Topwater Smallmouth Action

It was going to be a hot, late summer day with a cold front coming through tomorrow. The Labor Day weekend was over, so it was a perfect setup for a few hours on the water. I pulled into the South Chagrin Reservation around 6:30AM and had the place all to myself. Just how I like it. Lately, I’ve been stringing up two rods, one with a streamer, and the other with a topwater fly. I’ve learned that having two rods helps maximize fish time. This is helpful for someone like me who occasionally has problems with knots due to a tremor in my hands. I’ll start with the streamer but will quickly change to the topwater fly if the day starts slow. Today started slow, so a change was made, and things picked up right away.

One of the pools I work has a few large boulders that are completely submerged. This should provide good structure for smallmouth bass. After swinging and stripping the streamer through the pool with no takes it was time for the topwater slider. I sent the cast down and across and stripped in a little line, to let the fish know something is disturbing the water. I let the slider drift right over the boulders when a smallmouth attacked it. After a nice little fight the smallie found the net, and it was one for the good guys.

Resident smallmouth bass fooled by a topwater slider.

(Click on image for larger view.)

I moved downstream to work the water by an overhanging tree. Three casts later, another smallie hit the slider. This one put up a good fight as well, but in the end, it also found the net.

Another smallie in the net.

keepemwet

What a perfect combination; a 4 wt rod, a topwater fly, and a smallmouth bass.

Go out and fool a fish!