Summertime smallies 6-19

(Above: Bronzeback with a side of salad. A few of these fish were sporting some plump bellies.)

Smallmouth are an amazing fish species. A lot of fight is packed into these finned beasts with bronze coloring and today I decided to step out of my bucket-bashing mode to try for some bronzeback glory. Chasing after these fish is not always successful for me and I have to brave the skunk sometimes and just go for it. Love it when the effort pays off in bronze!

(Above: Another smallie a bit on the lean side compared to the others. Even some of the dink smallmouth had big ol guts making this one look anorexic.)

Senkos and swimbaits seemed to do the trick. The bite was fairly steady throughout the day. Typically I do well for smallmouth at certain times of the year or certain times of the day. It is rare that I get a day like today where the bronze seemed to bite all day in the summer like this. Baits were sized in the 3” slot with brown\chartreuse colors paying off in the first few casts. I experimented a little with darker colors before going back to the brown\chartreuse.



I love the way smallmouth can put the bend on a fishing pole. These fish are kind of like the Popeye’s in the water world to me as they don’t seem all that tough at first glance. Then one hammers the bait and you have to hold on for dear life. Land the fish and you may exclaim…”I swear this 14’er smallie was going to be a 5lb largemouth.”

Smallmouth are not the most common fish species in Colorado so lakes and ponds that contain them are far less than say largemouth bass and stocked trout. In fact, I could probably tell you more walleye and possible muskie fishing spots than I could viable smallmouth fisheries. So we cherish the ones we have.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic