CHILLED BUT NOT FROZEN
Originally appeared in Bassmaster Magazine winter of 2003. 

Cold-weather smallmouth fishing on northern rivers. 
By Darl Black

 “No, I’m not backing the trailer down the ramp to break the ice!” I said emphatically.  “Did that last year and broke the trailer lights.” 

 My wife Marilyn and I were surveying the thick ice sheet on the water behind the short riprap wall that protected the river ramp from the main current.  I held a splintered wooden boat paddle in one hand – the result of my failed attempt to break up the ice. 

 The river color and flow looked perfect.  With only eight feet of ice separating us from smallmouth Nirvana, Marilyn was not going to let this opportunity pass.  Given the extended forecast of below freezing temperatures, the river would ‘chunk up’ with ice, perhaps putting an end to the fishing season. 

 Marilyn reached into the boat and grabbed the smaller of two anchors.  “Stand back!”

 Grasping the rope about 1-1/2 feet above the anchor, she began a pendulum swing.  At the apex of the fourth swing, she let go of the rope.  The anchor crashed onto the frozen water, fracturing the ice in all directions.  Retrieving the anchor, she repeated the procedure, this time breaking through.  She passed the anchor to me to finish the job. 

 Within minutes the backwater looked like a slush drink.  Ten minutes later we were cruising down river to our first stop.  And within fifteen minutes we had connected with our first smallmouth, then a second and a third.  That weighty breakthrough resulted in an action-packed day of smallmouth fishing that almost didn’t happen!

 Some Like It Cold

 Each fall northern bass anglers must face the reality of approaching winter.  Some choose early hibernation, sulking around indoors by the fire.  Others choose to flee southward to warmer climates.  But being neither groundhog or snow bird, I choose another option: river fishing for cold-water smallmouth. 

 Winter in many northern states has become a fickle season.  With recent winters milder than decades ago, sometimes the rivers freeze and sometimes they don’t.  However, there is always cold water with temperatures dropping into the 30s. 

 But the majority of bass anglers don’t wait until the first signs of ice to throw in the towel.  However, water temperature in the 40s is more a psychological barrier for anglers than a physiological barrier for river smallmouth.

 “When it comes to cold water temperatures, there is something special about flowing-water smallmouth compared to largemouth in lakes or reservoirs,” notes Rob Genter, a CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open participant and self-described river rat.  “With water temperatures in the 40s, the largemouth bass bite in northern lakes slows down.  But on free-flow rivers like the Allegheny in western Pennsylvania, smallmouth are in the midst of a late season feed.  The river bite continues until edge ice forms along the banks and eventually prevents launching.  As long as the river doesn’t turn to chocolate milk and go over the banks, I really don’t know if the water gets too cold to catch smallmouth.”

 “All those fair-weather bass anglers just don’t get it,” says Max McAllister, a smallmouth guide on the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania.  “They apparently think because bass are classified as warmwater species that means bass don’t bite in cold water.  But my best day on the Susquehanna in the past decade for quality fish was in 37-degree water.

 “On that day another guide and I were fun fishing, in part because clients are few and far between once cold weather sets in.  We were throwing hair jigs to a ‘nothing’ bank that caught my attention because of the way current was sweeping by it.  We quit counting after 75 smallmouth had been brought to net.  Twenty-three of those fish were over 3 pounds and seven were over 4 pounds.  The biggest one of the day actually tail-walked across the surface when hooked.  And all those fish came from a 30 to 40 yard stretch of river.  This is why anglers should not put away their tackle in the fall!”

 Signs of the Times

 As water temperature takes a downward slide, smallmouth shift both their location and food preference.  Smallies move from areas of faster, heavier current to slower, more protected water.  They also switch from a varied summer diet to eating primarily baitfish. 

 Since weather patterns vary significantly from year to year, it’s difficult to put a specific date to the transition.  Anglers who routinely fish rivers recognize the impending change and make the necessary adjustments.  But for anglers who only fish rivers occasionally, McAllister’s advice is to watch for nature’s signs. 

 “One obvious sign is when the leaves have fallen from the trees.  That’s the time big fish begin to bite,” says McAllister.  “Or if you notice numbers of duck hunters headed to the river (meaning the flights are in), that’s usually a good sign that the coldwater bite is underway.  Also, when ‘flying spiders’ appear – that species that floats on air currents with a strand of webbing – that’s another indicator the time is right.”

 Genter takes a different approach.  “I definitely read signs in order to plan my trip – the Internet signs.  I click a website that carries water flow and water temperature for my local river.”

 Regardless which signs you follow, serious river rats agree on the progression of water temperature and corresponding lure presentations for each stage of the cool down.

 Early stage: low 50s dropping to about 45 degrees.  Some smallmouth begin moving towards winter-over locations, yet good numbers of bass are still relating to faster current and shallower water.  River smallies of all sizes are aggressive and chasing, so a wide array of baits may produce, including topwater, hard and soft jerkbaits, lipless rattle baits, spinnerbaits, tube jigs and crankbaits. 

 Mid stage: 45 to 40 degrees: The bite is strong for big fish, but smaller bass are somewhat less aggressive.  Far fewer bass are in riffle locations.  Anglers focus on areas of milder current and deeper water.  Lures should be worked a little slower.  Drifting presentations are effective.  Suspended jerkbaits and weighted soft jerkbaits will take fish with regularity.  A tube, grub or hair jig should be tied on one rod all the time.  Small blade baits can be effective in deeper pools.

 Late stage: 40 degrees and below: Smallies have completed the transition to wintering holes, pockets, and eddies.  The big fish continue to feed, but are bottom oriented and rarely rise to shallow-running baits.  Contact baits are the lure of choice, worked with slow swimming or bottom bouncing retrieves.  Tubes, grubs and hair jigs become the standard bearers for anglers.  Blade baits have an important role, as do suspending jerkbaits from time to time.  For some anglers, live bait comes into play.

 Bass Location

 “Riverine smallmouth are deeper during the coldwater period than the summer -- but river depth is relative,” McAllister explains.  “A three-foot depth on the river may be equal to 30 feet in a lake.  Many wintering spots for smallies on the Susquehanna are pockets only 6 to 8 feet deep.  The individual river environment influences or limits smallmouth location.”

 “Getting out of strong flow areas is the most critical factor for smallies when the water drops into the low 40s,” states Genter.  “During the summer, you can literally kick 3-pound smallies out from behind rocks in shallow fast water – but not in the coldwater period.  Bass migrate to more protected areas such as holes, side eddies, deep runs with obstacles to break current, or slower moving pools that have the right bottom content.” 

 On the subject of migrating bass, inquisitive anglers are referred to a Pennsylvania Fish Commission study of tagged bass in the Susquehanna watershed.  A few smallies in the study traveled substantial distances – up to 50 river miles – from spawning sites to winter sites.  Wintering sites included a small, meandering tributary with deep-cut pools just upstream of the juncture with the Susquehanna.  The findings are similar to river smallmouth studies in other northern states.

 “On the free-flow Middle Allegheny, we do not have tributaries with deep holes that might attract winter bass,” Genter stresses.  “However, we do have some main river dredge holes where sand & gravel was removed several decades ago.  These pools tend to concentrate bass over the winter in greater numbers than a natural eddy.  However, depending on the particular river section, you might find wintering smallmouth at depths from 8 to 18 feet.” 

 As temperatures drop through the 40s, McAllister eliminates grass beds and heavy current spots from his fishing itinerary on the Susquehanna.  That includes staying away from the heads of islands that are so productive in the summer, and focusing efforts on the sides and downstream ends of islands if deeper water is immediately adjacent. 

 When the water level is up, he continues to target shoreline eddies and current breaks that are only 2 to 4 feet from the bank even in the coldest water temperatures.  However, if the water is low, he directs more attention to mid river ledges and boulder outcroppings with deepwater pockets behind them.  “The eddy behind a single offshore boulder the size of a boat may hold 5 to 15 smallies,” notes McAllister.

 Chilly Presentations

 Soft jerkbaits – “A Fluke-type lure is one of the most versatile baits for a river smallmouth angler,” claims Genter.  “It can be fished near the surface or at any depth with an erratic injured bait action.  In cold water, a soft jerkbait with a tad of added weight is the perfect do-nothing drift bait.  The angler should employ only an occasional rod tip twitch.  Below 45 degrees, substituted a 4 or 4-1/2 inch model for a standard 6-inch bait.  Fishing a soft jerkbait with a thin-diameter braided line and spinning gear will increase bite detection on a slack line drift.”

 Suspending hard jerkbaits – As fall turns to winter, McAllister always has a hard jerkbait tied to a rod.  He starts out with a full-size jerkbait at 50 degrees, and downsizes as the water cools.  McAllister insists on natural baitfish finishes.  Of equal importance is the retrieve cadence.  “For example, in 45-degree water a year ago I had a client go down the bank with a ‘twitch, twitch, pause’ cadence.  He ended up landing 8 quality bass.  We motored up for another pass, and this time his ‘twitch, twitch, pause’ didn’t produce.  However, my hard ‘sweep-pause’ routine did.  Lesson?  Be willing to change tempo to what the bass want.” 

 Tubes – ‘Never leave home without them’ is the motto of river anglers when it comes to tubes.  Tube jigs are productive at the top of the temperature slide as well as the bottom.  Light translucent colors (smoke with flake, clear with sparkle, light browns and shiner patterns) are productive in clearer water, while darker colors (green pumpkin, dark browns – sometimes with a hint of chartreuse on the tips) are productive in dingy water.  “The critical thing is to match the weight of the insert head to the current and depth,” stresses Genter.  “You don’t want the bait dragging bottom on a retrieve, but rather moving with the current.  Use a heavy enough head to get it down, but not so heavy that it becomes an anchor.  The slender 3-1/2 finesse models produce best in cold water.”

 Grubs – River anglers find action-tail grubs more productive in a slightly off-color river.  A curl-tail or thumper tail generates water movement that may help bass zero in on the bait.  Retrieve steadily with current, at angles to current, or even upstream.  This sets grub presentations apart from the ‘with current’ presentation of tubes.

 Hair jigs – “I use a hair jig when water temperature is low and the clarity is high.  It is the most subtle of the coldwater baits,” explains McAllister.  He avoids deer hair jigs because the hair is buoyant and overly stiff.  Instead he opts for artificial craft hair jigs that have better undulation in the water.  “I never use a trailer on hair, and sometimes I trim the hair back to the bend in the hook to reduce the profile.  Hair jigs may represent a minnow, insect or crawfish – it is whatever the bass thinks it is.  Although I fish hair jigs in variety of hues, the standard black & blue remains my ‘go to’ color when all else fails.”

 Blade bait – Often overlooked, vibrating blade baits are extremely effective in the coldwater period.  A ¼ to 3/8-ounce compact metal can be ‘burped’ off the bottom with a slight upward twitch of the rod tip as opposed to a sweep.  Although a fantastic bottom-hugging bait for winter bass, blades have a high snag-rate in river environments.

 This winter dress in warm layers, take an extra pair of gloves, and head to the river!

Past Articles

EAST MEETS WEST ON LAKE ERIE
TACKLING RIVER SMALLMOUTH IN THE FALL
INDIGENOUS BAIT
SUPER SHALLOW SUMMER
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
CRANKY SMALLMOUTH
TINY TORPEDO
LAKE ERIE “BEST” FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS
HOW TO CATCH THE BIGGEST SMALLMOUTH OF YOUR LIFE
IN QUEST OF CENTER HILL SMALLMOUTH
LOVE THOSE HELLGRAMMITES!