Hot weather and shallow river smallmouth fishing are part of summer in many areas of North America. Here are some great tips to fish the most productive areas of these rivers.

Shallow river smallmouth fishing

The equation for smallie success in shallow rivers like the Quinebaug in summer is to ignore the stretches that lack the cover these fish crave quickly, allowing you to spend much more time in areas that hold boulders and pools.

By identifying the pools, where shallower waters flow into deeper pockets, I can target smallmouths with plastic lizards and live night crawlers. I attach a rope to the canoe, secure it with a loop around my wrist, and hop out so I can fish these regions.

Once we make our way through a rocky area, we hop back in the canoe and paddle our way or float down to the next one, fishing the shady sides along the way.

I make a point of things to never take a backward step among the rocks, having learned firsthand that it quickly leads to a fall. But if you have the gumption to pursue river smallmouth bass in this fashion, you will be rewarded with exciting battles with what is surely the most accomplished fighting fish in fresh water in the Nutmeg State.  Source

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These types of situations are ideal to pursue smallmouths with ultralight gear to present lures to smallmouths in clear water. When you are shallow river smallmouth fishing, you want to make sure that you are always careful to not disturb the pools you are going to fish.  Some of the best information and tips for all kinds of river smallmouth fishing can be found in the book “River Smallmouth Fishing”.  See my review here: click here. It will shortcut your success dramatically!

Make Everything Smallmouth part of your daily reading so that you can become a great smallmouth angler!