For whatever reason, catching smallie from the Kish during high-water events has always been quite the challenge. It's not just me, others I know have the same problem. We just can't seem to get those smallmouth to bite when the Kishwaukee is flowing high. My theory, it's because the Kish is a rather narrow river with high steep banks and when you add extra water the river acts as a funnel, funneling water to the Rock at a very high rate of speed.. I believe fish shutdown during this time and switch to "Survival Mode".
Does this mean that the smallies stop eating? No, of course they still eat. They just don't have to be real aggressive in doing so. As a matter of fact they are probably eating more during high-water events than they do under normal circumstances. Basically, open their mouths and let food flow in, or in an eddy they just scour the bottom to an endless supply of washed in food. You know that feeling you get during the holidays when your at
a relatives house all day and the only thing there is to do is eat but you don't really want to eat but you do anyway because the only thing there is to do is eat? I think smallmouth in eddies during high-water feel that same way.
Got out a few times over the last week or so. I hit Kilbuck for a wade on April 15, water was high and murky from recent rains. The bite was tough and could only bring one little smallmouth to hand. I did hook into a nice smallmouth (16"?) but it flopped off right as I was going to thumb it. Probably the highlight of this outing was hooking onto someones line that had broken off. This was 20lb. Crystal Fireline (braid), the same kind of line that I use. At first I thought it might have been a break-off of mine but I don't snag up and break-off? This was confusing to me. Sure I snag, but I wade over and un-snag, I don't break-off. Crystal Fireline is expensive and I swear to you all that I ended up rolling up about half a spool of that broke-off line. Half a spool!!!
Who does that?!
I started trying out a new "High-Water" spot on the Kish.
This is an area that has a small brook feeding into the Kish so I just figure the smallies will be hanging around that area until the water recedes. The first day there I was get quick hits but no takers. They would hit the tube once real quick and that would be it. There was a smallmouth working the bank opposite of me but I could not get him to hit. I even tied on a couple top-water lures because he was smacking the top feeding. I watched that rat bastard work his way up and down that bank splashing and feeding and mocking me. Nothing.
Returned to the same spot and pretty much had the same results going, even had the dame mocking smallmouth working the opposite bank again. In disgust I turned and headed down-stream working the tight shore-line eddies. For whatever reason I decided to try a slow constant retrieve. I would cast out and down-stream a bit, count to 10 so the high-water would push my tube close to the bank and then I would reel it back in with a slow constant retrieve, so slow that it hurt. SMACK!!! Fish on! One cute little smallmouth brought to hand. I like this smallmouth much better than the rat bastard smallmouth splashing and working the bank behind me. I moved downstream a bit, tossed out and tried the "slow and constant" thing a again when BAM!! Fish on! A largemouth! No real size to it, but a largemouth. I always seem to catch one (1) largemouth a year.
Okay, so this "slow and constant" retrieve seem to be the ticket and I am just about sick and tired of listening to that smallmouth splash around behind me. Time to get evil on this mockery.
A long cast towards the opposite bank, far enough to go past the smallmouth and work the tube back with a slow (very slow) constant retrieve.......
POW!!!
The End.