Early season smallmouth

[C_kreek17]

With all this warm weather I have been itching to hook up on some smallmouth but haven’t had any luck. Is anyone seeing early prespawn bass action, and if so what’s been working for you? My creek (a trib of the Susquehanna) got up to the 50s this week but I guess it might need to warm up a little more/I’m assuming it still might be a few weeks too early, but would love to hear what everyone else is seeing.

 

[dubthethorax]

I hit a little smallie yesterday on a trib to the EB perk using a big hellgrammite pattern stripped very slow across the creek bottom. was actually going for carp and he hit it.

 

[Striperbobby]

With all this warm weather I have been itching to hook up on some smallmouth but haven’t had any luck. Is anyone seeing early prespawn bass action, and if so what’s been working for you? My creek (a trib of the Susquehanna) got up to the 50s this week but I guess it might need to warm up a little more/I’m assuming it still might be a few weeks too early, but would love to hear what everyone else is seeing.

I fished the Brandywine (Unstocked section) on Sunday and got on a bunch of fallfish and bluegills. I saw 2 bass but they weren’t feeding. I had to dead drift nymphs for all the fish nothing took Woolybuggers. I think the bass will start biting any day now. I know spin fisherman on the susky have been catching really nice fish in the 15 to 20 inch range the past several days.

 

[Dave_W]

This is usually the beginning of the pre-spawn prime time for river smallies. In my experience, the magic number is a water temp of 42 degrees F. We've generally had some cold weather this month and I'd expect that things might be a bit behind. However, recent warmer weather should have the game going.

It's important to remember that pre-spawn bass fishing depends to a large degree on weather trends. A cold front or return to cold nights can really shut things down for a few days.

I have not been out this spring as much as usual, but the one day I did get out about a week ago I was surprised to find a water temp of 54 at one of my favorite spots. This was warmer than I had predicted and I expected some good action as a result. I couldn't buy a strike. Then I realized that the previous nights had been cold combined with snow melt and that the high temp I had recorded was probably actually on a downward trend.
Wait for a few warming days. Sunshine helps.

(This thread will be moved to the warm water forum shortly. DW)

 

[BruceC2C]

Last week, on MD creek, nice Smallie to hand.
Ate small black leech/jig
as point of tandem rig.
Almost imperceptible bump on palsa indicator.
Dead drifted in 4' , lightly stained water close to rock wall that has been productive on previous, similar early season days.
Love me some SMB action!!