Winter smallmouth require deep thinking!

[pdxfisher]

I hit the Columbia in December for the first time. I had low expectations as I headed out since this was new territory and it had been a month since my last trip. The conditions were about perfect when I got there. Water temp was 46F, air temp was 38F and there was no wind and just a light sprinkle. I was nice and cozy inside my layers of clothes and my drysuit, in fact I was bordering on being too warm.

 

I headed out to the general area I had caught them a month earlier and started fishing. Just painfully slowly dragging a drop shot while I adjusted my speed to keep me over my bait as the current (not much, about 1mph) moved me downstream. My first handful of passes did not yield anything so I started slowly moving deeper and deeper with each pass.

 

On a pass that started on about 35' and dropped in 50' I was inching my way along when as I lifted I felt some weight and a little tug. I reared back and I was into a fish!! I really could not believe it.  It was only about a pound but that fish was huge for me. I went from practicing phrases in my head like "Well, it's just nice to be out on the water" and "at least it is good exercise" to thinking I am going to catch me some bass!

 

Over the next hour or so I landed 3 more including my best of the day, a 2lb 8oz. Once again, not monsters but good solid fish and just really stoked to be catching my first December smallmouth ever. It was pretty tedious fishing, controlling my drift to keep my kayak over my bait while gently sliding it over the gravelly bottom, but it was worth the effort!

 

Of course then when things were going so well I made my only real bonehead move of the day. I went about 15 minutes with catching a fish so I decided to eat lunch and drift downstream a mile or so to another spot to fish. I should have just stayed in that first spot and continued to expand my search area a little but instead I went for the big move. To be fair, the spot I was moving to had produced more fish the previous trip but I violated that age old rule of bass fishing. Don't leave fish to find fish

 

To add to my error I was really stubborn about it and just assumed the fish were just a little off of where I was fishing so kept expanding my search in that second area for 2 and half hours. Not a sniff in that entire time. Finally, I figured out that I was not going to be able to will a bite out of that area and I went back to my original area.

 

It took too long to make that decision but at least it was the right one in the end. Pretty quickly I caught my 5th bass and that felt great after the long lull. The fishing was never torrid but it was nice steady action all afternoon. I stayed with the drop shot most of the day but after a while I was having a hard time getting a bite. Then an odd thing happened. I felt the thump of fish and lifted up to set the hook. For a few seconds I had another one on and then it popped off. When I reeled up my drop shot weight was gone. 

 

That made me think that the fish were still there but wanted something all the way on the bottom, not even a foot off the bottom, so I switched to dragging a Ned rig. That turned out to be really effective. On 4 consecutive drifts I caught 3 and lost one. That was the fastest action of the day by far. However, after that the bite died and it was getting a bit late and I decided catching 13 bass was enough for me. So I packed it up and headed back to the ramp with a big smile on my face - 13 is my lucky number!

 

All the fish I caught were in 35 to 47' of water on bottoms that felt gravelly (but looked pretty smooth on the FF). The fish were tight to the bottom, I never marked any fish, but tended to around any tiny little bump on the bottom. Water temp was 46F (not too cold) and the clarity was good, several feet of visibility. I can catch a bass in December, Now I want to see if I can do it in January

 

Here are few fish from the day and a video:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Blue Raider Bob]

8 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

I hit the Columbia in December for the first time. I had low expectations as I headed out since this was new territory and it had been a month since my last trip. The conditions were about perfect when I got there. Water temp was 46F, air temp was 38F and there was no wind and just a light sprinkle. I was nice and cozy inside my layers of clothes and my drysuit, in fact I was bordering on being too warm.

 

I headed out to the general area I had caught them a month earlier and started fishing. Just painfully slowly dragging a drop shot while I adjusted my speed to keep me over my bait as the current (not much, about 1mph) moved me downstream. My first handful of passes did not yield anything so I started slowly moving deeper and deeper with each pass.

 

On a pass that started on about 35' and dropped in 50' I was inching my way along when as I lifted I felt some weight and a little tug. I reared back and I was into a fish!! I really could not believe it.  It was only about a pound but that fish was huge for me. I went from practicing phrases in my head like "Well, it's just nice to be out on the water" and "at least it is good exercise" to thinking I am going to catch me some bass!

 

Over the next hour or so I landed 3 more including my best of the day, a 2lb 8oz. Once again, not monsters but good solid fish and just really stoked to be catching my first December smallmouth ever. It was pretty tedious fishing, controlling my drift to keep my kayak over my bait while gently sliding it over the gravelly bottom, but it was worth the effort!

 

Of course then when things were going so well I made my only real bonehead move of the day. I went about 15 minutes with catching a fish so I decided to eat lunch and drift downstream a mile or so to another spot to fish. I should have just stayed in that first spot and continued to expand my search area a little but instead I went for the big move. To be fair, the spot I was moving to had produced more fish the previous trip but I violated that age old rule of bass fishing. Don't leave fish to find fish

 

To add to my error I was really stubborn about it and just assumed the fish were just a little off of where I was fishing so kept expanding my search in that second area for 2 and half hours. Not a sniff in that entire time. Finally, I figured out that I was not going to be able to will a bite out of that area and I went back to my original area.

 

It took too long to make that decision but at least it was the right one in the end. Pretty quickly I caught my 5th bass and that felt great after the long lull. The fishing was never torrid but it was nice steady action all afternoon. I stayed with the drop shot most of the day but after a while I was having a hard time getting a bite. Then an odd thing happened. I felt the thump of fish and lifted up to set the hook. For a few seconds I had another one on and then it popped off. When I reeled up my drop shot weight was gone. 

 

That made me think that the fish were still there but wanted something all the way on the bottom, not even a foot off the bottom, so I switched to dragging a Ned rig. That turned out to be really effective. On 4 consecutive drifts I caught 3 and lost one. That was the fastest action of the day by far. However, after that the bite died and it was getting a bit late and I decided catching 13 bass was enough for me. So I packed it up and headed back to the ramp with a big smile on my face - 13 is my lucky number!

 

All the fish I caught were in 35 to 47' of water on bottoms that felt gravelly (but looked pretty smooth on the FF). The fish were tight to the bottom, I never marked any fish, but tended to around any tiny little bump on the bottom. Water temp was 46F (not too cold) and the clarity was good, several feet of visibility. I can catch a bass in December, Now I want to see if I can do it in January

 

Here are few fish from the day and a video:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm thinking that's the same fish over and over again!  😁

Actually, those are extraordinary bass.  Anyhow,  way to stay after them! Thanks for taking us along but I'm not jealous.....

[pdxfisher]

22 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

I'm thinking that's the same fish over and over again!  😁

Actually, those are extraordinary bass.  Anyhow,  way to stay after them! Thanks for taking us along but I'm not jealous.....

 

Ha ha, so many of those fish were within a few ounces of 2lbs. Wish I could have crossed paths with a piggy but overall I was thrilled with the day. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

1 hour ago, pdxfisher said:

 

Ha ha, so many of those fish were within a few ounces of 2lbs. Wish I could have crossed paths with a piggy but overall I was thrilled with the day. 

What were you using to keep contact with the bottom in such deep water? You mentioned Ned Rig but with the current, did you have to increase weight?

[pdxfisher]

I used a heavier head but it was maybe 1/8oz.  I just would match the drift speed of my kayak to the lure to stay pretty vertical. I would move to the top of the flat and drift through it. Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Current was only about 1mph. 

[Swamp Girl]

22 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

It was pretty tedious fishing, controlling my drift to keep my kayak over my bait while gently sliding it over the gravelly bottom, but it was worth the effort!

 

Boat control is its own reward, my friend.

 

22 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

That made me think that the fish were still there but wanted something all the way on the bottom, not even a foot off the bottom, so I switched to dragging a Ned rig.

 

You are Sherlock Holmes! Well reasoned.

 

22 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

Don't leave fish to find fish

 

I've made this mistake many times and I'll continue to make it. As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side of the water. 

 

I have never caught December bass. And you caught gorgeous December bass. 

 

Stephen A. Smith is a sports pundit and he likes to say of athletes that he admires, "He's a baaaaaaaad man."

 

Well, I look at you in your dry suit on your tiny boat fishing in December and I can only say the same: "You're a baaaaaaaad man."

 

Lastly, your trip's title is clever!

 

 

[pdxfisher]

Thanks @Swamp Girl ! You always have such kind words for everyone! 

 

I love being out in the cold and wet when I am dry and warm in my dry suit. Only my hands were a little cold from the wet gloves.

 

[DogBone_384]

23 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

I just would match the drift speed of my kayak

 

I have a drift sock for such things.  It slows me down nicely.

[pdxfisher]

5 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

 

I have a drift sock for such things.  It slows me down nicely.

 

I have tried using a drift sock but I have not found it to be very effective for me. I do use it when anchoring up for sturgeon but when drifting with yhe current the drift sock does not have any relative force since it is drifting at yhe same pace as the kayak.