For all you northeastern anglers trying to find smallmouth bass in a river, the Connecticut River is alive and well. I grew up near Hartford and the river was in sad shape. It was almost a joke to say you are going fishing on the Connecticut River except when the shad derby was going on. Now it is a prime fishing destination, especially for smallmouth bass. River smallies are special in their fighting ability. Depending on the forage, you can find them long and lean or big and fat. Tageting areas with sandy or rocky bottoms is key.

Seek those spots in a river where fast flowing water slows down considerably and runs into a much slower section. Smallmouth will congregate at this juncture. If you can locate this type of a scenario at the bottom of a drop, such as a spot on the river where the current goes from a high point to a lower one, you can rest assured smallmouth will be at the bottom of it, waiting for whatever the waters bring them to eat. You have the option of casting into the faster water and permitting it to serve up your presentation to smallmouth waiting in the slow current, or casting behind them as they swim lazily in the slow waters.

Find relatively quick current containing boulders. Behind large rocks in the water, especially in water from 2 to 3 feet deep, you will notice that the rock creates a small area of calm water. Smallmouth will stake out these venues, which allows them to avoid fighting the strong current as they wait for their favorite prey to float their way. Casting in front of such a site and allowing your presentation to float to it will bring positive results, as will simply casting right behind the rock to where the water is much more settled. Click here to visit the original source of this post

I’ve really got to get back to Connecticut to visit my brother in West Hartford and get some of that river smallmouth fishing there. Love it!  If you fish the Connecticut River, let us know your take on the state of the river.