Walcrabass Posted February 14, 2012 Posted February 14, 2012 Zarraspook, Straw Hat and Dutch are right on target!!! Let me add a couple of items. The thing about the BIG ROCKS by Bluff Ends and close to pea gravel is Smallmouth paradise. With deep water close by they are very likely to be there. I think staying around the dam and island area is a great idea!!Smallmouth are HUGE CRAWDAD EATERS. A tube is quite the ticket but so is a Stand Up Jig. Use one heavy enough to stay down there with them. Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin /Browns, Brown and Orange are true Smallmouth colors in a Soft Plastic Crawdad. Early in the year the Jig may not even need a skirt. Use a drop of Crawdad oil too. The other thing to remember is that they like Gold and Copper colors. I personally like to fish for them with a Brown and Orange Jig with with Copper Glitter in it. I will add a Pumpkin and Orange Claw Crawdad or a Green Pumpkin and Blue Claw Crawdad to it. If things have warmed up enough for a Spinnerbait bite remember the Gold and Copper Blades in Brown and Orange skirt patterns. Again I would advise to keep it down there with them so a single spin might be better. Same goes for the Gold/Brown/Copper suspending Rogues. If the water is still 45 degrees or less when you go I would use a Finesse Jig over a Full Skirt Jig. They just seem to pick it up better when the water is not real warm. Please post after your fishing trip.......we'll all enjoy hearing about it.
zarraspook Posted February 14, 2012 Author Posted February 14, 2012 Walcrabass, I have been looking a pictures of crawdads, on the internet, and had noticed that almost all have "some" gold/copper/orange on them... Some have just a few specks here and there, while others have big splashes of color.... I HAD a question about Stockton smallies prefering crawdad or shad ... I am convenced that crawdad is the way to go... Except at night and then a short arm spinner bait..... It is probely too much to hope for a topwater or jerk bait bite, this early in the year but, I always have one or the other tied on a second rod, year around... Thanks for the input and I will post any results .... "Look up OPTIMIST in the dictionary - there is a picture of a fishing boat being launched"
straw hat Posted February 14, 2012 Posted February 14, 2012 Walcrabass, I have been looking a pictures of crawdads, on the internet, and had noticed that almost all have "some" gold/copper/orange on them... Some have just a few specks here and there, while others have big splashes of color.... I HAD a question about Stockton smallies prefering crawdad or shad ... I am convenced that crawdad is the way to go... Except at night and then a short arm spinner bait..... It is probely too much to hope for a topwater or jerk bait bite, this early in the year but, I always have one or the other tied on a second rod, year around... Thanks for the input and I will post any results .... Given a one one one choice a smallmouth would prefer a shad and when the wind blowes the shad up on a rocky bank they sure will fill with them. BUT, remember in the spring most of the shad from the year before have now grown too large for most smallmouth to feed on. Studies have shown that smallies will feed primarily on craws and insects with minnows in third place. This pattern holds until small shad arrive in late spring. In other words, Walcrabass, as usual, is dead on with the colors.
zarraspook Posted February 15, 2012 Author Posted February 15, 2012 Hyde, I have caught a lot of bass on the wiggle wart... A few smallmouth at Table Rock but, none on Stockton... A ton of Largemouth and some Kentuckys on both lakes... But, while I am searching, I will make sure to have one tied on..... Thanks "Look up OPTIMIST in the dictionary - there is a picture of a fishing boat being launched"
Dutch Posted February 15, 2012 Posted February 15, 2012 If I could only have one bait to use for smallmouth, it would be a green pumpkin tube. Some days it isn't the hottest bait you can have on but day in and day out they will hit that thing.
zarraspook Posted February 15, 2012 Author Posted February 15, 2012 Dutch, I just moved the "green pumpkin tube" to the top off my shopping list..... Thanks.... "Look up OPTIMIST in the dictionary - there is a picture of a fishing boat being launched"
Guest csfishinfool Posted February 15, 2012 Posted February 15, 2012 The best smallmouth bite I have ever had at Stockton came on a buzzbait in october up there. It was unreal, probably caught 20 - 30 smallies on it. Probably only six or seven keepers though. They would crush it. That was a really good time
zarraspook Posted February 15, 2012 Author Posted February 15, 2012 csfishfool, It is starting to sound like fall would be the time for me (zarraspook) to fish for the smallmouth at stockton !!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the input ... With all the good information I have got, I might give up on the Largemaonth and start fishing Smallmouth YEAR AROUND......... "Look up OPTIMIST in the dictionary - there is a picture of a fishing boat being launched"
mic Posted February 15, 2012 Posted February 15, 2012 Zarra, Your signature tag just made me bust a gut (AT&F...). I've got to get a bumper sticker with that on it. A lot off topic, but my all time favorite was a bumper sticker on a car in a work parking lot. I walked past it for weeks if not months and it read in big red bold print: JESUS LOVES YOU. One day a car forced me next to the car. I looked down and in very small black print, read: But everyone else thinks your an a$$hole. I must of looked pretty stupid, because I almost crapped myself laughing so hard. Anyway, great tag.
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