Whitetail bucks are rutting, and waterfowl, grouse and pheasants are flying. Fishing smallmouth river bass by darl black havalon knives. The first full moon in may, which lands on mothers day this year, so plan carefully, brings the big smallmouth bass out onto the spawning grounds. Water temperature is one of many factors i will watch in the spring, to get a leg up on the smallmouth. Jun 01, 2011 small river smallies lindners fishing edge 20 s10. Dont worry, you dont have to upset mom, the days leading up to and immediately after the full moon offer excellent spring smallmouth river fishing opportunities. The new river has been rated one of the top four best fishing rivers in the u. In my area northern wisconsin, river smallmouth will feed primarily on river shiners, chubs or perch. Whatever method of smallmouth bass fishing you choose, respect fellow anglers, landowners, the river and the fish.
On the new river upstream from claytor lake upper new river, smallmouth bass spawning success has been poor since 2014 due to high water conditions in the spring months, although it appears that 2016 was a good smallmouth bass spawning year. Target eddies, the larger fish will have prime feeding areas and in small flows eddies are going to be the best spots. Iowas smallmouth spectacular stories and adventures. Doug hooks a surprise fish while smallmouth fishing on the. Fishing on the juniata river smallmouth bass, bluegill, and a fish fry duration.
Summer smallmouth river fishing can be very productive for catching our favorite gamefish. Juniata river smallmouth fishing adirondack sporting goods. Species overview, identification, habitat, life history sunfishes chapter from pa fishes book. A very educated pick for river fishing enthusiasts. Nov 10, 2012 besides smallmouth fishing, the river offers a diverse selection of other sportfish. I would like to compile a list of the best smallmouth river lures. Last summer i did a couple floats with some friends and also some wading, and have come to the conclus. Feb 03, 2012 access to a river is easy to find where walking trails, city parks, and highways are present or permission can be obtained to cross private property. River smallmouth fishing is the most complete book about smallmouth ive ever seen.
River smallmouths the ultimate bass fishing resource guide llc. The juniata river, his preference because it sees less fishing pressure, is quite shallow in the late season, prompting the angler to switch to his smaller, aluminum jet boat. It is hard to disagree once you have spent some time fishing for smallmouth bass. Early season for big smallmouth bass union sportsmens alliance. What type of fish becomes the main forage base will depend on your geographic location. In this book, smallmouth expert tim holschlag focuses on what many feel is the most exciting smallmouth fishing available stream and small river fishing. Badger sportsman magazine falls river smallmouth bonanza. Ill deviate from fly fishing standard minnow and nymph fly patterns in heavily fished rivers because i believe wise old bass can become fly. Fly fishing critters for smallmouth bass covers a technique i use frequently. Reading a smallmouth river like the shenandoah river murray. Angers in the ozarks have a resource that is little known or over looked by the majority of the fishing public. T he new river is recognized as the second oldest river in the world and is estimated to be between 10 and 360 million years old. River fishing wikibooks, open books for an open world. Fly fishing for smallmouth bass on the new river can be simply fantastic.
Mar 04, 2008 the winter raft trip down virginias james river was noteworthy for its cold rain, leaden sky, and the dozenandahalf or so 14 to 18inch smallmouth that either capn jack west put in the boat himself or instructed a client and me how to do so. Our custom guided fishing trips cover between four to sixteen miles of the best fishing on the new river. This river system is just chalked full of fish, especially smallmouth bass. Besides smallmouth fishing, the river offers a diverse selection of other sportfish. For anyone who fishes in rivers, this is awardwinning book is the first allinone guide for the most popular river fish smallmouth bass.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Additional regulations may applysee big bass and catch and release bass regulations. We ended up with a dozen or more over 17 inches, a great day considering it was midmarch, the water was in. Doug hooks a surprise fish while smallmouth fishing on the juniata river. The smallmouth bass, dan gapens favorite river fish, are exposed in this book.
Guided drift boat fly fishing on the juniata and susquehanna rivers for smallmouth. Juniata river smallmouth fishing everything smallmouth. Reading a smallmouth river like the shenandoah river fly fishing for smallmouth bass in rivers is one of the most exciting forms of angling one can find. Ken penrods life outdoors unlimited, beltsville, maryland. If someone talks about smallmouth fishing the conservation turns to canada, tennessee, cumberland river, dale hollow, or the great lakes. The verde river offers smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish and roundtail chub, while lake mary has wallee, largemouth bass and crappie. My favorite place to fish is the raystown branch of the juniata near a little town called tatesville very near everett, pa.
Bass fishing in a creek with the real swimbait duration. Juniata river smallmouth fishing the juniata river is a tributary of the susquehanna river, approximately 104 miles 167 km long, in central pennsylvania in the united states. Little buffalo lake holman little buffalo state park in northern perry county off route 34. Although 100 fish days are common on the james, anglers have the opportunity to hook into a 5 pound smallouth on this worldclass river. Ironically, river smallmouths rarely inhabit the type of muddy creek hole described in the song. Winter smallmouth lures that produce outdoors unlimited. Apr 27, 2014 fishing on the juniata river smallmouth bass, bluegill, and a fish fry duration. With also a guide to the top 102 rivers in united states and canada, river smallmouth fishing is filled with graphs and photographs. Juniata smallmouth guide service, new bloomfield, pennsylvania. Whether you target monster smallies in the great lakes or in your favorite river, lake or stream, you will. Currently a resident of the small town of manchester in delaware county, moeller serves as the northwest regional fisheries supervisor for the iowa department of natural resources. Characterized by its extensive ledge systems, deep pools, numerous rocky runs, and plentiful forage, the new river has all the necessary ingredients to garner the ranking as one of the best rivers in the country for producing citationsized 20 and up smallmouth. As a result, most angler catches in 2020 will be smallmouth bass from 7 to 11 inches, with occasional.
West virginia smallmouth fishing guides, resources, and more. New guylurker here, looking to get some insight into the mighty j. The smallmouth bass is native to the upper and middle mississippi river basin. The best times to book your guided fishing trip on this gorgeous river is march through early november. To a river smallmouth bass, 60 degree water means two things. The second happens now, spurring smallies into movements that can produce the best fishing of the year for anglers with a keen eye on the gradually falling temperatures.
A complete guide to river fishing the best lures, strategies to get bigger fish, to fly fishing and much more. The nolichucky river is home to a large population of smallmouth, big trout and plenty of native redhorse or redtails. This book tells you everything there is to know to catch smallmouth bass in any type of river, anywhere in north america. In my area northern wisconsin, river smallmouth will. It contains all the tricks gapen has acquired over the years. Estimated to have 1,000 fish per mile, it is also one of the top smallmouth bass fisheries in the country, based on quantity and quality of fish caught. Gapen howto fish river smallmouth book gapen fishing. The river is considered scenic along much of its route, having a broad and shallow course passing through several mountain ridges and steeplylined water gaps. Pursuing smallmouth in streams is very different from the increasingly mechanized and crowded lake angling of today, and requires different skills and techniques. Southern smallmouth new river, virginia 5409222732. An overview if anyone in the hawkeye state should know smallmouth bass, its dave moeller. Casting your way down the river, look for anything on the bank that might help you in your quest. Buy the complete book of river fishing 1st edition 1st printing by arbery, len, kavanagh, yvonne, stone, peter isbn.
As the watercools, smallmouth become more dependent on minnow type forage. Give the shop a call and plan a day with one of our experienced drift boat guides to show you all the tips and tricks 6106781899 x1. It was a brand id tested in a sample color in the past, made of handpoured plastic in an ideal size for river fishing. Eco guides live to flyfish for smallmouth but equally welcome fishing with conventional tackle, and sometimes prefer. Summer smallmouth river fishing everything smallmouth. Finding river smallmouth james river smallmouth blog.
I grew up in lewistown pa, however i did most of my fishing for largemouths in private lakes and kish creek for trout. Smallies seem to respond to bigger minnows better than smaller ones at this time of year. Smallmouth fishing the nolichucky river fishing the noli is exciting all year round. River smallmouth summer patterns jeff little hook 1. New englands longest river passes through 26 new hampshire towns before entering massachusetts. Oct 02, 2009 if you prefer a more vertical tactic, more like classic north country walleye and smallmouth fishing, try vertically jigging a jig and minnow combo, or backtrolling a livebait rig baited with a 4 to 6inch chub or shiner. If you understand the smallmouths migration patterns it will help you increase your odds in having success. There are a number of things that will work, id go with a 2. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. The bank is a great place to start fishing for smallmouth. A few weeks ago, i was asked to test and recommend new colors of one of my most productive coldwater lures for river smallmouth bass, slimprofile paddletailed swimbaits. During the winter season, river smallmouth anglers have three choices.
That large fish youve just hooked leaping high in the air right in front of you presents a portrait youll never forget. Bass get little respect in northern idaho where salmon, trout and steelhead rule the anglers year. From wikibooks, open books for an open world jump to navigation jump to search approaches, techniques, and tips for fishing rivers in the eastern united states. Doug latches into a carp while smallmouth fishing with kayak fish pa, llc. Jul 09, 2012 the bank is a great place to start fishing for smallmouth. If its a river system you fish during warm weather, focus on sections that attract and hold smallmouth bass during summer because many will produce good fishing during winter. Smallmouth fishing juniata river see video juniata river fishing is one of my all time favorite past times.
Nolichucky river fishing guides smallmouth bass fishing. In the summer, some people have caught 100, 200, even 300 bass a day. Fly fishing critters for smallmouth bass murrays fly shop. However, snake river smallmouth are there in numbers and 50, 75 or 100fish days arent unknown for those smart enough to use appropriate rigs and move to. If you prefer a more vertical tactic, more like classic north country walleye and smallmouth fishing, try vertically jigging a jig and minnow combo, or backtrolling a livebait rig baited with a 4 to 6inch chub or shiner. The problem is that in most of the areas we think to fish, a lot of young, smaller bass dominate the scene and it can be difficult to find that lunker. Smallmouth generally face upstream, so cast upstream beyond your targeted habitat and work the bait back to you and the awaiting fish. Although smallmouth bass never comes up in the song, just the mere mention of an olivecolored crustacean stimulates an auto response in this yankee that goes like this. How to fish tubes for smallmouth bass with seth feider. The smallmouth bass micropterus dolomieu is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish.
Rocks and flood debris are often the key, especially if they obstruct river current, providing an ambush spot for a smallmouth to attack. His lures of choice are a trifecta of winning winter smallmouth baitsa jerkbait, a tube bait and a small jig. Our customer service team is happy to respond to your calls or emails mondaysaturday, 10am6pm. The james river is a true trophy smallmouth fishery. Chasing river smallmouth in the spring james river. My favorite is explosive, suspenseful, and covers water quickly, the buzzbait.
Back in february, with 2 feet of ice on your favorite smallmouth bass lake, the possibility that summer could ever last too long seemed unthinkable. Climb aboard our mountain state angler rafts, constructed with rigid, selfbailing floors to provide a solid fishing platform, and discover the new river gorge, the grand canyon of the. Mar 24, 2007 smallmouth bass fishing in the ozarks. Includes the youghiogheny river lake and does not include special.
By doug reynolds finding smallmouth in the spring can be very challenging. Holston river smallmouth bass the weekend anglers diary. Float trips on the james river or shenandoah river usually last around 8 hours and include lunch and drinks. However, snake river smallmouth are there in numbers and 50, 75 or 100fish days arent unknown for those smart enough to use appropriate rigs and move to ideal water temperatures to find the productive fishery. These west virginia fishing trips can be scheduled to go out in the early morning, mid day, or early afternoon allowing you between three to fourteen hours of prime west virginia smallmouth bass fishing. Anglers targeting smallmouth also catch walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass and big yellow perch. Jun 28, 2017 juniata river killed the bass all morning my sister and i caught over 40 awesome day on the juniata 2 lb. The winter raft trip down virginias james river was noteworthy for its cold rain, leaden sky, and the dozenandahalf or so 14 to 18inch smallmouth that either capn jack west put in the boat himself or instructed a client and me how to do so. Access to a river is easy to find where walking trails, city parks, and highways are present or permission can be obtained to cross private property. Practice casting at home to help make your fishing trips more enjoyable. Everything you need to know to catch smallmouth bass on the river, the bait, the location and the time.
It wasnt just the first smallmouth of the day, it turned out to be the biggest bass of the day, my biggest in a couple of years and a true trophy in any smallmouth river. The juniata river is a tributary of the susquehanna river, approximately 104 miles 167 km long, in central pennsylvania in the united states. Tiger muskellunge and walleye offer a bit of variety along with the many other game fish species at this lake. Regardless of what species of fish we go after and the type of water to be fished, whether it be pond, lake, or. In summer smallmouth are feeding primarily on crayfish. Dont worry, you dont have to upset mom, the days leading up to and immediately after the full moon offer excellent spring smallmouth river. Latest fishing report stream conditions tco fly shop.
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