Strange Trip sunday 8/14

here's one for you... a friend and I are going up to the russian river to do a trip for smallmouth.  Launching from Geyserville and pulling out at Alexander valley.
I may or may not bring my yak, it might be a float tube and flyrod day.
This is a great smallmouth fishery in most years, while the fish tend to be small (1-2lbs) I have caught smallies up to 4.  typical days might be 50+ fish. There are also squawfish (no relation to scwafish)- which run up to about 6lbs.

If any of you are interested, let me know.

Doesn't seem strange to me.  In fact, I was contemplating a float somewhere on the Russian on Sunday as well.  The girlfriend wants to paddle, but doesn't like the salt water so much so we were thinking Russian or Lake Sonoma.

Details please?  Launch and takeout?  Distance/time?  Now the important question ... what do I need to catch smallmouths?

-Allen

time: probably 4-6 hours though you could easily do it in two.
launch- just at the geyserville rd bridge (hwy 128 bridge).
pull-out - alexander valley rd healdsburg.

it might be a bit of a carry down to the water (100yds), so if you have a cart.

We're thinking of launching 6-6:30, but time isn't nailed down yet.  I'll post when I know exactly

Gear- figure these beasties eat little minnows and baby steelhead, worms, and surface bugs
spinning (trout sized).  Little floating rapalas in trout color. powerworms in green, brown, little poppers, spinnerbaits, panthermartins

Fly- poppers, clousers (#6 or green/white, blue/white.

Looks like the launch will be about 9:30 or 10 am....leisurely start.

Put In: Hwy 128 bridge in geyserville
take out: Alexander valley rd bridge in healdsburg

That's what I like to hear.  Not only does the girlfriend not like the saltwater, she doesn't like the early morning either.

I'll confirm later this week if we can make it.

-Allen

I used to do the same thing on the lower feather river when I was a kid.  Catching smallmouth bass is a ton of fun.  Even the small ones fight hard.  We used a lot of stuff but our favorites were green rooster tails and rattle-traps.

Even the small ones fight hard

Absolutely!! I prefer them over the large mouth bass ANYTIME!!! I caught a few SMB in Lake Del Valle / Livermore casting a shad rap (trolling too).

Yellow rooster tails (yellow coach dog) works for me as well !! I remove the treble hook and replace them with single siwash hooks   Use 4 # mono with ultra lite rod  

(090) yellow coach dog = my second all time favorite fresh water lure!!!! (for lake/stream trout, bluegills and small mouth bass)




I used these at Stevens Creek and Del Valle many times!!!

Hey Guys,

The Russian is on the way home to the Bay Area from Elk.  I'm sure after a long hard day of tourney fishing, a nice relaxing float down a warm river (no wetsuit needed!) catching some smallies would be a nice end to a perfect weekend????

-Allen

I'm up for that (I have Monday off as well) but that will depend on my ride - carpooling with Chris / Cpyak.

hey mooch-

I'm off monday as well (and tues, wed, thurs, fri, sat, sun- repeat for SIX weeks!)

if you end up back in the bay area- maybe we can try to get some salmon?

I'm up for Salmon - question is........where are they?  

The fishing on the Russian is pretty good this year, been fishing 2 to 3 times a week this summer. Quite a few 17"-18" fish in the Camp Rose to Steelhead Beach area.

2-2 1/2" rapalas (black&Silver, gold when foggy)  
small shadraps (B&S or crawdad)  
mirro lures(red or olive)
jigs (White or yellow)
small spinner baits(W,Y,Crawdad)
coachdog rooster works great but the squawfish love them.
FlyFishers have been using small poppers, streamers,crawdads and black leech(lampray imatation)
Barbless hooks and no Bait.
Best areas for me have been from Alexander Valley to Steelhead Beach, upper river good but mostly small fish. Lot of canoe traffic on weekends this year due to good flows and late summer.

Nice quiet drift is from Healdsberg Memorial Beach to Steelhead no rental canoes. If you launch below dam (Key)you will have 1 short portage at Wholer. 4-6 hours fishing just paddling 2.

Thanks for the update.

I've nearly always fished that upper portion...maybe we'll switch quick and do the drift you suggested