Smallmouth questions

I am planning on starting my fishing season within the next 2 weeks and will try putting in the Merrimack at the Pawtucket BLVD. ramp in Lowell. There is supposed to be decent smallmouth fishing in that stretch. The only times I have fished for them in the past I have used an inline spinner (Blue Fox Vibrax) and fished the shoreline. Where I am hitting a new location, is this a good option? I figure that I can cover a lot of water with it. Apparently, that section and up towards NH has smallies, largemouth, and pike. I think the first trip will have me casting toward the shore. Any suggestions/input/ personal experience from that section is appreciated.

Thanks,

Charlie

Smallmouth love crayfish...so I would try anything like - Rebel Crawfish, jigs, live crayfish etc. I used to fish the Mohawk River in NY when I lived there, and always did well with crayfish imitators, or the real deal.

The only smallmouths I have ever caught have been on the merrimack. and I was using an Aglia Long Inline Spinner. (Size 2 I think it was).

I was down in Lawrence, but the smallies are up that portion of the river too I hear.

If you're up for a drive, Lake Merrymeeting in NH has a ton of smallmouth. They should be bedding real soon. If you check out my pics, you can see the slobs I caught there. Mostly on senkos. Merrymeeting is really clear to bring lifelike colors. $15 for an all year freshwater permit.

Sounds great...the longer it takes me to get out, the more over-thinking I tend to do. I am assume the water will be stained and will definitely try the suggested lure types. When you guys are throwing spinners are you using braided line or mono?

Charlie

throw 3" tubes in brown, rust, orange, etc. Match early season craw's. I've been fishing the delaware river for smallies for the past month, and nothing beats a tube for them. Put a 1/8 oz jighead in it if slow flor, 1/4 oz if fast flow, lift your rod and let it helicopter down on the drop, and smallies will nail it. You can also hop it in coves/flats and the smallies will nail it. Only time I've ever had luck with tubes.

thanks heron...i have never tried tubes. i will pick some up. are you guys sticking with natural colors even in stained water?

everybody's techniques are great. You can also try jerk-baits,spinner-baits,top-water ect. Sometimes they'll crush a fast moving bait then an hr later they won't. if they are spawning throw any soft plastic and they'll grab it and run away. Try some different baits to find what you like and good luck.

You're right, don't overthink it! Keep it simple and you'll do fine. Everyone has given great suggestions. Inline spinners are a great smallie bait, so bring a few of them. And the crayfish tip is right on the money. Jigs and tubes! My preference are the Strike King coffee tubes and an internal jighead (internal heads make a better crayfish imitation than a Texas-rigged tube). Matzuo makes an excellent tube jighead. They come with super sharp hooks, a rattle and are dirt cheap. $1.99 at Dick's for an 8 pack. that's easily $2 less than all others. As far as colors for the tubes and jigs, keep it simple too. Dark water use dark colors: blacks, blues, dark brown even. Clear water go as natural as you can greens (pumpkin, watermelon), brown, and smoke colors. if it's overcast i'll use the same colors but with flash or glitter in them. As far as line goes, use what you are comfortable with. Maybe bring some flouro if it's really rocky, because rocks will shear your braid in a second. I started doing that this year (15 lb spiderwire flouro leader) and it has saved me a ton of lures already. I wouldn't worry about using strictly flouro unless the water is super clear, unless thats what you prefer. Bottom line, go have fun buying your tackle and then go have fun fishing with it!!

These are what the tube-jigheads I've been using look like. I also like how they have a 60 degree line tie instead of 90. I like the action you get a little better and you get a stronger hookset.

Great! Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The Merrimack is flowing at 19,000 cfs just below The confluence of the Concord River. I have been reading much about the river lately and the stretches between 93 and Lowell Dam and above it into NH seem very promising.

Charlie

Great! Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The Merrimack is flowing at 19,000 cfs just below The confluence of the Concord River. I have been reading much about the river lately and the stretches between 93 and Lowell Dam and above it into NH seem very promising.

Charlie

Best of luck!
Definitely let us know how you do. I have fished above the Pawtucket dam a few times from shore (on both sides of the river, Pawtucket Blvd and Pawtucket St.,within a mile of the dam) but never got anything, only below the dam. They are surely in there though I've seen pics and heard plenty of stories.

Just giving you an update guys. I posted a trip about yesterday's outing. I headed upstream from the Wotton St. ramp in Chelmsford. I met a couple of guys who were practicing for a tourney there next weekend. I don't think that I motored more than a mile up when I saw a line of exposed rocks on the outside of Tyng's Island. I missed 2 decent fish then stuck 5 smallies and a sunfish. All of the fish were light in their coloration...I mean the bass surprised me as I thought they would be darker in dark water. All of the fish were caught on a gold #2 vibrafox in line spinner that I had. I had the 2 missed fish on a Strike King square billed crawfish hard bait. I did not get anything on tube baits but will chalk that up to inexperience. Overall, I spent about 3 hours on a tiny section of the river.

That river is busy. Granted, it was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, but it was nuts at times. Some were courteous, but others were ambivalent about the wakes they were throwing. I few times I had to quickly stop my retrieve and point the bow toward the wakes.

Thanks for all of your input.

Charlie

but others were ambivalent about the wakes they were throwing.

I've had that happen to me while fishing the Charles from shore. It's really inconsiderate.