Somewhere on here I read about some type of almost salamander looking thing that is supposedly really good for Smallmouth. Anyone know what the heck I’m thinking of…? Regards all!
As stonecat/madtom would be way more similar looking to a salamander than a hellgrammite or fishfly larva would be. Stonecats are also FAR SUPERIOR live bait..........there is no doubt about that. The only edge up that hellgies have is that they are much easier to go to a riffle and catch a bunch of them with a kick net in a hurry.
In a recent stream report I indicated using a "stonecat" fly. For many PA FFers, this is an unusual pattern and not typically associated with trout fishing. Local river folks who fish bait for smallies, however, are very familiar with this critter. The term "stonecat" is actually a misnomer...