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Smallmouths in winter

Acemac

By Acemac
in Bass

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Acemac Proficient

Acemac

Posted
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I am getting board of catching all the walleyes I can handle and want to start a new search for metro smallmouths, but I have no idea where to even start. what type of structre can you find them this time of year?

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TurnUpTheFishing Veteran

TurnUpTheFishing

Posted
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From what I hear, someone correct me if Im wrong, but they get pretty lethargic and school up pretty tight in deep water. Im guessing deep is a relative term, but I say around 30'. Id practice a little restraint if you do find them bunched up, stressing them out and bring them from the depths in winter could be a death sentence.

I vaguely remember reading an article in In-fisherman a while back touching on the subject.

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OnAFly Grand Master

OnAFly

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They will sit on rock piles in deeper water. Find mid lake humps and you've got a shot. I accidentally caught a nice one today on a 20ft hump around 40ft of water. I thought it was going to be a massive walleye, but I was happy either way. Got a good picture out of it anyways.

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Raider4ever Mentor

Raider4ever

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+1 on the mid lake humps. I know a nice one that comes out of 24 fow up to about 13. The SMB I pull out of it are nearly always in the 16-18 fow area. These do not seem to get lethargic as I have caught (and released them because yes, I know the season closes.) while fishing walleyes and pannies on the hump Jan-March (Yeah, I don't ice fish in December or April. You can, your call.).

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Stick in Mud Grand Master

Stick in Mud

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In my many years of fishing on Mille Lacs, I've only caught one through the ice. I'm sure some guys catch more, but I don't hear about it. And I ice fish the Miss River in the winter, and when I drop the camera down, sometimes you can nearly hit the fish with the camera and they won't move. Near Monti you can catch smallies, but it's not through the ice. I don't know anyone who's caught one in the Miss through the ice, though, and there've been times on the camera when I could just about snag the buggers. I'm sure some of them do bite, and better fisherman than I am might catch some, but I don't know if it's realistic to specifically target them. Just my measly .02.

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RK Grand Master

RK

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Hiya -

TUTF is correct regarding wintering smallmouths. They go nearly dormant, and basically survive the winter on stored energy - they're basically in starvation mode. They don't actively feed, but can be triggered into biting. I kind of cringe when I see guys on TV targeting ice smallies, because everythign I've heard from biologists on the subject - and that includes some of the best smallmouth researchers in the world - is that it can really hurt their chances of surviving the winter or spawning successfully the next spring.

Warm water discharges like Monticello are a different case obviously, but personally targeting them through the ice isn't something I'd do.

Cheers,

RK

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Wanderer Grand Master

Wanderer

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Nice catches. Good multi-species spot!

I have to agree with RK on this one. Some fish aren't 12 mo/yr fish and pummelling a wintering school of smallies only has the potential for disaster.

While lake trout fishing in Ontario last weekend I was working a shelf near a steep drop. In a hole that marked 37 feet I pulled up two 16 inch smallies in a row. I did think that was pretty cool and I enjoyed catching them but was glad there weren't any more in the area. If there were I would have left it.

Tired of catching walleyes? That's a problem most people don't have. grin

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