PaulVE64 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Its important to me to annually learn (or relearn) a new rig or technique every year. I fish for river smallies and over the past season I think I got a lot better at reeling up slack while dead sticking on the river in current. I'm sure it helped me reduce gut hooking and I may have picked up 1 or 2 more fish each time I went and my average size was way up to around 2#. I certainly felt like I went back to finesse basic and colours. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted November 27, 2023 Global Moderator Share Posted November 27, 2023 Applying some fly tactics to the drift, I like it 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulVE64 Posted November 27, 2023 Author Share Posted November 27, 2023 Fly fishing for smallies is a blast but sometimes I just want to burn a crank too. Its alot of fun to mix things up. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Dwight Hottle Posted November 28, 2023 Super User Share Posted November 28, 2023 @PaulVE64if you think a crank bait bite is fun you need to try a jerk bait bite for smallies. But do some pushups before hand so your arms will be conditioned to what will happen next. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipzLipz Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 @PaulVE64 in addition to what @Dwight Hottle said above, the topwater bite might be worth checking out as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susky River Rat Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 @RipzLipz is right. Top water smallies are a blast. Probably one of my favorite ways to catch them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipzLipz Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 @Susky River Rat Truth be told, any bass on topwater is a blast. Smallmouth, though, hold a special place in my heart. Threw pretty much nothing other than Rapala X-Rap Props at bedding smallies last June on Rainy Lake & they did not like that one bit. Vicious strikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted November 28, 2023 Global Moderator Share Posted November 28, 2023 One of the top 5 hardest hits I’ve had was 4 lb SmB hit a skitter pop. Obliterated 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulVE64 Posted November 28, 2023 Author Share Posted November 28, 2023 My PB smallie was on a 110 Wplopper in bone. It had barely touched the water when a 22" beauty dragged it down. But that was like 5 years ago. For jerkbaits I usually throw a soft plastic fluke. Northern pike like hard jerkbaits alot and I'd prefer to leave those savages in the river. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bdnoble84 Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 On 11/28/2023 at 1:29 PM, PaulVE64 said: My PB smallie was on a 110 Wplopper in bone. It had barely touched the water when a 22" beauty dragged it down. But that was like 5 years ago. For jerkbaits I usually throw a soft plastic fluke. Northern pike like hard jerkbaits alot and I'd prefer to leave those savages in the river. I’d prefer to keep those nice $ cost jerkbaits over a 20” hammerhandle pike swimming off with a mouth full of trebles. 🤣 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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