Stream Fishing Big Smallmouth In Clear Water!

The guys found a small creek loaded with smallmouth bass! The water is crystal clear and the fish are in all 3 stages of the spawn. There are fish just coming in from Lake Michigan, other bass on beds, and a lot of big bass cruising the edges and shadows in search of a big meal. Realizing the opportunity, the guys quickly began catching fish on everything from a dropshot to a swimbait. Come along for an exciting day of fishing and teaching as we explain how to fish for bass in current.

Its early Summer in Michigan and the fish are aggressive! We began by catching fish sitting along the edges of cover but as we moved farther up river we discovered spawners in the shallows. Toward the end of the day we realized post spawn fish would ambush reaction baits as well, catching them on swimbaits, jerkbaits, and topwater.

Fishing in current is all about understanding bass behavior. These fish face up stream and feed by sight. They're watching the moving water for any sign of food drifting by. When a meal appears they have one shot to capture it as it passes so strikes tend to be vicious! While neither angler had ever been on this fishery, Cobi guides in both Michigan and Wisconsin on a lot of amazing smallmouth waters. If you're interested in seeing more of his work, visit his instagram here: http://bit.ly/2XMpoPW

Below is a breakdown of the baits we caught fish on throughout the day. We caught them on an incredible variety of techniques so we will separate them into softbaits and hardbaits, including the colors used to successfully fool these smallmouth.

Softbaits...

1) Finesse Jig (Kentucky Craw): http://bit.ly/2eJinXo

-Smallie Beaver (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2dR6CkP

2) Strike King Half Shell (KVD Magic on Dropshot): http://bit.ly/2iR9awm

-Owner Mosquito Light Hook Size 2: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

3) Roboworm 4" Fat Worm (Oxblood Light on Dropshot): http://bit.ly/2awYSxM

4) Megabass Spark Shad 3" (Real): http://bit.ly/2XcLZk4

- Megabass Okashira Screw Head: http://bit.ly/2EpluSA

5) Dark Sleeper Swimbait (Haze): http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

6) Zoom Super Fluke (Smokin Shad): http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

-Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap 1/0: http://bit.ly/2aKGmHM

Hardbaits...

1) Splash It Popper (Chartreuse Pearl Shad): http://bit.ly/2Fp8MQV

2) River2Sea S-Waver 168 (Light Trout): http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

3) Megabass Vision 110 Jerkbait (PM Twilight Chart Back): http://bit.ly/2j31TKb

Matt's most versatile Combo this trip...

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Aldebaran MGL 50: http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

The Trick To Never Burn Out On Fishing

Ever had a friend quit fishing altogether? Ever watching a really good angler just vanish from the tournament scene? It happens every day! Ever wondered why? Maybe its the social media pressure, maybe its rude boaters, maybe its their home life, but more than likely its a combination of all the above. 

If you're passionate about bass fishing and you want it to be a life-long sport there is one key that will keep you coming back from more. At least once a year you need to STOP bass fishing and do something completely different! Let's be real, bass fishing isn't very relaxing. Between the heavy line and the roaring outboards its not nearly as "back to nature" as trout or bluegill fishing. 

Do yourself a favor this year and take a break. If you can find a healthy balance between aggressively pursuing BIG bass and relaxing while fishing for other species, you're going to be a life long angler. 

Here is what Matt was using...

Rod- Megabass Destroyer Spinning Rod: http://bit.ly/2B7NyFj
Reel- Shimano Stradic FK: http://bit.ly/2bONXB5
Line- Sunline Sniper 4 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Setup For This Style Fishing...

Rod- Exage 6'8" Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2jOUXAO
Reel- Nasci 1000 Spinning Reel: http://bit.ly/2g278cC
Line- Sunline Sniper 4 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Lures...

Panther Martin Spinner: http://bit.ly/2uXduVt
Rooster Tail Spinner: http://bit.ly/2MxuzKh
Mepps Aglia Spinner: http://bit.ly/2NaVL2f
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River Fishing Trophy Smallmouth On Crankbaits | How To Catch Bass In Current

Big bass are stacked up in moving water, how would you catch them? We decided on a crankbait and it was a blast! We started a feeding frenzy and the fish were lining up for their turn at the deep diving crankbait!

We were positioning our boat downstream and working the crankbaits with the current along the edges of current breaks and seams. Most of the fish ate the crankbait on the pause, resulting in hard hooksets to catch up to them on the slack line that was drifting in the current. The current was fast but the smallmouth were even faster!

There is something special about getting away from the lakes and bass fishing in creeks, streams, and rivers. Its a peaceful change of pace from our typical fishing experience. If you get a chance to get out and catch smallmouth in current be sure and do it, you won't regret it!

What were we using?

Megabass Deep X 150 Crankbait: http://bit.ly/2rWA1zt

Megabass Deep X 300 Crankbait: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

Strike King 6 XD Crankbait: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Matt's Crankbait rod is a 7'6” custom model by Curt Demerath Fishing (facebook or instagram) but if you want a very similar production rod, the following is an awesome setup...

Rod- St. Croix Big Cranker (7'8” Medium Moderate): http://bit.ly/2bPOSpx

Reel- Shimano Aldebaran 50: http://bit.ly/2fdX1Uy

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Hooks- Megabass Katsuage: http://bit.ly/2r9lUmI

Tim's Crankbait Setup...

Rod- Megabass Flat Side Special: http://bit.ly/2sssatO

Reel- Shimano Chronarch MGL 150: http://bit.ly/2n8DghB

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Hooks- Megabass Katsuage: http://bit.ly/2r9lUmI

Camera Used: http://bit.ly/2iwZqqU

Sunglasses Used: http://bit.ly/2glE3eN

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