I’m very impressed! I was in the precision shooting business for 25 years and I refused to stock and sell anything I didn’t personally use myself. Not only is he one of the best smallmouth mentors on the planet he actually uses and explains the products he supports. Let’s all support him! Thanks for all your hard work! High Noon

If they got a rough patch on their tongue, it's a spotted bass smallmouth hybrid aka meanmouth as far as I've been told.

I kayak fish Elkhorn Creek a lot. I throw a Rapala J-5 Jointed Minnow, shad color and I really like a Nikko Hellgrammite, natural color. I'll have my boat in the middle of the river, toss it along the deepest bank, and just let it bounce a long the bottom as I kind of troll down the river.

Elkhorn is a lot of fun, but I have rarely caught anything over 15 there. I think once or twice I got ones close to 18 but I don't even remember where. Try green river in KY, the section right below the green river lake dam. Its probably the river section in KY where I have caught the most 17+ inchers in my day. Sure some days its a dink fest, but most days you get at least 1 17+ and every now and again one closer to 20. I am not nearly as good of an angler on rivers as you, so you might be able to go get a bunch that size. I know I've spooked a whole lot of big ones down on Green lol.

Dude, your editing is masterclass. Thanx for everything.

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the story. Getting B-Roll is critical.

Par for the course, Jeff don't feel bad. And props for getting out of your comfort zone. 1 below looks like your scenario, but I would have been curious about 2,3,4 being an issue. 1.Kentucky streams can be loaded with fish like these. There is 'good' fishing and then there is 'good' fishing. 17"ers can be hard to find. Likely this is public good fishing, but not a die hard's good fishing. Whether it is slow growth, or predators knocking off the bigger ones, I don't know. Always thought it was stunting to a degree. 2.Fluke days can be a dink fest. Getting the fluke down near the bottom to entice big fish is the trick on those days where they are lazy (if they exist). IMHO, big ones often won't come up to where they expose themselves. They'll bite low in the water column or not at all. Water temps are vastly different in these two cases and the amount of water flowing creates entirely different decisions. 3. They key to what Josh was showing is memorizing your imparted actions compared to river feature when fish are biting flukes. Being able to see it is everything, critical because you can let your lure flutter under a long and see a fish turn away with too much visibility. It requires, constant manipulation to KNOW what move caused the bite. You'll memorize the 'finishing' moves that draw a strike. When to rip it, to get strong follows, when you don't have it deep enough. You'll see the small fish take it and the big fish sitting under it not willing to come up. Sitting, not standing or wading removes quite a bit of this information. You have to coax them with aggressive darts based on the structure and see it. Throw fastballs and changeups all in the same cast. Personally just too much work for long trips IMHO. I've got a buddy right now that thinks he's whacking them lately on flukes I found yesterday he's fishing over the top all the bigger fish that won't come up. Big TRD on 3/16th head. I've fished side by side with a guy who had a split shot 24" up his line from the fluke and saw the big fish take his and not mine because they wouldn't expose themselves to light like the smalls do. 4. Choppo might be too loud considering the flow of that stream. More than half the time Choppo's and Whopper P's are useless on low clear water. Dialing down that noise to a much lower level with a Sammy 100 could be the ticket.

Add a Owner screw lock to the nose of the jerk shad. Then put the hook thru the nose of the bait thru the hook. It helps with the fish throwing the fluke off the hook.😊

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

I have done that in the past with a Do-It Molds Hitchin Post in the nose of a 3 inch senko. Great post spawn bait and rig!

Good deal man !! Anymore gear ur gonna need 3/4 ton 8' bed lol

Nice new setup on the truck. Looks very functional, especially for those like yourself that travel a lot. Your experience in that stream has been much like mine with size. There are other areas that yield better size in the state.

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

There’s a lot of hit and miss in my travels as far as size. I am ready for some higher flow.

Which is the bigger lie? The one that got away or last cast😂😂😂😂. Beautiful fish and beautiful scenery. Thanks for bringing us along. If you end up in north east TN go just across into VA and just north of Abington VA is the north fork of the holston river. Not sure about the fishing but a beaetiful river. Plus the VA creeper trail is close by too. Safe travels Jeff

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

Jameson and I drove along the Virginia Creeper Trail recently. Cool area!

@johnwhite993

18 күн бұрын

@@TheLittleStuff it was an unused train rail and the state fixed it up. Pretty cool

Little known fact, Dollar General Stores are Kentucky's most abundant natural resource. Biggest issue facing Kentucky for trophy game fish production is meat hunters. It has gotten worse with cheap kayaks being widely available. It takes roughly 12 years in our waters for a smallmouth to reach 20". Most don't make it past 15-16.

You literally fished at my spot, thunder road/Roachville access. You’re fishing the wrong water at the wrong time. That area picks up when the water is closer to 300 cfm. Closer to the dam is better. Or closer to where you camped at. The creeks off of green are fishing better right now. Also I’m the reasons why top water doesn’t work there anymore. I normally go to the water fall by paddle only.

@TheLittleStuff

7 күн бұрын

It was pretty water. I’ll hit it closer to the dam some time.

😂🤣I’m sorry to laugh but I stick myself in the seat of my pants all the time dragging up river. Good to see I’m not the only one

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

Yep. You gotta be able to laugh at yourself! 😂

I fished Elkhorn Creek quite a bit and that’s probably not very far from you’re at there’s a lot of nice big smallmouth in that river. Flyfish said a lot over the years.

This is one of my favorite areas of this river, very beautiful but it sees a lot of pressure. I've been exploring the tributaries in the area looking for fish that have seen fewer whopper ploppers but haven't quite found what I'm looking for. Kentucky has more navigable water than any other state in the lower 48, they have to be here somewhere.

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

I enjoyed this section, but agree that there must be better size available somewhere near by. Or maybe I just had an off day on bigs.

Chopo right in the a gap 😂😂😂

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

Yep. That was awkward and uncomfortable. 🥴

im in southern Kentucky... lets go

Try using a snell knot for you’re fluke I find I get much more pin in the top of the mouth. Yesterday had 10 on open hook fluke and only missed one all others in top of mouth.

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

I’ll give it a shot. I use it on my Grip Pin Hooks.

You on the Green Jeff? Looked like a beautiful day!

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

Yep. Beautiful water.

Beautiful river and great explanation of your technique. What part of Kentucky were you in? Very scenic.

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

Mid state. Beautiful country for sure!

@Gokywildcats11

18 күн бұрын

​@@TheLittleStuff boonesbourgh??

Hey, Jeff I enjoy all your videos but know that your home water is in PA mainly. I have saw you making several videos lately from all over the place. Is this something you wanted to do personally like a road trip thing or is this mainly work related? No reason I am asking other than curiosity. I just know where you usually fish and what type of fishery it is, curious to all the different states you have been hitting. Thanks keep em coming.

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

My full time job is as a Sales Manager for Boonedox, manufacturer of kayak fishing accessories, truck camping equipment and more. This year, one of my goals was to set foot in at least as many as I did in 2019, while working for Torqeedo, 131 different shops. I’ve not been on my home water of the Susquehanna since February. I did a few Juniata trips in March, but nothing on my usual Susquehanna Smallmouth fishery. All the trips are fun, and I’ve enjoyed some incredible smallmouth fishing abroad along the path of my dealer visit travels. So that’s what’s going on Scott.

Is it better to fish above the river dams or below them bro?

@TheLittleStuff

17 күн бұрын

I like below. The reservoirs allow sediment to fall out. There’s usually good clean water below a dam.

I can’t pull it off this year but on the top of my list is to get battery power for the truck. Relying on campgrounds sucks!

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

I have a small Dakota Lithium power box, but want their newer big power box, P2400 I think.

@rexpaulbronzbackhero2373

8 күн бұрын

Hey Steve what’s up, thanks for taking us on such scenic float fishing adventure. I love ur camping setup, storage set up. My favorite stream is the drakes creek river in bowling green. And ur raft is sick. I love catching fish on the plopper style bait. But in TN the fluke in hot summer days are dynamite. Wish you much luck in TN.

Too bad you couldn't stay in Michigan a few days longer...

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

Michigan was a blast!

It probably just looks like it in the video, but is the ladder resting against the truck bed? Maybe some sticky felt pad, like for a chair or table, could be used if so.

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

It had to get close to let those hooks slide in sideways. I may shift the tent towards one side a little bit.

@happysapwoods

18 күн бұрын

Love the content, by the way! Like how you have things set up, both camping and kayak for fishing. Awesome vid :)

what river is this??

Coming from Michigan catching 17 - 20 inchers to Kentucky..apples to oranges my friend LOL. They're are trophy smallmouth waters in KY but most of the time your >18" fish will be in .01% of the water you're fishing and then you have the timing deal (are they gonna eat or not). Next time go to Florida smallmouth fishing and then come here and the fishing will seem alot better! Ha ha ha

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

I feel that there’s potential for overlooked, under fished water in KY. So much of that depends on how often an adult smallmouth is harvested. Thank you for the perspective Dave!

@HERMETICSUBROSA

Күн бұрын

Florida smallies😂

@HERMETICSUBROSA

Күн бұрын

Better try lake Cumberland in march my man...😂

@HERMETICSUBROSA

Күн бұрын

Ridiculous comment...I get 21 inch smallies in creeks every yr...our master angler size smallie is 20 inches..

I fished Elkhorn Creek quite a bit and that’s probably not very far from you’re at there’s a lot of nice big smallmouth in that river. Flyfish said a lot over the years.

@TheLittleStuff

18 күн бұрын

I’ll check out that flow next time Nick.