Even more smallmouth locations

Here we have the site of an old dam that has been washed out. There are literally hundreds of these on Midwestern rivers and streams. Many powered old mills or factories around the turn of the century. Spots marked A are smaller pieces of rubble in the fast water that are only big enough to hold a single fish. In the swift water pouring thru the breach in the dam these spots can be hard to find. But potentially they hold some great fish and are worth search for. A swimbait or grub on a heavy jighead to get it down works great here. Often cast cross current and slightly upstream and letting the lure sweep down on a tight line is best. Spots marked B are bigger pieces of rubble fronm the old dam and can hold multiple fish. If they are undercut or naturally contain holes or pockets they can hold some big shovelhead as well. One thing to remember is that sometimes this is another spot where casting close to or even hitting the object with your lure can pay big dividends. Sauger sometimes also hold on this kind of place just not as closely as the smallmouth. Most old dams are undercut as at spot C if there is current flowing against the undercut it can hold nice smallies. These undercuts are also great places for a big shovelhead as well. Spot D is the bar formed by the downstream lip of the old dam when it was whole. This fishes like any other riffle but has the added benefit of being close to the deep water around the old dam. Expect some nice fish to be on this riffle at low light.

Some basic smallmouth locations

Here at point A we have a typical riffle in a stream. Right in the riffle, the water is too fast for bass to stay in for extended periods of time unless there is something to break the current. Instead bass will move in and out of the riffle feeding on the large amount of food there. Think of the riffle as the main dining area in a river. Just upstream of the riffle we have the tail of the pool immediately upstream.
As the river shallows and the water quickens to go over the riffle the force of the water keeps any silt from settling on the bottom. And the two things smallmouth like best are a bit of current and a hard bottom. If this tail is a smooth glide into the riffle as many are it's a great place to throw a topwater. Spinners and crankbaits also are effective here. I sometimes think that tails of pools are what roostertails were designed for. C and D are side eddies where water swirls back and travels upstream losing much of it's force. While these can contain feeding fish at times the seam where the eddy and the fast water coming downstream is the money spot. If as in F this seam extends downstream for quite a ways and there is a distinct line between the fast and slow water you can expect this to be a spot a better fish might feed at. Spot E is a fish staging behind a rock on the bottom of the run between the riffle and the pool. Most of the time these underwater rocks will betray their presence by a boil or slick on the surface, A sudden dip or depression in the bottom will also cause a slick on the surface and just like the rock create a spot for a fish to lay out of the current and ambush prey. Spots F and E scream grub or swimbait to me. One thing to remember about rocks is that smallmouth will sometimes have a tendency to hold extremely tight to them. Try bouncing a crankbait or a jig right off the rock on the retrieve, this can sometimes trigger a strike.

 

 

 

                                                                                            

 

 

Running out of time

With snow in the forcast for the weekend and time running out to sneak in one last trip this year, I headed out right after work to the Great Miami. Bundled up in insulated coveralls with a heavy jacket on top it wasn't bad at all.

I fished the last bit of daylight which was cool because all the ducks and geese were coming back to the river for the night and were pretty noisy in the still evening air. Plus a couple ring billed gulls were cruising up and down the river. Caught two sauger, both on a hot pink and metalflake three inch grub on a 1/4 ounce jighead. Both strikes came on casts straight out as I let the jig sweep downstream on a tight line. River was in good shape. Didn't see anyone else fishing and had the river to myself, nice little trip. __________________

GMR in the fog

Went last night to the dam in Hamilton on the Great Miami for a couple hours after work. It was nice, the drizzly weather kept all the wierdos inside. Didn't see anyone, didn't see any bodyparts floating by, couldn't see the beer bottles. If it wasnt for the trains passing across the river you would never know where you were at. A great place in the fog.... Fished two hours and only had one strike but it was a pretty nice fish. Seemed to fight awfully well for its size, or maybe not being able to see helped with that feeling River here looks like it never rained, low and clear. Sorry about the photo quality but everything was covered in mist including my camera.

A big fish but that was favorite rod...

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. I was night fishing the GMR when I hooked this monster buffalo on a crankbait. I dunno if it hit the crankbait or not, I felt a thump and set the hook and she was off to the races, about as hard a fighting fish as I've ever had on. But when I finally landed her she was hooked in the cheek outside the mouth. I do know I've caught bigger shovelhead and bigger carp that didn't fight any better. Alot of that may have been hooking the fish back in a shallow bay at night, she was a freight train heading out of there to deeper water. I tightened the drag almost to the breaking point to try and stop her the rod bending in a horseshoe. Line kept creaming off the reel and I ended up pulling out my wallet and wading the the bay and following the fish downstream before finally landing her. About a half hour later I set up on a snag and the rod exploded! I'd also caught a 40 inch shovelhead on this rod a couple weeks ago besides having just fished with it hard on a hundred or so trips, I'll miss it. I've got a replacement guarantee, now if I can just find the #@% receipt...