Spankey

If I go south a bit and fish some tidal I stay overnight. Driving down and fishing a true day is enough for me. Try to catch some dinner, get some zzz’s than head back in the am. Or fish a few hours the next day and head home. Back some years ago I was fishing out of Turkey Point. Everything was going real well. Than the wind picked up and the chop had water over my bow. I pulled the plug on that day. I felt seasick before the chop ever got that bad.

You might be right but I’m not a pro and I’m too old to change my thinking on it now. I’ll stick to my combinations of grays, blues and whites and go at it. Maybe I should try a nice bright Yellow jersey like Skeet Reese. He certainly does ok in it.

Lack of rain has had my river pretty cleared up but I don’t think to the degree of yours. We have been getting mucho rain the last handful of day so that is gonna come to an end. Longer cast, no banging around of stuff on the boat, softer cast if possible, no bright clothing (never do that anyway) keep it dull, try to fish the shade, fish more natural patterns of baits, be the first guy out on the water.

Not know anything about that brand other than it’s multiple sizes. What’s with them? Higher Quality?

A lot of good soft craws out there. We all seem to fall for one type or another. That must mean something.

Ambient air temp might rise slight all day but water temps may not rise or fall during that same time period. I think your doing right closer to first light.

I fish a couple of spinning set ups with lighter crankbaits. Smaller size, lower gear ratios and moderate rods seem to be the ticket. The shallower spools is becoming more standard with the Shimano Spinning reels. I like the shallower spools. Most if not all of the difference between a Shimano 3000 and a 2500 is the spool. Reel size, ratio and weights are the same 3000/2500.

I know I could go down to the river with a lot less (rods, tackle) but I’m use to having my rods layed out the way I want them. I like having my rods rigged up a head of time. Maybe not with a piece of plastic on them but for a t-rig, split shot, drop shot etc. I generally will do better with the river smallies if I keep it simple. As in bait presentation. But admittedly I do get off track throwing newer soft and hard baits where you have to get past the new learning curve on them and fish them to their potential and try to build confidence in them. I don’t mind falling back to my old school baits. I become real narrow minded with my bait selections this time of year. My Bigger fish, PB’s have come this time of year. Not my time to pick up and throw some new pony people are talking about or ranting and raving about. Fall seems like a short window.

I don’t fish that brand but if I did it would most likely be a 1/4 oz. or 5/16 oz. version I’d throw. When I start throwing bigger 1/2 oz. Pop R’s I don’t do as well.

Majority of my key spots to fish are shaded and I like having myself set up in that transition area.

I’m willing to bet I could go to the river for smallies, fish for 4 hours and bring a zip lock bag with stuff and have more than enough to fish with. I like to try different color patterns. I have my favorites and have manufacturers that I like fishing with. I’m not gonna say smallies will hit anything but I’ve bought some color patterns over the years that are pretty strange compared to a natural pattern. Caught smallies with them. I say have fun with it. Fish what you have and new things you try, fish hard.

In a typical outing I feel I fish both fast and slow depending upon what I’m throwing. I don’t do a lot of super burning of baits. Sometimes I feel I’ve fished too fast. Cost me fish.

Tubes, grubs……that’s smallmouth fishing. If you do any light t-rigging of curly tail or straight tail worms, keep some of the ones that get damaged aside. Cut off the damaged bit of head section and jig head rig the midsection and tail and fish that. This has been going on long before the term NED rig ever came about. I’m a crank-a-holic on the river. Over the years I’ve found some nice moderate action rods in casting and spinning rods that make crankbait fishing a treat. I fish 3/16 - 1/2 oz. baits with 3/8 probably the most common. You have to have a bit slower action for castability and shock absorption. You know even the smaller smallies hit hard and fight hard until you have him lipped. River fishing for Smallies can be done pretty consistently with a basic selection of lures. I know I’ve made it more difficult for myself at times by getting hung up trying some of the newer latest and greatest. But much of the time I’m gonna fish time proven and old school baits for them. Glad to see another river rat on here.

This has been the reason I believe my fishing is off this season. And throw in the excessive heat that went along with it. I hate to bring up too much about rain because year after year there are guys on here that get devistated by it and just as many living in severe droughts. I’m just slightly inconvenienced compared to many. I feel I’m alway fishing for that big one. Alway hope he’s there. I try to fish hard and never give up. But in the full scheme of thing my control of it is very limited.

You are a bit more north than me and my mornings have not touched the 30’s yet. I’m out a first light still. First few hours have been wind free making for half decent fishing. The nicer smallies have not been cooperating but we’ll have to see how the game plays out. We have been in a poor stretch of weather for the last handful of days. It might force me off the river and have to switch gears and lake fish. No problem. We have been in dire need of some rain and what we are getting even late into the season May spark a better bite. Might create a bit better river flow and take the lake level up some and push some fish shallower.

I come down your way to fish tidal bass a couple of times a season. Have yet to ever catch one. Can’t say that I’m trying to target or catch one but it may eventually happen. Was down that way a few weeks ago and the owner at the sports shop was telling me that locals are really starting to target them and they are becoming a common place fish to go after. They are not on any bucket list of mine but hope to have a hook up some day.

I’ll mess with the chatterbaits but I have enough confidence in throwing Crankbaits to about 17 feet deep.

I’d have to second the NASCI.

I’m not one to alway be ready to pick one up and throw it but I do love fishing them at laydowns sticking out into the river. I generally fish them at the outermost sections first and make cast back into toward the bank. I’ve never given myself the chance to throw bigger spinnerbaits. In all honesty I’ve had a phobia of them. And using other larger baits that I know are just the norm for most of you guys. Most time I’m throwing a Booyah pond magic with a double blade. They are 3/16-1/4 oz. max.

I’m always throwing crankbaits (a lot). I’ve been experiencing somewhat the same thing recently on the river. And in the past over the years. Not necessarily with acorns or blueberries falling into the water but landing my cast real close to the bank or if I’m fishing a point that sticks out, casting into the corner of it. And at some smaller rock outcroppings at the bank corners. All with tree overhangs but in my case they are smaller bass slashing and striking my lures. And it seem to be an instantaneous reaction as soon as the lure hits the water. I figure these smaller bass relate to shallow water and smaller bass can be picked off of the bank. The generally to the bank. I’m not implying there are never bigger bass there. I know bigger bass crash these same spots chasing baitfish up into these shallows. Prime time to cast there. Visual wakes of these bigger Smallies are pretty clear. But my recent hookups have been smaller smallies doing all the slashing at my baits. My better bites have been coming in 8-9 feet of water. In your case I hope they are bigger fish. I’m not implying they are dinks or runts doing that to you. Every body of water is different. I can’t say that I’ve seen river smallies react to nuts, leafs or a blossom hit the water. Bugs yes. By the size of the guy that bit for you at least you are in a good spot.

Great post. This is not quite the same thing but as a kid I had my younger brother with me and we were trout fishing in the national park. He hooked into a giant fall fish. Have not see one that big to this day. The fish had 12-15 hooks in his face. Different degrees of rusted. Steve removed his hook and let him back with the others intact. Great post, good fishing.

Welcome to BR. This is great site. Looks like you’ve been lurking. Glad you joined. Good luck up in the North East.

I use a mix also. But I use more Berkley and RoboWorm plastics. I’m more of a crankbait fanatic but love using soft plastics.

On the river my observation of baitfish has improved. Especially around matted grass and section of sparse grass. Storms over the last few season has hurt bass behavior as I know it. Populations as well. Story or topic for a later time. I pretty much fish match the hatch or fish natural patterns and lure shapes. Over the last few weeks all that seem to have fallen off and firetiger patterns seem to be the one trick pony for me. Not a knock at firetiger but I don’t throw it that much these days.

Pretty much the same situation I have on the river. I just try to run them horizontal and catch the corners with multiple casts. But I never pass up on the water between the docks because I’ve caught many more smallies between them than on them. My nicest fish on the river so far this season came off a dock. A 16+” Greenie pitching grubs. I’m not bragging about his size, bigger river bass has been a struggle this year big time. A lot of the docks up my way are those old school styrofoam type or skirted types. Good fishing.