Small Stream Bass

Fishing smaller streams in southern Ohio for bass has become one of my favorite fishing trip options, and for pretty good reason.  The water tends to be clean and comfortable for wading, crowds and pressure are light, the fish are aggressive, and the secluded feeling is amazing.  Over the weekend, I tried a new stretch of water on a stream I had not fished before that I located using Google Maps for scouting.  Fishing trips like this usually result in a mixed bag, with the primary targets as largemouth and spotted bass.  As soon as I got to the water, saw the clarity and the cover, I had a pretty good feeling about the day.  It was in the first 5 minutes of fishing that I connected with the best fish of the trip, a pretty solid spot that measured just over 15".  It was a load on a glass 3wt.

The cover in the stream was some of the best I have seen in my part of Ohio.  There were plenty of logs and woody cover, which is pretty normal to find, but there were also large boulders and chunks of rock mixed in.  Water levels have been pretty low recently, so my approach was to skip much of the shallow stuff and focus on the deeper water with cover.

Easily the most frustrating and rewarding bass of the trip was this spotted bass.  It was a hair smaller than the early bass, but what I had to do to get this fish in the net was something I have never experienced.  I got this bass to eat a Murdich Minnow 4 times in the period of 6 casts, and each time this fish expelled the fly instantly after inhaling it.  After the 4th failed eat, I quickly swapped flies to an HD Craw, and popped him on the first cast.

I slowly moved upstream, catching fish at most of the better looking holes and pools I found.  It was one of those streams so full of panfish that if you wanted to have a 100 fish day throwing small bugs, it could be done without much trouble.  The bass were a little more spread out and closely holding by cover.

For a short outing not too far from home, barely across my home county line, it was a great trip.  I was nervous going in, as it always is with new water, but the research and effort getting there was well worth it.  The last few miles in to this spot were a pretty rugged single-lane gravel road through state forest land.  Gorgeous country, and further proof that you don't need to hop on a plane or drive across the country to find your adventure.