Reply With QuoteThose smallmouth will hit about anything. Try small rapalas. Saw a dude killing them on a green rubber worm one time.
Darin
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New River Canoeing
I'm going with a my group of Boy Scouts to canoe this weekend on the New River up near Virginia. Gonna try my luck for some fish. I'm taking my favorite ultralight rod, a 7' two piece with 8lb braid, and a 6' walmart telescopic with 6lb mono, god forbid something happens to my good rod. Gonna throw rooster tails and small spoons hopefully for a smallmouth bass or a trout. I've canoed this river 3 times before. I snagged a buffalo carp one time. My dad has caught trout and smallmouth here before. Not very big, but enough for a dinner at camp. Any advice from the guys who have ever fished these waters before?
Wish me luck...
Son of Racoon, Friend of whiskerwhipper, FHB to all.
Trophy King
Those smallmouth will hit about anything. Try small rapalas. Saw a dude killing them on a green rubber worm one time.
Darin
Crappie.com 2K Star General
wow that brings back memories. my scout troop went on a three day down the new. that would have been 40 some ago. what little i've fished for them in rivers, a pather martin or roostertail is a good choice. they liked it slow and steady when cold. they seem to hold in fast water somewhat like a white bass, pools and edys and they don't hate cover. last ones i caught came from behind a small set of rapids.
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I like to use a zoom centipede or zoom little critter with a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jighead. Green pumpkin or watermelon seed. Small mouth eat em up! Cast in the holes behind rocks or in eddies along the banks. I haven't been ot the river in years, but it used to be my favorite thing.
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Thanks fellas, I'll give it all I got. I switched my 7' out for a 6' two piece just for travel purposes. I have a homemade rod tube that fits it perfectly. What size crankbaits ya talkin? 2 inch? 5 inch?
Son of Racoon, Friend of whiskerwhipper, FHB to all.
Keeper
Grew up on that river, and fished it all the time.
You can fish the smaller Rapala plugs, rooster tails work great, but lately, I'm pretty happy using a beetle spin or a small chatterbait. There are a few reasons
- The single hook, little easier to get the smaller fish off the hook than the trebles
- They are not prone to getting hung up on the rocks
- If you go with an 1/8 ounce, they cast pretty good
- Don't twist your line like a roostertail
I usually try to get something small, but big enough I can cast to both sides of the river pretty easy with. The beetle spin or about a 1/8 ounce chatterbait are pretty good for this, and don't get hung up very bad. If you have it, take a 1/8 ounce jighead, put a spinner on it, and a 2 or 3 inch powerbait grub, and you will catch plenty. A grub without the spinner works great too, but is more prone to getting hung.
I was up there last weekend, and floated with a friend and caught a ton on chatterbaits/beetle spins, and grubs.
The big rains early in the year have washed some giant trout out of farm ponds and into the river. I caught 2 pushing 18+ inches, so you might get lucky and get a nice meal. They are pond trout, and I think are half starving to death in the river and will hit anything.
Finally, the water level is up, it should be a pretty easy float without having to drag over rocks too bad. Hope you have a great trip
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