I went to my favorite canoe only SMB spot the other day with my buddy. The fishing was a little slow, and I could not find them in their summer spots out deep. I went shallow and found bass cruising the shallows in pairs and gangs of 5 or 6 fish together. They were in less that 2-3 feet of water and were not afraid of the canoe. They also would not eat anything thrown at them, and they reminded me of fish I've seen cruising the shallows just after winter.

There were bluegill beds with some bluegills still guarding the fry. That was the only thing I could think that they would be doing...going after bluegill/bluegill fry. But, I've never seen them cruising the shallows in groups this late in the summer.

Any ideas on this behavior? It was really frustrating because they would not eat anything. I think I caught 2 and my buddy caught 2 all morning from 6-11. Real unusual for this place and my experience there. I just had a couple killer days there about a week ago.

anyone???  Bueller??

Well, I often see groups of largemouth herding bluegill

against the bank. It's interesting to see, but I have never

gotten them to bite.

8-)

Well, I often see groups of largemouth herding bluegill

against the bank. It's interesting to see, but I have never

gotten them to bite.

8-)

Sounds about right!  Thatnks Roadwarrior!

The reason they wouldn't hit anything (I think) is because if you were close enough to see them, they see you, too. Don't think a fish has to scoot away at high speed to be "spooked" from your presence. They probably get tons of canoe traffic, and know what you are.

Maybe wait an hour or so after paddling away a good (100-yards) distance, then stealthily paddle close enough for a long cast.

I fish out of a canoe a lot in the Ozark's Smallmouth rivers, and I see folks basically sitting on top of the spot they're fishing, where I try to get back a long cast away from good spots and tend to catch more (and bigger) than most others.

Smallies can be very, very spooky.

The reason they wouldn't hit anything (I think) is because if you were close enough to see them, they see you, too. Don't think a fish has to scoot away at high speed to be "spooked" from your presence. They probably get tons of canoe traffic, and know what you are.

Maybe wait an hour or so after paddling away a good (100-yards) distance, then stealthily paddle close enough for a long cast.

I fish out of a canoe a lot in the Ozark's Smallmouth rivers, and I see folks basically sitting on top of the spot they're fishing, where I try to get back a long cast away from good spots and tend to catch more (and bigger) than most others.

Smallies can be very, very spooky.

That make sense.... Good sound advice .

We have caught many, many smallies we could see. Boat rule is when one guy gets a fish on the other throws a bait right behind the hooked fish. About the first fish I caught on a Senko swam the full length of the boat no more than 2 feet off the side and took a Senko I pitched in front of it.

We have caught many, many smallies we could see. Boat rule is when one guy gets a fish on the other throws a bait right behind the hooked fish. About the first fish I caught on a Senko swam the full length of the boat no more than 2 feet off the side and took a Senko I pitched in front of it.

Yeah, I've doubled and even tripled up on "chasers" after someone hooks the first one, but I'm only relating what I've experienced in the other case.

Smallmouth's are schizo sometimes, don't you think?