JeffD

For me, it comes down to whether I'm using monofilament or braided line. With mono I can break or cut the line so quickly, tie a nice improved clinch knot, and be ready to go almost as fast as I could use the snap. With braided line it's very different, especially because I need to tie a palomar knot with it, to avoid knot failures I've experienced with the improved clinch. It takes much longer to deal with the braided line in general, and a snap is preferable in that case.

Well, in that case I guess I have nothing to suggest concerning choice of worm . Have a good trip with Phil.

I've certainly had plenty of days like that Norm. What kind of worm were you using? I like the 7" Berkeley Power worms. They make big claims about how fish hold them much longer, though I don't know if there's the least bit of truth in that. One thing that seems true is that the river smallies don't go so nuts for all those crazy colored worms that the largemouths in ponds like. I've tried purple and pink Renegade worms and various other brands that catch your eye on the shelf and work just fine in ponds, but fail in the river. These days I just stick with the Berkeley green pumpkin worm. Maybe I should get some black worms, because there's no doubt that smallies like black tubes. Best of luck.

I'd just wear a pair of Tommy Kono knee bands under neoprene waders. Many old powerlifters and strongmen with ancient knees have found that they can have the knees of a 20 year old if they keep them warm in some TK sleeves. http://www.tommykono.com/

Wow Norm! I looked up the jobee jig, and it appears to be exactly the same thing. I like that long shank, and the longer than usual straight piece below the jighead does a great job of keeping the worms from sliding down.

Thanks for the thoughts Norm. You are probably fishing faster and rockier water than I typically do. I use a free sliding bullet weight with a 3/0 extra wide gap hook. Sometimes I use a snap, say when I'm in a situation where frequently changing lures is helpful. In that case, the bullet weight can't be used, and I go with a jighead that gives me essentially the same rig, but without a sliding weight. Here it is http://www.nationaloutdoors.net/compare_deals/product/Luck-E-Strike-Perfect-Worm-Rig.html

It seems like whenever I read articles about plastic worms for smallmouths, they always refer to 4" - 6" worms, and never consider anything longer. Nevertheless, for the last 3 years my best river smallie bait from July-September has been a 7" green pumpkin Berkeley power worm Texas-rigged. As far as plastics go, my experience is that slender tube jigs are best from December through February. Somewhat meatier tube jigs rule from March-June, and again in October. However, in the late summer and early fall, I like the 7" worms. I've tried the smaller ones, but with less success. I'm not sure why folks seem to think the smallie worm stops at 4" or 6". My frequent fishing partner, Phil Fiscella, can always beat my worms with his tubes. However, that's because he's Phil, and not because of his tubes. When I use myself as a control, long worms beat shorter tubes in the season I described. Today, in a very short wade, the worms worked perfectly. If I placed them tight to a logjam, I'd feel like I had a snag, until a big spotted bass started swimming off to the side. Then casting upstream and letting the worms drift in the current along deep bends, smallmouth bass would bite. Mostly I use a stop and drag retrieve, or just let them drift, but occasionally get a hit on a swimming retrieve. Wading upstream is much much more effective, letting the worms drift very naturally. Is there anyone else throwing big worms? Of course, my father thinks of a big worm as a 12" one, but he mostly fishes for largemouths. I'm talking about 7" worms. Anyone else using them? I've used more than 100 of them(just went through my 100 pack of green pumpkin worms) in the last 2 years, and have easily caught more than 200 smallies and 100 or so spots on them in the last couple of years. I have a supply of 200 more worms, so I'm hoping the last couple of years haven't been a fluke, with no disrespect to that lure.

Here is one of Phil's crankbait smallies. https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/jeffdoug/www/philsmallie.JPG

That would be great Norm. We'll be searching throughout the fall for as many promising access points as possible. Of course, Phil probably already has it all figured out.

Thanks for the thoughts Norm. Phil is certainly interesting to fish with and I've learned quite a bit from him since our first trip in February. I'm looking forward to mastering winter smallmouth fishing that several of you folks do with some success, and it would be fun to have you down to fish with us this winter. It's unbearable to think of smallmouth fishing as a 9-month activity, and I aim to conquer December, January and February. I've been trying to cover quite a bit of river, keeping an eye out for spots that should be productive and accessible in the winter.

Thanks for the many excellent and thoughtful replies. There are so many decisions we make when fishing and determining your velocity down the course of a river as a function of time and position is surely related to the outcome. Mike, I'm not sure what your handicap is, but you should be aware that the objective in golf is to keep your score as LOW as possible, quite the opposite of fishing. Strive for some triple bogeys in your next smallmouth outing and you might stand a better chance at one of those lunkers you've decided are the objective.

Let's say you have 4 hours to fish and far too many miles of river to possibly wade in that time. One question I face is how fast I should be fishing. One extreme is to exhaustively fish each and every promising cubic inch of water, leaving no stone unturned. Another extreme is to set out walking, possibly throwing a buzzbait or spinner, and only stop to fight a fish. Each time I go out, I'm faced with deciding just where in the middle of these two extremes I should be. I think the answer depends on your objective. Some objectives I pursue, though not simultaneously, are as follows: 1. catch as many fish as possible 2. optimize the chance of landing a real lunker-say an 18-20 incher 3. explore some new stretch of a river 4. maximize enjoyment 5. get a cardio workout. It makes sense to go very fast if you are pursuing either #3 and #5, and this is when Brendan's (an old blog article of his) "Power March" with a buzzbait can make some sense. I'm mostly interested in #4, which is usually a compromise between the first three objectives. The aim is to catch several fish, hopefully some large ones, possibly explore some new water and learn something about smallie fishing that will make you better the next trip. However, knowing this doesn't entirely solve the problem. I recently started using a snap, following the advice of a frequent fishing partner, Phil Fiscella. This has helped define the pace, because I can alternate between slow and fast in my lure selection. My current system, which is always evolving, is to keep a steady pace through poor and marginal water, throwing a fast moving bait that makes sense for the conditions. Upon approaching a nice pool, logjam, or other interesting feature, I'll fan cast with a topwater, spinner, or crankbait, and then slow down to thoroughly dissect the area with a tube jig. One issue is deciding which features are interesting enough to merit such a thorough dissection. Well, there are so many variables involved in making fishing decisions that this can never be solved. Nevertheless, I'd be interested in knowing what others think about finding the right pace, either when wading or fishing from a kayak or canoe.

Tim, Your blog keeps getting better and better as you add to it. It's some of the best fishing material on the internet with a nice blend of science, philosophy and practical fishing information, such as the article on spotted bass. Keep up the good work, I check it every day now that the river we tend to fish is too high and I have nothing better to do. Let me suggest one improvement though. Please post the coordinates where you and your exchange student are catching those big bass. Just kidding, of course. I'll be looking for the next article. Your work is generating a great deal of thought and discussion. See you on the river soon, because it's starting to settle. Jeff

By the way the smallies were getting off of my hook last week, I think the fish in my river have been hunkered down in a wintering hole studying this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TLya92sFl8

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Jeremiah Johnson Reindeer Games (ice fishing, I believe)

Nice report Tim! It's funny how a few nice fish can change your perspective on life.

That's an interesting post Norm. I'm curious if you have any thoughts about using crankbaits and the resulting potential for danger to the fish. I like using crankbaits when fishing rivers and creeks for smallmouths but have often noticed and worried that I'll occasionally catch a fish in the eye with one of the treble hooks. However, they never swallow it like they might with lighter tackle, so I'm uncertain of the relative danger of crankbaits compared to other common lures.

Thanks guys. I guess I have much to learn as my experience with surfing turtles is rather limited and I have only encountered them a handful of times in Illinois bronzeback streams. I'll be looking forward to ISA events, but can't make the Oakwood event due to committments made before noticing it. In any case, it looks like a great organization. For many years I thought I was alone in my worship of Illinois streams and their relatively smallmouthed inhabitants.

Thanks! There's nothing like wading streams in Sep and Oct, so I can't wait to get out and explore some new water, or even some familiar water for that matter.

Hello, I'm glad to find such an active forum of smallmouth bass enthusiasts. For a quick intro, I'm Jeff Douglas and live in Savoy IL. Due to having young kids I took a long break from smallmouth fishing, but after an excellent adventure fishing the Vermilion a few weeks ago, I'm all fired up about it again. For a few days I've been reading the forum and the ISA material, and finally decided to join. I look forward to meeting you folks someday. Best regards, Jeff