False Spring Smallies

Dan with a "PB"

The annual pre-spawn smallmouth bass season can best be described as a "false spring". Our action began in mid-March with a three day trip hitting three different rivers in Pennsylvania. Here, the water was high and dropping with one float on the verge of being blown out. That first outing began with water temperatures in the upper 40s with down jackets, beanies, and wool gloves. It ended with water temperatures creeping into the upper 50s with t-shirts and sunburn. The smallies were still in winter mode with most holding in the deepest slots and holes in the river. The action was considerably slower but we still found some larger fish on big swim flies. The weather continued that pattern through April with periods of summer temperatures followed by winter like conditions. This yo-yo had a noticeable impact on fish behavior and fishing conditions. Spawning smallmouth were spotted earlier than normal with an odd overlapping of pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn fish in the middle of April. Our second major outing, known as "Smalliepalooza," occurred in the second week of April. This trip brought warming conditions and low/clear water conditions. Longer downstream presentations were necessary to keep the fish from spooking and some fish were a little non-committal until water temperatures warmed up to the seasonal norm. By the end of the trip, the fishing was on fire as more and more fish poured into the tributaries. My final outing was a solo float in mid-April where water was so low I fully committed to topwater. Whether it was skating a gurgler or dead drifting a dragonfly, the fish were looking up, and multiple large fish were taken. With the spawning action kicking into another gear, that was the end of our season. 

Got bronze?

Matt with the first larger specimen of 26' that gave us some confidence on an otherwise "slow" day. A lot of the fish were coming out of the deepest parts of the creek which makes sense considered the water temperatures. This one came on a black sluggo. 

Dan with his first 20" smallmouth. This fish ate a seven inch purple and pink sluggo off a cliff face in deep fast moving water. 

After a long lull in the action, this guy emerged out of the muddy gloom and swiped at my red-eared slider. I kept the fly moving and hoping that the fish was following at depth and he ate boatside unexpectedly. A thick one...

I like playing guide on smallmouth floats. I called the shot for Matt and he was rewarded after making a nice cast and presentation in a midriver seam. 

Air Bnb Dinner

& Next Day Lunch Burritos

Dan checking in with the first entry in the "Chub of the Year" Award

I was in the back of the boat for this fish. Hunter took a break in the front and I laid one out into the upstream portion of the log jam. The fish came out of nowhere and swiped at the surface. On the next cast, the smallmouth followed the fly a considerable distance but stayed glued to the bottom. All of us were watching as I worked the fly in the current until it went fully vertical in the column and ate it like a Great White eating a seal decoy...

War Paint

Signs of Spring

Hunter with a tank...

I had a bunch of 19.5's this year...

Dan with a Bridge Troll...We were bankside eating lunch and I said, "Dan is going to get one on this cast".

War Pig

A sweet Fleeing Cray tied by Hunter