Cold Weather Smallies

[jifigz]

I haven't fished the Juniata River since September so I was itching to do a little bass fishing. I was talking to a guy I've gotten to know a few months ago and I told him I'd show him some spots where there are generally some walleyes (which is actually what we were after) and definitely some smallmouths. We went out yesterday evening and only fished for about an hour and the fishing was pretty fast and the fish were inhaling both my streamers and his plastics on jigheads. We didn't connect with any walleye but that is okay. We also didn't peg any monsters but all fish were nice and fat and very healthy.

I put this out there as an incentive to hit your local bass waterways. Stocked trout waters are currently closed and March is one of the best months of the year for bass fishing. The fish start moving into predictable locations and some big fish can be had at this time of year. Go get em!

 

[jifigz]

Yesterday was also the first time I used a fly line I bought from Cabela's about 2 years ago and it was the first time I've ever used a sink-tip. I got that line for $7 and I think it was definitely money well spent. It took me a little getting used to, however.

I keep trying to attach more photos and they won't attach. Oh well.

 

[Mwheaps32]

Nice!! Winter smallmouth are fun

 

[Mwheaps32]

Action was hot this afternoon on the North Branch Susquehanna. Caught total of 13 with 6 of them between 15"-17" on a size 4 olive slumpbuster. Since the water has came down most of my bank Eddy spots are gone so I went to a nice long deep slow moving pool and they were stacked in there. A few of the fish were very aggressive on the swing for early spring.

 

[Mwheaps32]

Here was a good one from this afternoon on North Branch. This fish had two other smallmouth of similar size chasing it around as I brought it in.
https://flic.kr/p/FSjaKa

 

[Dave_W]

Mwheaps32 wrote:
Here was a good one from this afternoon on North Branch. This fish had two other smallmouth of similar size chasing it around as I brought it in.
https://flic.kr/p/FSjaKa

Very nice - look at that clear water!

 

[jifigz]

That's a beautiful and healthy looking fish Mwheaps32! I've struck out myast few times recently for bass. Today and tomorrow I'll be fishing. The question is will it be for smallies or for wild brown trout.....

 

[Dave_W]

jifigz wrote:
Today and tomorrow I'll be fishing. The question is will it be for smallies or for wild brown trout.....

C'mon man!
This should be an easy choice. If you go for the little spotted sissy fish we may have to revoke your Warm Water Insurgents card.

 

[afishinado]

Dave_W wrote:

jifigz wrote:
Today and tomorrow I'll be fishing. The question is will it be for smallies or for wild brown trout.....

C'mon man!
This should be an easy choice. If you go for the little spotted sissy fish we may have to revoke your Warm Water Insurgents card.

^ :lol:

I don't recall ever seeing so many good reports of both numbers and size of smallies caught in the major rivers this spring (Susky, Delaware and Juniata).

The flow and clarity are great right now, which is not often found this time of year. If you are thinking about fishing for pre-spawn smallies, now would be the time. I agree with Dave, the skinny, spotted ones can wait.

 

[jifigz]

Well I sauntered down to the river today for a bit....and I mean a short bit. Within about 10 minutes my left foot was dreched so apparently my waders had sprung a brand new leak. I'm going back out tomorrow though. I'll probably launch the kayak this time though....or hit up Honey Creek for those sissy spotted fish.

 

[jifigz]

Took the kayak out yesterday and paddled upriver from my house to some well known wintering areas. The watwr was 40° and the fishing was down right easy. I landed about 25 smallies but none of them were large which is a little strange. Now that the water is 40° the fishing will be heating up big time.

 

[Dave_W]

jifigz wrote:
Took the kayak out yesterday and paddled upriver from my house to some well known wintering areas. The watwr was 40° and the fishing was down right easy. I landed about 25 smallies but none of them were large which is a little strange. Now that the water is 40° the fishing will be heating up big time.

Good to hear. It does seem odd to get smaller fish this time of year.

I wonder if snow melt might drop the temps back a bit(?) Down here in SCPA we have had about a foot of snow melt the last few days. However, the melt has been pretty slow and waterways are clear.

Anyway, the bass game is on - just need to get out.
I think Satuday would be a good day to go bass fishin as all the snowflakes will be out for trout.
We rough edged (and sometimes uncouth) insurgents are non-conformists yuh know.

 

[jifigz]

Dave,

Bass fishing on Saturday sounds like the perfect plan. Even if I were to go trout fishing I would be heading to an unstocked stream of some sort. It cracks me up how there is almost a circus on opening day. Everybody gets all frenzied about it. It would certainly be smart of you to let everyone else catch ugly rainbows and go target some bronzebacks.

Yesterday my largest fish were about 16". So not big, but not small either. I did get a bunch of chunky 12" fish which seemed weird. I tried to upload more pictures but it wouldn't let me for some reason. I also ran onto a ton of actively feeding carp. Now that would have been fun. The water was still cold enough to where the smallies honestly didn't have a ton of fight in them yet. That will all be changing very soon, however.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I had planned to bass fish the river Friday and Saturday, but like last year, when I can go the water is on the rise.

I don't care, I will figure something out.
Screw to first day stocked trout Styrofoam container hurricane that is going to plague our waterways. I want no part of that.
At worst I'll take my trout spey and swing streamers for giant browns.

Reading DaveW say snowflakes made me smile

 

[jifigz]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
I had planned to bass fish the river Friday and Saturday, but like last year, when I can go the water is on the rise.

I don't care, I will figure something out.
Screw to first day stocked trout Styrofoam container hurricane that is going to plague our waterways. I want no part of that.
At worst I'll take my trout spey and swing streamers for giant browns.

Reading DaveW say snowflakes made me smile

Why do you mind if the water is on the rise? It can't be coming up too much and it isn't going to get terribly dirty where you were planning to fish is it? From my recent experience the bass are still in wintering holes given the colder weather and below normal water temp for this time of the year. Rising water will make those fish even easier to pattern and catch unless it comes up a ton, but that shouldn't happen..

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I was assuming since the snowmelt and rain (was) forecasted through Friday here. I generally fish the lower river.

I haven't looked at the gauges but I will tonight.
I prefer low water as opposed to higher on the Susquehanna but you make some solid points for this time of year.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Ya I'm not sure. Harrisburg and Marrietta are showing its up some.
I'm still gonna go unless something dramatic changes. It's better than watching the 1st day fiasco

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I stand corrected.

After posting those I want down to Falmouth 4pm-6:30pm. Water was perfect and some bass , large ones at that, were leaping while eating the abundant stoneflies. Left me with my head scratching. Those fish wouldnt look at a streamer and were shallower in current seams. I only hooked up with one (16-17" fish) while tossing a sink tip with a streamer. Seems those bass are out of winter mode and are in full prespawn while acting like it's summer.
Others im sure were deep, but it was fun to watch.

Going back to the river this weekend, this time with a few dry flies just in case!

 

[Mwheaps32]

I stopped by my wintering pools tonight and caught 3 with 2 of them being heavy fish. The water temp was 43 and I also noticed a few bass slurping stoneflies. The river level is projected to come up another 7ft from tonight which is not good for my section of the river for this weekend.

And yes many fly-fishers are duped into thinking that trout are the only game in town (I was one of them for years) the adrenaline rush from a fat smallie barreling down stream in heavy current is hard to beat. If you love to swing flies there is nothing better than a river smallmouth in my opinion. The added bonus is the river feels like it's all yours because I rarely run into another fisherman wading.