I wasn't alone: Several other anglers tested their skill on the big bass. Known as one of the nation's top walleye destinations, the largemouth and smallmouth fishing … Anglers should be aware that the IDNR has designated four areas as no-kill zones for black bass. "I think the quality of smallmouth fishing in Eastern Iowa rivers, which is excellent, is staying about the same," he said. In narrowing that down a bit, I’ve had some memorable days of catching smallmouth … The 250 spine size answers bowhunters' needs for stiffer arrows. If you tend to fish the larger stretches of interior rivers located on the Cedar, Des Moines, and other bigger waters then the typical bass baits that work for largemouth should be just fine for the smallmouth. I tend to try a little bit of everything and let the smallies tell me where they are living and eating. Although bait is amazingly effective, most serious smallmouth anglers stick with lures. The Upper Iowa, Turkey, Volga, Yellow, Wapsipinicon, Cedar, Shell Rock and Iowa Rivers all have excellent bass populations. 9. The large bordering rivers of Iowa have sections that offer great smallmouth fishing too. Like most fishing on most days location is the key to catching bass. The best smallmouth bass fishing on this river can be experienced near Sioux City. There's excellent fishing from shore at Dubuque, in the Davenport area, and anywhere else that you find a tad bit of current over a rocky bottom or along riprap," he said. There's another good reason for fishing tributary streams for smallmouth. Orlan Love, outdoor writer for the Cedar Rapids Gazette may be Iowa's best-known smallmouth bass angler. Our rivers produced quality fishing for catfish and carp and not much else. And 5- and 6-pound largemouths can be found as far north as Burlington, Iowa. ... Jim McDonnell on Lake Erie, and all by myself on the Shellrock River in north Iowa. Smallmouth really like to stay on the edge of weeds and come out to prey on food passing by or being swept past them by the current. As I gradually caught more smallmouth I learned my first one was no fluke. River Smallmouth Bass Fishing. I'm convinced it helps leaving a scent trail in the water.". The smaller the line, the more bites you will get. Colleen Hepner/Flickr. These fish are smart and they will see you. I have made the four hour trip from where I live each year for the past five or six years, some years even twice. The Cedar River offers quality smallmouth fishing, especially the stretch between the Mitchell Dam (in the city of Mitchell) and the city of Nashua in Floyd County, as there is cleaner than average water. There are two fantastic lakes in the state of Iowa known for smallmouth fishing. One summer evening I caught several husky smallies in the current on a black Hula Popper, a lure usually reserved for largemouths on hot evenings in quiet lakes. Smallmouth abound in the New, and its mix of rapids and deep pools allows them to commonly grow to 4 and 5 pounds. "My top picks for excellent Eastern Iowa fishing would be the Maquoketa in Delaware County, the Cedar in Mitchell County, the Turkey from Eldorado to Elgin, the Volga on both sides of Fayette, the Upper Iowa above Decorah, the Iowa in Hardin County, the Wapsipinicon from Independence to Anamosa, and the Shell Rock in Cerro Gordo and Butler counties," he said. Pay Attention to what goes on Under the Ice. The BIG RIVERS It may be 125 years old, but the .30-30 Winchester retains its status thanks to modern loads. Poppers, buzzbaits and floating jerkbaits are a great way to catch smallmouth in the heat of the summer. Today, it's common for factories to discharge cleaner water back into the river than they draw from it. Another type of bait to consider once the water temperature rises over 55-degrees are topwater baits. Throw in a few natural Iowa lakes and you have just about everything you would ever need to try and find some big Iowa Smallmouth bass. Best Smallmouth Bass Fishing. New for 2021 are several hunter-defined products, such as the Excalibur TwinStrike Crossbow, BowTech Solution and Solution SS Bows, TightSpot Pivot 2.5 Quiver, Ripcord Cage and Code Red X arrowrests, and Black Gold Pro FX and Pro Hunter HD sights. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota [132,000 acres] This lake is a hot mess right now. However, once you find the specific locations of these fish you can generally go anywhere in the lake with those same features and repeat the catching process. Near where Indian Creek flows into the Cedar River downstream from Cedar Rapids, I watched her cruise slowly around an old brush-tangled bridge abutment. All Rights Reserved. That a lunker smallmouth lives so close to Iowa's second-largest city is living proof of one of Iowa's outstanding but little-known fish success stories. Because smallies often live in urban stretches of river, a boat isn't usually needed for great fishing. Live chubs also are a productive live bait, and plenty of smallmouth have been tricked by night crawlers. Many anglers let a fish fondle the lure a bit before setting the hook. This includes learning how to read a river, understanding the influence of current on smallmouth location and being able to effectively fish flowing water. Smallmouth bass, among the most important Iowa gamefish, are most common in small to medium central and northeast Iowa rivers, but can also be found in larger rivers such as the Cedar, Des Moines and Mississippi, as well as some natural lakes in northwest Iowa. With shoreline ranging from pastoral to rugged and wildlife abounding, few places look as spectacular under a bright blue sky as the Columbia. West Okoboji Lake and Spirit Lake in Northwest Iowa are the places to go to catch numbers as well as large sizes of smallmouth bass. Cedar Rapids again is a good example. They all work well, but sometimes even unorthodox lures produce spectacular fishing. While most of the state would have to make a long drive to get there, trust me, the drive is worth it. The river is filled with smallmouth bass with the very best fishing up in the Lansing area. All are on stretches of the Middle Raccoon, Maquoketa, Cedar, and Upper Iowa Rivers. The best stretches of smallmouth bass on the Mississippi River include Pool 9, Pool 10, and the northern part of Pool 11. Along the way it carves out some of the most picturesque gorges, cliffs, and rapids east of the Rockies. Subscriber Services. The Seine Chain and the Atikokan area as a whole is definitely a go to fishing location for trophy smallmouth bass fishing! Smallies usually aren't out there. Our countless weedy bays, rocky structure and prolific forage-base produce excellent northern pike fishing. And, they live in many more streams than trout. Generally the rivers that originate above or near the Minnesota border and flow southeast toward the … After I'd caught 13 bass and he was fishless he took one of mine and caught a bass on his third cast. New for 2021, here's a look at the new Rage Trypan NC, Nockturnal Shift Nock, Carbon Express Maxima RED Contour and D-Stroyer PileDRIVER arrows. Locals prefer walleye here, as they are surrounded by one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the nation. No matter where you live in Iowa you are not too far away from a public access to an interior river. The improving fishery is so new that relatively few Iowa anglers know about it or target that "other bass," the smallmouth. We'll show you the venues with the most going for them. The secret to consistently catching smallmouth from rivers is being comfortable fishing in current. 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