(Update w/pics) Topwaters for Stream Smallmouth

[Al Agnew]

Up in the North Country this week, I finally gave up on the walking baits I'd been using, even though they were catching fish, because the fish were getting all three treble hooks in them and boating 17-20 inch smallies on steroids without a net was almost impossible.  I'm getting a net before I use them again.

[joeD]

As I have stated before,  there is a huge difference between working a top water standing on a jet boat, or, sitting on a canoe seat.  The angle and ease of movement of the former is significant. 

Still, any and all topwater lures are always on a rod of mine.

Your complaints of constant twisted trebles on big fish fall on deaf ears.

So, what you're saying is, screw Missouri, and go to X......

[Al Agnew]

Heck no! To me the North Country is for the occasional vacation strictly for the fishing, but the total experience of fishing Ozark rivers is what I enjoy most. The fish aren't as big but the rivers make up for that.

[Coosa]

Most of what I have to say on the subject has already been said so I will go to "time of day" which hasn't been discussed much here.  I have personally never had much luck smallie fishing topwaters early in the morning. As a matter of fact I don't really even go early anymore because it just seems like i don't do well. Its possible this could be because i dont have real good smallie water close to me so im not fishing great water when i do go early. And its hard for me to get to good smallie water early without leaving earlier than i like. I usually have to drive a couple hours or more.   Now afternoon is a different story. My favorite time for topwaters smallmouth is by far the dead of summer in the middle of the day. THE HOTTER THE BETTER. When it gets into the upper 90s or 100 you can bet if I'm not working im headed south! It just seems to me that when the water gets low, And the temps get hot,  the smallies get MEAN & AGGRESSIVE 

[Al Agnew]

Coosa, I almost agree with you...SOMETIMES and some streams, they hit topwater better in the early morning, but most of the time it's definitely a mistake to put the topwaters away in the middle of the day.  I think to some extent it has to do with the amount of traffic and fishing pressure the water gets; heavily pressured waters tend to be a little more likely to be better early.  Smaller, more lightly pressured waters, middle of the day is usually as good or better than early morning.

I think there are a lot of myths and misconceptions concerning stream smallmouth fishing, and one of the big ones is that mid-summer hot weather isn't as good.  LIke you, some of my best days each year are always during the hottest part of the summer.  Fact is, fish are cold-blooded critters whose bodies are the same temperature as the water, always.  The warmer the water is, the higher their metabolism is, at least until it gets so hot that they get stressed.  Smallies can be very active at water temps up into the high 80s, and most Ozark streams seldom if ever get any hotter than that.  I've stumbled upon streams that had water temps up around 90 degrees, and then the fish do go rather dormant, seeking out any kind of cooler water--I've found them snugged up to the downstream edges of gravel bars, where water seeping through the gravel comes out at a cooler temperature.  But up to that point, they will be active and aggressively feeding more often because they have to feed that metabolism.

Which also always makes me question the conventional wisdom that says they feed heavily in the fall to "fatten up" for winter.  As water temps cool, their metabolism slows.  In the winter they burn a LOT fewer calories.  The big females finish developing their eggs in the winter, though they will already be somewhat developed by fall, but otherwise, they really don't need to feed all that much to maintain whatever weight they put on in the fall.  And...that "fattening up"?  Have you ever seen fat on bass?  I really doubt that they build up fat reserves, they build up muscle mass, and lose some of it under duress and starvation regimes.  Anyway, they are doing other stuff in the fall, especially moving to wintering pools, and while they do feed, sometimes heavily, I've never found that they feed MORE heavily in the fall than in the summer.  If they feed reasonably well in the fall (and in the fall, most of their food base is as big as it gets after a summer of growth), their slowing metabolism perhaps allows them to add some muscle mass during the fall, but it's not a matter of stuffing themselves like grizzly bears to get through the winter.

[Johnsfolly]

4 hours ago, Coosa said:

I usually have to drive a couple hours or more.   Now afternoon is a different story. My favorite time for topwaters smallmouth is by far the dead of summer in the middle of the day. THE HOTTER THE BETTER. When it gets into the upper 90s or 100 you can bet if I'm not working im headed south! It just seems to me that when the water gets low, And the temps get hot,  the smallies get MEAN & AGGRESSIVE 

Coosa - I have the same experience with low water smallmouth. I also have caught some of my largest brown trout between 10 am and 2 pm as well. I often have wondered if that was because of the time of day or because I wade fish and that I finally have reached water that is far enough away from the access to get to low pressured fish.

[OzarkFishman]

Smallmouth topwater bite is always best for me ANYTIME on the great Ozark creeks/rivers we have. I do best in shallow runs (moving but not breaking), the convergence right before a riffle, and mid-depth pools. I do not ever focus on the time of day for topwater on Ozark rivers (largemouth are a different story).

To me, the depth of water and speed of water matter the most. Others on here catch way more smallmouth than me, so listen to them.

As far as bait, I am a fan of fishing soft plastics on top. Try different ones out and see how they walk, crawl or move as you bring them back. Also, the smaller Whopper Plopper and buzzbaits work well for me.

[TroutRinger]

Original post updated with pics

[ColdWaterFshr]

Nice update.  Couple comments:

1)  be a man and get rid of the boga grip/fish scale gizmo

2)  buzz bait fish usually strike so hard they don't miss

[TroutRinger]

21 minutes ago, ColdWaterFshr said:

Nice update.  Couple comments:

1)  be a man and get rid of the boga grip/fish scale gizmo

Hell no!!! lol

I haven't used that gripper for at least 10 years, but I am glad I brought it this time. The last thing I needed was a hand or leg full of treble hooks while kayaking solo.