Help in the Smaller creeks

I fish Elkhorn and alot of streams around Richmond for smallmouth about 3 times a week with great success until early fall. Every year it seems like the bass just shut down on me. I've read articles about how this is a great time to catch bass on shad imitating lures but I have no luck, very frustrating.

I try soft plastic flukes,worms, and crayfish; inline spinners, crankbaits, and rattletraps but only catch 1-2 per 2 hr. trip in comparison to 10-15 from spring through the summer. I even see schools of bass but rarely can get them to bite anything this time of year.

Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[QUOTE=Banjodale;428197]I fish Elkhorn and alot of streams around Richmond for smallmouth about 3 times a week with great success until early fall. Every year it seems like the bass just shut down on me. I've read articles about how this is a great time to catch bass on shad imitating lures but I have no luck, very frustrating.

I try soft plastic flukes,worms, and crayfish; inline spinners, crankbaits, and rattletraps but only catch 1-2 per 2 hr. trip in comparison to 10-15 from spring through the summer. I even see schools of bass but rarely can get them to bite anything this time of year.

Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]

Try this:

Use a light, long rod. A small foam slip bobber, and a fly. Try to find some bigger bead-head or wooly-booger flys and tie the fly about 1-2 feet below the foam slip bobber. Let it drift with the current, and give it a few pops every now and then. A small bobber is critical so you don't spook the fish. Don't use a weight unless you just have to.

For the fall, I always downsize everything for the small creeks-4 lb test, 4 inch or smaller worms and flukes, 1/8 oz. poppers, 1 1/2 inch craws, 1/8 oz buzzbaits and 1/16 oz. spinners. the lower flow and clearer water makes them tougher to catch IMO. Also, the articles about the fishing being the best in the fall (again my opinion) has more to do with the flow of the stream for the novice angler as there isn't as much current for them to deal with. My catch rates always drop in the fall as I prefer the spring as well.

[QUOTE=Banjodale;428197] I've read articles about how this is a great time to catch bass on shad imitating lures but I have no luck, very frustrating.
[/QUOTE]

Are there that many shad in small creeks? I feel like the articles you've been reading are geared more towards lakes. Shad imitators are hot right now on the lakes.

What creeks do you fish in the Richmond area? I am new to the area and I am looking for creeks to fish.

I always tend to slow things down as the water temps drop regardless of what I throw at them.

Fished Elkhorn yesterday from 9 to 3 PM. Second cast with a Strike King Series One, 17" smallmouth out of a deep pocket beside a riffle. She was unusually thin, though, sort of post-spawn thin.

Was hoping I was in for one of "those" days but had to work hard for what I did catch. Ended up with about 10-12 fish, including one other decent smallmouth, but the cool thing was I caught six different types of fish: smallmouth, largemouth, sunfish, bream, drum (2), sauger and carp.

Switched to a jerkbait when the wind came up, which led to the sunfish, bream, two drum and sauger. Sauger was beautiful and about 13". The carp, I confess, came on two kernels of Green Giant niblets I brought just for emergencies. :) 10-minute fight on 8-lb. test was a lot of fun.

Elkhorn is about as low as I've ever seen it. In one place I could almost jump across it. Water was pretty cool, clear as can be and the leaves are starting to bunch up on the creek bed. The low water sure eliminates a lot of water for you, but it has to be stressing these fish. We really need a good rain.

[QUOTE=artcarney_agr;428271]Are there that many shad in small creeks? I feel like the articles you've been reading are geared more towards lakes. Shad imitators are hot right now on the lakes.[/QUOTE]


Yeah actually I've been seeing many large schools of shad from 3 inches to around 5 inches. I try to match the size of the shad I see but still with little luck.

Thanks for the ideas and tips everyone. Much appreciated.

I fish Silver, Paint Lick, and Otter creeks. I also fish the mouth of Tates creek. Silver seems to hold the most smallies.