Chris Dollar: Pound for pound, smallmouth bass worth their weight as a fishing challenge | COMMENTARY

Most local angler’s gaze are riveted to the May 1st striper season kickoff, understandably so after a quarantined winter that has us all craving the open bay. The two-week spring rockfish signals the start of the fishing season for many, a time of both celebration and frustration, especially on weekends.

I won’t speak for you, but I’ve endured a few times when trolling for rockfish on Opening Day plain sucks, and not because the fishing was poor. It’s because the Chesapeake Bay’s channel edges become as clogged as the D.C. Capital Beltway. When discourteousness ensues, it drives me closer toward temporary hypertension.

With that backdrop, I offer this bit of angling diversion for your consideration this spring and early summer — go fishing for smallmouth bass. Not far from the spaghetti of snarling boat traffic flows prime smallmouth bass waters that offer both exceptional fishing and solitude. I love the bay’s upstream waters, yet truthfully don’t spend as much time on them as I should. There’s never a dull moment.

Take the trip down the Shenandoah in which I invited one of my childhood friends to tag along with me and my regular fishing partner at that time. My friend’s inclusion was an attempt to help ease him past a particularly rough patch in which life came at him hard.

Soon after launching that childhood friend perched himself upright in the bow of my canoe, like some freshwater Master and Commander character. When I say perched, I’m being generous. He swayed back and forth like a 17th century buccaneer on shore leave, until finally he spilled tail over teacup into the drink. We hadn’t even been on the river for 10 minutes.

My other buddy sidled up to me, and asked with a mix of concern and trepidation that this character was going to sabotage the fun: “Is your buddy gonna be alright?”

“Hope so,” I replied. “He’s wearing a life vest, so at least he’ll be easy to find.” Years later I fondly recall that float trip as a far less dark version James Dickey’s “Deliverance.”

Once the wayward angler was firmly in the canoe, we flowed gently downstream casting to likely spots for smallmouths, or whatever fish would hit a fly. The weight of the world melted away, as the sun’s rays exploded across the purple horizon like radiant apricots.

River otters frolicked. Siblings, perhaps? Kingfishers guarded their territories with a bustling ferocity. Herons stalked prey. On a river there is always something interesting going on. All you have to do is look around you.

By some Chesapeake anglers’ standards, a three-pound fish would fail to spark much excited. They’re sorely mistaken. Put those same three pounds into a smallmouth’s muscular body that’s now pinned to the business end of a six-weight fly outfit, and friend, you’re in for a raucous good time.

Ornery as a rodeo bull, smallmouth bass don’t back down, nor do they give up easily, leaping and spinning as they try to spit the hook. At times they hit a lure like a Mike Tyson haymaker. Pound for pound, smallmouth bass offer a formidable fishing challenge.

Smallies do best in clean, cold rivers where an abundance of insects, baitfish, and crayfish make for easy meals. The bay’s mother river, the Susquehanna, offers exceptional smallmouth angling from as far north as Harrisburg. Above and below Harper’s Ferry on the Potomac, the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah, the Monocracy and all tributaries flowing into these waters.

I prefer targeting smallies from a canoe or kayak; people-powered craft offers the advantage of getting into waters that are usually less pressured. Fishing these more remote waters can also heighten the angling experience of chasing these spunky gamefish.

For bronze-backs, shallow-running, wobbly crankbaits can be particularly deadly, especially when worked around weed flats and shorelines. This technique is also good for exploring new waters when searching for fish. In deeper waters, swap to a medium or deep-diving bait.

Spinnerbaits are an excellent all-round lure, good for many situations except for heavy cover. When fishing heavier lures into cover or around structure, use a medium-heavy to heavy-power baitcasting outfit loaded with braided line from 25- to even 40-pound test.

I like a six- or seven-weight fly outfit. Effective flies include terrestrials, dragon- and damselflies, as well as standard streamer patterns such as Woolly Buggers and Clouser Minnows. The best colors depends on what river or section of river you’re fishing. I’ve had good luck with neutral to dark colors, of course, as well as chartreuse baits.

Writing this piece has spawned both pangs of guilt for not having explore the upper Chesapeake reaches as much as I should, and a renewed vigor that there’s still time to get out there. Oh, and if you do happen to hear banjo music, I’d suggest you kick up your paddle strokes a few notches.

Outdoors calendar

• Through May 1: Applications for Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission and Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission. Apply online at govapps.md.gov/appointments/apply.
• Through Sept. 18: Potomac Slam Tournament. Plenty of opportunities to win, with divisions for both conventional and fly tackle. Learn more at tidalpotomacslam.org.
• Through May 1: Applications for Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission and Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission. Apply online at govapps.md.gov/appointments/apply.
• Through May 24: Maryland Spring Turkey Season. Includes Sundays in certain counties, see DNR online chart.
• April 17-18: Junior turkey hunting days, ages 16 or younger only.
• April 19-May 24: Maryland spring turkey season. Includes Sundays in certain counties, see DNR online chart.
• May 1-15: Spring striper season. One fish per person per day, min. size 35 inches. Chesapeake Bay from Brewerton Channel to the MD-VA Line, excluding all bays, sounds, tributaries, creeks and rivers, except Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sound.
• June 5: 18th Annual Kent Narrows Fly & Light Tackle Tournament. A Catch-Photo-Release tournament in partnership with the Angler Action Foundation. Details at ccamd.org.

Send calendar listings, photos and other outdoors news to cdollarchesapeake@gmail.com.