Smallmouth bass fishing? - California Fishing

DementedFish · 08-20-2006, 03:12 PM

Well as you guys know I'm in oregon right now, and every year my dad and I usually make a trip to the middle section of the Umpqua river to fish for smallmouths in sections of the river where its really rocky, and in the past we've always have wide open trips, but on nightcrawlers. This year since I'm obviously more expierienced now than I was back then, I want to fish artificials, but not exactly sure what I should fish. I'm thinking just a mini jig or a trout worm like a lip ripperz or bear paws. Any suggestions?

PlatinumHooks · 08-20-2006, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DementedFish

Well as you guys know I'm in oregon right now, and every year my dad and I usually make a trip to the middle section of the Umpqua river to fish for smallmouths in sections of the river where its really rocky, and in the past we've always have wide open trips, but on nightcrawlers. This year since I'm obviously more expierienced now than I was back then, I want to fish artificials, but not exactly sure what I should fish. I'm thinking just a mini jig or a trout worm like a lip ripperz or bear paws. Any suggestions?

I would do the Lip Ripperz and Bear Paws like you mentioned or even some of th Basstrix baits I can think of would work great, Carolina or Texas rigged with no less than 1/4 oz. weight. Also Sean, small rapalas in trout pattern or smaller Rat L Traps would and should work great. I absolutely adore Smallmouth fishing in Rivers as opposed to lakes. Samllmouths are one of my favorite bass to catch. Remember to take pix!!!!!! ....Catch of the Week" baby!

cst · 08-20-2006, 06:02 PM

the majority of a smallmouths food are minnows followed by crawdads.
get some floating minnows like rapala f7, f9 and maybe even f11. silver, gold and minnow are good colors. poppers work well too, i'd take some Rebel Pop-Rs and Rapala Skitterpops. look for shad/minnow colors. in terms of plastics, you cant beat a white grub, reaper on a darterhead or a 3.5-4" tube with a jighead inside. buzzbaits work, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits too.

oh rivers huh? didnt notice, soft jerkbaits too then!
oh and no light line! 6 is the absolute minimum, i'd fish 8# flouro for everything but the spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, fish 12 for those.

DementedFish · 08-20-2006, 06:11 PM

Thanks for the help guys, I think the rapals would acually work pretty well now that I think of it. I'm not going to use spinnerbaits or anything like that cause these bass don't get too large, and theres not a lot of places they can run.

PlatinumHooks · 08-20-2006, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cst

the majority of a smallmouths food are minnows followed by crawdads.
get some floating minnows like rapala f7, f9 and maybe even f11. silver, gold and minnow are good colors. poppers work well too, i'd take some Rebel Pop-Rs and Rapala Skitterpops. look for shad/minnow colors. in terms of plastics, you cant beat a white grub, reaper on a darterhead or a 3.5-4" tube with a jighead inside. buzzbaits work, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits too.

oh rivers huh? didnt notice, soft jerkbaits too then!
oh and no light line! 6 is the absolute minimum, i'd fish 8# flouro for everything but the spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, fish 12 for those.

Not ideal to fish Spinnerbaits and Buzzbaits in the Umpqua River for Smallmouth, but everything else sounds about right.

MOBassman · 08-20-2006, 06:59 PM

Small 1/8 oz and 1/4 oz spinnerbaits and buzzbaits work really well for river smallies. Rapalas and jointed Rapalas in size 5, 7, & 9 are really good. Small crawdad plastics and tubes are excellent. The Rebel crawdad crankbaits are very effective, as well. Topwaters like the Zara Puppy and the Skitterpop are hard to beat, too.
Sean, if you want some primo smallie river fishing, you should come out here in Oct with whoever is coming for the musky trip and I will take you to some of the best smallie spots in the country!

NulodPBall · 08-20-2006, 09:42 PM

My head is spinning...I just learned how to catch smallmouth in (for me) relatively deep lake water, and now I'm thinking about smallmouth in a river (can you say "rip rap"), taking in the fact that I consciously decided to stop fishing for bass years ago...My head is spinning, and buzzing with white visions...LOL, sorry, Jon will know...I owe him a buzzbait...

cst · 08-20-2006, 09:46 PM

the power of the dark side compels you!

woolybugger · 08-20-2006, 10:11 PM

very small crayfish imitations often work very well on smallies

YakityYak · 08-20-2006, 10:48 PM

I have no clue, but can't wait for the report and pics

PlatinumHooks · 08-20-2006, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOBassman

Small 1/8 oz and 1/4 oz spinnerbaits and buzzbaits work really well for river smallies. Rapalas and jointed Rapalas in size 5, 7, & 9 are really good. Small crawdad plastics and tubes are excellent. The Rebel crawdad crankbaits are very effective, as well. Topwaters like the Zara Puppy and the Skitterpop are hard to beat, too.
Sean, if you want some primo smallie river fishing, you should come out here in Oct with whoever is coming for the musky trip and I will take you to some of the best smallie spots in the country!

Notice I said the "Umpqua River"

Smallies tend to run too small to hit spinnerbaits and buzzbaits as well as the Cubic ft per second flow tends to run too fast there on the regular, and I would think would throw off the buzz and spinnerbaits presentation.

cst · 08-20-2006, 11:56 PM

you have to fish the big baits to catch the big fish

PlatinumHooks · 08-21-2006, 12:19 AM

not in this case. Hey Sean, where you at? Did you score? pictures? something???

Wahoo! · 08-21-2006, 11:31 AM

Fish weighted tubes, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs, and crankbaits. For the tubes, fish 2, 3, or 4 inch tubes. Fish chart/white, or white buzzbaits. Fish white, shad, green, or chart/white spinnerbaits. Use crawdad, brown/purple, black/purple and matching trailers for the jigs. And fish crawdad and shad pattern crankbaits. These will all work in the river for smallmouth. The more movement, the better. The spinnerbait and buzzbait will get bit better in water where the visibility is less. Cast upstream and retrieve fast enough to give the bait the right action.

Fish the spinnerbait in the wind. Fish the buzzbait early in the morning and in the evenings. Fish the tube and jig during the day and the crankbait whenever you want to.

Smallmouth are very aggressive and it only takes a 6" fish to eat any of those baits - just ask Ray LOL!

cst · 08-21-2006, 11:37 AM

5" tube is too big jon.