S6, Ep 126: Fall Smallmouth Tactics with Brendan Ruch: Low and Slow Strategies

Hey, folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of the articulate flower. Back with another ruche report with the man himself, Brendan Ruch. Brendan, how are you.

Living the life here? Marvin, how are you doing?

I hear that enthusiasm in your voice. It sounds like you might have had a chilly day on the river.

Honestly, I was sweating today. I dressed a little too warm. It ended up being a pretty beautiful day.

Chilly start to the morning, but, uh, yeah, beautiful, crisp fall day, beautiful, light fall foliage in full effect.

Yeah. But, you know, it's interesting. We were talking before we started recording.

I mean, you're like, you know, in the wheelhouse of fall, and that really means the bite is starting to shut down, right?

It's not so much shutting down as it is. Your spots are shrinking. Um, or your spots are becoming more important.

And those feeding flats where you find, you know, fish moving around, they're becoming less important.

Got it. So, you know, where are you kind of. How are you shifting on kind of the, you know, the tactics front.

Basically low and slow. We had not done a ton of, like, fast moving baits or retrieves or anything like that.

Fishing flies with weight, any sort of bottom contact, has been beneficial. You can get the fly to take, especially, like, it's so low right now. You can.

You can do some sight fishing in these spots that have plenty of fish in them, dude. And contact the bottom near a fish, your. Your likelihood of getting bit is much greater.

Got it. So does that mean you're fishing crayfish and things like that?

Yeah, crayfish or even weighted bait fish.

Got it. And what's your. What are your favorite patterns for those?

Um, for the crayfish stuff, it's more, uh, I would say, like, schultz low water cray. Um, like, very simple. Like, cone headed stuff that's easy to tie.

Um, I'm not a huge fan of dumbbell eyes just because I feel like they get snagged pretty easily. But, um, yeah, simple stuff. Even just, like, a cone headed bugger in olive or brown. Like, we're just. We're just trying to get down in contact. Bottom.

Nothing too crazy or fun to tie. Just, uh, meat and potatoes. And as far as, like, weighted bait fish go, um, gotta know, like, I have some.

Some home invaders in my box from years and years ago. They do have dumbbell eyes, but there's fox guarding them. Uh, that's a doug mcKnight pattern.

And getting them down to the fish and, uh, fishing them not, like, super bright colors, more natural, like, tan over white kind of thing. Um, or olive over white. And that's like a veiled pattern, not top and bottom, but yeah, I mean, just getting.

Getting down to the fish, even in shallower water, getting nothing to tick off, the bottom seems to be a huge trigger right now. Like, they're nothing. They're not dying to chase.

Yeah. And so is things as we continue to get shorter days and it keeps cooling off. You know, obviously they're going to pot up more.

How's their behavior going to change?

I mean, I think they're pretty potted up right now, but yeah, I mean, bottom contact throughout the winter is going to be key to success. I mean, even, like, you can drag bait fish and they'll eat it as long as you're not getting hung up.

Um, so in the, in the gear side of things, like, there are jigs and things that I'll use in the wintertime that basically never get hung up. Um, so that becomes very, very important because you just want to stay on the bottom, maybe a little hop here and there.

But, uh, yeah, on the fly side of things, I mean, just getting down to a lethargic fish where they can just kind of like, you know, tilt their head down, suck in. Like that's going to be a big factor of success.

Got it. And, you know, folks, we love questions on the articulate fly. No one's sending even any silly questions in this time.

So Brendan was kind of bummed out you were fingers crossed he's going to be able to stay on the wagon. But, you know, folks, we love, we love questions on the articulate fly. And you can email me or dm me on social media.

And if we use your question, I will send you some articulate fly swag. And then remember, there's an awesome collection of swag from Brendan, you know, ruch angling, log jam stuff and house fly stuff and.

Sounds like I really got your funny bone there, Brendan.

Yeah, that caught me off guard. That was good.

Well, I'm here to entertain.

And so, you know, you were telling me that, you know, you're probably, I don't know what, two weeks away left on your smallmouth season, and then you're going to take a little bit of a break to kind of do non fishing things. But you'll be back on the water for muskie season, right?

Yeah, yeah. I'll be very, very eager to take muskie trips as long as we have some green water. And I'll be very honest when the time is right.

But, yeah, side works coming up and, yeah, I mean, the guiding never stops for gear fishing, unless it's, like, way too cold. But, yeah, the flyby is. Is dwindling, unfortunately.

Yeah.

And you were telling me, too, that kind of, given the impact of Hurricane Helene kind of, on southwest Virginia, you're probably going to step in Pa on the Muskie side this winter, right?

Yeah, yeah, I'm going to be up in Pa pulling wires.

Well, that sounds good. And there might be a prison tattoo or two in there somewhere, right?

Yeah, yeah. It depends on what kind of crowd I get with this year.

Yeah. And so, you know, if folks don't know, Brendan's going to be a bob in the hood in February tying up there.

Do you have anything else in terms of going to shows and tying, or are you doing anything kind of crazy with your. Your log jam buddies on Instagram Live?

So logjam live will be starting up again as things get colder and the days get shorter. I still need to talk to Dave as far as what day and time we're going to do, but, yeah, so that will be starting up again. Looking forward to that.

And I will be at the house fly booth at the Edison show tying all three days. And that's. That's a ways away. But it's always a good time hanging out with those guys.

And I'm sure I'll be tying something that takes way too long to tie.

Yeah, it's an excuse to go to Harold's for dinner, too, and get, like, a $50 corned beef sandwich.

Yeah, as long as it comes out twelve inches high, I'm okay with it.

Well, there you go. Well, listen, folks, you know, smallmouth seasons wind down, but, yo, it's yourself to reach out to Brendan and go chase some musky and pa.

Yeah, or you.

Can hit me up to get on the books for pre spawn next year.

Yeah, well, there you go. Well, listen, tight lines, everybody. Tight lines. Brendan.

Take care, guys.