# Riverine Smallmouth Seasonal Migration



## RiparianRanger

There is a specific hole on a local flow I have frequented for three years. This particular hole is ~3X as deep as the average depth of the flow, has several large rocks along the bottom and is characterized by a gradually sloping bank opposite a steep undercut bank. It just looks like it should have fish year round. However, in reality I only ever pull smallmouth of decent size and number out of the thing in September to October. I will occasionally find average to below average smallmouth there outside of this timeframe, but even then numbers are way down apart from two months a year. Any idea what might be attracting the smallies to this hole at a certain time of year?


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## acklac7

Shad


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## RiparianRanger

Water is pretty clear. While a few minnows are visible here and there it doesn't appear teeming with them. Should baitfish be visible?


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## acklac7

RiparianRanger said:


> Water is pretty clear. While a few minnows are visible here and there it doesn't appear teeming with them. Should baitfish be visible?


Yes and no.

Shad will stack up in/near certain holes this time of year, however it's more of a River thing.

You fishing a River or Creek? Big difference between the two, especially when we're heading into Fall/Winter.


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## RiparianRanger

I fish both rivers and creeks but this inquiry specifically relates to a creek. But riddle me this: what's the difference, effectively? Is there much difference between the upper Olentangy versus the lower Walnut or Blacklick? After all, we are not talking about the mighty Ohio River.


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## NCbassattack

My guess is that deeper water is where they winter, and they are heading into it now.


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## acklac7

RiparianRanger said:


> I fish both rivers and creeks but this inquiry specifically relates to a creek. But riddle me this: what's the difference, effectively? Is there much difference between the upper Olentangy versus the lower Walnut or Blacklick? After all, we are not talking about the mighty Ohio River.


So not to much of a difference in the upper Olentangy (well up into Delaware). But in a nut shell Creeks will shut down a solid month or two before Rivers. Also lot more baitfish and deep holes in Rivers. 

If you're noticing Fish showing up in a Deep hole right now in a Creek it's probably a winter Migration. If you're starting to notice fish show up in a River right now it's probably because the Fall bite is just about to get started


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## Tbomb55

Thinking about hitting the Black in Lorain outa my kayak. Any tips? my first time


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## RiparianRanger

acklac7 said:


> So not to much of a difference in the upper Olentangy (well up into Delaware). But in a nut shell Creeks will shut down a solid month or two before Rivers. Also lot more baitfish and deep holes in Rivers.
> 
> If you're noticing Fish showing up in a Deep hole right now in a Creek it's probably a winter Migration. If you're starting to notice fish show up in a River right now it's probably because the Fall bite is just about to get started


Implied in the above is the creek smallies are just passing through, correct?


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## Baloogala

RiparianRanger said:


> Implied in the above is the creek smallies are just passing through, correct?


Rip--there is a good article about winter smallmouth in the newest issue of In Fisherman. Thought of you when I saw it...but it talks a bit about this very thought.


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## freshwaterexperience

Tbomb55 said:


> Thinking about hitting the Black in Lorain outa my kayak. Any tips? my first time



I've always wondered about that river never see anyone post on it idk if they would get any stray steelhead but your probably good throwing tubes or smaller swimbaits. Something should bite it but like I said never fished it or seen posts on it


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## Tbomb55

freshwaterexperience said:


> I've always wondered about that river never see anyone post on it idk if they would get any stray steelhead but your probably good throwing tubes or smaller swimbaits. Something should bite it but like I said never fished it or seen posts on it


Thanks. I might head out there and see where I can launch. Let you know.


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## freshwaterexperience

Yeah I'm about an hour or so west of it so if you catch anything funny looking like bronze or chrome let me know I'll make the journey lol


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## RiparianRanger

Baloogala said:


> Rip--there is a good article about winter smallmouth in the newest issue of In Fisherman. Thought of you when I saw it...but it talks a bit about this very thought.


Thanks. Any chance you have a link?


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## Baloogala

RiparianRanger said:


> Thanks. Any chance you have a link?


Let me see. At the very least, I could likely scan a copy and send it to you in PDF tomorrow.


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## Baloogala

Looks like it's not online. I don't have a scanner here at the house, but I'll scan to send. I'll get with you to get an email address.


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## Baloogala

Rip--I have scanned the article and can email it. Can you send me a PM with an email address? I haven't quite figured that part of this out.

I will say this...I didn't remember the article quite right. While the writer does spend quite a bit of time on the seasonal habits of smallmouths, it is more about a tandem approach to higher success. I still think you'd find it valuable.


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## RiparianRanger

Here is what Mike Mladenik has to say about riverine smallmouth migration. By the way, check out his videos on YouTube for a glimpse of his body of work.

http://www.fishinfo.com/fishing-articles/article_326.shtml

Also found the following pair of In-Fisherman articles interesting:

http://www.in-fisherman.com/biology/migration-the-path-of-least-resistance/

http://www.in-fisherman.com/straws-blog/path-of-least-resistance-ii/


Not sure how much of the above theory holds true in streams.


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## acklac7

RiparianRanger said:


> Here is what Mike Mladenik has to say about riverine smallmouth migration. By the way, check out his videos on YouTube for a glimpse of his body of work.
> 
> http://www.fishinfo.com/fishing-articles/article_326.shtml
> 
> Also found the following pair of In-Fisherman articles interesting:
> 
> http://www.in-fisherman.com/biology/migration-the-path-of-least-resistance/
> 
> http://www.in-fisherman.com/straws-blog/path-of-least-resistance-ii/
> 
> 
> Not sure how much of the above theory holds true in streams.


Articles are amazingly spot-on. Incredible.

Keep in mind "Path-I" an "Path II" are not mutually exclusive! The Author says they are, I strongly disagree.

Remember to take a sampling from each when analyzing impounded River Systems, such as the Middle Scioto.

None the less some really, *really, *good information there guys. Specifically as it pertains to High Water etc...


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## Saugeyefisher

Rip, along with everything here. Search for posts put up bye "allbraid" mainly inthe central Ohio forums. He has Proven inhere time and time again to be a cold water smallmouth genius! Evenduring the "polar vortex" a few winters ago was putting up solid small mouth. I know he stresses as much as depth an maybe a little more is current breaks. Go to this spot during high water and look and see if there are good current breaks so the fish can stay put no matter the water level and not waste energy always fighting current or hole hopping looking for current breaks.


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## RiparianRanger

^Yep, he is the winter legend. Thanks


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## Fishing Jay24

Tbomb55 said:


> Thinking about hitting the Black in Lorain outa my kayak. Any tips? my first time


Not sure if you went out in your yak yet or not but i have a canoe that ive only fished out of a few times (i recently got it) i drop in and fish the black. I have dropped in mostly at the canoe/kayak launch in sheffield off colorado. Its where the french creek and black river meet. You can take the river towards the mouth or it also splits down towards days dam as well. I do alot of bank fishing but now that i have a canoe my options have opened up unfortunately i am still in a learning curve for fishing out of the canoe and figuring out the river. There is also a drop in at black river wharf in loarin and that is towards the mouth of the river. Goodluck!


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## RiparianRanger

Attended a seminar at the expo addressing the winter-to-spring transition of riverine smallmouth. The presenter posited that air temps above 60 will warm rivers to a level sufficient to draw smallmouth to the heads of pools.

The basis for the theory seemed plausible enough, but I'm curious what experienced anglers might have to add based on practice (as opposed to theory). 

For instance, at time of writing this has been a mild winter. Heck, yesterday was 60 degrees. If temps the rest of the winter stay well above normal, can this 60 degree threshold be relied upon, or is there more in play regarding migration pattern? Specifically the spring equinox in late March marks when days become longer than nights. Might this be a migratory trigger? Or, is it really all about water temperature?


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## NCbassattack

The angle of the sun has a lot to do with bass becoming active, as much as water temps. I've seen bass fanning beds in 55 degree water in March.


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## RiparianRanger

Holschlag's book states water temp is the dominant factor, however other factors play a roll too such as length of day, light intensity, current velocity, water clarity, and abundance of forage. His book is written so that it applies for the large majority of the smallmouth's range, from the southern US all the way to Canada. Obviously these factors, particularly the secondary factors listed, vary wildly from Arkasas to Ontario. In posing this question to OGF member I'm hoping to cut through the generalities and get to the specifics of smallmouth behavior in Ohio.


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## laynhardwood

Even in Ohio every lake is different depending on depth, clarity, and available habitats. I am a smallmouth junkie and it's almost time to start catching some absolute pigs


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## NCbassattack

Same here in NC. We are unique, in a way, as our landscape is so variable. Bass in the mountains, of both smallmouth and largemouth, often do not spawn til around the first week of May, while the central part of the state sees fish spawning in mid April. Coastal plain bass will spawn in mid to late March.I love late February through early April, it's the best time of year here to get a slob.


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## RiparianRanger

Stumbled across this searching for a method to estimate river water temperature. It is a research paper discussing the link between air temp and water temperature. At risk of oversimplification the data point to surface water temperature changing 60-80% of the change in air temperature. 

Another item of note, the author writes about seasonal hysteresis, specifically in the spring season when water temp may lag air temps due to cold runoff (i.e. snow melt). Some of the posters in the Central Ohio forum noted surprisingly warm water temps a few weeks back. Considering this last winter's snowfall was practically nil, reason stands this could be one factor contributing to the early warm-up. 


https://eng.ucmerced.edu/people/rbales/CV/PubsM/98


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## RiparianRanger

With the spawn just around the corner I found the following a good reference:

https://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/smallmouth-fry.html

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/hetke_dust/reproduction.htm


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## RiparianRanger

With all these rains translating to elevated, swift current just as the smallmouth spawn is underway should anglers be concerned about reduced numbers in the years ahead?


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## Dillon Friend

Good question rip!! I would assume the majority of fish would be wise to this as they are more in tune with nature than we are. My guess (key word guess) is that they would sense the high pressure and impending rains and choose to spawn in a less turbulent area than normal. I didn't catch any spawners in my usual hole yet but that's just me. I figure a slight dip possibly but nothing too crazy I mean how random are good spring rains usually lol


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## RiparianRanger

This interview with ODNR suggests flooding during spawn could negatively impact spawning success. 

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/forecasts/ohio-bass-forecast-2016/


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## Dillon Friend

I can't find anything on the new spring survey they were talking about in the article can you?


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## RiparianRanger

Looking at the ten day forecast there's a bit of a relative cold snap settling on the area. Except for one day in the next ten, temperatures are forecast to stay in the 70s, with the single deviation an 80 degree day - mild by August standards. Perhaps more important are overnight lows in the 60s with a few 50 handles (tomorrow's low calls for 50 flat, and rural areas may see 40s). 

Undoubtedly such a prolonged streak of unseasonably mild weather will cool the regions streams and rivers. The question for OGF is do you postulate such a cooling will trigger fish into that died-and-gone-to-heaven early autumn bite? If memory serves me correctly, We are about 3-4 weeks away from the usual onset of that "fast bite" that so often describes the early fall pattern. Just wondering if the next week or so might usher in an extended bounty of river smallmouth action.


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## RiparianRanger

The rivers are cooling to some degree. Over the last seven days lows (air temperatures) have dipped into the 50s four times reaching 55 on three nights. More recently highs have tagged 81 with overnight lows in the mid 60s. Got out last night and water temperature read 68 degrees around 10 PM so little doubt the sun's warming rays are pushing daytime water temperatures into the 70s therefore the summer pattern is still prevailing. 

What was noteworthy was the low water levels. This particular flow was arguably the lowest of the year. 

Still found a few willing to chase top water in about two FoW in a turbulent run, including what felt like a tractor on the end of my line that threw the hook less than ten feet from where I was standing. 

It seems the bass are mostly scattered and not yet schooling up. Swims, soft plastic jerk baits, and imitation craws all got the cold shoulder. 

Forecast calls for nearly 0.75" rain over next 48 hours and temperatures between 55-65 as the remnants of hurricane Harvey pass through. Hopefully that will be sufficient to raise the flow rate and push the fish into predictable haunts.


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## RiparianRanger

A couple days of rain (over 1.5" by my backyard rain gauge) plus 50-60 degree air temps has resulted in a ten degree peak-to-trough temperature swing at Alum Creek per USGS. 

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?...=14&begin_date=2017-08-09&end_date=2017-09-02


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## RiparianRanger

The creeks are dipping into the 60s. An early AM check of my local flow resulted in a reading of 66 degrees. The current seven day forecast calls for a couple of daytime highs (air temp) in the upper 60s and overnight lows in the lower 50s with a projected 40 handle one evening. Add a couple days of rain to the mix and there could be a fast approaching onset of the early fall period as Holschlag defines it with shortening periods of daylight and the Autumnal equinox right around the corner.


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## RiparianRanger

Interesting take on night fishing for September smallmouth 

http://www.fieldandstream.com/pull-late-season-bronzebacks-after-dark?dom=flipboard&src=syn&?ads=off


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## RiparianRanger

The early onset of the Autumn migration was interrupted by the late-September heat wave where air temps reached the low-90s. 

We've now experienced about a week of near normal temperatures with highs ranging from 70-80 and overnight lows in the upper 40s and 50s. Got out last night and did not find them where I was expecting. Seems they still remain scattered and not yet schooling in deeper pools. The X factor could be the low level of both current and depth at present. The 24 hour forecast is for 0.5" of rain, which considering how dry the ground is, may not be enough to materially move the gauges. 

Water temp was 66 degrees taken in a shallow sand bar near a warm rock wall at 10 PM. Would suggest daytime water temps are still pushing 70. 

And so here we are, a week into October and still awaiting onset of the fast Fall fishing.


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## RiparianRanger

Thanks to Hurticane Nate the region finally received some much needed rainfall this week and river gauges are back to normal pool levels. On the other hand, temperatures this autumn are thus far deviating from seasonal norms. The weather guy noted this morning's temperature of 66 is close to the average high for this time of the year. The weekend forecast calls for highs of 78-79. I recall a mid-October fishing trip two years ago where we woke up to 35 degree temps. Is anyone finding this late-season warming trend is delaying the usual migration?


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## RiparianRanger

Today's wade revealed water temps were ~63 degrees. Still finding them in the usual smallmouth spots. Not yet schooling or moving to deeper water. It's been unseasonably warm this Autumn and the seven day forecast is starting to show a few nights with lows in the 40s. Will keep an eye on stream temps for indications they're moving to wintering holes.

https://www.ohiogamefishing.com/threads/smallmouth-season-17.311575/page-3


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## RiparianRanger

Got out for about an hour yesterday morning. The thermometer revealed temps in this particular flow were right at 60 degrees. It's possible mid-day temps are higher considering the bluebird skies and low 70 air temps we've been experiencing but that is forecast to change. Next week's cold, rainy weather is expected to push water temps down into the 50s. 

Only managed one aggressive little guy in a push water section on a white spinner with a grub trailer


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## RiparianRanger

Got out today and hit a smaller flow. Water temps were right around 50 just a few days ago and considering air temps have barely exceeded 50 since, I have little reason to suspect subsurface temperatures have changed much, despite the sunny skies. The last couple of seasons November has proved one of the more challenging months. I chalk this up to it being a transition period and migratory fish difficult to pinpoint. Some literature I have read suggests fish can be found _near_ wintering holes when water temperatures are consistently around 50 degrees or so during what is described as Mid/Late Fall. I'm hoping more seasoned anglers might confirm or deny the veracity of this. 

I got out for about an hour today and quickly located a few small bass (details in link below). One was found in a deeper section of the stream (5') with good cover, though no obvious current break that I could see or discern. I'm trying to decipher if this section can reliably be considered a wintering hole -- it is relatively deep -- or if I just got lucky and hooked two random fish in close proximity on a sunny day. 

https://www.ohiogamefishing.com/threads/smallmouth-season-17.311575/page-4


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## RiparianRanger

Much of the discussion in this tread has been on the fall-to-winter transition. Josh recently posted an observation about the extreme cold in Alum Creek lake and the implications that may have on fish movements.

https://www.ohiogamefishing.com/threads/cold-spring-ugggggg.325012/

The body of knowledge I have read over the years suggests there are two broad groups of smallmouth - those that stay confined to a relatively small home range for much of their life and the other which makes long migratory treks from year to year. As mentioned earlier, water temperature is the dominant factor influencing movement, but length of day, light intensity, and a host of other factors also play a role. I'm catching limited numbers of fish now in my home stream with the water in the low 40s as of late. I'm assuming these are the "home bodies" that do not undertake long annual migrations. They are simply moving out of deeper holes into the nearest riffle to feed. The question I have is if water temperatures stay in the 40s for much of April, at what point will the migratory cohort begin to move out of their winter haunts and upstream to summer territories? Put differently, at what point do the other ancillary factors begin to outweigh water temperature and the migratory fish get on the move?


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## RiparianRanger

Seems relevant. Creek smallmouth through the seasons:

http://www.in-fisherman.com/bass/smallmouth-bass/how-to-catch-more-creek-smallmouth/


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## RiparianRanger

More info from the editors at In-Fisherman discussing the early-Spring bite. According to the writers 40 is the magic number to watch. 

http://www.in-fisherman.com/bass/smallmouth-bass/magic-temps-for-river-smallmouth/


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## RiparianRanger

Watched an episode of The Bass Pros with Ott Defoe on early spring river smallmouth. He was in a medium sized river with moderate current. Water temperature was 48-49 and he was fishing a craw pattern DT4. He said crawfish imitating baits are key in the spring. Surprised they were hitting a moving bait at that temperature. He said with the heavier current the moving bait made sense over a jig that would be at risk of getting swept away. Of course the target areas were deep, slack water holes. No obvious current breaks were shown but logic dictates they were there, subsurface or otherwise. Another target area was rushing creek mouths where smallmouth were feeding on crawfish getting swept out of the creek.


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## RiparianRanger

Was watching another episode of the Bass Pros. KVD was throwing a deep diving square bill (1.5D) due to windy conditions where it is difficult to throw anything other than a moving bait. The square bill was preferred since it’ll deflect more than a round lip crank. 

He was saying the secret to crank bait fishing is erratic action. In many cases this means deflecting off of the bottom or rock, but in this case he was in relatively open water. To create the erratic action he simply paused a half a second maybe every 8 to 12 turns of the reel.


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## ristorap

Those baits are made to have erratic action in open water. That was what KVD wanted.


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## RiparianRanger

Water was 43 degrees yesterday and good current. No takes. Seems it’s still too cold for them to embark on the migration out of wintering habitat. Landed just one in a deep hole on a previous outing when the water was 39-40. Getting close but just not there yet.


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## RiparianRanger

Water was 49 degrees today and it seems they may be on the move. Found them on gravel/cobble bottom in mid depth water in modest current. No problems striking a moving bait today. 

https://www.ohiogamefishing.com/thr...t-it-is-heating-up.327328/page-4#post-2641497


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## RiparianRanger

Temperatures have been rising and they are moving closer to current. Got a reading of 56 in a local flow. With relatively elevated depth and good current they were able to be caught in seams. Appears they’ve begun to move out of winter haunts and embark upstream in spite of - or maybe because of - a series of spring rain flooding events in recent weeks. Anyone have insight into how flooding events or elevated water conditions aid or impede the spring migration?


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## RiparianRanger

Got out for a little bit overnight. Water was right at 60 degrees. Most literature I have read states that smallmouth will spawn around the first full moon after surface temperatures have sustained low 60 degrees range. Looking at the lunar calendar the next full moon is at the end of next week - close to right on schedule for the end of May rule of thumb in mid- to southern Ohio flows. 

On a separate note, gar were thick last night. Found them hanging out in their usual habitat near grass, but the first I had witnessed any this year. I tend to see them more during summer season (warm water temperatures). Is there a magic number that they become active?


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## RiparianRanger

Interested in others’ thoughts on whether or not the smallmouth are spawning or post spawn. I recognize this is somewhat of a moving target as not all bass in a fishery spawn at precisely the same time (or so I’ve been told). As noted in the prior post above, I experienced lackluster results earlier this month at a usually high production area. I had not been out on the water since, assuming bass were spawning. I hit a local waterway yesterday and got into a slew of bass on top water in a short span of time. Afterward I checked the water temperature and discovered it was _still_ about 60 degrees - same as two+ weeks ago. I was expecting it to be warmer and in light of this info I’m thoroughly confused as to what phase the bass are in. Presumably low 60s would perhaps prolong the spawn as cooler temperatures leading up to the 60 mark would lead to some population of fish staying in pre spawn phase. Theoretically this differs from a steady warming trend where most fish are triggered to spawn by a gradual ascent in temperatures into and through the 60s. Any idea what the smallmouth might be doing at present?


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## BuckeyeFishin07

Not to be smart, but I think the bass are thoroughly confused as to what stage they are in lately with the temps up and down like they have been. I would think though that the smallmouth are probably in the process of spawning now, but I am no expert by any means!


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## RiparianRanger

FWIW hit a stretch of stream over the weekend and the recent string of overnight lows in the 30s and 40s had dropped the water temperature to the 53-55 degree range.


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## RiparianRanger

Couple of sunny days in a row and air temps in the mid 60s pushed water temps into the upper 50s (58 to be exact). Not a ton of action but finding them in deep, slack water areas near wood. Some takes on top water still, rest coming subsurface on minnow imitations


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## RiparianRanger

40 degrees water temperature today. No sign of life in moderate current


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## juggerman

Am I waisting time fishing for smallmouth if I launch out of wildwood in Cleveland..I'm new to targeting smallmouth.any other places to recommend ?

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## RiparianRanger

juggerman said:


> Am I waisting time fishing for smallmouth if I launch out of wildwood in Cleveland..I'm new to targeting smallmouth.any other places to recommend ?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


I hear last two weeks in April and first two weeks in May are prime time on the big lake. 

Ohio flows are starting to warm up. Found moving water in Central Ohio to be 52 last weekend. Problem is they're blown out more often than not providing 1-2 daily opportunities every couple weeks. Bit of a bummer when now is the best time to land a trophy.


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## SConner

The fat girlz run in April!


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## RiparianRanger

The image below is a rather picturesque stretch on a local stream. Further upstream is more gravel sand pools and shallow rock riffles while down stream is more rocky and even a few bolder runs, but in this relatively short stretch there is a deep (~4-5' depending on season) shale or slate pool. I have caught just a few fish in the head and tail of this pool over the years, although I do not fish it much. I am curious if this type of bottom composition is ever a high probability spot, and if so during which season would you expect to find smallmouth here.


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## mn4

Deleted


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## RiparianRanger

Might just be a tad early. Got out after work. Water was 52 degrees with visible suspended matter (stained). Saw baitfish in a feeder stream and they were moving around briskly when disturbed but no smallmouth or other species to be found.


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## mn4

Love this thread, RR. Thanks for starting it and all your contributions to it over the years -great info. Question for you and everyone else. There’s a metric used in many, if not all, plant focused disciplines (agriculture, turf management, orchard management, arboriculture, etc) called the Growing Degree Day (GDD) Model. For those that aren’t familiar with it, GDD is basically a model that tracks the accumulation of heat units (air temp in C or F) above a certain threshold air temp over time in order to predict plant and insect development. While not exact, this data is often used to establish relatively accurate timeframes for planting, harvest, and chemical applications among other things. 



Is anyone aware of a similar water temp based system for predicting fish activity? I’ve seen studies where a similar method has been used to predict fish growth/size but haven’t been able to find anything about activity/migration. Obviously, there are other variables in addition to water temps that influence this but, like air temps with plants, I would think water temp would be the main driver and could provide a solid (albeit not 100% accurate) predictive model. I’m sure there’s something out there on this subject - I just haven’t been able to find it so I thought I’d throw it out there to you guys. Thanks.


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## RiparianRanger

mn4, I am familiar with GDD and use it as a guide for when to apply pre-emergent on the lawn. For what it is worth, through the years it has coincided with the forsythia bloom. The bushes in my backyard just burst into bright yellow today. Sounds like it's time to wet a line.


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## mn4

Oh it’s definitely time - throwing the trout stuff in the basement for the next 9 months - LOL. Hoping to find somewhere that isn’t straight chocolate milk tomorrow. A lot of my usual local spots are still pretty dirty - hoping the creeks or upper sections of my usual flows will fish. Can’t wait.


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## mn4

Saw at least 5 smallies on beds last night in the Tangy which surprised me since I caught 4 or 5 decent fish out of the same stretch last week. Anyone else still seeing this in Central Ohio?


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