Hey guys, new here. I originally posted this on another board but a member here thought you might enjoy it, so here it is.
I did a lot of fishing for smallmouth over the summer. I fished rivers in northern VA, either wading or just from shore. With the low, clear water the fish were easy to find at times but they were ultra-spooky. Here are some pics I took between June and September. I fished alone so I had to use a mini-tripod and my camera's timer to get them. Enjoy!
Here's a nice one that bit a soft jerkbait under a bridge after work one day.
When I caught this guy he had someone's old hook and a piece of line stuck in his jaw. I'm sure somebody's out there telling a story about how they lost a 5lb smallmouth! He was a nice fish but not that big!
Here's a pic of the Rappahannock river just upstream of Kelly's Ford. The scenery is beautiful there but you have to travel a little further to find better fishing.
19" Smallie that bit a buzzbait right at sunset. They were biting really good that evening. Right after I got this guy I lost a real beast in about 10" of water.
Had to get a pic of this one just cause it was the first fish I caught on my new Loomis rod.
This is a skink that befriended me one day while I was catfishing in the Rapp. He LOVED the smell of chicken livers on my hands.
My biggest smallie of the summer, a real toad at 21.5". He bit a 5" Kinami flash deadsticked in about 18 inches of water.
I hooked this 20" smallie from shore but when he wrapped me up in a log I had to go in after him! Sometimes I think smallmouth are smarter than me!
The majority of the smallmouth I caught this summer were hooked on plastics. Alluring Baits' trick sticks(senko imitation) and Duper Flukes were great. Tubes also accounted for some good fish. With the sticks and tubes deadsticking the bait for up to 3 minutes at a time was the way to go. When they were hitting topwaters I was in hog heaven! I wish I could tell you the key to catching smallies is hard work and dedication but as you can see it's all about wearing a lucky orange hat!
I had an absolute blast all summer, I caught loads of smallmouth and it was a real treat. I wish I could get pics of all of them but when you're standing alone in a river that's a tricky proposition! I'm also looking forward to the fall and the big fish that will be biting then. If you can get out to your favorite smallmouth waters soon I suggest you do so! Definitely the gamest fish in freshwater!
I did a lot of fishing for smallmouth over the summer. I fished rivers in northern VA, either wading or just from shore. With the low, clear water the fish were easy to find at times but they were ultra-spooky. Here are some pics I took between June and September. I fished alone so I had to use a mini-tripod and my camera's timer to get them. Enjoy!
Here's a nice one that bit a soft jerkbait under a bridge after work one day.
When I caught this guy he had someone's old hook and a piece of line stuck in his jaw. I'm sure somebody's out there telling a story about how they lost a 5lb smallmouth! He was a nice fish but not that big!
Here's a pic of the Rappahannock river just upstream of Kelly's Ford. The scenery is beautiful there but you have to travel a little further to find better fishing.
19" Smallie that bit a buzzbait right at sunset. They were biting really good that evening. Right after I got this guy I lost a real beast in about 10" of water.
Had to get a pic of this one just cause it was the first fish I caught on my new Loomis rod.
This is a skink that befriended me one day while I was catfishing in the Rapp. He LOVED the smell of chicken livers on my hands.
My biggest smallie of the summer, a real toad at 21.5". He bit a 5" Kinami flash deadsticked in about 18 inches of water.
I hooked this 20" smallie from shore but when he wrapped me up in a log I had to go in after him! Sometimes I think smallmouth are smarter than me!
The majority of the smallmouth I caught this summer were hooked on plastics. Alluring Baits' trick sticks(senko imitation) and Duper Flukes were great. Tubes also accounted for some good fish. With the sticks and tubes deadsticking the bait for up to 3 minutes at a time was the way to go. When they were hitting topwaters I was in hog heaven! I wish I could tell you the key to catching smallies is hard work and dedication but as you can see it's all about wearing a lucky orange hat!
I had an absolute blast all summer, I caught loads of smallmouth and it was a real treat. I wish I could get pics of all of them but when you're standing alone in a river that's a tricky proposition! I'm also looking forward to the fall and the big fish that will be biting then. If you can get out to your favorite smallmouth waters soon I suggest you do so! Definitely the gamest fish in freshwater!
