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Smallmouth Bass
By Justin Willmer
As it rolls around to the ICAST and AFTA Fishing Tackle Trade Shows once again and we all get geared up for new product releases, I also reflect back on previous ICAST adventures and the fishing that we try to plan each ICAST trip to spend time with the ZMan US guys to discuss new product opportunities, mess around with prototypes and put the gear and new techniques to work on a variety of species. On this particular trip the target species was smallmouth bass and the destination was the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, fishing with respected guide Joe Raymond and his crew from Susquehanna Smallmouth Guides.
We had done our research, watched a few of Joe's videos and were pumped to chase smallmouth for the first time, while also putting some prototype TT Lures RevlockZ jigheads to the test prior to release, along with the soon to be released TT Lures NedlockZ jigheads, a key component of the game changing Ned Rig system. The Susquehanna is described as a mile wide and a foot deep, so to add to the adventure the boats we would be fishing from were jet boats, including Joe's inboard jet boat 'Rockzilla' and a couple of boats that were fitted with jet outboards. Rocks, rapids and some quality smallmouth bass. Bring it on!
We arrived the day before our planned two days fishing, so what to do but go fishing! Daniel (ZMan) and Gareth (TT Lures) were working through some new ZMan product additions for Australia and some TT Lures product additions for the US, so Declan and I grabbed a couple of rods and headed to the edge of the river to put some gear to the test and hopefully land our first smallmouth. The people on the river owned the house across the road that we were staying in, so we were okay to fish from their property.
It didn't take Declan long to hook his first smallmouth, fishing a TT Lures Vortex spinnerbait, a favourite on the bass and yellowbelly in Australia. Smallmouth bass look good, hit hard and fight well. It was my turn then, landing a smaller model on a TT Lures SnakelockZ weedless jighead and ZMan 3" MinnowZ. We were focussing our casts on the weedy points and weed edges, much like chasing Australian bass back home. After a few more fish the sun was dropping and it was beginning to cool off, so it was time to call it and gear up for tomorrow's adventure.
We met the owners of the two properties and when they asked how we went we told them we didn't go too far into the water as we were fishing in our thongs, but we had still managed a few fish. This was met by weird looks and after a bit more of a chat we headed back to the house to report our success to the boys. After giving Daniel a run down on our quick afternoon session, he explained to us that if you tell people in the US that you are fishing in your thongs... you are going to get some weird looks. It turns out that in the US thongs are not worn on your feet and the correct terminology is flip flops or sandals. We made a mental note to correct our mistake with the home owners when we caught up the next afternoon.
It was game day and we were greeted by a misty morning on the water and our two guides and boats, ready to head up river. What a spectacular environment. Rock platforms, rock bars, rock ledges, rapids and plenty of water movement and eddies. A propeller would last about two minutes in this country, while the jets and RockProof Boats are designed for running the shallow water and harsh environment. It is also not a very friendly environment for the electric motors and in winter you can even add ice to the mix!
Declan kicked things off with the TT Lures Vortex spinnerbait that had done the job the previous afternoon, while I fished a ZMan 3" MinnowZ rigged on a soon to be released RevlockZ jighead. The smallmouth loved the flash and vibration of the blades on both the spinnerbait and RevlockZ underspin style jighead. After a few fish Declan switched it up to the new ZMan 2.75"Finesse FrogZ and after a few casts had his surface caught smallmouth in the net.
Most of our fishing was across large rock platforms and ledges in shallow water, so we soon settled into a pattern, casting paddle tails, fishing pretty quickly and covering plenty of ground. ZMan Slim SwimZ, MinnowZ and DieZel MinnowZ were the go-to presentations, fished on TT Lures HeadlockZ HD, SnakelockZ and RevlockZ jigheads. It was awesome country and red hot fishing, with only a couple of quiet patches in the session.
When we caught up with the other boat it had been much the same for them, with literally hundreds of fish landed between the two boats. The guys had fished some of the same lures, while also catching plenty on the Ned Rig, so Declan and I made of point of ensuring that we packed some more Ned Rig options in our kit for day two. With a water level change predicted in the upper reaches of the river due to rain, the thought was that the river would dirty up, so for the next day's session we would head downstream further looking for cleaner water.
Day two and the water was dirtier and running harder. In this section of the river we targeted structure, making casts to weed edges, along with the pressure points ahead of the structure and the eddies and deeper drop offs behind the structure. This different structure meant a change of plan and we fished slower, allowing the plastic to get down on or almost on the bottom and then hopping it back. The Ned Rig excelled with this slower retrieve and more finesse approach, with the TT Lures NedlockZ jighead and ZMan 3" TRD HogZ combo absolutely slaying them. With crawfish a popular food source in the river it was no surprise that the TRD HogZ was so effective and the more recently released 2.5" TRD CrawZ would be another winner.
We caught a few other species during this session, with Declan landing a hard-pulling channel catfish and a walleye, while I chipped in with a catfish of my own. It was the smallmouth bass that were the stars of the show though and although the fishing was a little tougher, we again landed hundreds of fish between the two boats. On day two we also took some time to appreciate these hard hitting, stocky and beautifully marked fish. Much like our sooty grunter the fish varied greatly from darker to lighter coloured fish, however it was the tiger stripes present on some of the fish that really stands them out from other fish.
It had been a great couple of days on the water, with professional, friendly guides allowing us to make the most of the time that we had available. In terms of gear we were running 6'6" - 7' 2-4kg spin rods, loaded with braid of around 10lb and 10lb fluorocarbon leader, so your flathead and bass gear from Australia would handle this fishing. We were again pretty blessed to visit another part of the world and target a new species, with the trip inspiring plenty of product discussion and rough sketches, with some products now released and others that could potentially make an appearance at future ICAST and AFTA shows.
If you get the opportunity to plan a fish while travelling, make sure you check out the local guide reviews and adventures available as although there is a cost involved, these guys can assist you to get the most out of the time you have available and tap into the best fishing on offer at that time of year. If smallmouth bass are on your bucket list then make sure you check out www.susquehannasmallmouthguides.com website or follow them on Facebook.
See you on the water...
Justin Willmer
Gear List
ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ
ZMan 3" Slim SwimZ
ZMan 3" MinnowZ
ZMan 4" DieZel MinnowZ
ZMan 3" TRD HogZ
ZMan 2.75" Finesse TRD
TT Lures NedlockZ jigheads
TT Lures RevlockZ jigheads
TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jigheads
TT Lures SnakelockZ jigheads