In fishing there’s no such thing as “Fall.” There are actually 3 different falls. “FALL FISHING FRENZY! SUPER FALL ACTION!” Over the decades, I’ve seen a multitude of magazine articles with titles like these, raving about fall smallmouth bass fishing. And it’s true. At times, fall can offer some of the most spectacular fishing of […]
Years ago, a friend and I developed the Blockhead Popper, and it is still (in my opinion) the best popper ever created. However, the trusty Blockhead certainly isn’t the only topwater I use. When the water is clear or when summer river levels become low, I love the Sneaky Pete. I use a foam version– […]
Q – What do you get when you add a rabbit strip tail to a deerhair head? A – A darn good fly! The Holschlag Hare is excellent as a mid-depth streamer fly, but it also works well fished near the bottom. Naturally, its rabbit strip tail produces great undulation, fished either fast or slow. […]
What’s a good rod for smallmouth? I’ve been asked that question hundreds of times. This is an important question, since the rod is of critical importance in fly fishing. Fortunately, there are quite a few pretty good rods for smallmouth nowadays. However, many of these are very expensive, costing well over 500 dollars. But buying […]
Driving out full-sized smallmouth or largemouth flies 55 feet all day long (and often in wind) isn’t easy. That’s why everyone has to learn to haul. I’m not going to kid you. Fly casting for bass takes a lot of effort. It’s vastly different than most of the casting that’s required on Eastern and Midwestern […]
See Your Strikes and Increase Your Catch Good strike indicators are essential for river smallmouth bass fishing! Without them you’re dramatically limiting the techniques you can effectively perform and how many fish you’ll hook in a day. So I never leave home without my strike indicators. Strike indicators are essential for doing the deadly “Crayfish […]
Here’s an “old-time” pattern that is still an incredibly effective and enjoyable fly to fish. The Shenks Streamer has been around for over a half-century, but at fly shows and clubs I encounter many anglers who aren’t aware of this outstanding fly. This ignorance seems most prevalent in the Midwest, but I don’t think the […]
Every year dozens of brand-new critters flood the tackle shops and catalogs. But small finesse worms often outperform many of the newer baits. During the past decade there’s been an explosion of soft plastic baits. Every year it seems that dozens of brand-new critters in every size, shape and color imaginable flood the tackle shops […]
In prime smallmouth bass hotspots, it’s often best to fish on foot, to thoroughly cover the area and cast to all the active smallies. Many anglers truly enjoy wade fishing, too, includng fly folks coming from stream trout backgrounds. But on bigger smallmouth streams, floating by watercraft is often the best way to really cover […]
Rocks and smallmouth bass . . . they go together like lily pads and bluegills, right? Not necessarily. While rivers generally need lots of rock to have high numbers of smallies, river sections with only a little rock can have more big smallmouth bass than many realize. There are a couple key reasons why some […]
