Smallies

Hey guys

I have been catching good numbers of fat smallmouth already this spring on the Cedar. It seems a bit early for them, but I am not complaining. Last Saturday I caught a 18″,17 1/2″, and two 15″. Has anyone else been picking up some of these springtime smallies

I have only been out once in the last few weeks, and then it was just a quick trip to the mouth of Indian creek because it’s close to home. I’ve heard the smallmouth fishing gets pretty good there during the hot months because it’s a cold water creek, but nothing doing last weekend.

I am still hoping to get out this weekend, but don’t know what the snow is going to do for the fishing.

Remind me, what is Iowa’s smallmouth season? Is it open all year? We have to wait to the end of May! Arrrrgh!

I have more than once wandered into a pack of pre-spawn smallies before that would hit just about anything you threwa t them!

Those are some nice smallies your catching!! Throw some photos our way!! Nothing prettier(as far as bass go) than a stream/small river smallmouth!!!

Thanks!

Keep the rods bendin’!!!

Jim W

Jim,

Smallies are open all year in Iowa. Unfortunatly I didn’t get any pictures of those fish. I had the film in getting developed with the pictures of a pig walleye I caught the night before over on pool 10. Hopefully I’ll get that pic sent in tonight. It sure was great weekend of fishing.

Geeez, maybe I should get a better attitude about Iowa if they let people fishh smallmouth all year!!!LOL

Check out the Chippewa River WI. From Eau Claire WI. downstream you can fish for most species. Plenty of smallies in there if it would stop snowing and let the roads dry up a person could get after them.Steve

Original Leinie’s man! ( my personal favorite “soda”)

A few years ago I floated the Red Cedar down to Durand. We caught some smallies, sauger,crappie and turtles. There were a couple places that looked very nice, but floating a canoe, made it somewhat difficult to fish, considering the current etc. Otherwise, very picturesque and peaceful!

Ever catch any nice walleye through there?

Jim

Some very nice walleye’s in there. Where did you start your float from on the Red Cedar? Also about every other species of fish are in there also. You can never be sure what you’ll catch. The only thing bad is the dirt roads (MUD) and about mid June the Mosquitoes get unbearable for shore fishing or even dragging a boat down to the water. I think once on the water you are ok.

Can’t recall where we started. A drop in the bucket size town. I think all the town consisted of was a bridge. It was only 7- 10 miles or so(short term memory loss) to the confluence of the Cedar and the Chippewa!

Lot’s of jet/air boats! I wouldn’t recommend to much “boating” up there. I guess that is a positive, you won’t see pleasure cruisers/jet ski’s etc.!!!!

There are a few airboats around. You can here them coming from about 5 miles off. You wouldn’t recomend boating it though? You must of seen a lot of air boats. I’ve fished both since about 1978 and never saw more than two in a day. Very few people ever on either. More tubes and canoers than anything else.No cruisers for sure. Steve

How far up river on the Chippewa from where it enters the Mississippi do you have to be for decent smallie action? Thanks, Bill

I’m not sure how far up I am from the Mississippi but any where from Wissota down to Durand is good for sure. I think the whole Chippewa is probably good. Might get a little too much sediment close to the Mississippi but anywhere there is rocks,gravel,riprap,logs or other cover it is usually good. . Steve

I caught a 4lb smallie a 26″ wally and a 42″ muskie last labor day evening all within 25 yds of the shorline I was casting from below pope and talbat dam in Eau Claire. Triple bagging is the best (full moon fever). Its hard to find people to show these fish to before I release them because no one is ever around!!!

Hey guys:

I am using new user “cmducks” handle to talk to you about this topic. Both cmducks and I (mbenson) went to school at Stout in the early 90’s. We used to float the Cedar from Colfax down to Lake Tainter. I am here to tell you if you want to catch smallmouth, float this stretch. It is absolutely fantastic. Not lots of big fish, although that could have changed with WI laws over the years, but tons of them, throwing spinners the whole way down. I am sure that rapalas would have worked too, only problem we had was the river got so green by the summer, it wan’t a whole lot of fun unless you tubed it. I did fish below Menomonie from the bike trail a couple of times with tennis shoes and had a good time. There may be smallies downstream from Downsville ( I believe little burg you were talking about)(eat at the Creamery or TJ’s)(wonderful food and good times at both)(Creamery, a little upscale, TJ’s, good old fashioned bar with great food), but probably more catfish, mooneyes, northern, walleye, etc.

mbenson