Would you like to be a guest author? Click HERE.

Home | Articles | Message Forum

Low Water Tactics for Smallies
by Marc Hutchison

During the past several years I have had to battle against very high water conditions which pretty much ruled out any float trips and/or wading opportunities. By extreme contrast, this year proved to be a complete different set of obstacles to battle.....extreme low water levels. These conditions have led to bone-dry rivers and streams resulting in my having to execute different tactics to land the bronzeback. First, I want to put one myth to rest. I have always heard you cannot catch smallies during low water conditions. You most certainly can catch smallies, and nice ones too, during these conditions by knowing where the smallies will be holding and feeding. Once you determine their location, you must be very patient, use stealthy tactics, and execute very long casts. This will help in preventing the smallies from scattering due to the "spooked" factor.

The following information may seem very elementary, but using these tactics may increase your catches during low water conditions. This year I have concentrated on three main river structures:

• Fishing around grass beds.
• Fishing in front of, along side, and behind islands.
• Fishing the pools and eddies after rapids/riffles.

I generally try to ease my way to within 20 yards of the grass bed, cast my lure a few yards past the bed, and retrieve it along side the bed. Many times the smallies will attack the lure as it hits the surface of the water. A word of caution......be very careful not to get too close to the grass beds. I have spooked some very nice bronzers including a few very close to the "M & M" class (the magical/mystical 20+ inchers)!!!

Fishing all around river islands may also produce quite a few smallies during low water conditions. Start by fishing the area in front of the island. A lot of smallies will be on "alert status" in this area waiting for food to drift by them. After fishing the front, start working your way down the side of the island. Toss your lure right up to the edge of the island and bring it back to you. Many times the smallies will be holding in the calmer water along the edge and will attack your lure as it is brought out of the calmer water into the heavier flowing water. Don't forget to concentrate your efforts at the end of the island as well. A lot of food will wash down the sides of the island and will settle down river behind the island. The smallies gather around this point as if it is a Pizza Hut lunch buffet!

Many times during extreme low water conditions, you will have to try and find the deepest holes. If possible, try to find the pools and eddies located just after rapids and large riffles. This type of structure has proven to be very successful in catching nice smallies during low water conditions.

Due to weather variables and anglers' preferences, I did not concentrate on lure selection for this article. For the record, I prefer plastics and in-line spinners during extreme low water river conditions. The above mentioned tactics are just a guide that may help you locate and land smallies during low water conditions, they are in no way a panacea for low river smallie success.