Allegheny Mountain Smallmouth Bass

Fishing in the Alleghenys to me means Smallmouth Bass. On my eastern slopes there are small secluded streams that flow against steep ridges and along isolated meadows where you cannot find a footprint of another angler. Often you have to walk through unproductive shallow waters to find the stretches that hold fish, but when you do its well worth the exercise.

My great-nephew Caleb is my usual fishing partner (when he can find time in his busy schedule :) ).

A few evenings a summer my wife goes with me fishing. Large or small she enjoys the tug on the end of her line.

My wife's best ever Smallie, an 18 incher, taken on a mole worm.

Fishing alone it's impossible to get pictures that honor this KING of all fish but here are some nice fish that I've taken while fishing without a companion.

I use light spinning tackle for my Smallie fishing. My favorite lures are plastic lures that I hand-pour myself. You will usually find this worm called a "mole worm" tied to my line 90% of the time.

Crawdads can also tempt a Smallie into a strike.

When all else fails a Rebel Teeny Wee Craw will catch you a fish. It may be a Smallie, a Rock Bass, a Fallfish, or a Sunfish but it is a deadly fishcatcher. Caleb jokingly refers to it as the small child and woman lure.

It's more than just the fish that draw me to these lovely little secluded streams. It's the wondering of what's just around that next bend that pulls me on.