All of you who fish for river smallies

[Old Hat 0]

What triggers the smallies to start building and protecting their nests? My guess is water temperature or daylight hours. If I'm not too far off is there a magic temperature or hours of daylight? If I'm way off please enlighten me.

[primitivepete 0]

Not really sure. I only go after them in mid to late summer when they want to bite anything that moves. Late afternoon or early morning seems to work best then. Air and water temps are usually pretty hot by then on the Snake River in Idaho.

[JSzymczyk 0]

they USUALLY spawn when the water temp hits about 55 degrees F.

 

If you can get ahold of a copy of the old In-Fisherman "Handbook of Strategies" for Smallmouths, they did a great job of explaining environmental factors relating to seasonal behavior.

[Undertow 0]

My guess is water temp. Usually they start biting here in Michigan around the second week of april, weather permitting. Then for about two weeks its the best bite of the year as they fatten up for the spawn. Then one day the bite just turns off and they start bedding up. This is when I leave them alone for a few wks, usually I can see them on there beds so every couple of days I check while chasing carp and once the beds are vacant the bite picks up again until summer sets in.

 

Undertow

[Old Hat 0]

Thanks guys. My first guess is temps as well. I'll see if I can dig up that book. Sounds right up my alley.

 

Pete that's usually when I hit them as well. I used to go after largemouths earlier in the year on lakes but moved out of that area and now it's rivers. Sounds like we are fishing the same watershed. I'm fishing the Snake and tribs out of Lewiston, Idaho area.

[MickThompson 0]

There's more to it than water temps. Full moons and day length both play a part. Here in TN, many of the rivers hit 55* a month and a half before the spawn. It was 52* last Sunday, and we've been on a warming trend all week. Today's high is supposed to be 78*, and I don't think it mad it back to 55* last night, so I wouldn't be suprised if the river isn't already 55*. Last year, the fish were on beds mid-May. With river fish, I think part of the equation is: How early can I spawn without my eggs getting destroyed by a flood? This is different in different places, but April into early May is usually when we have flood events.

 

I don't like fishing for fish on beds. Not because ot some ethical delimma, but because they can be difficult to catch, especially on pressured water. Pre-spawn and post-spawn can produce some real pigs, however. Add to that, some populations of river smallmouth make short-distance migrations to spawning grounds, making them hard to find if you don't know where to look.

 

PS- a quick search showed a consensus of 60-65* for smallmouth to spawn, but most of this is based off lake populations.

[Old Hat 0]

Thanks Mick for the information.

[day5 0]

55 sounds cold to me as well I was thinking more like 60 65. In the St Joe and Kzoo I will see them get protective of an area in early May. In the lakes I can tell you it is 60 to 65 for sure. We hit pre spawn every year on a lake in Northern Mi and get prespawn smallies in 58 to 61 degree water at the end of May and early June.

 

IMHO Moon Phase has EVERYTHING! to do with spawning activity. But I believe it has to do with available light. IE. the Salmon and Steelhead move up stream faster and in bigger numbers over night on clear full moons. The Bluegills move to shore to bed from May to September. Every Full moon. Yes Gills bed all summer long. But what ever the reason I do know that fish move in full moons. And Night fishing is always better in full moons. Available light!

 

So Here is what I do. I fish smallies until the water hits 63. then Im off them for 2 weeks or so. At that point Largemouth are prespawn. and the panfish are hot. Carp spawn in the same temp as smallies thus I could not catch a carp if I wanted to. They do not eat while spawning. Pike and Walleyes are hot as well.

[JSzymczyk 0]

maybe I was thinking the so-called pre-spawn feeding binge starts around 55 degrees. Hell, I don't know. Ever hear the phrase "He's forgotten more about fishing than you'll ever know!" ?? Yeah they were talking about me. I've forgotten. I do remember though, that I don't cast "STICKS" while trying to catch "PIGS"...

[MickThompson 0]

maybe I was thinking the so-called pre-spawn feeding binge starts around 55 degrees. Hell, I don't know. Ever hear the phrase "He's forgotten more about fishing than you'll ever know!" ?? Yeah they were talking about me. I've forgotten. I do remember though, that I don't cast "STICKS" while trying to catch "PIGS"...

 

55* is about right to put the feedbags on, but we still have almost 2 months of really good fishing between 55* and the spawn :yahoo: I picked up a 19.25" fish last friday in 55* water. Fishing is good, and getting better every day!

 

By the way, It's been my experience that the best fish are caught from now til post spawn. After that, it's more of a numbers game on my rivers until water temps drop again in the fall.