Maumee River Report-23 June 2017

We have some sad news to pass along to our Maumee River anglers, One of our own anglers-Eugene T.(Gene) Carter has passed away Wednesday June 21 at the age of 78.  Gene was one of Maumees  most recognizable personalities hereon the river and at all the local ponds and reservoirs. An avid year around fisherman his entire life, Gene was always where the fish were biting . He will be sorely missed and our thoughts are with his family and close friends at this time.

Maumee River

We are getting some much need rain today that should spark some activity once the river comes up a few inches.

And once this storm front passes the weekend outlook is very good, with comfortable temperatures and sunny skies on thru Monday.

Fly fishermen appear to be targeting smallmouth bass in greater numbers these days.  We have been seeing an increase in smallmouth bass attention from our customers over the past few years.

If you have not tried fly fishing for smallmouth bass, you should.  These hard fighting fish are always a surprise.  You think you’ve got a 7 pound bass, only to find out the fish weighs half that when you finally get it in the net.  Landing a smallmouth bass is tough because they never give up.  These bass are full of stamina and determination, probably more than any species for their size .

Most fly anglers use a 5, 6 or 7 weight rod. The 5-weight is used for casting small minnow patterns on a slick water surface.  The 7-weight is best for casting larger or heavier flies long distances.   Try using small, lightweight flies for these bass. Use a 9′ tapered leader with an 8 pound tippet. Fluorocarbon leaders for streamers and nylon for floating flies. A black wooley bugger fly is especially effective when the bass are moving into shallow water to spawn.  At this time, cast the fly close to the bank and retrieve slowly.  As the fly reaches deeper water just let it sink and wait for a strike still giving the fly some movement with a very slow retrieve.

Have fun be safe and good luck fishing