Help in the Smaller creeks

[Rudypoo4444]

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.

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.

[chasmo]

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.