Locating Winter River Smallmouth Habitat Part 2

[@riverrat988]

Always a ton of great info These are great

[@TheLittleStuff]

Thanks!

[@scottfrey2710]

Hi, Jeff! ...Hi, Drew! ..HahahaHa! Thanks for the education, Jeff! Lovin it! :-)

[@TheLittleStuff]

Thanks for watching Scott.

[@georgetollefsen994]

Thanks!

[@TheLittleStuff]

Thank you George! 🤛

[@riverrat92]

Pure gold! Thank you.

[@TheLittleStuff]

Thanks! I hope to be out there later this week mining some more!

[@bradleygarman3436]

Thanks for another very informative video, I was wondering what brand of Braid you use?

[@TheLittleStuff]

I jump around on that. I feel that the Daiwa braid has been the least problematic. PowerPro is quality stuff, and super slick 8 is on most of my reels. The Seaguar braid is good too.

[@zoommaster7253]

As always jeff lots of nuggets of information thank you for always teaching!!! So I just got my yak attack trac packs in yesterday. Love to see what you have in yours now you’ve had for a while Thanks mike

[@TheLittleStuff]

One TracPack is a dump for whatever lures I cut off for another option. I clean up that mess later. There’s also a tube of scent, some crazy glue and clippers. The other has packs of soft plastics.

[@BassManStrikes]

You can dead Stick a ewg Ned rig for same effect, can be killer when nothing else works.

[@TheLittleStuff]

No doubt the Ned is a powerful tool. I prefer the craw profile because they hit it harder, making strike detection easier. When I do go for a baitfish profile, the 4 or 5 inch Scented Jerk Shad on the finesse BulletZ is my go-to.

[@BassManStrikes]

​@@TheLittleStuffthey don't seem to key on craw presentations on the Milwaukee River in the stretch I fish, however go south a bit to the Fox they go wild for craws.

[@thescornedgentleman7484]

Awesome information. Thank you @thelittestuff🤘

[@TheLittleStuff]

Thanks for watching. Check out my “November” and “December” playlists for more upcoming seasonal patterns.

[@zoommaster7253]

Great underwater video of jig

[@georgetollefsen994]

Great Stuff Jeff! Thanks. I have been studying the map on the Delaware, lol looking for winter holes 🕳️. Are there leaves gathered on the bottom in those spots you’re fishing ? I have noticed that in some of the eddies and I wonder if they are looking for insulation? In winter. The rivers are so low right now in NJ, we need some Rain. Spots that I thought would hold fish in winter are not looking so great now. Awesome video Jeff thanks for sharing.

[@TheLittleStuff]

George, Leaves gather in parts of the “no current” areas they reside in winter. But they avoid the pile of leaves. They like a clean, hard bottom with no current. You know when you’re on that bottom when you drag the jig and it feels hard, but doesn’t get swept through with current. Most people think that a sensitive rod is all about feeling the bite. That is important, but honestly you only feel about half the eats in winter. Feeling the bottom substrate as a means of knowing that your jig is in the right spot is super important. Leaves have no part of that. Wood can be part of that.

[@georgetollefsen994]

@@TheLittleStuff I know the smallmouth love rock bottom but I see those leaves gathering and thought they would be good spots for craws to burrow into, for winter?

[@keviningram6416]

@@georgetollefsen994 while there are crayfish in the D, you do not have the quantity of them like the Susky has. look for slow hard bottom areas or wood as Jeff suggests. I fish the D as well, but use more in the way of hair jigs and marabou jigs in the cold water. Hope this helps.

[@georgetollefsen994]

@@keviningram6416 thanks Kevin! I appreciate your input 👍

[@glenndaugherity6187]

Great video Jeff !! I’ve been catching them here on my river on a Micro 1/4 oz chatterbait in high 40s water temps. Definitely need to be making bottom contact with it to get bites. But my best baits have been soft plastics varieties 👍

[@TheLittleStuff]

Chatterbait contact with bottom or cover (especially wood) is something most people don’t do enough.

[@timothythompson6549]

Never a shortage of buckets at the Little homestead.

[@TheLittleStuff]

We also have a quarter size dumpster! I’m not the only one who fills it with litter. Sawyer cleans up a lot as well.

[@nicholasmaiers4221]

Great info What jig do you recommend if not making your own?

[@TheLittleStuff]

Z-Man Micro Finesse Jig. Blue/Black, Moccasin Craw and Green Pumpkin

[@nicholasmaiers4221]

@@TheLittleStuff thanks Jeff

[@DFKfishing]

I wonder who was in that jet boat, lol. And yes, we were catching them. If we don't get some rain, the kayak guys will have the river to themselves.

[@TheLittleStuff]

Glad you guys smashed em! An inflatable kayak with a motor is pretty much always an option at any river level.

[@DFKfishing]

I bet, but my back is too bad for a kyak.

[@flyslinger2]

The video I just posted on my channel touched on several of your points without directly stating them: 1. I rarely show failures unless there is a significant lesson or a reinforcement of a lesson. In this case I motored to a spot and made a great cast but failed to get myself oriented properly to set the hook. I have some physical limitations in my right arm and if you watch the video I use my left to back it up. It wasn’t enough and I lost a BIG smallie. 2. The two smallies I caught were from really long and patient casts. 2 to 3 minutes each before the fish committed. 3. Pick up trash! Always appreciate your attention to detail. Long live the community holes. The guides go there and leave the good spots to us! lol

[@TheLittleStuff]

#2 becomes critical from here on out until it warms up in the spring. Thanks for picking up trash! Failure is a gift. You just need to know how to unwrap it! 🎁

[@robswoodsandcustomsawmilli9940]

I went Yesterday could not get them on the Jig. I got them mostly on the jerkbait It looks like I was fishing it to fast thanks for the video.

[@TheLittleStuff]

Try this jerkbait presentation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmewoYCPrJKin6csi=NPq8cB_rUaEq5TOJ

[@robswoodsandcustomsawmilli9940]

Yeah good video as well I did well on the Jerkbait dead sticking it. It’s more the Jig that I need to get better with.

[@albertgremmel3899]

Jeff, I know you make your own jigs, is this a 1/4 oz football style jig?

[@TheLittleStuff]

It started with a 1/16th oz ball with bristle guard. I Dremeled out a unique shape that I really like. It’s got elements of a football head, but is more of a stand up head shape that handles a bristle guard insert.

[@Jeremymorrow079]

A couple of topic questions, do you ever use the big tubes anymore? The dry suit that you wear, around what air and water temp do you start wearing that? Do you sweat much in it? Just looking for a general answer understand there’s a lot of variables, whether your in the sun, etc

[@TheLittleStuff]

I don’t sweat in the drysuit if it’s under 70 degrees. I actually don’t care if I sweat in it as long as I am safe from the sub-60 degree water. Tubes still work, but I prefer that hard connection to the bottom that a bare jig head provides. The difference between a tube and jig is one of strike detection and more accurately feeling the bottom substrate.

[@jasonvenesky2438]

Great info and footage! Your shadow really stood out on that underwater shot. Will those catfish invade these smaller winter holes or will they stay in the big “traditional” spots?

[@TheLittleStuff]

I’ve found them in the biggest deepest holes.

[@davidbrown-55]

Where’s a gd place to find them on the three rivers now in waders?

[@TheLittleStuff]

You want to know a good place to wade fish? I mentioned two right at the end.

[@WorldsOkayestBusDriver]

Go back in the spring pre-spawn please

[@BassManStrikes]

What was your water temp? Here in SE Wisc the Milwaukee River is about 40 degrees and the smallmouth are super sluggish.

[@TheLittleStuff]

I was out yesterday and it was 38. It was right at 50 the day this was filmed.

[@BassManStrikes]

​@TheLittleStuff , I'm hitting the Milwaukee tomorrow and I'm going to guess it's going to be around 38 also, been having really cold nights..

[@devonenders5193]

What size chunk do you use on those finesse jigs for winter Jeff?

[@TheLittleStuff]

The smaller Z-Man Bat WingZ

[@bryanknatz6067]

Where’s the confluence?

[@TheLittleStuff]

Susquehanna and Juniata

[@bryanknatz6067]

@@TheLittleStuff got ya . Two rivers meet into one. Would that be true for large creeks into main river as well?

[@paulpendyck9438]

Thanks!

[@TheLittleStuff]

Thank you Paul!