dsw1204

Well, I've been fishing the Great Miami River for smallies and have not caught any nor have not had any bites, either. It is getting frustrating, but still enjoyable trying to catch them. I've tried mid-afternoon and early evening times with no success at all. I haven't tried early morning, yet. I've been using soft plastic crawdads and Zoom Trick Worms, tubes, hellgramites, some topwater (Whopper Plopper), and I've tried using a weedless Mepps spinner (Mister Twister). I've gone to turbulent water, quiet water, water just downwater from rapids, and just past dams. I've thrown upwater and I've thrown downwater with no success. I feel I'm reverting back to "The world's worst fisherman" again. But, when I get feeling like this, I go to my ponds and catch largemouth. But, I want to catch smallmouth, so I will keep trying. Any more recommendations for me?

Well, I fished the river by the dam for the very first time. Let’s just say that the river beat me up pretty well. Didn’t catch anything and lost a number of lures. But, I will keep trying. I am not going to be able to do any early morning fishing (or in the evening) in the next couple of weeks. I am going to have to do my fishing in the afternoon. I figure I am going to have to go to the Great Miami River or to some adjoining creeks, especially if it is going to be hot and sunny. I expect the water in the small ponds I go to will be too hot and the fish will be going deep and out of range of my casting. Is this a correct assumption? Also, which lures are more effective in the afternoon for fishing in rivers and/or creeks?

Thanks, that is good to know. When I am below the dam, should I be tossing my lures upstream or downstream? Or, does it make any difference?

Is fishing above the dam a bad idea? I saw quite a few people fishing above the dam, but I think they were fishing for carp (not positive about this). Below the dam there is an active mine and there is (I don't know what to call it) a peninsula type of area jutting out into the middle of the river about a couple hundred feet below the dam and there is some calm water below the "peninsula". I am guessing this might be a pretty good area to cast to. My only problem with this area is that the people running the mine might not like me fishing there. But, if I get there at sunrise, I can get in a couple of hours of fishing before they start arriving (or, at least I hope) and shoo me away. But, is this calm water behind that peninsula a prime spot for smallmouth?

Sorry for not getting back to you (and all the other responders) as I have not yet figured how to get emails sent to me when someone replies to my posts (or thread I started). Anyhow, yes I love the River2Sea Whopper Plopper. I've caught numerous largemouths with it, even one as big as 5lbs, one 4lbs, and a couple 3lb ones. I've been using the Whopper Plopper 110 and 75. The 75's hooks tend to get tangled with the line during casts about 25% of the time...gets a little frustrating. But I caught the 4 pounder on that one. But, the 110 has never got tangled. Anyway, getting back to river fishing from the bank...The river's current is pretty darn strong where I have been attempting to fish. There's a spillway from a water treatment plant that jets out about 30 feet into the river and this is where I have been casting. There is a section where the current is not so strong right after where the spillway is and I have been casting into this not-so-strong current. I did manage to catch a sauger, but I snagged him. It was not due to my fishing competence. I have not tried fishing early in the morning. I am off of work tomorrow, so I may try there tomorrow. Is it not a good idea to cast into the main section of the river where the current is very strong? Or, should I still try casting into the not-so-strong current that is right after the spillway entrance? I think, right after that first dam, the water might not be so deep and I may be able to use waders (yes, I did buy waders for this fishing attempt of mine). I will check that out, probably later today. If it looks good, maybe I'll try that out first thing in the morning tomorrow.

I don't know the river that well. I do know there is a dam and there is some access after it and I have seen people fishing there. I, also, know there is another dam about a mile upstream, as well. Can there possibly be fish in between the two dams? I've been shown a couple of other spots that, supposedly, are good spots to fish. The river, also, forks off and I have fished the smaller of the forks without any success, whatsoever. Not even a bite. And, I have never seen anyone fishing at this little stretch of river, either. I do not know if this is a good thing or not. I plan on searching the river for other good access spots, but right now that is basically all I know of the river.

This is my first season of fishing in 40 years. So far, I've been mostly fishing ponds and small lakes for largemouth. I've been fairly successful. I've caught a goodly number of largemouth, mostly under two pounds. My record is a 5 pounder caught using a Teckel Sprinker Frog. Also, have a 4 pounder caught on a Whopper Plopper 75 and a 3 pounder on a Whopper Plopper 110 (all the rest have been under 2 lbs). I've caught quite a few using a Mepps spinner. I have noticed being more successful in the early mornings. However, once the sun gets higher in the sky, bites drop down quite a bit. I'm guessing the bass are going deep in the hotter weather and I cannot reach them fishing from the bank. Even in the evening, I am not all that successful. But, now, I want to go after smallmouth in the Great Miami River, around Cincinnati. I'll be bank fishing and am wondering if bites will be less often in the late morning/afternoon as compared to early mornings. I figure that water temperature won't be as big of a factor as fishing ponds/lakes. Am I correct in this assumption? I plan on fishing different lures, mostly. I'll probably start out using the Whopper Plopper (I love the Plopper), but plan on switching to soft plastics and jigs with trailers pretty quickly if not successful with the Plopper. Do you guys have any suggestions for river fishing on the banks?

Caught my very first sauger Texas rigging a soft plastic crawdad with a bullet sinker. It was about 12-13 inches, weighed about a pound (I think). Scary teeth on those guys! Good thing I had a fish gripper. Sorry, I am new to fishing...not to naked women!

Thanks guys, really good info there for me.

Thanks for the recommendation, but, who is Glenn and how do I check out his videos?

Good videos. Gives me some more options. Thanks.

Well, it's been about 40 years since I last did any serious fishing. And, for the past month, I've been going to a small lake and a bunch of different ponds doing some bank fishing. I used to consider myself the world's worst fisherman, but not any more. I've been catching fish, not many but enough to relinquish the aforementioned title. I've been using a lot of topwater baits and I do like fishing topwater. Been using frogs, mostly. But, I've discovered the Whopper Plopper and that's been my most successful lure. Recently caught a 4lb largemouth (by far the largest fish I've ever caught) and a couple not too much smaller than that. But, I feel I should start working other baits...baits other than topwater. So, I am asking you guys for some recommendations. I have some Rapala crankbaits and some Mepps inline spinners (these have caught me a couple of fish). I even have some soft plastic stuff, but I am not sure how to rig them or how to fish them. I guess I'll head to YouTube for that. Can any of you enlighten me with your recommendations? Thanks.

So, you are telling me that with magnetic brakes, I have to be more "in tune" to the reel to prevent backlashes? If the reel has centrifugal brakes, then the reel will be a little more forgiving...in that regard? Is that what you are saying? I plan on throwing a soft bait like a hellgramite or a crayfish using a Texas rig, mostly. Would you recommend the Diawa for that type of fishing? Has anybody had any experience with the Cadence CB8 reel (or any Cadence baitcasting reels)? I picked up their CR5 spinning rod and really like it. I am not an experienced fisherman, but the rod just seems to be very well made. It's a 7' med./heavy and I have it paired with a Pflueger Supreme XT (30 size). I have been enjoying the combo.

The Casitas is a little beyond my budget for my beginner casting reel. If I am not happy with my baitcasting experince, I won't be out a whole lot of money with either the Royal Legend Elite or the CB8. The Casitas is just too much $ at this time.

Hi, I have never thrown a baitcasting reel, but I want to start. So, I thought I would look at a couple of companies that have a reputation of good quality that is not very expensive, at least to start out. The two companies' reels are Cadence CB8 and the Kastking Royal Legend Elite. The Elite will have the same retrieve ratio as the CB8. If any of you have any experience with either of these reels, please let me know what you think. Tell me the pros and cons of the one you have experience with. If you have experience with both, that would be even better. Thanks.