If there’s a more exciting way to catch smallmouth than with a fly rod, I’ve yet to find it.
I’ve spent a lot of time fishing for smallmouths on the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers. I spent most of those years using live bait—minnows, hellgrammites and crawfish—and caught a lot of fish. As newer and more effective bass tackle appeared on the market, and with the push toward catch-and-release, I gradually switched over to artificials. Tackle boxes full of plugs, spinners and jigs replaced the minnow bucket and snelled hooks. But it wasn’t until I hooked up with an avid fly rodder that I finally wised up.
Bob Kunkel grew up on the Susquehanna and knew every rock, riffle and grass patch for miles, and his ability to catch bass with the fly rod excited me. I was amazed at the smashing strikes on his handmade poppers, not to mention the amount of fish he brought to the net. It was under Bob’s tutelage that I learned the pleasure of taking smallmouth bass on the long pole. Although fly rodders are definitely a minority on the river, there is a great smallmouth habitat especially suited to fishing with a fly rod.
Rather than deep holes and channels, I concentrate on shallower areas that are choked with cover—rocks, ledges, riffles, grass patches and islands. These areas attract larger fish hunting for their favorite forage, the crawfish.
Although fly rodding for trout can be sophisticated, popping for bass is really quite simple. My favorite lure is the cork-bodied popper in sizes from one-half inch to 1 inch long. Other fly rod lures like streamers, wooly worms, and wet and dry flies will also take bass, but there is nothing to match the excitement that comes when a bronzeback explodes out of the water after your bait and tail-walks across the water after feeling the sting of the hook.
Any cork-bodied popper will work, but those with a dished face that actually produce a “pop” on the water when twitched work best. The addition of a feathered tail and rubber legs considerably improves their effectiveness. I’ve had the most luck with white poppers, but there are days when the bass won’t even look at white. So carry a variety of colors and, if necessary, change colors until you find what works.
The type of water dictates the action. Shallow, still water calls for smaller poppers and a soft, quiet pop. Here, you need barely twitch the lure to trigger a strike. In faster waters, you can use bigger poppers and work them harder to produce the loud pop needed to attract fish.
Wind often can be a factor on the open water of a river, so a hefty rod and line are in order. I prefer an 8-foot rod matched with an 8-weight bass bug taper line. Leaders should be heavy enough to last the constant abrasion of rocks and other habitat. I prefer a 4-pound test leader of 7 feet.
Time of day matters little. Early morning and late evening, fish are actively seeking food in smaller, shallower water. During the heat of the day, look for smallmouths in deeper and cooler water with lots of oxygen. Fast riffles between rock ledges always hold fish.
About the only time the fly rod won’t work is when the water is high and muddy. In many tributaries, it doesn’t take long for the mud to empty after a hard rain. In most cases, the river will clear up in a few days.
Before then, you don’t have to quit fishing. Muddy water means it’s time to dust off the bait bucket. Minnows, night crawlers and crawfish will keep you in fish until it’s time again to pop their eyes out.
