smallie season

[martalus]

As we move into summer, is anyone getting out for smallmouth?

[Troutman]

I will be transitioning over shortly when fishing in NJ. best rivers semi local to me would be the main stem raritan. which is not that bad of a ride. approximately 30 minutes with no traffic

[Drossi]

As we move into summer, is anyone getting out for smallmouth?

Will be jumping over to the "bronze trout" as well now that summer is setting in. Hopefully this weekend will be good to go on the Big D. I have to explore some ww spots local to me as well and the Raritan since I cross it 2x a week on the way home from work.

[Rusty Spinner]

As we move into summer, is anyone getting out for smallmouth?

Will be jumping over to the "bronze trout" as well now that summer is setting in. Hopefully this weekend will be good to go on the Big D. I have to explore some ww spots local to me as well and the Raritan since I cross it 2x a week on the way home from work.

Do you catch many smallies in the D that are of any size? I haven't fished it for smallies much, but I find lots of fish, but mostly small.

[Drossi]

Will be jumping over to the "bronze trout" as well now that summer is setting in. Hopefully this weekend will be good to go on the Big D. I have to explore some ww spots local to me as well and the Raritan since I cross it 2x a week on the way home from work.
[/quote]

Do you catch many smallies in the D that are of any size? I haven't fished it for smallies much, but I find lots of fish, but mostly small.
[/quote]

I used to get a few nice solid smallies in the 14" range each year but lately they've either been small or not at all. The D isn't what it was for them, though I haven't fished it as much the last 2 years either. I also tend to be undergunned with a 6wt bamboo and my arsenal of buggers/small clousers (can't take the trout fisherman out of me ). Really just looking for something to fish for until the cool fall temps return and I really don't like ponds/lakes much, could never seem to dial in those places.

[martalus]

Big river smallie populations (Big D, Potomac, Susquehanna) fluctuate over the years/decades, depending on weather, pollution, diseases, etc. Spring floods can wipe out whole year classes. Warmer water plus pollution can lead to more diseases. Then there are other species of fish than eat eggs/juveniles. The Potomac and Big had some great years about 10-20 years ago and then some really tough years with consecutive years with spring floods that ruin the spawn and scour out grass that is good habitat. Maryland tries to augment/stabilize the population in the Potomac with stocking of fingerlings, not sure if PA/NJ do that as well on the Delaware. We often forget that smallies are not native to these rivers, but have been in them for a century or more.

[Rusty Spinner]

Big river smallie populations (Big D, Potomac, Susquehanna) fluctuate over the years/decades, depending on weather, pollution, diseases, etc. Spring floods can wipe out whole year classes. Warmer water plus pollution can lead to more diseases. Then there are other species of fish than eat eggs/juveniles. The Potomac and Big had some great years about 10-20 years ago and then some really tough years with consecutive years with spring floods that ruin the spawn and scour out grass that is good habitat. Maryland tries to augment/stabilize the population in the Potomac with stocking of fingerlings, not sure if PA/NJ do that as well on the Delaware. We often forget that smallies are not native to these rivers, but have been in them for a century or more.

I remember an argument on NEFF (I think) about whether or not smallies were native to the Delaware. The answer is no. But then again, most warmwater fish living in the NE today don't belong or weren't native to these areas. Same for largemouth, bluegill, pike, walleye, etc., etc.

[martalus]

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/het ... abitat.htm

Here is a good primer on them and a map of their native and introduced range. While the Potomac and Big D can be good smallmouth fisheries depending on the year, I wonder if summer time warm water temps makes them more vulnerable to diseases. Both rivers can feel like bath water in July/August.

[cappy]

Fish Callicoon and below to Narrowsburg for smallmouth.

[Vance]

Hi, If you want smallness fish from Milford up up to Port Jervis. Put In at Milford beach ( now owned by the Fed. Gov.) and go up stream above where the Sawkill comes in you will probably need a 10 horse motor to get above the rapids that are above Milford beach. Start at Pa. side and go across rapids toward Jersey side. Once above the rapids go above where the Sawkill comes into the BigD. The Sawkill will be on your left as you travel up stream. It is good Walleye water also. Walleye best tasting fish there is. Bill the mailman

[lightenup]

IMG_20220706_234140_997.jpg (3.63 MiB) Viewed 14773 times

This one is from Spruce Run..so yes

[martalus]

That's a beautiful smallie! dont have perspective to tell how big it is, but it looks pretty big! What did it eat?

[lightenup]

That's a beautiful smallie! dont have perspective to tell how big it is, but it looks pretty big! What did it eat?

It was big, probably 18 inches, it ate a night crawler, also caught a large carp that had been run over by a boat, it's back was broken and healed, didn't fight very well?

[Fishybig]

The OP was in late june....i start targeting and get my biggest smallies of the yr usually starting about mid march...its after ice out, temps are slowly on the rise and they are hungry after a long winter hanging in their wintering holes....think big meals

[kype]

every summer is smallmouth season. always a great time wet wading. its a nice change of pace and get to throw large flys in moving water.

[martalus]

I love summer smallmouth wet wading. Unfortunately this year has been hit or miss for me in Maryland on the Potomac and tribs. I tend to do best in September when the weather is just starting to turn but water still warm enough to wet wade. I remember a remarkable mid September day last year on a Potomac trib of similar size/character to SBR in and around the gorge. It was not stop action with strikes on almost every cast on whatever we through at them. Me and a buddy caught dozens each-most in the 10-14 inch range with some bigger ones mixed in. We spooked some massive ones in the 18-20 inch range. I look forward to a similar day in the coming weeks!

september smallie fishing.jpg (659.89 KiB) Viewed 14001 times