Turtle135

As has been mentioned the Ned Rig is a great way to start. Add a suspending jerkbait like a Lucky Craft Pointer 100 or 78 and you have a great one-two punch for winter river smallmouth. As an information resource check out "The Little Stuff" on Youtube. He has a smallmouth playlist with a bunch of winter smallmouth videos.

I do not have any personal experience with the Pescador Pro but I am on another forum and have heard no serious complaints about that kayak. I use an anchor frequently to contend with wind or current. For me being stationary is vital to success when I am fishing a jig or a worm very slowly on the bottom. Largemouth and smallmouth bass typically do not tow you around more than a few feet during a battle. I have a product called an "Anchor Wizard" and my line runs into an anchor trolley on the side of my kayak. My anchor is just a plain olde 5 pound dumbbell.

Take a look at the NuCanoe Flint. They can be found new for $ 999.00 (and probably on sale for less if you hunt around). Stable enough to stand and fish and still paddles very well. There is usually a trade off with stability and paddle speed. There are some stable fishing kayaks that paddle and turn like barges! The reason I mention this particular kayak is they have a pedal drive system coming out mid summer that can be added to the Flint if you decide that is a feature you wish you had. https://www.nucanoe.com/flint-fishing-kayak/ Remember you will need to add a paddle and a PFD. I have been fishing in a kayak since 1991 as I too wanted to get off the bank. Honestly, getting a kayak was one of the best decisions I have ever made. If you have any questions as you begin you selection process feel free to reach out to me. Good luck!

Great write up and congrats on having an outstanding competition season! The live coverage sure makes the viewer feel like they are sitting right in the boat with you. Well done!

That is what I do. As soon as possible I get the bass on the fish grip back into the water while I get the camera ready. If the hook is deep I will cut the line and let her swim on the grip while I get the pliers ready. I find that the Hawg Trough makes a good operating table for a deeply hooked bass. If you wet the board there is very little slime removal. The one mistake I have seen is using too short of a tether. I have about 4 feet of paracord. On too short of a line she can't really swim around. I have witnessed a heavy bass pop off a grip as she was able to use her weight and a strong thrash on a short tether. If you spend some time practicing with smaller fish you catch you can have them out of the water for less than 15 seconds.

I feel your pain! If you fish another tourney like that get a "fish grip" and attach it to your kayak with a 3 to 4 foot length of paracord. Let the bass swim while you get the board, camera and identifier ready to go. Take your time and make sure to wet the board before you place the bass on it. I generally angle the board down so that the bass slides down to help keep the mouth closed. Take your photo then put the bass on the grip back into the water while you check the photo. You should be able to get the shot without having to hold the bass down.

spinning gear or baitcasting gear? what pound test mono?

I have been checked twice in Maryland so far this season by DNR and once by WSSC checking for the required fishing/boating permit. I think these guys are following me around to fish my spots!

Congrats! That is a great looking smallmouth, looks to be in peak condition! Wonder how old that bass is? Did you happen to get a length on that fish?

both bass would have been larger if you stuck to the jig!

In season, I no longer finesse fish. I would rather take my chances with a jig and see if I can coax something north of 5 pounds to bite rather than target a bass that might go a pound. That said, in the winter when the water is below 40 degrees I do see the advantage of using a tiny presentation on 4 pound test mono.

I catch a lot of smallmouth on the Potomac River with a TRD rigged on the Owner Ultrahead Finesse Ball Head. The 1/16oz Hook Size 1. I find that presentation tumbles well in current without getting hung up. On light line that will get to the bottom quickly as there is little drag to slow the descent. As far as dealing with flooded river conditions, check out the approach in this YouTube video.

If you have "paint" on your computer resize the image to around 650 horizontal pixels and then save as a JPEG. That ought to do it.

In the extreme consider how a finesse jig might fall to the bottom on 25 pound test monofilament compared to 8 pound test monofilament. With the heavier line the floating characteristics of mono and the increased drag will inhibit the free fall of the jig through the water column. With the 8 pound test the jig will fall relatively uninhibited, almost as it would fall if it was not tied to line at all. Thin braid will get your crankbaits diving to maximum possible depth. It is all something of a trade off. Lighter line can lead to break offs and braid and treble hooks are not a match made in heaven either.

I do not believe bass are line shy. However, I can see and feel the difference on certain lures by using lighter line, so the presentation is different with different lines.