Stalking the River Smallmouth

by | May 26, 2011 | Uncategorized

The cool, wet weather we’ve been experiencing this spring in northern Illinois has delayed the beginning of my pursuit of smallmouth bass.  The streams I haunt were slow to warm up and water levels have fluctuated wildly.  By now I typically would have three or four trips under my belt.  Not so in 2011.  The cool, high, and murky water forces one to exercise caution when wading for bass.  I dabbled from the shoreline a few weeks ago without success.  But I’d much rather take on Mr. and Ms. Smallmouth waist-deep in their element.

The graph below shows how the stream flow (blue line) has whip-sawed between near normal and wadeable (indicated by the triangles) and shore fish where accessible.


 

So, I was delighted to finally make that first wade of 2011 last week.  Even better, I’d be hooking up with my reliable fishing buddy Pat, whose passion for catch-and-release smallmouth fishing matches mine.  Looks like we timed it perfectly, hitting this flow at a safe level just a couple of days before the deluge.

The water was murky and the two bass I managed to bring to hand were tight to any object providing a break in the current – a tree, rock, or the occasional tire.  Pat went fishless this time out, although he had already caught his first smallie of 2011 two weeks before at another river.

Smallmouth bass typically spawn in this locale this time of year, but I saw no spawning beds.  Illinois recently adopted regulations requiring all river smallmouth caught between 1 April and 15 June be released immediately in order to prevent taking of fish off spawning beds.  If I see fish on beds, I’ll move to another stream where spawning is not going on, or put the rod away.  An unguarded nest will be preyed upon quickly by other fish.

Pat working the current breaks provided by tree roots and deadfalls.

I’m looking forward to more time on the water soon, if it stops raining.