Fall Smallies

[Larry Harp]

This weekend I'm planing on hitting one of the few lakes in Oklahoma that is known more for it's Smallmouth fishing than Largemouth. I have to confess that even though I had caught at least one of almost every specis of fish that swims in the local waters, I have never caught a Smallmouth. I'm hoping to get that monkey off my back soon. I fished this same lake last Sunday but we were fishing a tournament and thought it best to target LM's and not go experimenting with looking for SM's but this weekend with no tournament to worry about, I am going to go back just for the Smallies.



Last Sunday the water was in the mid to lower 60's with clear skies and some wind with the tempureature getting up to 80 after a very cool morning. So far the forcast for Saturday is cloudy with a 30% chance of light rain and temps in the 50's to 60.



This lake has tons of rocky points and weed filled coves and very clear water with a slight green tint. What sort of pattern should I concentrate on? Topwater? Spinnerbait? Hula Grubs on a football head?







Harpo

 

[TOMMY RICH]

You need to go deep. Brownies will fatten up on shad and baitfish for the winter. I'd be using jigs and blade baits and even have a DD crank that you can work real slow.

Of course...live bait can't be beat for deep water.

 

[Kim Becker]

You can't beat a suspending jerkbait in the fall when water temps. fall below 60. Don't know about southern smallies but around now up here they start to leave the weeds as they are dying off. Fish a jerkbait around rocky points and ledges. Smallmouths are a sucker for a suspending jerkbait.

 

[Eric Aasen]

I'd second the suspending jerkbait and add in a darter head rigged tube in a neutral color. Something that could be taken for a shad or a crayfish. Fished very slow on rocky points, a tube bait should fool some bronzebacks.



NoCAL

 

[Larry Campbell]

If you are going to Lake Murray I would stop by the tackle shop in Ardmore and talk to them. When we were there this summer we stopped by and they gave s good advice on where to find them and what to use. My 11 year old son and I where in my boat and we did pretty good. My 9 year old son was with my brother in his boat. My brother and I have fished smaller tournaments together, but my brother is by far much better than I am. My 9 year old son outfished my brother and it was priceless hearing him giving his 31 year old uncle advice on how to work the bait and where to cast.



I can't remember the name of the lure, but it was basically a minnow shaped soft plastic fished on a lead head jig. We tried other brands of similar type baits and did not have near the success. We were fishing near the dam and casting along the rock points as they went into deeper water. The shop is owned by a professional tournament fisherman, sorry I can't remember his name, and he is the one who gave us the advice.



Good Luck, Larry

 

[Mini]

I would throw traps, spinner baits and crank baits....

 

[pete hanford2]

Spinnerbaits and suspending jerkbaits would be my baits of choice,

 

[Tony Payne]

Grubs, Jigs and ShakeyWorms... IF the wind is blowing, spinnerbaiting windblown points...



There, I hope all these posts helped narrow it down for ya!







Seriously, in the fall, find the bait, find the fish... earlier/later in the day should be shallower and allow for more varied techniques...

 

[BJ Laster]

Harpo,



How'd ya'll do last week? I'm off friday and saturday and headed up to gibson with a buddy to fish a small tournament there saturday.



Good luck this weekend



BJ

 

[Larry Harp]

Thanks everyone for all your tips. I'm gonna git me one of them Brownies if it's the last thing I do.



Larry, Yes, Lake Murray. Last Sunday was the first time I ever fished there. Sort of like Broken Bow...you could spend the rest of your life exploring all the coves and still not hit them all. The Hart rep at the tackle show suggested going to the tackle store in Ardmore too. Where is that store? Right in town? A local guy fishing from a dock also suggested looking for Smallies further south down by the dam.



BJ, We did bupkis. James caught a few under size fish and had one keeper that came unbuttoned right at the boat. He was having most of his action on a little Bandit crankbait. I had a few missed strikes on a pearl white tube. Water is real low. Those points could do a number on a lower unit if you tried to cut it too close.



Harpo

 

[Larry Campbell]

Yes, take exit 31 off I35 and go east past highway 77 into the old downtown area and it sits on the north side of the road in a row of businesses. Not exactly where you would expect to find a tackle store. I have always had better luck around the dam and the main lake points just north of the dam. If you go to the link below it is a map of Murray. We have always had our best luck on the area between spots 19 and 20, around the island and saddle area NE of spot 19 and around the island and points NW of spot 2.



Good Luck, Larry
http://www.fishingnotebook.com/fish/brush/murray.gif

 

[Larry Harp]

Thanks Larry, that should help a lot. The tournament we fished took off from the north ramp (close to spot 10) and that's where the only fish we caught were caught. It's very shallow and weedy up there and the water isn't as clear as it is further south. We also hit an area near Elephant Rock that looked promising but we didn't stay there very long. Then we headed to an area that Gary, the Nitro salesman at BPS reccommend, it was the first cove on the left north of the island. Nothing we did could put a keeper in the boat. I was amazed at how much underwater structure there is there.



We need to get together sometime.



Harpo