Early Season Smallmouth Techniques

[Shaggy]

Any suggestions for fishing Smallmouth Bass in a fairly large lake(12 miles long and a mile or two long) early in the season?

The lake is free-mixed up until late spring until it stratifies with a thermalcline at about 20-25'. It has good rocky drop-offs along with some big shoals. Primary weeds are milfoil and some hydrella but there isn't much of that around in May. Max depth is around 150'. There are several areas of shear rock cliffs dropping to 40' or so, both with and without rocky debris. there are two rocky submerged islands on the edge of shoals dropping off on the deep side to 20-30' quite quickly. Forage foods include Sculpin, Squawfish, Carp, Pumpkinseed, Trout, Kokanee and a few crayfish.

I have no problem finding consistant action from late spring until the middle of the fall on the fly, with 40+ fish days not uncommon. Average size is probably a little on the small size, and the fish seem to school up until they reach 1.5 - 2 lbs. After that they seem to be more solitary, staking out prime ambush territory. The biggest I've personally seen is pushing 6lbs. but that would be the exception, not the rule.

The lake has been ice-free this winter, but it does freeze over some years. Location is in the South Okanagan of B.C.

I'd like some ideas to tempt the fish so I can get a jump on the season. Last year I was not able to figure them out until the water warmed up and the started responding to the usual offerings. Their usual haunts seemed to be devoid of fish until then.

All input appreciated, let me know if you need more info or particulars.


Jon

[cornmuse]

Think Float-N-Fly technique. I like to use a Gummy Minnow, but any good streamer pattern will work. Featherwing streamers are ideal - about 1.5" to 2.5" long. You
DON'T want to use marabou or any similar material with too much inherent action, the fly should be soft and translucent but not active.

Use a length of 6lb test flourocarbon leader material - about 8 to 9' is right. Tie this to a short (12") butt section of 20lb test in a right-angle leader configuration. To do this, tie a strike indicator to the butt section and then tie the tippet onto the butt section with an improved clinch knot so it forms a right angle.

Tie the fly on with a non-slip mono loop knot. I sometimes like to keep a long tag on the knot and place a small splitshot (very small) on the tag. This keeps the fly riding horizontally.

Look for areas that have a ledge of rock about 15' deep with 30 to 40' of water very close by. If there is a shallow flat above the 15' break, so much the better. This is a wintering hole. Cast the fly out as far as you can manage and let it settle down until its right below the strike indicator, floating 8 to 9' deep in 12 to 15' of water. Then simply shake the rod and move the indicator an inch at a time.

The presentation mimics a cold-stunned minnow. Smallies in clear water will rise through the water column to take the fly. Takes are subtle.

This is an accepted and productive technique on southern reserviors when water temps are sub 50 degrees during the winter. It works in rivers and creeks, too!

Joe C.

[flytackle]

Joe - you are the best! That is a totally new tactic to me - I'll be trying that here on the Cape... Thanks! Alec

[Jed]

Once the fish start moving look for areas that are shallow and get the maximum sunlight. This is where the water will be the warmest and the fish will be most active.

jed

[RG/AR]

Joe, I have never seen this technique espoused anywhere else, and I believe it will probably work with any bass anywhere in cool temps.

[Shaggy]

Joe, thank-you for your eye opening reply. A google search of "float 'n fly" produced a full evenings worth of reading/learning.

Funny to find out it's pretty much the same technique as Chironomid fishing, something that I'm all too familiar with, of course the hook is dressed a little differently

I tied up some lightly weighted bucktails with Polar Bear and Llama hair. The oriented Llama hair has some movement, but not nearly as much as marabou or bunny fur. I also have a few gummy minnows from days gone by. I can see how they would be just the ticket.

I guess the last trick will be to find where the bass are wintering. I know of a few locations like you mentioned (15' deep with good drop to 40') Also more than a few steep rock cliffs underwater.

I'll also scope out the shallows facing the sun to see if they are up there getting warm.

Well now that I'm more than a little stoked to get out there to try out the new presentation I'll have to fgure out when I can slip away. the lake is prone to some nasty weather, hopefully next weekend will present some favorable conditions. I'll let you know how it goes when I do get out.

Thanks again,
jon

[This message has been edited by Shaggy (edited 26 February 2006).]

[cornmuse]

The technique is just as effective in rivers and streams. We did quite nicely dead drifting feather wing streamers for hybrid wipers on the Ohio R this winter, fishing a size 4 fly under a bushy strike indicator and a floating line. I also use this technique for winter sauger and saugeye which will hold in surprisingly fast water in the tailraces of flood control dams and wait for shiners that have come through the outflow. At times I'll have to fish a streamer a foot and a half under a strike indicator in a six foot deep run right against the outflow tubes in 35 degree water! Counterintuitive, but effective none-the-less.

There are a lot of techniques the hardware guys use that we fly fishers can learn from. In fact, many of "their" techiques were orginally fly rod techniques back before the introduction of light spinning tackle!

Let me know how it works out for you.

Joe C.

------------------
Fly Fishing Warm Water Rivers is my new book based on nearly two decades of exploring and fishing the flows of the Midwest. [url=http://www.flyfishohio.com:8f5c0]www.flyfishohio.com[/url:8f5c0] for more information

[Shaggy]

Gave this method a whirl up here on April 1st. The bass either weren't interested or weren't in the area I was trying.

Fortunately there were some nice chunky trout and a big ol' Kokanee willing to come out and play!



I will try again in the next little while.

[white43]

check out [url=http://www.smallmouthangler.com.:fe1fa]www.smallmouthangler.com.[/url:fe1fa] Tim has a great Clouser he describes as his fly of the month. JGW

[deathb4disco]

Two other good resources:

[url=http://www.bronzeback.com:49699]www.bronzeback.com[/url:49699]

[url=http://www.riversmallies.com:49699]www.riversmallies.com[/url:49699]

The latter has a FF board.




[This message has been edited by deathb4disco (edited 06 April 2006).]