Smallmouth bass fishing in western North Carolina!
This article will cover smallmouth bass fishing in western North Carolina. I am defining this as basically the Asheville area and west. Smallmouth bass inhabit rivers and lakes in this part of the North Carolina mountains. Trout get a lot of attention in this part of the state, however smallmouth bass are my favorite species to target and catch!
My name is Capt Jim Klopfer and I was a saltwater fishing guide in Sarasota, Florida for 35 years. I moved to Franklin, North Carolina in 2019 to enjoy the mountains and the excellent freshwater fishing opportunities. I especially enjoy large creeks and small rivers for smallmouth bass.
Fishing for smallmouth bass in the western North Carolina mountains
Anglers pursuing smallmouth bass can do so in lakes and streams. Lures and live baits can be cast with light spinning or baitcasting tackle. Fly anglers do well with poppers and subsurface flies. There really are a ton of options!
Best fishing tackle for smallmouth bass in western North Carolina
Spinning tackle works very well when chasing smallmouth bass in North Carolina. I prefer a 6′ to 6 1/2′ ultra light rod with a fast action. This means that the butt is relatively stiff, tapering to a limber tip. This allows for long casts with light lures and helps fight fish on light line while still having some power to turn a fish. A 1000 series reel works well. Anglers can spool up with 6 lb or 8 lb monofilament line or 10 lb braided line.
Fly anglers can use anything from a 4wt up to an 8wt. Most of the fish are of modest size, so no need to overdo it. I like a 5wt with a floating line for fishing poppers and surface flies as well as just below the surface. An intermediate sink tip line will get the wooly bugger or crayfish pattern down in the water column.
Fishing for smallmouth bass with lures
I really enjoy fishing for smallmouth bass with lures. There is no need to get complicated, a handful of lures will get the job done. These include topwater lures, jerk baits, crank baits, jigs, soft plastic baits, and spinnerbaits.
My favorite lure is a jerk bait, especially for fishing rivers. It works great in the slower pools and does not hang up near as often as a jig. The Rapala X-Rap in the 08 size is my personal favorite. I like green and white.
Topwater fishing is great fun! I like the Rebel Pop R, Heddon Tiny Torpedo, and the smallest Whopper Plopper. These work best in slower moving water and around cover in lakes. Many anglers work them too fast; take your time. Often times the bass hits while the plug just sits there.
Small crankbaits can be deadly on smallmouth bass. The Rapala Shad Rap is a good lure. The Rebel line of crayfish plugs are legendary. The smaller versions are very effective in rivers. They work well around cover, on rocky points, and rip rap around dams.
Spinnerbaits are very effective smallmouth lures. My two favorites are the Booyah Pond Magic and the Johnson Beetle spin in black. A slow steady retrieve works best in most cases. These lures are inexpensive, easy to use, snag free for the most part, and catch fish!
Soft plastic lures are very effective. The tube bait is a versatile and legendary smallmouth bass lure. A 1/8 ounce jig head with a soft plastic grub is another great lure. Anglers can imitate crawfish, minnows, hellgramites, and more. Shad tail, curly tail, and flukes are work well. Most often the bait is crawled or hopped along the bottom. Baits will get snagged, but they are relatively inexpensive. Flukes like the Zoom Fluke can be worked on or just below the surface.
Fly fishing for smallmouth bass in western North Carolina
I really enjoy fly fishing for smallmouth bass! It is much simpler than trout, no need to copy tiny insects. A handful of flies gets it done. I use poppers, Clouser patterns, Zonkers, and wooly buggers almost all the time. Again, confidence is a big component. A leader that tapers down to 6 lb or so works well.
Read more about the best flies for Smallmouth bass
I almost always start off with a popper. A white or chartreuse (easy to see) #4 popper is a good choice. It is an easy fly to fish and topwater bites are always fun! Fishing the popper is pretty simple. Again, resist the urge to be too aggressive. Sharp twitches spaced a bit apart work better than too much action. Often times a dead drift works fine. Big bream will hit it as well.
The Clouser is a classic bait fish pattern. It can be tied in crayfish colors and fished deeper. Due to the weighted eyes, it has an enticing jigging action. Short strips with a pause in between work best.
The Zonker is another bait fish pattern. There are other similar flies. I almost always choose white. I fish it a little differently with longer strips and a longer pause in between. It will dance seductively in the current.
The wooly bugger is a very versatile fly. Black, brown, and olive are top colors. I usually fish it close to the bottom with little action imparted, other than short strips now and then. It works very well dead drifted, but on some days the fish want more action.
Fishing for smallmouth bass with live bait
To be honest, I rarely use live bait. However, it can be very effective in both lakes and rivers. Less is more in terms of tackle. A #4 live bait hook and a split shot if needed works best. A float will suspend the bait and reduce snags in rivers.
The most popular live baits are nightcrawlers, minnows, and crayfish. Nightcrawlers are readily available at Walmart, tackle stores, and even convenience stores. Minnows are available at some shops, but anglers will often have to catch their own. Same goes for crayfish.
Fishing for smallmouth bass in rivers
I really enjoy fishing for smallmouth in streams and rivers! Most of the time it is warm enough to wet wade; leave the waders at home. I can’t imagine a more relaxing way to spend the day. Floating is the most productive technique as it allows anglers to fish areas that shorebound anglers can’t fish.
In most cases, smallmouth bass will hold in the deeper, slower pools. Fish will also stage in the slack water behind boulders and under the many rock ledges. They are ambush predators and anglers should keep this in mind when presenting lures, baits, or flies.
The best presentation is usually across the current and a bit upstream. This will allow the current to help the offering look natural. It is important to keep the belly out of the line. Often times the take occurs as the line gets tight and the lure, bait, or fly swings in the current.
Best rivers in western North Carolina for smallmouth bass fishing
The top rivers for smallmouth bass fishing in western North Carolina are the French Broad, Pigeon, Tuckasegee, Little Tennessee, and Cheoah. Most have dams that affect water levels, check conditions before going. Do not fish if the water is high and dirty! It is not only unproductive, it is dangerous!
My home water is the Little Tennessee River, known locally as “the LT”. It is easy to wade off Needmore Rd. The Tuckasegee is best floated, wading is tough. The French Broad has a to of access and gets a lot of pressure and is best floated. The Pigeon can be waded or floated with good access near Canton. The Cheoah is very remote and is best floated.
Fishing for smallmouth bass in western North Carolina lakes
There are a half dozen lakes in this area that have decent populations of smallmouth bass. Unfortunately, spotted bass have displaced them in other lakes. Anglers chasing smallmouth will almost certainly encounter largemouth, spotted, and hybrid bass, not the worst thing.
Top spots in lakes are cover on main lake points, rip rap (particularly at dams), and feeder creeks and rivers. Anglers with forward facing sonar can locate offshore brush piles and ledges.
Top lures for lake fishing include crankbaits, deep diving jerk baits, spinnerbaits, Ned rigged and drop shot worms, soft plastic minnow baits on a jig head, and topwater plugs. All can be effective. Drop shots and ned rigs are perhaps the best choice.
Anglers can fish with live bait as well. In deeper water, free lining a live bait works very well. In shallow water a float can be used to suspend the bait at the desired level.
In conclusion, this article on fishing for smallmouth bass in western North Carolina will help anglers catch more of these hard fighting game fish!