Smallmouth!!!!!

[FrankB2]

I was excited when I caught a couple of 12-13" smallmouth last week, but was really EXCITED when this hog took my Clouser Minnow!

It measured 18" in length, but was so big around!!! I had a brand new net. It was at home, still in its packaging. I was standing in waist deep water, and when it jumped, I thought there was no way I'd land that fish. The stream is littered with huge boulders, and I quickly backed into shallow water. After a couple more leaps, I was able to grab its lip and take a pic. Rod was a 590 Sage Z-Axis with a 6wt line (Windy!!!), and an 8' 3X knotted leader. I'm a happy camper! :icon_mrgr

 

[mikel]

Nice fish, Frank! Love those smallies...

 

[Davo]

Nice one Frank!! Glad to know I'm not the only one that forget his net! LOL

 

[bucktail]

Congrats that sure is one pretty fish!

 

[Ard]

That's a great bass Frank!

 

[FrankB2]

Thanks Guys! I still have a big grin on my face. Check it out: LOL!!!! This is better than the Easter Bunny!!!

Serious fishing comments:
I knew there were smallmouth in that section, as I had seen them leaping and chasing baitfish into the shallows last week. I usually use a bead chain Clouser Minnow, but the smallmouth tend to stay in the deeper channels when not chasing a meal. I hate to cast heavy flies, but switched to the lead Clouser Minnow after not getting anything. It only took a few drifts past a promising channel to hook that sucker. I think it was Davo or BigFly (Jim Landis) who said that the difference between catching and not catching can be a single split shot. Good advice....

 

[attila]

Congrats. That's a big smallie anywhere.

 

[FrankB2]

I caught that one in Neshaminy Creek, two miles from my home (tops). The Delaware River is nearby (10 miles to the section I fish), but I catch more and bigger smallmouths in the Neshaminy...way more. I tell friends about the Neshaminy, but they never seem to make it over there...

 

[Davo]

I think it was Davo or BigFly (Jim Landis) who said that the difference between catching and not catching can be a single split shot. Good advice....

Frank

Must have been Bigfly, I've had a couple of prophetic moments in my life but that was not one of them. Though I wish I had said it!! LOL.

 

[caseywise]

nice smallie frank looks like you had a great day.

casey

 

[mrl0004]

I am truly envious, I mean happy, for you. Smallmouth are quickly becoming my favorite fish. The gentleman of warmwater I've heard them called. Which is funny, because they are definitely a moody fish. Awesome fish man!

 

[theboz]

Awesome SMALLIE Frank! So great when they jump. Of all the jumpers SMALLIES do it best. Got me pumped up. Going to the Delaware today.Again congrats!

 

[FrankB2]

Thanks Again, Guys!

Smallmouth are definetely my favorite freshwater fish. There are two lakes and one stream within 20 minutes of my home that were recently stocked with trout. I've been to one to use my new canoe fishing for crappie last weekend, but that's it. The smallmouth began showing signs of life around the same time the trout were stocked, and I'll take a wild gamefish any day.

Fly Size:
The Clouser Minnow I used was tied on a #10 bass bug hook (all of my Clousers are), and this goes back to my thread about how I catch my largest fish on relatively small flies. ....I just tok a picture of the fly...

It's barely 3" overall, and the tied sparse. Bob Clouser told me several years ago that the Clousers he fishes would never sell in the store: they have too little material to look effective. Most of the fly in the above pic is around 2", and only a couple of bucktail fibers extend to 3 inches. I'll say it's a 2 1/2" fly. The fly was moistened before the picture was taken, and the bucktail doesn't lay that flat.

P.S. Good Luck on the Delaware, Boz. Report back if you could...Please.

 

[theboz]

I will . Like the Clouser . Yellow and Delaware smallies go together. I'm out the door. Hope they are feedin as good as the shad!

 

[mrl0004]

I think smallmouths everywhere love yellow! They sure do here in North Alabama. Frank, I am new to tying and have just bought some stuff to tie clousers. Can you buy the hooks you used anywhere, or are they a "tying" of "for fly" specific hook?

 

[FrankB2]

Hi Guys,
That's a chartreuse and white Clouser. I really did take a pic with my cellphone as I was typing that post, and the color is a wee bit closer to green. It's a light green with a yellow tint, but not a pure yellow bucktail.

The hook was chosen 6-7 years ago, when I couldn't get the short shank, wide gap hooks that I can't recall now. The current hook was suggested to me by a shop owner, and works well. It's a Tiemco 8089, and they stay sharp forever. I use a #10 for all of my Clousers, but you might want something bigger is you go with a different style hook. The 8089 is designed with a wide gap to make room for a spun deer hair body. In a size 10, the shank is short enough that it resembles whatever Bob Clouser uses. The basic feature in Bob's design is a short shank, and I believe he uses a stainless steel hook for all of his tying demo's.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUujQVZTf_g&feature=relmfu]BOD CLOUSER - MINNOW 2 - YouTube[/ame]

Tying a Clouser Minnow is about as simple as it gets. I skip the epoxy around the eyes completely, and can tie one in under 3 minutes. I do use super glue to keep the lead eyes in place, but don't bother with bead chain eyes. The important thing is to avoid building up too much hair and thread when first wrapping between the hook eye and the dumbell eyes. I used to use a drop of head cement to on the deer hair before tying it in, but now use a drop of super glue. Just have some ventilation, as CA gives off fumes when it's use on natural fibers (and many synthetics). Just enough turns to hold the first clump of hair, and then the head can be built up on the second clump if desired. My first Clousers had heads that were WAY to big, but I reduced the number of wraps in all of my fly tying a long time ago.

 

[wabi]

Nice smallmouth!

 

[milt spawn]

Stout! Great fish Frank! milt.

 

[theboz]

Got a smallie today along with three shad in the Delaware River wind tunnel. So much for yellow , the smallie took a pink shad fly as did the shad . He was small but fun as were the shad. At least I didn't set sail with the way the wind was and I think the fish made up for the conditions.

 

[FrankB2]

Thanks for the Delaware report, Boz. My wife and I hit the Neshaminy yesterday afternoon, and hiked into the spot where the smallies like to be caught. It took a while because she broke her ankle last August, but we made it, and were fishing for about 5 minutes when my son called. He said he was out of gas on one of the local highways!!! We hiked back out, took of our gear, bought a gas can and gas, and went home after dropping off the gas.

Wind Tunnels: WHAT IS WITH THIS WIND?!?!?!? The Delaware must have been crazy.....