pwk5017
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Small stream surprise
I was mucking about this evening with my brother in a local stream we have never fished. I was enjoying myself catching some decent rock bass (7-8" and well fed) and getting back into the groove of fly casting since I havent touched my fly rod since trout fishing in centre county. This lunker was hanging out in an old beaver den in a 5' pool and smashed a size 8 grasshopper pattern. It would have been a better fight if he had more water, but this stream was only like 10'-15' wide. Still, a great time on a 5wt. Ive only caught smallmouth on the yough when I do the occassional trip there with my canoe. What conditions do they thrive in? I always thought they were inbetween a warmwater and coolwater fish in terms of temperature preference. Do they require moving water? Now that I caught this one in a very unlikely spot, I am curious why the largemouth is so prevalent in alot of ponds, lakes, and streams and not the smallmouth?
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woodnickle
Pro Angler
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/18 00:03:20
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Good report and nice job. I,ve caught them in both cooler and warmer waters. You raise some good questions. Your lm is more at home in warmer water than smallies. Here is a good sight to check: Smallmouth versus largemouth bass - identification: Minnesota DNR The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides a description and habitat of the smallmouth bass. www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/bass/small_large.html
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pghmarty
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/18 01:27:19
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ORIGINAL: pwk5017
I was mucking about this evening with my brother in a local stream we have never fished. I was enjoying myself catching some decent rock bass (7-8" and well fed) and getting back into the groove of fly casting since I havent touched my fly rod since trout fishing in centre county. This lunker was hanging out in an old beaver den in a 5' pool and smashed a size 8 grasshopper pattern. It would have been a better fight if he had more water, but this stream was only like 10'-15' wide. Still, a great time on a 5wt.
Ive only caught smallmouth on the yough when I do the occassional trip there with my canoe. What conditions do they thrive in? I always thought they were inbetween a warmwater and coolwater fish in terms of temperature preference. Do they require moving water? Now that I caught this one in a very unlikely spot, I am curious why the largemouth is so prevalent in alot of ponds, lakes, and streams and not the smallmouth?
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tippecanoe
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/18 08:43:24
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I cut my teeth fishing like that man, it is a blast. Never got into a smallie over 13 inches til I started fishing the rivers. Really, anywhere there are rock bass, there are generally smallies around.
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doubletaper
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/18 10:58:18
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nice surprise!
smallies are a blast on a fly rod.
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Accountant
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/18 11:19:17
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is that an old bridge tressle? Nothing gets me more pumped up than fishing a stream, turning a corner, and finding an old bridge tressel.
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pwk5017
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/18 13:23:48
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It is an old bridge tressel. A relic of the railroad. I am not new to stream fishing by any means, but I am new to fishing streams this small and for smallmouth. I went to college at penn state, so I am used to the limestoners. Is there any rhyme or reason to reading the water around here or is it best just to explore and stumble across spots? For example, I was just walking/wading down this particular stream with the current and came across this pool. I was stunned that something bigger than a rock bass wasnt living there, so I hit it again on the way back to the car and was rewarded. Are bridges usually indicative of deep pools? Also, is it best to fish tributaries like this over the bigger streams at this time?
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PeteM
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/18 16:21:05
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Bridge abutments usually do get channeled really nicely and make good little holding pools for some nice fish.
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JEB
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/20 11:13:05
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Why the glove ? just lip them ! no teeth, only a roughness, haha.. Nice smallie, even better on the fly. Congrats.
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catchtoomany 
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/20 12:13:38
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... and limestone valley is hard to fish.
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pwk5017
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RE: Small stream surprise
2011/08/20 22:43:25
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ORIGINAL: JEB
Why the glove ? just lip them ! no teeth, only a roughness, haha.. Nice smallie, even better on the fly. Congrats.
1, the feeling of that plate really bugs me--nails on a chalkboard. 2, I had a bass nearly rip my thumbnail off one time on the release and the nail subsequently fell off. I can deal with #1 and I do on smaller bass, but I cant deal with not having a thumbnail, so I break out a glove for bigger bass.
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