Western North Carolina Smallmouth
Western North Carolina’s smallmouth fisheries are some of the best in the Southeast.
Smallmouth caught on the French Broad River near downtown Asheville.
Healthy smallmouth that crushed a baitfish pattern on the Nolichucky River.
The French Broad River
The French Broad River is an outstanding smallmouth fishery that flows through the heart of Asheville, North Carolina. The river originates in Rosman, North Carolina and flows north into Tennessee joining the Holston River to form the Tennessee River. The French Broad is considered to be one of the oldest rivers in the world carving its way through the Appalachian Mountains.
The French Broad has a wide variety of structure that creates the perfect habitat for smallmouth. There are a good amount of boulders and fallen down trees along the banks of the river which creates good fishing opportunities for anglers. The river has a ton of shelves and ledges as well where hungry smallmouth will wait on their next prey which is usually minnows, sculpins, or crawfish. With this many different fishing scenarios on the river it’s got something for everyone. Whether your a more experienced fly caster or a long time spin fisherman our guide service will put you in situations where you will be challenged and successful. Once you hook into a healthy smallmouth you will understand what all the excitement is about.
Our guided smallmouth trips on the French Broad are a great way to see a “different” side of Asheville and the surrounding area.
3 lb. smallmouth taken on a suspending plug on the mighty French Broad River.
This big smallmouth from the French Broad River fell victim to a spinnerbait in high, stained water. Our guides are prepared for any water situation so YOU will be successful on the water.
April through the end of October offers anglers great smallmouth fishing on the French Broad.
This first timer put a great French Broad smallmouth into the net using a minnow imitation on light tackle.
French Broad River smallmouth can be anywhere from 8 inches to 20 inches in length and weigh 1 to 5 pounds.
The French Broad River provides some of the best smallmouth fishing in western North Carolina. The Catawba Angler is here to take you fishing on it.
The Gear We Use
When fly fishing for smallmouth bass you want a heavier rod and reel because these fish will challenge your gear with their acrobatic jumps and hard pulls. We typically use 6 and 7 weight rod and reels with floating line. In deeper sections of the river we will use sinking line stripping streamer patterns. Clients should know that casting bigger flies all day can be physically challenging in the summer heat, but the reward of catching a personal best river smallmouth makes it all worthwhile.
Spin fishing can be be very effective as well on the French Broad River. We use medium action rods which are versatile for different presentations and line sizes. These rods also have more backbone which helps when landing those bigger smallmouth. We use a wide range of different lures on our guided trips. These include spinnerbaits, topwater plugs, soft plastics, and jigs. The most effective colors are ones that mimic the baitfish and crawfish in the river.
The Nolichucky River
The Nolichucky River is our go to fishery when guiding clients for smallmouth bass. This freestone river originates near North Carolina’s highest mountains and receives some of the cleanest and coldest water along the way. This fishery normally stays clear after a rainstorm which gives it an advantage over the French Broad which can easily become dingy after the same storm rolls through. The Nolichucky holds a healthy population of smallmouth bass and is home to some of the biggest smallmouth in North Carolina. The biggest smallmouth we have ever caught on a guided trip was from the Nolichucky River.
Best times of the year to target smallmouth?
Smallmouth fishing begins to ramp up towards the end of March and we will target them until the end of October.
This Nolichucky smallmouth was pushing 5 pounds.
Our trips on the Nolichucky River provides the best fishing and scenery around western North Carolina.
A young angler catching a big smallmouth on the Nolichucky River. The experiences we create on the river lasts a lifetime.
The Nolichucky produces some monster smallmouth on topwater during the summer months.
Our NRS fishing rafts provide a comfortable ride on the river. Some clients prefer to stand when fishing, but sitting down is acceptable too.
The Nolichucky River is the perfect place to try your hand at tricking a big river smallmouth into eating a streamer.
Pound for Pound the smallmouth bass is considered to be the hardest fighting freshwater fish.
