A drop-shot rig also makes an effective drift presentation. Smallmouth Bass Fishing: Big Water vs. Small Rivers Streams and river have currents making it easier to find smallmouth. The river runs through Bradford, Wyoming, Luzerne, Columbia, and Northumberland Counties. Small paddle-tail and stick worms, and soft jerkbaits work well on a drop-shot rig. Smith starts keying on the fast water sections of a river in late summer and by early fall he can still catch smallmouth around logs 1 to 3 feet deep, but the next week the fish could be holding deeper in the channel along the rocks. In just 90 seconds you have a powerful and safe cleaning solution. Moving water creates a conveyor belt of food, washing everything downstream to the fish without them having to travel for it. As the summer winds down the Susquehanna Smallmouth become much more aggressive. Even in mid-summer, river smallmouth attack swimbaits. To add weight in front of a lure, I use a 1/16-ounce Top Brass sinker (harder than lead so it isn't mashed by rock), set 6 inches ahead of the Dinger with a rubber Peg-It. This means that the bass will set up in areas that provide an ambush point. And don’t forget the oft-used grub and ball head jig combo. The small finesse baits that are the normal for the summer will be replaced by much bigger more aggressive baits such as Jerk Baits, Crankbaits and Spinnerbaits. With the weight centered on the shank, the natural, horizontal position of the bait is maintained. Plus a bonus bait at the end. By the time July rolls around, smallies have slipped into summer behavior patterns. Understanding how spotted bass differ from their counterparts will help you be more successful... Give a Gift The mainstem and larger tributaries of these rivers are full of smallmouth. Here’s one last tip for success when fishing for summer smallies: Don’t ignore grass and weeds. Summer smallmouth river fishing can be very productive for catching our favorite gamefish. Aron Kastern on Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin where they go after whitefish on ice. Doug Stange joins Capt. As it drifts, steer the rig into an eddy behind a large rock, deadfall, or bridge piling where the weight settles to the bottom, the bait fluttering until a bass can no longer refuse it. Choose your favorite blunt-ended worm and rig it for drifting. It some rivers, 100 or more bass can be caught but the question is, how do I get to the big bass. Mature bass will be more prone to feed during low-light periods like early morning, late evening and during overcast or even showery days, so plan fishing outings accordingly during the summer months. Others add a light bullet sinker or crimp a Water Gremlin Bull Shot several inches in front of the bait. Its generally aggressive nature, especially apparent in river-dwelling smallies, appeals to legions of fishermen. The summer months on the Juniata River are the prime months of the year to float in our drift boats, fly fishing for smallmouth bass. During hot, bright, summer days the fishing can be most productive early in the morning and again in the evening. A quick trip East towards the Middle Susquehanna brings upon some serious smallmouth bass fishing, and that’s what we’re talking about today. The secret to consistently catching smallmouth from rivers is being comfortable fishing in current. Southwestern Oregon’s beautiful Umpqua River is one of a handful of places in Oregon where a determined angler can land 100 or more smallmouth bass on a pleasant summer day. The Delaware River is a world class smallmouth bass fishery. Smallmouth bass dine on many different insects, but their most common cuisine includes frogs, mayflies, grasshoppers, caddisflies, damselflies, dragonflies, hellgrammites, shiners, leeches and crawfish. 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