Stalking smallmouth bass in creeks and small rivers is a top summertime angling opportunity. Trout are great. Bass are, too. Bluegills, catfish, and even carp, are fun to catch. But, in my opinion, nothing beats the “bronzeback,” especially when you’re catching smallmouth on the surface while standing knee deep in moving water at dawn or dusk.
Smallmouth bass are native to Midwest and are found in creeks and rivers throughout. Some regions are more blessed than others, and I am biased to the Ozarks. The Current, Jacks Fork, Eleven Point, Black, Bourbeuse, Big Piney, Huzzah, Niangua, North Fork, James and Meramec are just a few of the many rivers and creeks flowing through Missouri’s wild and scenic landscape where smallmouth bass are found.
Each of these rivers offers breathtaking scenery and strong populations of smallmouth bass. Crystal clear spring fed waters aren’t the only allure to the area. Wild turkeys and white-tailed deer abound along these rivers. Bald eagles, black bears, elk, wild horses and river otters all make frequent appearances. Undoubtedly, the rivers of the Ozarks are some of the most pristine and precious water resources found anywhere in the world.
The Ozark Scenic National Riverways (OSNR) was the first national park in America to protect a river system. The Current River and Jacks Fork River, comprise the 84,000-acre Ozark Scenic National Riverways (OSNR). The treasures of this region should draw people from all across the country, much like the way Yellowstone and the Great Smoky Mountains draw tourists. The Ozarks offer the outdoorsman all they could possibly desire and are within a day’s drive of most Americans. With the opening of Echo Bluffs State Park on Sinking Creek, there is another magnificent reason to visit the Ozarks. This creek offers exceptional smallmouth fishing right in the park.
Smallmouth are usually facing upstream. So, with their nose in the current, they’ll be on the downstream side of objects, where they rest out of the stress of the current. Therefore, you want to fish upstream. Enter the water downstream from where you expect a fish to be. Keep quiet and move slowly. Then cast above the likely spot and work your bait downstream. If you work from above the fish, you’ll be more likely to spook fish.
When I’m wade fishing for smallmouth, I’m sight fishing. This means I’m actually looking for fish and then work out a plan to catch any I spot. I’m also looking for spots that are obvious locations for a smallmouth for hiding, like behind a boulder, beside a log, or at the tail end of a riffle.
When I spot a fish, I cast out in front of where the fish is holding. If it’s weighted, I let it settle to the bottom. Then try to work it into an area the size of a basketball hoop in front of the fish. Pop it a couple of times to get the fish’s attention, then prepare for a strike. When you see the bass suck in your bait, set the hook and hold on.
Smallmouth bass feed on minnows, insects and crustaceans. Baits should imitate what smallmouth eat, like minnows, crayfish, leeches and frogs. Soft plastics and jigs worked on the bottom. Spinner baits and inline spinners like Rooster Tails worked along obvious structure. Swimbaits and curly tail grubs picked into deeper pockets and retrieved through the shallows. All of these options catch smallmouth bass. My favorite way to catch smallmouth, though, is working a topwater bait, like a Jitterbug or a Whopper Plopper, across the surface at lowlight. Smallmouth attack ferociously and fight like they’re twice as big as they are.
Polarized sunglasses, a net, and waders or wading shoes are important pieces of equipment when pursuing moving water smallmouth bass. Polarized sunglasses help when searching for fish along the shore or in shallow water bays. You can try lipping all your bass, but you’ll lose some to head shakes, so using a net is best. Barefoot is dangerous. A good pair of wading shoes is highly recommended when stalking in the water. You don’t want to take any chances of cutting your feet on an old bottle or piece of metal.
See you down the trail…
Brandon Butler
driftwoodoutdoors@gmail.com
Pic: Ron Kruger with smallmouth bass caught while wade fishing an Ozark creek.
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