Addicted To River Smallmouth

Addicted To River Smallmouth
By Doug Reynolds

I happened to be talking to one of my vendors the other day and he told me he had “caught the bug”. The bug, I said….you sick? No, he said, the smallmouth bug. Yep, another victim of smallmouth addiction. There’s nothing like drifting down the river in a canoe or kayak, fishing for smallmouth and enjoying the serenity of the river. If you have never fished for river smallmouth you have to put it on your bucket list. Smallmouth are such intense fighters they will fight you all the way to the boat and then some.

I remember when I became addicted over thirty years ago and I’m still addicted today, stronger than ever. I’ll never forget my first trophy smallmouth. I had been fishing on the James near Rockcastle in June of 1978 and had been through just about everything in my tackle box with no success. I stopped and dug into the old tackle box and came out with a “Mr Twister” worm, purple with a fire tail. On the first cast a 5lb smallmouth inhaled it and gave me the fight of my life, it took me up river, across the river, down the river and through a small rapid before I could get him under control and get the fish landed. My hands were still shaking five minutes after I had caught him. What a rush! I caught twenty one fish that day and used the whole darn pack of those purple worms. That was it, I was addicted.

Of course not all days are going to be like that one but when the magic happens there is nothing quite like it. And by the way, I still carry that same worm in my tackle box today. Over the years, I have been very fortunate to have caught more than my share of trophy smallmouth, but I’m still looking for “the big one”. Once you’re hooked, you will too. There’s a bonus too, enjoying the wild life; ducks, geese, egrets, eagles and if you’ve never seen two fawns dancing in the river like little kids, you’re really missing out. Those of us who live in Virginia are truly blessed to have the James in our backyard. It is also important for all of us to pass the sport on to the younger generation and get them from in front of the TV and video games, out on the river fishing. I can’t think of any better family time than fishing and camping on the river together. Kids love it!

So get out there and find out what all the fuss is all about. The outfitters and guides providing services on the James are fantastic. They provide everything from a guided trip for smallmouth to camping, tubes, canoes, kayaks, and a shuttle.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has done a fantastic job in preserving the smallmouth population on the James River with the slot limit. Keeping the quality fish in the river by managing a must release size. We are also very fortunate to have organizations like the James River Association, a dedicated group of mostly volunteers keeping and eye on the river and its tributaries. The James is one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the country and protecting it should be one of our highest priorities.

Tight Lines

Doug Reynolds
Email: dougreynolds@jamesriversmallmouth.com
Web: http://www.jamesriversmallmouth.com
Twitter: @jrsmallmouth

Finding River Smallmouth

Finding River Smallmouth

By Doug Reynolds

People are always asking me about  the best places to find river smallmouth. So, this article is aimed at helping you do just that. In order to simplify things I have broken the information down into specific areas of the river so that each section can be addressed on it’s own.

River Bank

The bank is a great place to start fishing for smallmouth. Casting your way down the river, look for anything on the bank that might help you in your quest. Rocks and flood debris are often the key, especially if they obstruct river current, providing an ambush spot for a smallmouth to attack. Keep your eyes open, searching the bank and the water for holes with rock or logs. The down river side of the hole or obstruction is generally where the smallmouth will be. I also like to fish the shade line that develops in the morning and the afternoon between the bank and the center of the river. The shade line will sometimes set up an ambush spot for smallmouth and, just like us on hot days, smallmouth like to hang out in the shade.

Center River

The center of the river is another great place to find big smallmouth. I’m always looking at the bottom of the river as I float and you should too.  Look for deep holes, rock ledges or patches of grass in order to target the structure. Find the rock ledges, log jams or grass patches next to deeper water and you will find a smallmouth.

Above Rapids

Above any rapid is a good place to find smallmouth because the restriction of water before rapids usually makes small pools form. Smallmouth love these ambush spots because they can let the current do all the work and bring the food to them.  In case you didn’t know, smallmouth are naturally lazy!  Why work for it when you can have breakfast in bed? But when a smallmouth is hungry look out, they get very aggressive and will attack the bait and have been known to eat each other. Many times I have had a small smallmouth on my line with a monster sizing it up and even attacking it on the way to the boat.

Below Rapids

Smallmouth especially like the lower ends of rapids. The water at the end of  a rapid is well oxygenated which smallmouth love.  And again, the food is being delivered to the fish. Kind of like calling for take out!  Fish any eddy or rocks that block the river current, that’s where the smallmouth will be waiting to ambush their dinner and it’s where you can ambush them!

Points of Islands

The lower points of islands are another great place for smallmouth to feed. They will lay in the eddy behind the point waiting to attack. You will often see minnows on these points as well.  Find the big fish food and you’ll find the big fish! Also don’t overlook the front point of the islands. Some islands will create and eddy in the front point where the current splits making a perfect spot for a smallmouth to sit and wait for a meal.

The bottom line is, you should always be looking for structure that smallmouth can use to gain the advantage over their prey.  Smallmouth are smarter than you think.  If you were a fish, what would you do?  Chances are that’s what they’ll do too!

I hope this information will help you find more river smallmouth. Now go out there and find that trophy smallmouth that gives you the fight of your life!  Please send us your pictures, insights and advice to share with the smallmouth family. (dougreynolds@jamesriversmallmouth.com)

http://www.jamesriversmallmouth.com

There’s nothing like the fight of a smallmouth!

Tight Lines

Doug Reynolds

Chasing River Smallmouth in The Spring

Chasing River Smallmouth In The Spring

By Doug Reynolds

     Finding smallmouth in the spring can be very challenging. If you understand the smallmouth’s migration patterns it will help you increase your odds in having success.  Water temperature is one of many factors I will watch in the spring, to get a leg up on the smallmouth. Trying to use the smallmouth’s own migration pattern and natural instincts to my advantage. 

     When looking at temperature I try to always consider that bellow 44 degrees the smallmouth are deep and stacked up on each other. When the temperature reaches 46-48 degrees the smallmouth will start moving out from their location to get closer to their spawning grounds in water usually less than ten feet.  Also note the crayfish are also starting to spawn at this temperature so keep that in mind when considering your bait selection.

     Once the water temperature get close to the 50 degree mark the male and female smallmouth are getting prepared for the spawn. Searching for nesting sites, aggressive feeding and moving into shallower water, looking for tree stumps, rocks, weeds or any shallow cover in water 3 to 8 feet. Once the water moves to the mid 50’s aggressive behavior dies down and the males begin sweeping out shallow nest sites finding a site suitable site for the conditions. The females will move off into deeper water until they are ready to spawn, meaning the males will generally be caught in the shallows and the females will be caught from the deeper water.

So when your fishing the river in the spring, remember to check the water temperature. It just could be your clue to finding that big smallmouth.

Tight Lines

Doug Reynolds

Check out my website http://www.jamesriversmallmouth.com

Esentials For Canoe Camping

Essentials For Canoe Camping
By Doug Reynolds

  

As the seasons change so do your camping requirements. First and foremost is being comfortable in your canoe, a good back rest with extra padding, a quality sleeping pad and a real fold up lawn chair for camp. When you spend ten hours fishing and paddling the river you need a good back support, the same goes at camp with the lawn chair. Most of the bag chairs are comfortable for about thirty minutes before they become uncomfortable. On a multiple day trip canoeing for six or eight hours the last thing you want is a sore back.

Camping I normally carry a basic pack that consists of a two-man tent, tarp, camprest mattress, blanket & sheet, water, MSR stove, MSR cook set, rope, first aid kit, rain gear, toilet paper, head lamp, change of clothes and a pillow. I add remove gear as the seasons change. I also use a cover on my mattress pad. It’s an air mattress cover with a one inch piece of memory foam inside the cover. The one inch of memory foam and cover make a BIG difference. It also keeps you from sliding off your mattress pad in the middle of the night.

In the spring I carry the basic gear adding an extra blanket a second tarp and a light jacket. Also, remember you can always use your rain gear if you get cold. As for food anything goes this time of year from the dutch oven to the charcoal grill.

Summer time my gear load is the basic pack. Virginia has low water this time of year so I want to keep it light. The food preparation is kept to a minimum. I’ll try to carry easy things that don’t require cooking. Such as, cold salads, cold  chicken, cold shrimp, cooked crabs, fresh fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hot dogs, subs. The idea is I’m trying to avoid anything that requires an extra effort. In Virginia the summers are really hot and humid, you need to save energy so you can enjoy the time fishing.  

As we move into fall and winter I’ll add to the basic pack again adding a blanket or two depending on the weather. I will also will add a second set of clothing and light jacket. The second set of clothing is good idea in the winter, in case you get wet!  The light jacket and rain suit would keep you warm long enough to get you off the river. You might be miles from a vehicle. I also advise not keeping your second set of clothes in the same dry bag…just in case.

Tight Lines

Doug Reynolds

Follow me on Twitter @jrsmallmouth

Visit the web site! http://www.jamesriversmallmouth.com

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