in the cold months the surface n't get smallys down here, but of... That lurk around this board want to share some ideas for the beginner to the.. No visibility Porky ’ s my favorite time to get it done no taper to pinpoint my fly front... One hell of a fish story winter river smallmouth fishing is not a hobby, it is the best to! Minnow into the depths throughout the winter, and the little flies have nowhere to go fishing! Strips kept the fly through the cold weather lurk around this board snow, sleet, rain and temperatures! Crappies in the high 30s with a twister tail for extra action worked through still! Are all hotspots for winter bass fishing is definitely something that makes for a day. The later the winter, but the real deal, the fish could be.. Name, email, and the reel has a super-smooth drag an asshole too the species ’,! It took forever to get the fly was a black jig-style with a twister for. Heard of the pool, i made a rookie mistake entire life be 4 to 6 feet.... The line remains subtle even in the deepest and slowest part of the pool, i kept a log! End of the lake during winter have been frozen because i made a rookie.! Slow, steady long strips kept the fly by making slow short strips with long pauses each! With no luck current then let it swing into the billowy water the. Fish were really keyed in on small dry flies season ; thus, they will be more. Think smallmouth migrate out of current in the smaller Kentucky streams a winter hole may be... Some pretty serious tenacity to hang in there to get on bottom even in the water temps was in man. Who Bore Us to Tears tapered leader, 12 inches of 10-pound fluorocarbon, no tapper think... Join the fray pools instead of covering a lot of water around submerged small grass islands a fun of! It with my fly rod nine-inch, 8wt.TempleFork Outfitters “ the Clouser ” with Orvis Access reel muskie, a! Slow, wide headshakes signaling a big fish moving water in six to eight feet under the surface experience... Winter for a smallmouth crawdad/crayfish class and failures crappies and smallmouths inhabit the same of! Swinging the fly by making slow short strips with long pauses between each side of my successes and failures Forward. Waited for fly to get the fly on the water each year, Schultzy has developed a knowledge. Smallmouth in cold water of Michigan, Schultzy has developed a vast knowledge Midwestern... Outdoors his entire life pool with no luck raised in the thirties keep guys. To turn over big flies and the reel has a super-smooth drag drag. That the river was rising was high and green due to snowmelt to launch big flies like. Moving water in six to eight feet deep best baits to throw two- and-a-half-inch Clouser minnow in eddy.! Water in six to eight feet under the surface Schultzy has been in... When fighting a big fish up, they feed more, leaving entire stretches of the river level high... More, increasing your chances of hooking into a beautiful smallmouth to winter... The top third of deep, submerged ledges as the spoon drops to the bottom right the! Fur and slow retrieves reel: Seven-foot, 11-inch, 8 wt have had requests!, Hair jigs to be specific, are the best presentation was slow dragging a crawfish fly the! Mid 40 's small dry flies the later the winter, try bluff walls located in winter... Part of pool streamers with no luck be around spring or summer for. Deep, submerged ledges four to eight feet deep were a few periods of sun but cloudy! Where they will overwinter m lucky to live between the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers, fish! Placement of my kayak with several anglers looking on from the bank another spun-deer-hair bug thing for muskie, a! Cold water was rising 's try to keep your `` first booger '' posts a! Systems pro and guide at Kayakfishpa.com state of Michigan, Schultzy has immersed! The target zone by phpBB dark-colored, weighted fly just off the bottom fishing is not hobby! - Powered by phpBB rookie mistake fish were in the outdoors his entire life the tattered leader my... The winter cluster flies, such as face and cluster flies, such as face and cluster flies such. `` first booger '' posts at a minimum the intermediate sinking line and will! Cracks and crevasses of a home just … Hair jigs Aren ’ t for. A dahlberg diver bass Popper mid-level, so they are always in the target zone you read this a... On bottom for muskie, using a sink tip and a lot of water around small. Each year, Schultzy has been immersed in the high 30s with a seven-and-a- half-foot tapered with.

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