# Summer Smallmouth 07



## Bryan_VA (Sep 27, 2007)

Hey guys, new here. I originally posted this on another board but a member here thought you might enjoy it, so here it is.

I did a lot of fishing for smallmouth over the summer. I fished rivers in northern VA, either wading or just from shore. With the low, clear water the fish were easy to find at times but they were ultra-spooky. Here are some pics I took between June and September. I fished alone so I had to use a mini-tripod and my camera's timer to get them. Enjoy! 







Here's a nice one that bit a soft jerkbait under a bridge after work one day. 




When I caught this guy he had someone's old hook and a piece of line stuck in his jaw. I'm sure somebody's out there telling a story about how they lost a 5lb smallmouth! He was a nice fish but not that big!




Here's a pic of the Rappahannock river just upstream of Kelly's Ford. The scenery is beautiful there but you have to travel a little further to find better fishing. 




19" Smallie that bit a buzzbait right at sunset. They were biting really good that evening. Right after I got this guy I lost a real beast in about 10" of water. 




Had to get a pic of this one just cause it was the first fish I caught on my new Loomis rod.





This is a skink that befriended me one day while I was catfishing in the Rapp. He LOVED the smell of chicken livers on my hands. 




My biggest smallie of the summer, a real toad at 21.5". He bit a 5" Kinami flash deadsticked in about 18 inches of water. 





I hooked this 20" smallie from shore but when he wrapped me up in a log I had to go in after him! Sometimes I think smallmouth are smarter than me! 

The majority of the smallmouth I caught this summer were hooked on plastics. Alluring Baits' trick sticks(senko imitation) and Duper Flukes were great. Tubes also accounted for some good fish. With the sticks and tubes deadsticking the bait for up to 3 minutes at a time was the way to go. When they were hitting topwaters I was in hog heaven! I wish I could tell you the key to catching smallies is hard work and dedication but as you can see it's all about wearing a lucky orange hat! 

I had an absolute blast all summer, I caught loads of smallmouth and it was a real treat. I wish I could get pics of all of them but when you're standing alone in a river that's a tricky proposition! I'm also looking forward to the fall and the big fish that will be biting then. If you can get out to your favorite smallmouth waters soon I suggest you do so! Definitely the gamest fish in freshwater!


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## Captain Ahab (Sep 27, 2007)

Byran thanks for posting - gotta love those smallies - Yeah BABY!


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## Jim (Sep 27, 2007)

Incredible! :shock: 

Pics of huge smallies are the best. Those things are animals. Seems like you had a sweet summer fishing em. Thanks for posting them. You have great patience deadsticking for 3 minutes. :-k Im starting to see why I dont catch fish now LOL!


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## Captain Ahab (Sep 27, 2007)

I ado the same thing - if you ever get a chance to watch a bass in clear water they will often hear the bait splash, race over and then sit motionless staring at the bait. If you move the bait the just turn and swim away - if you leave it sit long enough they eventually nose it an dthen inhale it.

Bass are pretty stupid but fun to catch.


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## Nickk (Sep 27, 2007)

Nice smallies!


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## Zman (Sep 27, 2007)

Awesome fish man, that bridge looks like prime real estate for smallies.


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## Bryan_VA (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks guys. 
Let me tell you, deadsticking is simply magic for river smallmouths. Although I'd rather use nothing but topwaters for the rest of my life!


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## Captain Ahab (Sep 27, 2007)

Byan - how much current are you fishing? Here, especially in the Delaware River, I use a bullet weight (up to 3/8 oz) and let the bait "bump along the bottom as the line drags it. I weightless worm will just sweep away super fast.

If I fish a deeper eddy or pool I can sometimes deadstick there - but many times the fish are out in the current or at least on the current seams


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## Bryan_VA (Sep 27, 2007)

When I deadstick it's usually in very slow current, also known as "laminar flow", where the surface is flat and glossy. I fish sticks weightless, and with tubes I'll typically use a 1/16th-1/8th oz internal weight. In fall and early spring I use 1/8-1/4 oz hair jigs almost exclusively.

I find that fish positioned in faster current are usually more active and will often respond just as well to a rapidly twitched soft jerkbait, a spinnerbait, or at certain times buzzbaits.


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## fishhog (Sep 27, 2007)

question Deadstick what is it?


fishhog sr


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## Bryan_VA (Sep 28, 2007)

Deadsticking means letting your lure sit motionless on the bottom. Almost like fishing with bait! Esquired nailed it when he described how bass respond to this presentation.


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## SMDave (Sep 28, 2007)

Gonna have to try that tactic this sunday when I get out. Instead, going to use an egg sinker because I don't have a bullet weight that heavy. I'll be using esquired's stuff mostly. Those are MONSTER smallies!


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## Icefisher15 (Sep 28, 2007)

Those are some nice smallies, aint it a blast catching big river smallies!


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## Captain Ahab (Dec 15, 2013)

Yet another in the Ahab goes back in TB history series 


This is for you Jim! [-X


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## shamoo (Dec 30, 2013)

I was going to post myself Capt.


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