I was able to get out and fish for a couple of hours today. Our local river was low, and very very clear. You could see a bunch of smallmouth positioned in the current facing upstream, literally almost stacked on top of each other.

 

I threw all kinds of slow-moving baits at them since the water is less than 40F. But none bit. You could run the lure down their lateral line, and all they'd do is kind of move out of the way, as though the lure was just a nuisance. Even when I dropped flukes, jigs, jerkbaits, etc right in front of their noses, they never acted interested in it.

 

What can I do to get these guys to bite?

Don't beat yourself up, Neutral & Negative moods are more common in cool and especially cold water.

 

If you hadn't been able to see them, you would have never known they were there.

 

But you did, so knowing where to start when you're able to get back to them is a benefit.

 

Hopefully they'll be in a more favorable mood.

 

A-Jay

Don't beat yourself up, Neutral & Negative moods are more common in cool and especially cold water.

 

If you hadn't been able to see them, you would have never known they were there.

 

But you did, so knowing where to start when you're able to get back to them is a benefit.

 

Hopefully they'll be in a more favorable mood.

 

A-Jay

 

As I read your reply, the Monty Python song began

going thru my head... "Always look on the briiiiight 

side of life" LOL

 

But really, good advice, A-Jay. Reminds me of trying

to get huge bedding bass to bite. If they ain't in the

mood, nothing short of dynamite will bring 'em up.

That's why they call it "fishing" and not "catching"....

In current, facing upsteam..

All you can do is mimic a live shad or minnow in some way.

You would have to do some kind of funky rig w/ weight below the lure and the fluke suspended in the current, relatively stationary up stream from them and slowly work it back to them.

Your certain they were smallmouth?

Na. Maybe a spook when nothing will hit but just sometimes youll have those days

the big advantage to ur situation was that you could see the fish.  that means you can see any positive reactions/ curiosity if ur on the right track. and quickly move on if there is no interest. i would start by working dramatically different angles. start by casting upstream. then perpendicular.  then stand upstream and let the current naturally swing the lure across their point of view/feeding lane. you'll probably find better river/angle approach videos on youtube by searching fly fishing vids. 

after angles i'd play with lures..and the skies the limit. don't be afraid to put a tiny crappie tube or hair jig 24" under a bobber and let the current do it's thing. sometimes the best river presentation is one that is naturally floating with the current.

Stay as far away as possible. If you can step back behind them and take a weightless stick bait an cast it slightly behind or in front of them quietly on light line you can get them to bite. If you position the bait so the current carries it to them also helps. But making long cast with spinning tackle and weightless stick baits is how I catch most of my smallmouth in a clear, shallow running creek by the house.

Dropshot!