Over the years, I have done a lot of Smallmouth fishing. It is one of my favorite fish to guide for, and, in my free time, you can bet I will be somewhere hunting down one of these elusive golden brown creatures. When I am guiding, I see a lot of clients who make the assumption that “larger is better” for bass flies. This does not always hold true, especially early in the year. Here are five suggestions for making sure you are throwing the right things in the right places when you are on the water. 

1. Match the size of the baitfish. Remember that most of the forage fish in the river this time of year are smaller than they were when you fished at the end of last season.  I often have clients wanting to use 1/0 Clouser’s this time of year, resulting in a lot of short strikes, which can be really frustrating. A smaller size 4 Clouser looks more natural and will usually result in more hooked fish.

2. Spawning fish are more aggressive. Fish are aggressive right before they go on bed, feeding up for the energy that they will lose while spawning. Fish bait fish patterns that you can strip, as they will run down an easy meal. This also allows you to cover more ground in a shorter amount of time.

3. Fish where they spawn. Smallmouth will typically spawn in sandy areas behind rocks, to be out of the current. Once the fish move onto the bed to spawn, they do not want anything in their immediate area that may harm their eggs, especially crayfish and salamanders. Once they have started to spawn, fish crayfish patterns slow and on the bottom.  This will result in more strikes and usually larger fish.

4. Fish later in the day. Smallmouth tend to be a little sluggish in the cool water of early morning. They will get more active as the water warms throughout the day, and you can fish your streamers a little bit faster and get more follows. 

5. Fish around warmer water. In the early season, fish shallower water and around large rocks. This water warms quicker and will stay warmer than the surrounding water. This warmer water is where you will find more active fish.

Good Fishing,

Kevin