# River Bass. Where are they?



## CaptainFishpond (Nov 28, 2016)

So I fish both the east and west branches of the Rocky in the summertime. East for LM and West for SM. This year have had zero catches. Last year at this time I had already gotten 30-40 LM and maybe a dozen resident SM. 

Wondering if anyone else river fishing lower stretches has noticed a substantial decrease in fish.


----------



## zimmerj (Oct 17, 2014)

I'm with you. I fish the Grand and the Chagrin and I can't find them. Fished some good water and all I show for a lot of time is two small, smallies.

Don't know if it was the winter or what.


----------



## CaptainFishpond (Nov 28, 2016)

I am also wondering if this strange spring we had messed up the spawn.


----------



## SteelStreamer (Dec 2, 2015)

I've been doing great on smallies on the west branch since june, probably caught around 100.


----------



## CaptainFishpond (Nov 28, 2016)

I'll have to do more SM fishing I guess. Probably go to west branch 1 time for every 10 I go to east branch


----------



## SteelStreamer (Dec 2, 2015)

I fish the east branch for steelhead, didn't know lg were around in there. I've only caught rock bass, sm, and occasionally some catfish or carp in the rivers.


----------



## CaptainFishpond (Nov 28, 2016)

I fish for LM around strongsville. Lots of dinks but you'll get the occasional biggin


----------



## dumbagain (Jul 10, 2006)

i've been fishing west branch for smallies for 25 years. same stretch, know it like the back of my hand. been going out since the spring, just went out 2 days ago.
i've caught very little. usually i would have over a 100 fish (small and big) by now. faithful lures not working and i'm throwing everything else at them.

i was wondering if the extreme rain washed them out? i do notice all the dirt from downstream construction. mud where there used to be rock.

any ideas? im gonna try a couple more times but if it doesnt return im not gonna waste my time.


----------



## CaptainFishpond (Nov 28, 2016)

Dumbagain

I fished the west branch this week in Columbia Station, at a spot where it's a guaranteed catch and got skunked. Water was slow and stagnant but I still pull fish out in similar conditions. Not this year though.

Not sure if I wanna waste any more time either. The river has been horrible to me this year


----------



## KTkiff (Jul 30, 2004)

I have noticed a significant decline in resident smallies on the chagrin over the last few summers. I have some holes that are guaranteed from May on. Not a ton of size but you get the occasional 15-16 incher. The last few summers I barely caught anything.


----------



## SteelStreamer (Dec 2, 2015)

In lieu of what I said before, all the sm I caught all came after each rain when the water was clearing and had decent flow. Tried the low water this week and only had a couple tiny rock bass.


----------



## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

Stream/river fishing has been tough this year. Last year I was slamming SMB during this time of the year, its been slim pickings this year. I was getting 20-30 smallies a day on some creeks last summer, most in the 10-12" range but some up to 16"+. I think it has been all the rain we have had this summer/spring. The places I fish have had at least 3 major flash floods in the last 3 months and it has really changed some of the spots I fish. There has also been very little stability in water levels. Water comes up, water goes down but no extended time at the same level.


----------



## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Appears that a lot of us are struggling this year relative to last year. I’ve noticed a general trailing off in the frequency and size as the season has progressed. I’m in agreement with Buckeye’s theory above. Weather wise it’s been a screwy year. To boot the extreme high water events early in the year completely wiped out a number of timber lay downs I had frequented the last few years. And that’s just what I can see above the water line. To be clear, I’ve had my fingers on two FO smallmouth in the last month but both shook off as I was trying to avoid treble hooks in the hand. Currently investigating adding a landing net to the field gear to avoid such repeat errors. But in sum size is down this year and low and slow summer levels don’t portend and uptick anytime soon. Perhaps the September October feeding frenzy will salvage the season.


----------



## CaptainFishpond (Nov 28, 2016)

RiparianRanger said:


> Perhaps the September October feeding frenzy will salvage the season.


I hope the fall brings us some fish!


----------



## CaptainFishpond (Nov 28, 2016)

Finally got some large mouth out of the river on a quick trip last night. Forgot how much harder they fight man! Thought I had a 3lber but was maybe a pound. Love them river bass


----------



## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

RiparianRanger said:


> Appears that a lot of us are struggling this year relative to last year. I’ve noticed a general trailing off in the frequency and size as the season has progressed. I’m in agreement with Buckeye’s theory above. Weather wise it’s been a screwy year. To boot the extreme high water events early in the year completely wiped out a number of timber lay downs I had frequented the last few years. And that’s just what I can see above the water line. To be clear, I’ve had my fingers on two FO smallmouth in the last month but both shook off as I was trying to avoid treble hooks in the hand. Currently investigating adding a landing net to the field gear to avoid such repeat errors. But in sum size is down this year and low and slow summer levels don’t portend and uptick anytime soon. Perhaps the September October feeding frenzy will salvage the season.


I use fish grips when I wade to avoid treble hooks. I clamp them on to my wading pack or backpack strap. It makes handling fish with treble hooks a lot easier and safer. The last thing I want is a treble hook in my hand when I am a mile and a half from my truck


----------



## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

BuckeyeFishinNut said:


> I use fish grips when I wade to avoid treble hooks. I clamp them on to my wading pack or backpack strap. It makes handling fish with treble hooks a lot easier and safer. The last thing I want is a treble hook in my hand when I am a mile and a half from my truck


Same here. Even have the ergonomic pistol grip variety to make it easier to try and lip them. With a lazy saugeye it works great. A near 20” smallmouth with that never say die attitude is a different story. A second or two of hesitation and that’s enough for them to shake off


----------



## brickman (Jun 2, 2008)

My son and I fished Chagrin last Sunday with tubes Gates Mills area, we caught 13 SM in a couple hours. No great size but we caught. We haven't done the summer river walk for years, waves to large for the boat. If I would have read this post prior I probs would not have gone, just sayin.


----------



## dumbagain (Jul 10, 2006)

tried one more time at my honey holes on the west branch of rocky. 2.5 hour wade. spinner that i have used successfully for 20+ years produced 1 dinky SM. tried some topwater, nothing. switched to a small pumpkinseed tube. i got 2 rock bass and 3 SM, 1 being a feisty 12"s.
my facebook feed shows me last year at this time and every couple days we would be pulling out a couple dozen fish a trip. some nice ones too, top water also.
something definitely out of whack


----------



## CaptainFishpond (Nov 28, 2016)

Hit the east branch for a bit last night. No action at all on a small jerk bait. Landed one medium sized LM on a 7" Texas rigged. 

They are usually smashing the jerkbaits this time of year.


----------

