PaulVE64

In my river a buzzbait does a nice job attracting northern pike. Smallies will smash WPlopper, spooks and poppers.

What hook did you use? (I recently lost a nice fish after an epic battle. I got bent out on a light wire hook)

For me the WW gets bit alot but my hook up ratio is horrible. Almost every fish I do catch is gut hooked.

Assuming the water is connected they should be there too. Hope it's an exciting day

#12 mono leader on #15 braid

GP White Black

My local tackle shop makes them. I'm not brand loyal and I have a full set of coptic markers

Want to try MFC Gallups Fish Feathers.

A deadsticked texas rigged 4" GP with a split shot has usually done better for me than the WW

1/4 oz GP tube with a rattle. Also a black tube with a rattle. Pumped in the deepest channel or near a ridgeline. Money.

Nail knot - used to connect fly line to a leader/tippet/whatever. I think it's a nail knot but I've never tied it that way

Id throw Tiffany into a pond I know of filled with black crappie and LMB.

One afternoon I was sight fishing with a black maribou (hair) jig that I had just tied that day. First cast an aggressive smallie hits it but he pulled me behind a rock and snapped me off. I watched him for the next two hours trying to get him to hit again. But no luck. I really wanted that jig back.

I told a young girl that she was "old woman" attractive. But I meant that she had a classic beauty.

I fish smallies in rivers 99% of the time. My advice for river smallies is that every river is different and current trumps all. Edit - And start reading everything on the smallie forum of Bass Resource.

13 minutes from my house. I'm lucky to live near a healthy smallie river. 19" and around #3

Sharp hooks are no.1

Finesse application for me are the FG knot. Once you can tie it reliably that is, and for some folks that's a different knot.

I've been using a rougher grit file on the water as I wade. I find I can get a decent edge on a blunted tip as good as a finer grit and it happens faster. Plus a few swipes and its built a nice burr on the tip of my light wire hooks

Sometimes a piece of shale. But more often I use that BPshops diamond file on a zinger

These ties, a craw and a goby/darter, are both on the mustad 1/0 wet fly hook. Its 2xhstd. They are 1/8 oz each. See pic and thanks!

Catching any bass on a homemade fly is sweet. Catching a nice one on a homemade rod must be incredibly satisfying. Even Huck Finn would have been proud.

Tube colour for my river is simple - it should match the river bottom and sometimes a hotspot of orange or chartruese

I'm on my home waters at the river. I know the structures on the river, and honestly they're smallies so they're curious & aggressive, they'll bite it. Its detecting that bite that is the difference.

I can't tell you how many times I've stopped and tied on something new and suddenly turned the bite on in the same water I had skunked. In my experience.