How do you fish for smallmouth bass in a river?
Jerkbaits, spinner baits and buzz baits can all be used for smallmouth fishing. The lightest weight plastics like a Texas Rig or jig head need just enough weight to make bottom contact and then walk it down the shoal. You can use a variety of baits to catch smallmouth in small rivers; it’s all about the presentation.
What do smallmouth bass eat in early spring?
Jerkbaits Another early-spring smallmouth bass favorite is the jerkbait. Jerkbaits make great cold water baits, and ideal for targeting smallies in the early spring cooler water temperatures. The reason it works so well is they have the ability to be worked really slow, this is especially true for suspending jerkbaits.
How do you fish rivers in early spring?
7 Essential Spring Fishing Tips
- Play the Weather. Early spring fishing weather is probably more variable than any other time of the year.
- Fish Warm Waters. Most of the best spring fishing locations will still have cold water.
- Focus on Afternoons.
- Fish the Changes.
- Small and Slow.
- Live Bait Helps.
- Wait to Set the Hook.
Where is Spring river smallmouth?
By late March, smallmouth can consistently be found holding in the middle of the water column behind mid-river boulders and along the edges of current seams where fast water meets slow water. These fish can also be found holding along ledges, drops offs, in riffles, and even along the banks.
Where do smallmouth spawn in rivers?
Places like the backs of wing dams, in deeper holes behind rocks, and deeper wood in running sloughs. They spawn in areas protected from current, typically natural or manmade backwaters.
What’s the best bait for smallmouth bass?
Smallmouth Bass Fishing Baits Some of the most productive lures for stream smallmouth fishing are 1/4-ounce spinnerbaits and buzz baits. Soft plastic lures, such as spider-style plastic grubs (rigged on 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jigheads), tube baits, jerk baits and 6-inch plastic worms are also popular.
What do smallmouth bass eat in rivers?
DIET: Young smallmouth bass feed on plankton and immature aquatic insects. Smallmouth bass are also known to be cannibalistic. Adult smallmouth bass may feed on crayfish, fish and aquatic and terrestrial insects.
What fish can you catch in early spring?
The 5 Best Fish to Catch in the Spring
- Walleye. These curiously named fish make their way out of fall spawning grounds during the spring.
- Smallmouth Bass.
- Rainbow Trout.
- Catfish.
- Largemouth Bass.
Is April a good time to fish?
Fishing is said to be best during the time between a new Moon and a full Moon….Best Fishing Days in 2021.
| Month | Best Fishing Days |
|---|---|
| 2021 | |
| March | 13–28 |
| April | 11–26 |
| May | 11–26 |
What are smallmouth biting right now?
How to catch smallmouth bass in a river?
When fishing rivers or streams, bass will congregate along the current for food passing by. The smallmouth bass will face upstream angled towards the current but be resting in slack water to the sides called the eddy. It is a great idea to cast your baits along the edges of the current and eddies.
What is the best time of day to fish smallmouth fishing?
Fish Best Time Windows Smallmouth bass will bite all day but generally speaking, the best time of day to catch bass are in the reduced light hours or early morning and late afternoon. Right before a rain event or cold front, fishing can be incredible too.
What do smallmouth bass eat in the fall?
Smallmouth bass have a pretty diverse diet year-round but when the rubber meets the road in early fall and bass start feeling those water temperatures drop, they focus on baitfish. This is do or die time for bass who need to store on a ton of fat before winter.
Where do smallmouth fish go in the winter?
During winter, smallmouths often hole up in deep water with a soft bottom, and that holds true for both lake and river fish. In the early season, you’ll find these fish in those same winter haunts before the water is warm enough to prompt them to move shallow to spawn.