How do you catch smallmouth in the Susquehanna River?

Susquehanna River fishing is often best around sunrise and sunset, however, smallmouth bass can often be enticed to bite all day. Good live baits include minnows, or hellgrammites. Artificial baits like rubber worms or plastic crayfish imitations also work well on smallmouth bass.

What is the best bait for river smallmouth bass?

Crayfish, minnows and other invertebrates in natural colors are good soft plastics to use for smallmouth. A 4-inch mini lizard Texas rigged on a small worm hook works well. Senko rigged on a jighead or wacky rigged is versatile and can look like different types of bait.

Can you keep smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River?

Although its unusual name means “Oyster River” in the language of Lenape, these vast waters are a true fishing oasis. Some of the species you can target include Smallmouth Bass, Musky, Catfish, Sunfish, Carp, Yellow Perch, Walleye, and even Trout. Let’s take a look at some favorite catches along the river.

What month is best for smallmouth bass?

spring
Smallmouth fishing is generally better in the early spring than largemouth fishing might be, since smallmouths tend to be more active in cold water. Begin looking for them when the water temperature is in the mid-40s.

What do smallmouth eat in the Susquehanna River?

Crawfish, crayfish, crawdads, crabs, mudbugs, freshwater lobsters, or whatever you want to call them make up 80% of the diet of a smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River. Without crawfish, there would be no smallies. A good population of crawfish is a good indication that the water is pretty clean.

Where is the best fishing on the Susquehanna River?

Local hot spots include the mouth of the Chenango River, Murphy’s Island, Grippen Park, Hiawatha Island, the mouth of Owego Creek, and Baily’s Eddy. Catfish can be caught on live or dead baits fished in the deeper holes. Carp can be caught throughout the river.

What size hooks for smallmouth bass?

The smallmouth bass prefers a smaller hook (#4-1/0) and will typically bite on anything that moves.

Where do river smallmouth go in the winter?

“Smallmouth are cold-blooded creatures and they migrate to warmer water, which means deeper holes,” he said. Regardless of whether its rivers, streams, or lakes, smallmouth bass are going to head to deeper water for the winter, where water temperatures are a few degrees warmer.

What time of day are smallmouth most active?

During the day, smallmouth bass are most active first thing in the morning from dawn until mid-morning and in the late afternoon from 3 hours prior to sunrise until dusk. These reduced light periods afford bass a tactical advantage over prey like shad and crayfish which don’t see as well during these time windows.

Where do smallmouth bass hang out?

Smallmouth bass live in many habitats ranging from cool waters of rivers and streams to deep reservoirs and crystal-clear natural lakes. You can find smallmouth bass in waterways either above or below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Where do smallmouth spawn in rivers?

Ethan Hollifield: Smallmouth tend to spawn in the tail outs of pools or behind cover along the banks; they prefer areas where the bottom is free of silt and relatively sandy.

Do smallmouths bite in the cold?

If you know where to look, open-water smallmouth bass fishing can sometimes endure the entire winter, as long as you don’t mind ice in the rod guides and too frozen-to-tie fingertips.

What depth do you find smallmouth bass?

Smallmouth will spawn anywhere from 1-foot of water out to 20-feet at a typical range of 5-10 feet. After the spawn, they will stage in 8-10-feet and recover before moving into their summer pattern. Smallies will move to deeper water for the summer and even deeper before their fall transition.