# Anyone getting smallmouth in the streams?



## EdY (Sep 16, 2018)

My buddy and I are striking out recently chasing smallmouth on LMR and GMR. Yeah, we might get one or two fish but we're pretty much coming up empty. We've fished all the good-looking places... current breaks, eddies, structure in moving water. We've tried slow-moving pools. We've thrown topwaters, swimbaits, plastic crawdads, jigs, ned rigs, tubes, spinnerbaits... pretty much emptied the tackle boxes. We've aren't quite out at dawn, but we're generally fishing by 7:30 AM and fish until late morning. For all intents and purposes... nothing.

Can anyone give us a hint or two to get us back on track? (Or do we need to start fishing for other species in the summer?)

Thanks!


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

I've had good success on topwater (flyrod and poppers) for the last 3 w/e's
but The largest streams I've fished has been Todds-fork and N frk of Paint, most have been smaller. The tails of pools have really been productive early and late or mid day if shaded.
You could always try smaller water ? ?
Good luck and good fishing !


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Try Z-Man TRD Finesse worm Ned Rigged. Slow hop on bottom.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

SConner said:


> Try Z-Man TRD Finesse worm Ned Rigged. Slow hop on bottom.


Isnt this bait just great! Not only the trd but most the hole ned head line up are really effective on our creaks/streams/rivers including the skirted jigs. And imo a bitten off senko or yum dinger isnt even close to a replacement like I used to think it was before trying the zman products. 
I will be buying some zman swim baits and twister tails for saugeye and saltwater! 
Lol back to the subject. The couple guys I fish with and myself have also struggled with the smallies. And at this point I need some rain up in central ohio. The few we are getting are coming off ned rigs and bigjoshy swims on bladed jigheads. Scattered. A couple on poppers.(again I'm in central ohio).


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

Z-man Hogz are all I throw as far a ned rigs in the creeks. I switched to hi viz yellow braid cuz sometimes you gotta let’em just sit for a minute or so. And let the fish take the bait a ways before setting the hook. Was having a hard time seeing the green power pro especially in dim light.


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## Tony G (May 14, 2019)

I’ve had difficulty hitting any pattern and getting fish of any size. Not able to get out too much. But similar experience to you.


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## EdY (Sep 16, 2018)

Thanks to all who've responded so far and to anyone else who weighs in. I second the endorsement of Z-man TRD products (SConner and others). The few dinks we've caught have all been on Z-man TRD Finesse ned rigs in PB&J and Green Pumpkin. That was our go-to choice in the Spring too. I haven't tried the Hogz or skirted jigs... been using the Z-man Crawz and Googan Baits Bandito Bugs for crawdads and Bitsy Bugs for jigs. That said, though, we've been using similar baits, just different brands.

Like Morrowtucky Mike, I also switched to Power Pro hi viz yellow braid to better see the bites.

We've not tried the smaller creeks (garhtr) or underspins (SaugeyeFisher)... yet. And we'll focus on the tails of pools early in the day.

Thanks again.


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## JOSH gets2fish (Aug 16, 2018)

If the water is real clear and low in summer I believe that smallies will switch to feeding at night and just hold in around heavy cover like a log jam during the day. Historically for me the best way to find the bigger fish in this scrnario was to fish the normal likely looking spots at the base of faster water near cover, but fish at the absolute crack of dawn. Usually chucking a buzzbait. After about 30 minutes the bite would die off. Then you could sometimes coax a bite through the day from an undercut bank, rootball, or logs.


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## Tony G (May 14, 2019)

I know people talk about targeting the rapids/riffles during hot and low water but I have found this to be inconsistent personally.


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## JOSH gets2fish (Aug 16, 2018)

If the water has low oxygen content they will stack up in huge numbers near riffles that oxygenate the water. I have seen literally 50 smallmouth in a single waist deep hole near the only riffle for miles. Im guessing the fewer and farther between the riffles with good oxygen the more fish are there. The problem i have experienced in this scenario is the fish are stressed and dont bite well. If they will bite its usually a small bait dragged and left in their face. 

It takes no rain for a long time to create this and im sure some bigger flows may never have this happen.


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## footballseason (Aug 12, 2019)

I agree with Josh, they seem to school up together in holes near riffles. When they are biting (if you can find them) the action is on and you can pull numerous fish out of one hole. I also try and cast lateral to the bank and run my baits towards the middle deeper parts of the water. I do this in my kayak casting from one bank to the other. Sometimes you can find schools of fish there as well. If the fish are stressed, throw smaller baits. Small stream smallmouth use a lot of energy swimming in current and will choose baits that they can digest easier and with less energy.

I don't know what your local flow is but here in central Ohio many rivers are below 100 cfs. We just need some rain!


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## Tazmanme (Jul 5, 2017)

I agree with fish in the bottom half of the riffle right now, that’s where they seem to be, I’m having much better success there , then in there usual haunts! Good luck.


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Top water bite was very good this morning from 7-9am. As said before, get out early.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

SConner said:


> Top water bite was very good this morning from 7-9am.


 Is there anything more fun ?
If you can find shade its been fair most of the day lately --and obviously that's easier on the smaller creeks (might be tough on some bigger rivers)
One thing I often do on my way home mid day is stop at every bridge I cross, there's always shade. Most bridges get hammered but most have great structure and some big smart fish. I don't spend a lot of time at each bridge but often pick up the best fish of the day on my way home--- it's worth a shot and beats going home to do yard work 
Good luck and good fishing !


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