# Anyone have a stream report?



## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Haven't hit flowing water since before the heat wave a few weeks ago. I imagine with the lack of rain that water levels are down. Likewise long cool nights have probably largely erased whatever uptick in temps occurred two weeks ago. Hoping some of you may have been out more recently and can post on what's working. Based on some of the cottonwood leaves strewn across the lawn I imagine top water is a challenge at the moment. Any kind souls willing to comment on water temperatures, and generally where to find the smallmouth? Are they in deeper sections or still up in the current? Finally starting to school or still scattered? Any particular presentations working better than others at the moment? Thanks


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## n-strut (Apr 14, 2010)

Been kinda tough the last few days, not sure of temp but definitely could feel it thru the lightweight waders. Leaves are starting to get bad in areas. Found fish in deeper holes with good current dumping into them. Keitechs and Joshys in natural colors. Water is definitely low and ultra clear.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Was out twice last week. LOOOOOW water in my flow, which scattered the fish.
I found all of mine in "laminar flow". meaning 2-3 feet of water, moving along, but now heavy current and no real structure. Kind of like redfish cruising flats.
Whopper Ploppers and buzzbaits with trailers were what worked for me. Loooong casts directly in front of me, retrieving directly upstream...doesn't sound right, but it's what worked.
Here's an interesting article, and the first time I learned about laminar flow, written by a dude I know:
http://www.riversmallies.com/laminar-flow-the-preferred-current-of-fat-lazy-river-smallmouth-bass/


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## onaygem (Oct 19, 2016)

I went out Friday night & Saturday afternoon. Only caught 1 each time I went out – a pretty big SMB (relatively, for that stretch) on Friday, then a decent muskie on Saturday. Both in relatively deeper spots, both on a silver baby torpedo.

Looks like we might get some rain this next week. Hopefully between that and fall weather continuing to progress, things will heat up – the past few weeks have been pretty tough for me.
Unfortunately, the leaves are also on their way...


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## pedex (Aug 17, 2016)

Sunday afternoon I did part of 3 mile creek and Big Darby near Prairie Oaks metro park. Water temp was 68F at 1pm at the surface in the shade, almost zero current. Water wasn't as clear as I expected nor quite as low but it is down quite a bit. I wasn't after SMB but did get one anyway. He came out of a deeper pool behind an uprooted fallen tree. I was throwing a woolly bugger on a 3wt fly rod and nightcrawlers with no weight on an UL spinning combo. Got him on the fly rod. I caught way more fish in the mostly featureless almost straight section of 3 mile from the canoe access point to the bridge at Beach rd than anywhere else. It was a mission of opportunity hoping mostly for chubs and stuff for bait which I got a few. Water was too cloudy still to see any fish til I got to the middle section behind Prairie Oaks metro park, but didn't see any schools of bass anywhere, just groups of bluegill here and there. Fishing was decent just didn't some across big schools of anything. Only the second time I have fished that area though. I took a peek at Big Darby around Pleasant Valley and blew it off, didn't really have the time to walk that section, water looked low but pretty clear.


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

Don’t post reports here anymore; with few if any responses feels like a waste of time. That said, been catching a ton since the warm-up on small tubes, dingers, Joshy’s, and torpedoes. Best season ever, for me.


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## cheezemm2 (Apr 7, 2004)

The cooler weather is starting to stoke the fire...but I had to wait for gaps in the leaves in the flows to get a clean cast, but it was worth it. The mini footballs are starting to come out. Water is low, slow, and clear. I needed a deep riffle with flow or a very deep hole (relative to the area I was fishing) to see any action.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Got out last night for a brief wade. Started out at a location that's new to me this year and has been a good producer. Classic smallmouth habitat. Relatively deeper holes next to good current with assortment of cobble, rock, and wood. Skunked. Seeing as this location is new for '17 I don't know what to expect during the summer to fall transition. Water levels and flow were notably lower than spring and early summer which may have had something to do with the lack of production. 

I packed up and moved to another reliable location, one I've fished for years. This is the first year I've noticed other anglers targeting this spot and it's a honey hole no more, but still good for a few fish nearly every outing. Upon arrival I observed similar conditions - low and clear water. This location is a wide pool with a deep rocky bank on one side and a shallow sandy flat on the other after a long riffle run. I found zero takes in the tail of the riffle head of the pool and none in the usually productive deep hole. It was not until I moved downstream to the waist deep middle pool that I found chunky rock bass. Continuing to move down stream to an extremely calm area with sediment covered rock I found one smallmouth on a swim bait in a rock eddy. 

A frustrating outing with no clear pattern. Seems the tried and true locations are losing their luster. I'm at a loss if this is a function of broad seasonal factors or specifically low water and flow rates. 

Air temp 70
Water temp was 66. 
Near full moon with next to no wind


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Read that article on Laminar flow that I linked a few posts back.
They'll either be there or near grass beds (where the baitfish are) until we get some rain and some flow.
Sounds like you got your smallie in a laminar flow type area.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Bubbagon said:


> Read that article on Laminar flow that I linked a few posts back.
> They'll either be there or near grass beds (where the baitfish are) until we get some rain and some flow.
> Sounds like you got your smallie in a laminar flow type area.


Thanks for pointing that out again. You're exactly right, other than a few tire-size rocks beneath the surface the area is generally featureless - no real structure or drop offs to speak of. I read the link the other day. Evidently in one ear and out the other as I did not make the connection. I'll read it again and try and commit it to memory. What's the prescription until we get some flow - fan casting while wading the center channel over long stretches of laminar flow?


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Kind of. 
If you're on a kayak, just float, wait, look for signs of bait fish crashing, and cast into it.
The shorter daylight has them doing their thing, one way or another. Some cooler nights will kick things into gear even more. And higher water would just make them easier to locate.
Grass beds, lay downs, or anything else that would congregate bait fish are also likely spots.


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## cheezemm2 (Apr 7, 2004)

Bubbagon said:


> Kind of.
> If you're on a kayak, just float, wait, look for signs of bait fish crashing, and cast into it.
> The shorter daylight has them doing their thing, one way or another. Some cooler nights will kick things into gear even more. And higher water would just make them easier to locate.
> Grass beds, lay downs, or anything else that would congregate bait fish are also likely spots.





RiparianRanger said:


> Got out last night for a brief wade. Started out at a location that's new to me this year and has been a good producer. Classic smallmouth habitat. Relatively deeper holes next to good current with assortment of cobble, rock, and wood. Skunked. Seeing as this location is new for '17 I don't know what to expect during the summer to fall transition. Water levels and flow were notably lower than spring and early summer which may have had something to do with the lack of production.
> 
> I packed up and moved to another reliable location, one I've fished for years. This is the first year I've noticed other anglers targeting this spot and it's a honey hole no more, but still good for a few fish nearly every outing. Upon arrival I observed similar conditions - low and clear water. This location is a wide pool with a deep rocky bank on one side and a shallow sandy flat on the other after a long riffle run. I found zero takes in the tail of the riffle head of the pool and none in the usually productive deep hole. It was not until I moved downstream to the waist deep middle pool that I found chunky rock bass. Continuing to move down stream to an extremely calm area with sediment covered rock I found one smallmouth on a swim bait in a rock eddy.
> 
> ...


Sounds like we waded the same area with the same results....my popper pattern completely fell off from Monday. The only thing that yielded a hit was a 1/8 black spinner with silver blade. I was literally gardening between all the leaves and seaweed. For every dink fish, I probably went through 10-15 casts of picking off cabbage. I thought with the smoothness of the water I'd hammer them on topwater, but no takers.


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## allbraid (Jan 14, 2012)

Got out for a brief excursion this afternoon. 5 smallmouth, 4 Largemouth and 1 fat rock bass. Fishing a small flow (water is ridiculously low) all fish came on a Big Joshy crawfish with 1/8 oz jig. They were all in the tail of the hole. Pic is of biggest of the day


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

allbraid said:


> Got out for a brief excursion this afternoon. 5 smallmouth, 4 Largemouth and 1 fat rock bass. Fishing a small flow (water is ridiculously low) all fish came on a Big Joshy crawfish with 1/8 oz jig. They were all in the tail of the hole. Pic is of biggest of the day


Would love to hear how you fish the Joshy craw. I have tried them over the past two or three years and never really had much luck and find other craw imitating baits to outperform. Given the notoriety of the swim baits I'm inclined to say it is user error on my part. Any guidance?


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## allbraid (Jan 14, 2012)

I just use a simple technique....cast out and allowing it to sink to the bottom, rod tip low, then lift and reel in the slack. Allow it to fall again and repeat, as it get about 20 feet from me I do a slow steady retrieve back. Then repeat the process. Tha majority of strikes come on the fall


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

allbraid said:


> I just use a simple technique....cast out and allowing it to sink to the bottom, rod tip low, then lift and reel in the slack. Allow it to fall again and repeat, as it get about 20 feet from me I do a slow steady retrieve back. Then repeat the process. Tha majority of strikes come on the fall


Cool. I assume slow is the ticket?


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## allbraid (Jan 14, 2012)

Semi slow....just trying to make it look as life like as possible


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

Today: Zoom super fluke, green pumpkin, drifted down through a run. Eighth FishOhio smallie of the year...


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Deazl666 said:


> Today: Zoom super fluke, green pumpkin, drifted down through a run. Eighth FishOhio smallie of the year...


Good job getting out today. As much as this rain is needed, the ponding in the streets suggests the flows will be blown out for a couple days. Should be game on once the turbidity dies down.


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## Cats1967 (May 25, 2017)

Nice smallie


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## allbraid (Jan 14, 2012)

Monday afternoon, caught 15 or 16 like this, Rebel crawfish crankbaits. Aggressive fall fish


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

They are definitely heating up. I snuck out for a couple hours yesterday afternoon. Found my first genuine wolfpack of the year, gorging on shad in the fast water right in the middle of a pretty good riffle.
Caught about a dozen on big, gold spinnerbaits. 15" was the smallest, lots of 16" and 17"ers, two 18"ers and an 18 1/2".


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

allbraid said:


> Monday afternoon, caught 15 or 16 like this, Rebel crawfish crankbaits. Aggressive fall fish


Good to see you posting ... let's me know winter is near. When I tell you I'm JACKED UP to winter fish I mean I'm JACKED UP. It's all I've thought about all year. Seriously.


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## allbraid (Jan 14, 2012)

ML1187 said:


> Good to see you posting ... let's me know winter is near. When I tell you I'm JACKED UP to winter fish I mean I'm JACKED UP. It's all I've thought about all year. Seriously.


I completely understand! My favorite time of the year! I'm really glad that you guys have picked up on this overlooked time of the year for fishing!


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## stanimals2 (Mar 20, 2011)

We went wading this morning and I can tell you this much,, When the water hit about half way up your front pockets the first time you made multiple sounds of trying to suck in air !!!!


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

stanimals2 said:


> We went wading this morning and I can tell you this much,, When the water hit about half way up your front pockets the first time you made multiple sounds of trying to suck in air !!!!


Water was 63 degrees this AM on a local flow. Not likely to have warmed up much from there with mostly overcast skies pervading today and the temperature drop this afternoon. Forecast is for overnight lows in the 40s tonight, tagging 39 tomorrow night. Finding good numbers at these temperatures but size is lacking. Sycamore leaves are practically everywhere therefore it's next to impossible to fish anything with a treble hook.


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## USMC-BUCKEYE (Apr 2, 2010)

Bubbagon said:


> Was out twice last week. LOOOOOW water in my flow, which scattered the fish.
> I found all of mine in "laminar flow". meaning 2-3 feet of water, moving along, but now heavy current and no real structure. Kind of like redfish cruising flats.
> Whopper Ploppers and buzzbaits with trailers were what worked for me. Loooong casts directly in front of me, retrieving directly upstream...doesn't sound right, but it's what worked.
> Here's an interesting article, and the first time I learned about laminar flow, written by a dude I know:
> http://www.riversmallies.com/laminar-flow-the-preferred-current-of-fat-lazy-river-smallmouth-bass/


Woah... I never knew why there were giant fish in my favorite spot. I had a hunch, but this describes it perfectly. Thanks for the article.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Curious where water temperatures are on area rivers and streams. And have they cleared up? Thanks


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