Deep Smallmouth vs. Shallow Smallmouth Bass

I've been fishing quite a bit up until last Thursday.  My grandfather passed away and the kids are out for summer.  I caught these fish last week before heading out of town to be a pall bearer and to say goodbye to my papaw.  I'm sure I'll hit a stream soon.  There hasn't been much rain this spring and there seems to be another heat wave this year.  With all the temperature records, it's not just in the south but seemingly the rest of the country too.

The lack of rain has led to shallow streams.  Shallow streams leads to fish becoming trapped in holes or retreating to deeper pools.  I think the best way to fish a stream is to float it.  You have the opportunity to become more stealthy and cover more water.  Obviously, the best time of day to fish for smallmouth bass is when there is less sunlight.  Overcast days are the best.  Mornings and evenings are still great times to hit the water too.

I mainly wade streams.  I also am not the world's leading smallmouth angler and I surely don't land lunkers time and again.  But, I am pretty consistent at landing fish.  This time of year when the riffles tend to slow and the water retreats - especially when there is a drought - to maximize your float trip or wading, cast into deep pools.  That is where you have the best chance of a smallmouth tagging your fly or lure.  Sure, you can catch them in shallow water or pools they become trapped in.  I've seen shallow pools run for 40 yards and only be an average of 2 -3 feet deep.  But when the sun comes up, you'll wanna cast where the fish will retreat and that is deeper holes.

If your wading time is maximized or you are floating, hit the deep holes and keep moving.  Use flies and baits that have lots of wiggle movement.  When there is little sunlight such as early morning or a heavily shaded area, smallmouth will move from deeper holes to shallow areas foraging for something to suck down his gullet.

I read an Outdoor article in the local paper.  The writer and a guide had an "average" day while catching 30 smallmouth and spotted bass as they floated the Kings River in Arkansas..  I would call that a stellar day, wouldn't you??

More smallmouth bass. Popping bugs, crawdads and buggers.

https://joshs-flies.myshopify.com/

Here an email I wrote to my dad this morning.  I went out and caught more smallmouth bass Monday morning.

Hey dad, 

Sorry to hear about Papaw.  I'll be thinking of him.  I'm sure there's something that can be done.  Perhaps, he can go to therapy and exercise to make his heart stronger.  Walk a bit or something.  

I went fishing again yesterday.  I've been trying to hit the stream a lot before the kids are out for summer.  I updated some pics on Facebook.  Nothing fancy.  Week before last, I tried to dig out my camera and lost a big smallmouth.  It was at least 3 and probably bordered on 4 lbs.  I had that fish in my hands three times.  One of those times, I let him loose on a leash.  The last time I held him, I lost my grip and grabbed the leader and the fly broke off before I got a picture.  One of my largest bass.  I thought I got hung up when I hooked him on a 4 weight rod.

Most of what I've been catching lately are what I consider average smallmouth.  I caught 21 smallies on Friday last week.  Most being about 8 - 12 inches.  Same as yesterday.  They seem pretty picky and are holding to brush pretty tightly.  I've been drifting crawdads and wooly buggers.  Yesterday, I had some take poppers.  Lost a good fish too.  That thing fought hard and I've never had one fight like this one - then he jumped off the hook.

I've been hitting the same four spots on the $#%& River.  Water is going down and the riffles are fading.  The bass are moving deeper and have been tougher to find over the past few weeks.  One sweet spot had a fallen tree last year that I caught tons of smallmouth off of with poppers.  That tree was swept away.  Once it rains and the riffles pick back up, smallmouth action will pick up. I'll have to fish some backwater and slews for spotted bass . . . . . . . . . .

Bass Fly, Panfish Fly, Trout Fly - whatever fly.

I caught a bunch of smallmouth bass this weekend on this size 4 olive wooly bugger with olive hackle.  I just about forgot the Wooly Bugger.  With new warm water flies coming out all the time and my recent success with the Clouser, the wooly bugger hasn't made it's way into my fly box.  I fish mainly for smallmouth and panfish.  Largemouth and spotted bass make their way into the mix.  I used poppers, Clousers, crawdad patterns and the odd mix of custom foam flies.  As a matter of fact, I have some buggers listed on ebay.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/251061602829?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1202

The past few trips out, those smallies have snubbed my Clousers.  I've landed a few on them but I had to find something effective.  So, I tied on a Wooly Bugger which I only had because of some panfish I was targeting the other day.  I know, my pictures aren't the best but I do what I can.  Hey, at least I'm catching fish.

I'm gonna figure out some color combos for the ol' wooly. 

Tight lines!

Wooly Bugger invented for Smallmouth. Bass fly pattern.

http://myworld.ebay.com/riverwalker74

I've got 18 more listings of Gurglers and foam flies for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, trout, panfish or which ever fish you like.  I caught this smallmouth on a wooly bugger this weekend.  I'll be listing some on ebay shortly.  I LOVE SMALLMOUTH!  


The wooly bugger was initially designed/invented for smallmouth bass.  I never knew this wonderful bit of information until yesterday.  "When he (Russell Blessing) created the fly in 1967, he wasn’t an avid fly tier like he was in his later years. He actually created it for smallmouth bass. He wanted to create something similar to the Dobsonfly larva. He later added a marabou tail, which created the Woolly Bugger.", Kirk Werner - Fly Rod & Reel. http://www.flyrodreel.com/node/16096


Awesome isn't it??  I had no idea the wooly bugger was not created until 1967.  I just assumed it had possibly been around as long as the wooly worm.  I'm hoping to get some tying in today.  We've been doing things for the wifey all weekend.  So, I'm hoping to do some daddy things today.

Drifting for Smallmouth - No Clousers today. Gotta have Wooly Buggers.

This morning, I just had the feeling it was a good day to go out and hunt some smallmouth bass.  Lately, I've been hitting the stream hard.  I wanna get catch some smallmouth before the kids get out of school for the summer.  I've been catching lots of smallies lately.  Not loads but a decent amount.  So, I wasn't too stressed out about landing a few fish.  I drove to the stream relaxed as I listened to some NPR.

I took my time at the truck selecting flies and separating them into certain boxes.  It was a nice brisk and sunny morning.  Some little wisps of fog hung over the stream and the water was definitely colder than last weekend.  I was actually going to enjoy this trip to the stream.

I began drifting a Clouser in some fast riffles in which I can always land a few smallmouth bass.  Nothing happened.  I tied on a Betts' Popper and drifted it as well and casted up to the other bank with a good plop.
Still nothing.  I figured maybe it was a drop in water temps over the last few days due to overnight cold snaps.

I then waded down to another location known to hold a healthy population of smallies and large Pumpkin Seed panfish.  I began with a Betts' Popper.  Last weekend, I had landed several bass on a custom made popper.  I quickly landed a decent smallmouth.  After that, I couldn't stir up another strike.  I was drifting in riffles averaging about 2 ft. deep and about thirty yards long.  I was standing about mid point and casting to the right up to the bank and drifting down to my left to the end of the riffles.  There is a fallen tree and some roots and deep holes along the bank.  The sun wasn't shining fully on the stream.  I couldn't see how the bass were playing out.  I decided to tie on a chartreuse and white Clouser.  I drifted this fly while casting from different locations on this spot.  Still no action.

I brought some Muddlers and Wooly Buggers along with me.  I seem to have just been preparing my fly boxes with Clousers and poppers only.  I wanted to switch it up.  Last week, the smallies were thumbing their noses at my Clouser.  I tied on an olive Wooly Bugger and GAME ON!!

The second cast I made with the bugger drew a large smallmouth from the bottom.  It pounced on the bugger when it hit the water.  He missed it and tagged it again as the riffles pulled it downstream.  From that point, the smallmouth bass were pouncing on it.

As the daylight grew, I saw the fish moving about in about mid-stream.  I changed my cast to acommodate their location.  Once the strikes slowed down, I began stripping it in a bit and some of those smallies went nuts for it.  I had one come after it and change it's mind as another bass came towards it.  Both missed it in the drift and I cast it in front of that bass again and wham!

I landed almost all my smallouth on that olive wooly bugger,  I did land some just drifting a Crazydad (crawdad patter).  On the way back to the truck, I hit that hole I started out with on the stream.  I landed two more smallmouth.  My tally for the day is 16 smallmouth - 1 rock bass (calico bass) - no spotted bass - no largemouth and only 1 panfish.  About half were 8 - 12 inches and the other half were pretty healthy.  All were great fighters.

I've almost forgotten about the wooly bugger.  If it wasn't for some panfish I was targeting the other afternoon, I would've totally dismissed it today.  I've been having trouble getting fish to hit during mid-day.  So, I decided to drift some streamers and the bugger won out.  Big fat panfish love to hit those things.  I'm gonna start selling some buggers on ebay shortly.

Tight Lines.