# I suck at smallmouth fishing....



## PACC (Mar 4, 2010)

Grew up fly fishing in California, moved to Ohio about 10 years ago and didn't really fly fish except for ponds/lakes- bass and bluegill. Friend took me to the Kokosing River last year for smallmouth fishing. Really pretty sections of river and caught a few small ones. They out up a really nice fight though. Went there a few more times and managed to pick up a fish or two each time but they were small. Also hit Big Walnut below Hoover twice and got skunked both times.

This year I'm focusing on smallmouth almost exclusively. I gotta figure this fish out! Everything I read says they are fairly easy to catch. I went out Saturday to BW below Hoover. Water was 44 degrees so I figured they were still deep. Fished some runs and pools (avoided fast water) with black or olive wooly buggers, leeches and hellgrammites. Not even a bump. I know I was getting to the bottom because I lost quite a few flies. I didn't throw any clousers but maybe I should have.

Anyone care to share some tips/tricks? No boat so I wade only. Not looking for honey holes- I'm willing to work for my spots- but general areas, flies, presentation methods would be extremely appreciated. Thanks!

Phil


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

Dont avoid the fast water! Just avoid fisng directly IN it! A good location for the Smalleys right now are the SEAMS that separate fast and slow water ... Fish that SEAM on the slow/ slack side, throwing a wooly bugger or streamer, on the bottom


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't fish real aggressively for smallmouth. I don't throw a lot of topwaters, I don't fish a real fast retrieve much. I have most of my best action fishing deep cover slowly and thoroughly. It's almost high sticking, if you want to think about it that way. Cast upstream of some deep cover, let the fly get down, and tight line the fly along the cover. My best stream smallie last year I caught after multiple drifts through a deep rocky bank. The water I fish does get a lot of pressure, so maybe that's why the slow and deep approach seems to work well for me, but I'd give it a shot.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

I fish alot of small water with slow current and my favorite trick is dropping a lightly weighted craw along logs and rock piles. I tight line the fly to the bottom and impart very little if any action to the fly, once it gets to the bottom I might twitch it a little but 9 times out of 10 the strike will come on the dead fall. Later in summer on a hot bite I might fish a bigger flashy streamer fast but on smaller waters I like slow and natural.
You'll have to experiment and see what works best in your waters ?
Good luck and Good Fishing !


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I don't fly fish, but I do smallie fish! The best smallie areas have rock. Rocks big enough for crawfish to hid under. You'll get better numbers of fish in rocky sections than you will in gravel or sand even if there is wood structure there. They love to hid behind a big rock in mid-stream. I like to drift a small jig past these rocks and let the jig drift in behind the rock just above the bottom of the stream. Works better than burning a spinner or jig past the hole. 

Also, bass fishing doesn't really heat up until the water is at least 55 degrees.


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## PACC (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks! I appreciate the info.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

PACC said:


> This year I'm focusing on smallmouth almost exclusively. I gotta figure this fish out! Everything I read says they are fairly easy to catch.


That's funny. 

Do a search on n the forums for key words...some fantastic knowledge is housed here with many contributions on this subject from the OGF collective. But more than research .... Spend the time on the water.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

Yea the issue you are up against now is the cold water. Even another 4 degrees and we start to see the lake run smallies in Rocky River. So keep it dead drifting around the structure. When it warms up then a little action.

One thing that works for me next to a log pointing parallel to the stream flow is this. Cast from above a minnow streamer, crayfish, helgramite on a sink tip. let it sink, then lay your line next to the log, with your rodtip on or under the water. Strip it in s l o w l y. You will know when a fish joins your game. You will know! works well for trout too. I think Kelly Gallup goes over this technique in his streamer book.

Rickerd


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## Bassbully 52 (Feb 25, 2014)

Clouser minnow by far is the best smallie fly for me.


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## gahannafly (Aug 11, 2012)

PACC said:


> Grew up fly fishing in California, moved to Ohio about 10 years ago and didn't really fly fish except for ponds/lakes- bass and bluegill. Friend took me to the Kokosing River last year for smallmouth fishing. Really pretty sections of river and caught a few small ones. They out up a really nice fight though. Went there a few more times and managed to pick up a fish or two each time but they were small. Also hit Big Walnut below Hoover twice and got skunked both times.
> 
> This year I'm focusing on smallmouth almost exclusively. I gotta figure this fish out! Everything I read says they are fairly easy to catch. I went out Saturday to BW below Hoover. Water was 44 degrees so I figured they were still deep. Fished some runs and pools (avoided fast water) with black or olive wooly buggers, leeches and hellgrammites. Not even a bump. I know I was getting to the bottom because I lost quite a few flies. I didn't throw any clousers but maybe I should have.
> 
> ...


Bw below the Dam to Morse road is pretty but I have never had much success there the few times I have fished it. I also fished that section the friday before you did with spinning gear and got skunked.
I have found the fishing better below Morse road though Whitehall.
Fishing chartreuse clousers, black and green whooly buggers,
Fish are generally spread out-I have only found concentration of smallies a few times over years.
I keep my lures small and try to focus on not spooking the fish.


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