Trophy Smallmouth on the Little J

[melvinthefisherman]

I have occasionally caught small 6"-10" smallmouth on the little Juniata while fishing for brown trout, mostly on streamers and other baitfish type presentations.
A few weeks ago while mousing the little Juniata at night, I came tight with what I suspected was going to be my largest ever brown from the stream. I could hear it jumping in the dark and it was running me up and down this pool.

When I finally netted the fish, I was surprised to not see the 22" brown I was hoping for but instead a solid 16"-17" smallmouth. Has anyone ever caught a smallmouth of this size from the little J? For context, I was well above spruce creek so I don't think it wondered in from the confluence with the Franky.

 

[Mikey2006]

I have occasionally caught small 6"-10" smallmouth on the little Juniata while fishing for brown trout, mostly on streamers and other baitfish type presentations.
A few weeks ago while mousing the little Juniata at night, I came tight with what I suspected was going to be my largest ever brown from the stream. I could hear it jumping in the dark and it was running me up and down this pool.

When I finally netted the fish, I was surprised to not see the 22" brown I was hoping for but instead a solid 16"-17" smallmouth. Has anyone ever caught a smallmouth of this size from the little J? For context, I was well above spruce creek so I don't think it wondered in from the confluence with the Franky.

Never caught any like that. Usually it’s the big rainbows that wander down from spruce that get me excited thinking I have a 20 inch brown hooked. I do catch tons of tiny smallmouths so it seems like there are at least some fish permanently living in the little J

 

[troutbert]

Nice fish!

I suspect that there is a lot of movement of smallmouth back and forth between larger, warmer, larger waters and their tributaries.

I think that in the summer when water temperatures get warm, they move upstream, sometimes long distances, then drop back down when water temperatures cool.

Examples would include streams like the Little J, Penns Creek, Pine Creek, Loyalsock Creek etc.

I don't know if this has ever been verified by studies. Surveys done in the cold months would show if whether the smallmouth are in these streams year around or not.

 

[JeffK]

From an NJ perspective, the old fly fishing only area on the Musconetcong was frequently electro-shocked and the results always showed a good number of 18 inch smallmouth who nobody ever caught and people had trouble believing they existed. Those were old, smart fish who were tucked in tight to cover. Since I lived within walking distance I made an effort to catch one of them and only had success in on two evenings when these fish would bust the shallows chasing schools of minnows. They became pretty dumb then, but in normal situations couldn't be fooled and I wouldn't have been in the right place at the right time if I didn't fish for them most evenings. Big trout were far easier to fool.

 

[troutbert]

I've caught smallmouth bass in Pine Creek and in the catch-and-release area of Penns Creek, and in the lower part of the Little Juniata, but never big ones.

I've heard from reliable sources about smallmouth over 20 inches being caught in Pine Creek and Loyalsock Creek.

But are they there year around, or do they live in the river most of the year and just move up when water temperatures rise?

 

[Bamboozle]

A few years back, I caught a bruiser of smallmouth, around 16" - 17" on a size 10 Prince Nymph on Little Pine Creek above Little Pine Creek SP and the shooting range.

Considering the fly I was using, I immediately figured I had a nice stocker hooked...

 

[Andrwhite610]

Hate to brag but I caught this yesterday on a tiny trout stream. Ya never know

 

[CinnamonJoe]

Football smallies are something, just sayin'