Sacramento area Smallmouth ...

[David Lee]

Hi guys , any fans of Smallmouth Bass out there ??
Living here in Sac. , we are lucky to have several good Smallmouth waters within a 30 minute drive . Some of the best are urban creeks that almost NO ONE fish . I've no idea why they don't get hit more often , in the mid-west they are very popular .
Could it be that with all of the Salmon , Steelhead , Stripers , Shad .... no one has the time ??
Thinkin' out loud , again ....

[Darian]

Hi David,...... Lotsa good fishing in this area. So, what you say is true. I haven't done a lot of creek fishing for some time (gettin' too old/creaky joints). Mostly, fishing out of some kind of flotation. One of my favorites for spring is fly fishing for bluegill/crappie, etc.

I know several people who love to fish for smallmouth but do so in Lake Berryesa or the Feather and American Rivers out of a boat. I've never fished the Yuba for smallmouth but I've talked to several people who've fished them just outside of Marysville (also, out of a boat). Personally, I'd rather fish in uncrowded waters. So, tend to look for lakes, ponds or rivers to do my own fishing. There's some good ponds in the wildlife area on the Feather for bass/sunfish. Actually, there's too many of my favorites to name here.

Pound for pound smallies outperfom most other game fish when hooked. I guess I'm one of those who just haven't gone after them since I left the midwest a long time ago. I'm gonna change that this year! Any data on productive local waters would be appreciated.

[Hairstacker]

Good morning David! Come March, smallmouths will be at the very top of my list! As an aside, I was thinking and hoping over the last couple days that this board would establish a "Warmwater Fish" section, where you and I could post the pictures of all those smallmouths we're going to slay (er, catch and release) this spring.

"Guest" -- it is my understanding that most of the valley rivers and creeks and foothill lakes have smallies, particularly those that have cooler water able to sustain trout. As the water gets too warm year-round to sustain trout, you move into strictly largemouth water. That's my impression anyway. If you study the maps and, better yet, search the archive articles at fishsniffer.com, you will locate many smallie waters for your consideration.

[Jay M]

Hey David,

I'll be in town on Wednesday thru Sunday. I'm not tying in the fly tying theater until Sat and Sunday. If you are planning a day or two at the show, let me know and we can get together and talk for a while.

Jay

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have caught some in a few rivers but would love to really catch a nice one.

I accidently caught a 5 pounder while fishing for stripers in the '70s at night at the mouth of the Feather River on an 11 weight Lamiglass rod with a leadcore head and a 7" black eel fly. I did not even realize what it was till I had it in my hand.

Over the years (39) in the fishing tackle business in Sacramento I have heard lots of stories about the Smallmouth in rivers. Here are the ones I think have them:

Russian River
Lower Feather River
Lower Yuba River
NF American River above Auburn
Weber Creek off the SF of the American River
Many little tributaries of the Sacramento River above Sacramento
Lower Bear River
Lower Cosumnes River
Lower Mokelumne river
Lower Stanislaus River
Lower Merced River ***
Cache Creek
Upper Putah Creek above Lake Berryessa

The harder it is to get there, the more likely there will be some larger ones. I heard they like a lot of structure in rivers too.

I am going to go back east at prime time and have Bob Clouser guide me on his river for Smallmouth.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

More than a few times I have heard that the Smallmouth in the lower Feather River are very active in August.

a while ago I was also told by Mike Fong that the lower Feather River needed to have it's flow down to summer levels before they really got hunger.

I talked with local jet boat guide Jack Adan from Woodland about Smallmouth on the lower Feather River. He said he would launch in Yuba City where the Feather and Yuba meet and go upstream in the Feather. He said there was a lot of down trees in that area that heald Smallmouth.

I do believe in the summer that they will be way more active in the early AM and late PM or even at night.

Jeff Putnam and 3 friends from The Fly Shop in Redding floated the lower Feather River a few Springs ago in maybe April? The water had been shut down just before they left in 2 drift boats. It took them 3 days to float and camp from Star Bend downsream over 20 miles to the mouth of the Feather River near Verona. They saw tons of small fish (minnows) of many species so the Smallmouth and Stripers have lots to eat there.

This area would make a great multi-day floating, fishing and camping trip this summer?

[Jgoding]

Quite some years ago on the Sacramento River when the flows were way way low in the summer my brother caught (and released) a smallmouth around 6lbs by Knights Landing. We both caught some smaller fish as well, but I mean the water was lower than I've ever seen it we could see all the big rocks that made nice riffles which were normally non-visible and under water. You just have to find the right conditions, on one day 3 of us caught largemouth, striper, crappie, catfish, bluegill, other misc. sunfish and even a carp fishing in the exact same spot.

Jeff

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Quite some years ago on the Sacramento River when the flows were way way low in the summer my brother caught (and released) a smallmouth around 6lbs by Knights Landing. We both caught some smaller fish as well, but I mean the water was lower than I've ever seen it we could see all the big rocks that made nice riffles which were normally non-visible and under water. You just have to find the right conditions, on one day 3 of us caught largemouth, striper, crappie, catfish, bluegill, other misc. sunfish and even a carp fishing in the exact same spot.

Jeff

A tributary near by might have all but dried up forcing them into the bigger Sacramento river?

Thanks Jeff

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have heard that the Smallmouth, like in Shasta are being displaced but Spots.

Another place that has Samllmouth and maybe Spots is the lower reaches of the Upper Sacramento River just above Shasta Lake in the late summer.

Another place is the Mokelumne River flowing into Pardee Reservoir. That arm of the lake has Smallies so the river above should be loaded.