First off I'd like to say hey to everyone, new here. Anyway, I fish New River a few times a year in VA. I live about an hour and half away right now. But next year I will be moving to the Blacksburg area and plan to fish it a lot. My father is who started taking me there when I was young and the only thing he ever fished there were Berkley 3 inch grubs in black or brown and a buck tail in brown and orange. So basically we just imitated craws there because we kept the grubs on the bottom just like the jigs. My main question is to those that know about it, what is the forage of the smallmouths besides crawdads there?

Welcome to the site. I live in Roanoke and fish the river several times a year when I can get off Smith Mtn long enough. I'm not exactly sure what species of "other fish" would be considered the main forage for the smallies but I'm sure if it swims, the smallies will eat it. But yes, the crawdad reigns supreme.  

Thanks for the reply, I was just curious at what bait fish is in the river. I am working on some swimming jigs and wonder about color patterns.

The New River is also well known for the number of hellgramites there.  But, they kind of behave in the same way crawdads do.

all the rivers i fish in WV have populations of shad in them   along with bluegill and shiners    

Welcome aboard!

8-)

Thad,

Great to have another guy from Virginia on the site.

I am working for Smyth County Public Schools as one of their consultants and the North Fork of Holston River is in the county.

Do you think I would have some luck if I fished from the bank?

I would drive up to Saltville and then over to the river to find a place to park and fish the bank.

Just wondering???

When I went to Emory and Henry College near there we would go to the banks close to where the river comes into the lake and catch some smallmouths there. Nothing like New River but they're some in there.