40 replies to this topic

[bweave09]

I think I have a problem. I caught my first smallmouth (about a 2.5 pounder on pickwick while on a guided prefishing trip with Jimmy Mason)on September 10th of this year and ever since I haven't had as much fun catching anything else. I even dreamed about them the other night. I am not near a healthy smallmouth population and it is driving me crazy. Is this normal?

[fishermantony]

Very normal, smallies have had a similar affect on me. 

[tjc76]

They ruined me too.  But thankfully I am close to some great smalllmouth fisheries.

[MNGeorge]

Do you have any rivers near you?  You won't understand the true meaning of being addicted to Smallies until you're addicted to river Smallies.  Fortunately, I live within a few miles of some excellent river Smallie fishing.

[Dwight Hottle]

Welcome to the normal smallie withdrawal syndrome.

[Nick]

George,

Your Minnesota waters are a dream to fish usually, but what's the deal with all that river weed clogging up the stretch above Little Falls? In three years, it's made that stretch almost unfishable on the Mississippi. Thanks.

[gotarheelz14]

As far as NC goes (noticed your Raleigh, NC stat) you got the Mayo, Dan, Uwharrie, New, Yadkin, French Broad, and some others.

Out of all those I have personally fished the Mayo, Dan, Uwharrie and the New. I have caught smallmouth in all. This was at the very beginning of the summer though when I had JUST started fishing. What does this mean? If I could catch one back then lol, well its safe to say there had to be pretty stable populations of fish!

If you are ever close to any of those rivers, I would definitely check them out.

[bweave09]

There are smallmouth here in Columbia in the Broad and Congaree Rivers, but I haven't caught any. All largemouth so far. Anything specific to target in the river for smallmouth?

[MNGeorge]

George,

Your Minnesota waters are a dream to fish usually, but what's the deal with all that river weed clogging up the stretch above Little Falls? In three years, it's made that stretch almost unfishable on the Mississippi. Thanks.

Nick,
That stretch has been somewhat of a mystery to me and all my fishing buddies...those weeds do make it tough to get around for sure. 2010 was worse than normal due to low water and warm temps in the Spring. Many places I've never seen weeds in 30 years of fishing the upper Mississippi had vast stretches of weeds. It was bad enough when the weeds were just growing everywhere, but when the water rose so dramatically mid to late Summer, many of those weeds tore loose and we had floating and suspended weeds in the water for almost the remainder of the season. Many Summer/Fall presentations were not an option at all...anything with a blade or a treble hook would foul almost immediately upon hitting the water.
Instead of beating your head against a wall on that Little Falls stretch, I suggest you drop down to the stretch below the Royalton dam and try that. If you have to stay on the Little Falls stretch, the 2 best options we've found are a swim jig fished along the edges of the weed beds or over the top of them and a soft plastic jerk shad fished along the sides and/or just downstream of the weedbeds. Keep your fingers crossed for high dirty water and a cool Spring. ;D

[Bluebasser86]

This last fall I found myself driving an hour and passing several good largemouth lakes just to fish for smallmouth that don't get nearly as big around here. Problem is that a 2 pound smallmouth fights as hard as a 5 pound largemouth does most of the time and is way more acrobatic. There is something intoxicating about catching them. I'm very lucky to live within a couple hours of some pretty decent smallmouth lakes or I would be in real trouble.

[Clyde]

I have to say that chasing smallmouth is a serious addiction. I am not very good at it but I catch small ones out of the creek just behind my house. Then we catch them out of a canoe in a small river about 20 miles away. I would much rather spend the day chasing them .

[Blu]

I am a some what recent convert to Bass fishing. I do enjoy catching a Smallie over a large mouth any day but to me nothing beats any trout in the very early in the year when the ice is first melted off the lakes.

[tipptruck1]

I can count the number of large mouth I have caught on both hands. small mouth on the other hand no. I have caught and beaten my 5 lb small mouth pb. Were I fish its not uncommon to hook in to many fish over 4 lbs.

Heres my pb caught last year. Yea it is dirty. I had to beach it. No net and treble hooks flying every were. That fish was still fighting while I took the hooks out.

[flippin and pitchin]

I started to fish for smallies seriously about three years ago and would rather go after them than largemouth.  My only regret is not getting serious about them 20 years ago.

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[roadwarrior]

Man, that's a beauty!