This time of year I get a lot of questions from fisherman about approaches to fishing river grass. Folks tend to get very frustrated after a day of pulling up salad! Honestly fishing in the river grass is one of my favorite summer time target areas.

Tip#1 Understand the grass you are fishing and its characteristics

First, I want to define what I mean by “river grass”. In my neck of the woods , central Pennsylvania, eel grass is the dominate river plant. Eel grass can choke a river leaving only very narrow channels. In the clear summer river, it can grow in some fairly deep water. Sometimes 6-8 feet.

Understanding the physical characteristics of eel grass will help us better know how to fish it effectively. Eel grass grows long and slender (like grass) and has a very distinct twisting of the individual “blades”. Eel grass can  get to be several feet long and typically grows in clumps. Because of the river current the grass very rarely creates a canopy on the waters surface. Most often the clumps will lay over forming bundles of grass that gently wave in the current.

Fish love to hide under laid down bundles of eel grass to seek shade during the heat of the day or to have a safe haven from predators. There will also be an abundance of crayfish and minnows seeking refuge in the eel grass. Smallmouth will never be far from the food source.

OK..now we understand a little about “river grass” and why we would want to fish it, so lets find out HOW it can be fished.

Tip #2 Use unweighted or lightly weighted baits

Unlike other grass situation, you’re not going to be “punching through the eel grass because it typically does not form a canopy on top of the water when current is present. You”ll typically be fishing around and possibly on top of the grass. Some of my favorite baits are unweighted nose hooked stickworms, Small 4″ or 5″  finesse worms rigged on a 1/16 oz football or jig head. Worms rigged on jig heads are great for ripp’n off the grass and drifting baits through open lanes in the grass.

Tip#3 Fish moving and casting upstream

Fishing upstream can work to your advantage in two ways. First, fish will be oriented facing upstream so your approach will be more stealthy. A stealthy approach is particularly important when you want to target trophy smallmouth bass. Second, you’ll be working your bait back downstream with the flow of the grass. This will reduce hang ups and weed covered lures significantly.

Tip#4 Find pot holes and find fish

What’s a pot hole? It’s any drop in depth associated with reduced or no weed growth. Sometimes the pot holes are only 2 or 3 square feet. Other times they can be larger. Pot holes typically indicate hard bottom which is often preferred by smallmouth holding in weedy areas.

Tip#5 Fish the lanes

Another major structural feature of areas with significant eel grass growth are “lanes”. Basically they are the open areas between the eel grass. The lanes are used like roads by baitfish that make their homes in the river grass. Smallmouth will often lay in wait under the laid down bundles of eel grass and ambush groups of baitfish that swim by.

The river environment is very dynamic and water conditions can change in a matter of a few hours.  Based on much of the research I’ve reviewed, smallmouth tend to be sight feeders. As a result, color selection is high on my priority list.  Factors like scent, profile, and action are certainly part of the tube equation but in the spirit of keeping it simple, I”m going to focus on color. Here’s a quick and easy breakdown that can help you narrow your color choices quickly.

In the rivers I fish smallmouth have two primary food sources, crayfish and various minnow species. The most coveted is the crayfish. Of course a tube bait is a great crayfish imitation. Water clarity is my litmus test for choosing a tube color.

In clear water conditions, I’m looking to “match the hatch” and use more natural colors. Smallmouth in clear water seem to shy away from unnatural colors. There are exceptions to every rule but I find this statement to be accurate far more often then not.

If  I’ve decided to throw a tube in clear water, I’ll select colors that match the color of the crayfish in the body of water I’m fishing. When I’m fishing familiar waters, I typically know the color of the crayfish. If I’m fishing unfamiliar waters, I’ll turn rocks and observe a few crayfish then look at my tube selection to find the closest color match. Colors like pumking, carolina pumpkin, and various shades of green or brown work well in clear water. Laminated two color baits can also be great choices because often the bottom of a crayfish is lighter than the top.

Once the water crosses the line to stained or muddy, I start looking for colors that will provide contrast. Again, I’m trying to appeal to the smallmouths sense of sight. In muddy water, I may also go to a tube with a slightly bigger profile. The goal is to make the bait stand out in stained water. Great contrasting colors are dark greens, black, and dark browns. If the water is dark, but the sun is shining I may choose a bait with red, gold, or silver metal flake…sometimes all three!

This quick and easy guide will get you on your way to success with tubes in various water condition. The key is to be aware of changes in water clarity. I’ve been around fishing long enough to know that there are very few “hard and fast” rules and I know that conditions can change rapidly. As fisherman, we need to be aware of those changes and make the right choices. Color is just one of them!

Oh yes, the good old days of grabbing a spinning rod, a pack of sinkers, and hooks to hit the cool clear waters of your local smallie creek. If you want to get back to your roots and simplify your life…at least “temporally” here’s a simple formula for getting there.

Foot wear

An old pair of sneakers can do just fine but often creek rocks are slick so you may need to look at other options. Many companies now make “river shoes” or “water sandals” that have lug bottoms and can do relatively well in gravel and small rock environments. If you will encounter very slippery bottom then you probably want to upgrade to a wading shoe or hip boots that have a felt bottom. Felt bottoms provide incredible traction on slick creeks. Add a wading staff and you are in business!

Rods and Reels

Chasing creek smallmouth bass often require down sizing baits so a medium power 6 - 6.5 foot rod is the ticket. Match that with a spinning or spin cast reel that can handle 6-8 pound test and you are ready to hit the water. I prefer spinning gear for creek smallies because that is usually the best tool for handling smaller baits.

Bait selection

Everyone has their favorite baits and you should always pack your favorites. Creek fishing though often requires finesse tactics. In particular, when the water is low, clear, and warm. Fish tend to get very wary under these conditions and a little lethargic. Smaller baits will increase you chances of success. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. 4 inch Berkley Power Worms rigged on a 1/8 or 1/16 oz jig head
2. 3″ Baby Stickworms and 4.25 ” Stickworm Jr.’s
3. Winco’s Creek Wacky Worm
4. Rebel Wee Craw or Teeny Craw crankbait
5. The Tiny Topedo by Headon

These baits will cover most situations you will encounter from the top of the water column to the bottom. The range of baits will also allow you to make preventions that will be effective in slow, medium, and faster current.

Gear Storage

There are tons of options for packing gear to the creek. You wont’ have much but having an organize tackle storage option will help you spend more time enjoying the fishing instead of digging through tackle. The classic fishing vest is always a great option. Another option are small soft sided tackle bags with over the solder straps and the ability to handle Plano 360 boxes. Last but not least, one of my favorites is the tackle fanny pack. They stay out of your way, carry enough gear for a day on the creek, and offer quick access to that gear.

Fishing Strategy

I grew up fishing limestone streams and tiny clear creeks for smallmouth bass. Creek smallmouth can be as weary as the illusive summer brook trout. Your best approach will be to fish moving upstream and make long casts. This will increase the odds of you making a good bait presentation before fish know your in their neighborhood.

I’ll typically do some creek fishing about every other week. It’s a great way to relax after work or for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. You’ll also want to remember that small creeks do not always mean small fish. Several years ago I was fishing a creek that I could cross in about three bit hops and caught a 20.5 inch smallmouth bass. What a surprise and a memory! The moral of the story, don’t under estimate a creek. Always be ready for the smallmouth bass of a lifetime!

I recently had the good fortune to be one the the “first kids on my block” to receive a Temple Fork Outfitters Gary Loomis Signature Series rod. Now that’s  a mouthful! Like any serious fisherman, I was first overjoyed with my new acquisition. After my head came out of the clouds, I proceed to put the rod through the paces over the period of several weeks. Overall I found the rod to offer exceptional performance and  value for a rod in the 100 dollar price range. It met or exceeded my expectations in a number of area. It’s no wonder Field & Stream called this series the “Best New Spinning Rod of 2010”.

The rod I chose to field test was a 7.5 foot spinning rod with medium power and a fast action. I selected the rod specifically for kayak fishing and tossing unweighted finesse baits such as a three inch soft stickbait. I like 7 - 7.5 foot rods for kayak fishing. Rods of this length increase your casting distance, make it easier to leverage fish from a low vantage point, and allow you to work a smallmouth bass around almost any kayak bow.

Ok…enough with the technical stuff…time for the review.

First Impressions

The fist thing I noticed out of the box about this rod was that it balanced very well. Some longer rods that I own are very tip heavy. The rod is still a little tip heavy at 7.5 feet but it is not as pronounced as I anticipated. The overall workmanship of the rods is excellent. The “fit” and “finish” is first class. The wraps are well done, the guides are straight and the split grip handle is nicely done. The AAA cork handle has synthetic rings at both ends of the fore grip, grip, and fighting butt that make them more durable. The Signature Series Rods also sport SIC guides, one of the hardest insert materials available.

One of the great things about these TFO rods is that you do not need to read the fine print on the rod blank to determine what power rod you have in your hands. Each power has a specific color on the exposed blank of the split grip handle. For example, my medium light power spinning rod has a silver color on the exposed blank of the split grip. That’s great for guys like me who pile a minimum of 5 rods into a kayak or boat. Color coding makes it easy to be sure I have the right rod in my hand.

Casting

The medium light power rod casts my unweighted baits like a bullet. The rod loads nicely and stores a lot of energy. On the forward cast, the rod blank generates good acceleration and launches a three inch stickbait more than a respectable distance. This is what I was hoping for and the TFO rod delivered.  The Loomis Signature Series is  definitely a smooth ride.

Sensitivity

I fished the TFO Gary Loomis Signature Series Rod using both monofilament line and 6/20 braid with a 10lb. test fluorocarbon leader. I found the sensitivity exceptional using both monofilament an braided lines for a rod in this price range . Honestly, because of the length of the rod and the medium light power, I had concerns that I would not be able to feel those subtle “taps” often associated with finesse’n smallmouth bass. My fears were quickly calmed once I started fishing. Even with a slight bow in the line caused by the current, I could certainly feel those taps. In addition to unweighted plastics, I also threw some 3 inch worms on a 1/16 oz jig head and found that I could feel bottom and even the subtle difference when a twig or some random water plants were hung on my bait.

Fighting Performance

During the past several weeks I’ve probably caught close to 100 smallmouth on the Gary Loomis Signature Series Rod. The medium light power, fast action rod has ample backbone to wear out even the most rambunctious, broad shouldered smallmouth. The length of the rod I chose was also a bonus when trying to work a smallmouth around the bow of my kayak.

The Temple Fork Outfitter’s Gary Loomis Signature Series Rod definitely exceeded my expectations for a rod in this price range. Are there rods that are more sensitivity, lighter, and have more bells and whistles? We all know  that answer to that…yes. However, at the 100 dollar price point this rod offers exceptional quality. If you are a budge minded angler, who still wants a quality product, the Gary Loomis Signature Rod by TFO should be at the top of your list. I know I’m already planning a second rod. I need a new soft jerkbait rod!

I’m a huge fan of top water baits; All kinds of top water baits such as poppers, prop baits and walk-the-dog baits. If there’s a good top water bite on, you can be rest assured that I’ll be tossing one of these baits. In particular, prop baits and walk-the-dog baits are among my favorite lures. I typically don’t like to take a lot of time to customize top water baits because many are great right out of the box. That being said, I’m certainly not apposed to making simple modifications that will increase effectiveness.

Over the years, I’ve observed that some of my most effective top water color patterns have one thing in common. Regardless of the type of bait, the best producers have some shade of red on the underside of the lure. When shopping for top water baits, this has led to some frustrations. Sometimes the color patterns with red are sold out. Other times there’s a color pattern that I like but it has no red in it. Still other times I find a great top water bait with a unique action but the manufacturer does not offer a color pattern with red in it.

My solution? It’s pretty simple. When I get a new top water lure that I want to modify, I take a red sharpie and color a dot under the head of the bait. I always put the dot under the head. Smallmouth seem to lock in on the red dot and this results in more front treble hookups.

It is best to color the baits well in advance of fishing to allow for drying time. Sharpies work but the color eventually does come off. This is particularly true with plastic baits. Wood baits, on the other hand, hold the color much better. Another rather inexpensive option for coloring your baits is Do-It Quick Coat Pain Markers. This is definitely a more durable, permanent solution.

I don’t color all my top water baits. If I have 3 baits with the same pattern, I’ll usually only “red dot” one of the baits. Just in case, however, I have a red sharpie stowed in my gear for water-side modifications or in the event I need to touch up a bait. Remember to dry the bait thoroughly before touching it up.

Making simple color modifications to baits is certainly nothing new but I’m surprised a lot more anglers don’t do it. It only takes a few seconds and can help you put more smallmouth in the boat. In my mind, that’s a great trade off!

I had the good fortune of being invited by the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau to join several outdoor writers for a four day trip to experience the Smallmouth bass fishing available on French Creek near Meadville, Pennsylvania. We spent two days on the creek and caught a good number of smallmouth bass despite less than ideal conditions. Recent rains had the water up and muddy but that didn’t stop the smallmouth from feeding! The smallmouth we caught ranged from 8 inches to 17 inches. I’m sure there are probably some bigger fish lurking in the creek!

French Creeks headwaters start in New York State then flow 117 miles through Pennsylvania. The creek eventually dumps into the Allegheny River below Meadville Pennsylvania. The creek holds good numbers of smallmouth bass and even some walleye. We caught both on our trip. I even caught a bonus Pike. I am told by local fisherman that the water never quite gets crystal clear in the summer. It tends to have a little “brown” color to it.

French Creek is fairly shallow overall but offers riffles, runs, and deeper pools. Hot spots for smallmouth are naturally occurring wing dams formed by smaller creeks depositing sand, gravel, and chunk rock as they flow into French Creek. These “wing dams” as I call them create great current breaks and eddies.

There are plenty of access point on the river where you can take out or put in. The creek is easily wade fished when low and is a great creek to fish via kayak. The French Creek Project produces maps of the creek that include access points and distances between access points. This makes it easy to plan float trips.

Most of the fish we caught came on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and some on soft plastics. Productive baits were truly a function of the high muddy water. Once the water level drops, soft plastic baits are definitely the ticket.

If your looking for a nice little flow that offers great fishing and a relaxing float, this is definitely a creek you’d want to consider. I know that my time on the water was thoroughly enjoyable. The good numbers of smallmouth bass we were able to catch in the high turbid waters indicates that there is a healthy population. French Creek in northwest Pennsylvnian is  great flow and the entire region including the Allegheny River is a fantastic fishing destination for any serious smallmouth fisherman.

Photograph for article by Dan Henninger.

Summer smallmouth fishing has arrived or is just around the corner for much of the country. Yes, it is time to think about patterning those smallmouth bass during the hot long days of summer. We also need to think of the baits we’ll be tossing at those aggressive summer smallmouth bass. I took a quick assessment of my lure choices and found that I could probably boil the vast majority of my summer arsenal down to five baits. These five baits can cover a lot of water conditions and all of the water column from top to bottom. Lets take a look!

1. Soft stickworm - fantastic bait down to about 8 feet depending on rigging. This bait though really shines in the shallow clear summer waters. Smallies love them!

2. Soft jerkbaits- Summer brings renewed baitfish activity and the young of the year. Smallies will actively and aggressively chase soft jerkbaits. These baits are available from a variety of companies and in a variety of sizes starting at about 3″. Match the size and coloration of your localbaitfish for best results in clear waters.

3. Prop baits - One of my favorite in this class of baits for smallmouth bass is the tiny torpedo. Prop baits are versatile baits. They can be “popped” on top with short jerks or even “dragged” to make abuzzbait like presentation. Aggressive summer smallmouth will annihilate the baits! Prop baits are great during the first hour or two of daylight in the summer but can be an “all day” bait if there is cloud cover.

4. Tube baits - Tube baits can be fished shallow or extremely deep depending on how you rig the bait. I like tube baits in the summer when presented with rising water conditions, cold front conditions, stained water, or when it just seems the bass are holding on deep current breaks. This is a great old standby. Try to match the color of local crayfish for best results. In stained water, go with something dark.

5. Crank Baits - Depending on design, crankbaits can cover water from 1 foot to 20 feet which is probably good for any smallie chaser! I like crankbaits in the summer when water conditions are rising on the rivers or when I encounter stained water. Some of my favorite color patterns incrankbaits contain crayfish colors such as reds, browns, oranges, black, chartrues. If your chasing smallmouth on lakes, you might want to match the baitfish colors and patterns.

I try to avoid writing product reviews unless I’ve spent some time putting an item through the paces. Recently I was headed to Virginia to do three full days of  flat water paddling and spend some time paddling the Potomac River. The forecasted air temperatures were expected to be about 55 degrees even though the water temperatures where in the mid to high 60’s. Given the unseasonably low air temperatures, I knew I was going to need something to keep the chill off and protect me from the splashing water. I took a quick look over on the Columbia website and found the Backpaddle jacket so I picked one up.

I think kayak fisherman often overlook the necessity of paddling apparel. We often make due with the clothing we wear on the boat or our wading apparel.  Much of this gear doesn’t have the water proof seals and breathable materials that outer wear made specifically for the paddler offers.

The Back paddle jacket makes use of Omni-Tech® material which is waterproof-breathable and fully seam sealed. The jacket will keep you safe from cold water splashing and overspray. Waterproof neoprene cuff and collar gusseting provides added reinforcements against the chill. The jacket certainly kept me warm and dry while paddling.

A small detail that I really appreciated was the  extended rear lower hem which guarded againt “drafts” going up the back of the jacket. I also found the jacket to have ample room for underlayers and the polyester mesh lining helps it slide over those underlayers easily.

The jacket is also cut in a way that provides great mobility which is important when paddling and fishing. Lots of casts, hook sets,and reaching to land that trophy smallmouth is always on a fishermans agenda!

Overall the jacket performed well. It isn’t a dry top nor is it true “cold weather gear” but for those unseasonably cold spring/summer days or early mornings it definitely gets the nod from me.

Most of the time when I’m on the water, other fisherman will ask the age old question “what bait were you using when you caught your fish”. I’m always glad to tell them but surprisingly very few fisherman follow up with what should be the second question. “What type of presentation were you using?”. This always amazes me because beyond locating the fish, presentation is such a critical piece of fishing success.

Another upside of focusing on presentation is that it can extend the effectiveness range of a bait. Lets take for example the very popular soft stickbait. Most fisherman see this as a shallow water bait that is effective in 4 feet of water or less and in fairly open water. I would argue that by changing up your rigging approach you can extend the “effectiveness” to a much wider range of depths and cover. Lets take a look at just three of my favorite rigging techniques and possible applications.

Nose hook

Al Winco's Custom Baits 3" Baby Stick Worm rigged on a Gamakatus 1/0 drop shot hook

A nose hooked soft stickbait can be used in open water, rock, or around sparse cover. I typically nose hook my baits on a circle hook or a finesse style drop shot hook. The great thing about this rigging technique is that it adds very little weight to the bait which allows for a very slow fall. A nose hooked bait presentation is great to use when you encounter smallmouth that are in a nuetural to negative feeding mood. The slow fall and natural drift created by this rigging technique are the ticket for triggering strikes from less then enthusiastic smallmouth.

Weedless Whacky Rig

Al Winco's Custom Baits 4.5 inch Stick Worm Jr. rigged on a 1/0 Gamakatsu Finesse EWG Weedless hook

Rigging a soft stickbait on a weedless circle hook can take the bait to all new places. You can fish the bait by pitching it between lilypads, drop it into holes in weed mats, and flip it into wood. This is a more vertical style of fishing but presenting a stickbait in cover like this can be extremely effective. Most fisherman don’t even think about using a soft stickbait around this kind of cover therefore in heavily pressured waters it definitely gives fish a look at something they’ve never or rarely seen. Hold on to your rod on this one!

Jig Head

Al Winco's Custom Baits 3" Baby Stick Worm rigged on 1/8 oz. jig head

If you want to go deep with your soft stickbaits there are a number of ways to accomplish this. One of the simplest is to rig the bait on a jig head. This is a great rigging technique for presenting the bait in deeper water or bouncing the bait along rocky river runs where smallmouth may be feeding. It definitely changes the action of the bait but you still have that great soft stickbait profile that smallmouth love. If I’m going to rig a soft stickbait on a jig head it will  almost always be the 3″ size on a 1/8 oz. jig head.

Wrapping It Up

Time has proven that soft stickbaits are not a craze. They flat out catch fish. My primary fishing mantra is “It is not one big thing that makes a good fisherman, it is a lot of little things that come together to make a great fisherman”. Focusing on presentation and increasing the types of cover and depths you can fish soft stickbaits effectively will certainly help you become a better fisherman.

Smallmouth bass are effective predators that thrive in rocky, generally shallow rivers.This makes sense given their preferred prey. They comb the rock strewn river bottom and ledges for their number one delicacy, the crayfish.

It’s no wonder that over the years fisherman have been using crankbaits to catch untold numbers of those chunky bronze river fighters. A crankbait skipping and bouncing off the rock of the river is a great “imitator” of a crayfish scurrying along the river bottom.

I’ve encountered many fisherman over the years that struggle to catch fish with crankbaits. In talking to these anglers, many times I find that just small adjustments help them improve their catch rates. Bottom line, the key to successful crankbait fishing is ultimately presentation. Some of the primary factors that you should consider when trying to increase your success with crankbaits are depth, deflection, and design.

Depth

Most of the rivers I fish for smallmouth bass are shallow. Typically, I’m fishing in 5 feet of water or less. When making my crankbait selection I try to determine what depth I am going to present my bait at then select a crankbait that dives a foot or so below the maximum depth. For example, If I’m fishing crankbaits on current breaks with an average depth of four feet, I’ll select a Bandit 100 crankbait that dives up to 5 feet.

I want my bait to make continuous contact with the river bottom but I don’t want it diggin in so much that it gets hung up all the time. In general, I’ve found that selecting a cranbait with just slightly more diving depth occomplishes this. I get a lot of contact with the bottom and very few hang ups. This also more closely mimics the movements of a crayfish swimming along the river bottom.

Deflection

Not only do you want a crankbait making constant contact with the bottom, but you also want to maximize its angle of deflection off obstacles. More extreme deflection adds to the presentation and can trigger strikes.

There are two ways to increase deflection. First, use crankbaits with square bills. One of my favorite crankbaits is the Bandit 100 which has a square bill. The corner of the bill catches on rocks and create more deflection. Rounded bills tend to slide off rocks. Second, use monofiliment line. Mono stretches. When a square billed crankbait hits a rock, it momentarily hangs up causing the mono to stretch. Once the bill “breaks free”, the line will snap back creating more acceleration and increase the angle of deflection.

Design

When I refer to “design”, I really mean the color pattern on the crankbait. Honestly, I don’t get real hung up on trying to exactly match the hatch even in clear water. I’m more interested in color combination and contrast. Color patterns you’ll want to have on hand are olive greens, browns, oranges, and reds.

Crankbaits can be fished in clear or muddy water. In clearer water, i’ll use natural looking color designs that more closely mimic crayfish like browns, olive greens, or oranges. These handful of colors will produce in most conditions.

In muddy or more stained water, I go to more reds and oranges with darker more contrasting back colors. I think the contrast is important from a visual standpoint in muddy water. Contrast is even more important than the specific colors you are using many times.

Conclusion
In the world of crankbait fishing, there are hundres of nueances, tips, techniqes, and presenations that can help you catch more fish. In the spirit of “keeping it simple”, I’ve selected depth, deflection, and design because I believe they represent some of the core concepts necessary to be a truly great crankbait fisherman. The next time you hit your local smallie river think about the three D’s and apply them.