Streamers for Smallmouth

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Mario two things regarding your question;

a) Yes they do become predatory (have caught some lunkers on streamers) but Pieter is 100% correct in saying opportunist feeding is more likely vs selective feeding on minnows.
b) They do eat Crabs perse but rather the small, soft shell ones meaning anything larger than your thumbnail becomes problematic i.e their mouths, crabs legs,etc)

Then on how to catch them;

1) Fly size (too big and you're out of the game 99% of time) but don't let that discourage you to fish a bigger minnow imitation you never know #4 and larger. Std Woolies in #8-12 will do plenty damage in the Kraai!
2) Standard streamer tactics (fly/depth/retrieve)
3) Seasonal habitat (know where they feed during different seasons)

Got this beautiful 9lber on a streamer.

GERR1014.jpg

[smallstreams.co.za]

Mario two things regarding your question;

a) Yes they do become predatory (have caught some lunkers on streamers) but Pieter is 100% in saying opportunist feeding is more likely vs being selective feeding on minnows.
b) They do eat Crabs perse but rather the small, soft shell ones meaning anything larger than your thumbnail becomes to problematic)

Then on how to catch them;

1) Fly size (too big and you're out of the game)
2) Standard streamer tactics (fly/depth/retrieve)
3) Seasonal habitat (know where they live)

Thanks Gerrit - some really valuable info there. Remember my background lies in trouting, and so my thought process is mostly around the way trout would react to large streamers etc.

We've been getting so much rain here that I am certain the gully in our street is holding some sizable yelllows that have been pushed to shallower water

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Hehe I know I'm just teasing and boy you should check the river over here....

[smallstreams.co.za]

Hehe I know I'm just teasing and boy you should check the river over here....

Can imagine ja

[FlyFanatic]

Hi guys,

Well I have caught one of my biggest muddies on a #8 black woolly bugger while trying to catch a barbel which has smoked Herman more times than he can remember.

Interesting thing was that the muddy was perfectly hooked in the mouth, how is that for reaction! ;-p

Dont know what the muddy thought the black woolly bugger was but it certainly was no fluke.

[smallstreams.co.za]

I really thing we fish streamers far to little in SA, or even if we do in very limited styles/techniques. Upstream and dead drifted streamers to sighted fish seems to be the norm for many trophy hunting fisherman elsewhere.

[Andre]

throw a size 4 to 6 olive green woolly bugger, tie it with a longish, over dressed tail. my favourite fly for catching smallies on a streamer.

Thanks guys. Just been wondering about throwing large streamers to target large smallmouth, rather than hoping for that opportunistic moment. Was just thinking out loud.