Growing up fishing small Iowa ponds, I rarely had the chance to fish for smallmouth bass. My angling journey has evolved from using a Spider-Man themed push-button rod for bluegill with a bobber and worm, to setting the hook on a 4-pound largemouth with a baitcaster and topwater frog. While I've made significant progress, there are still many fishing experiences ahead of me. Catching a smallmouth is high on that list. I've watched Tyler Anderson on YouTube pulling giants from the depths of northeastern lakes, and it's my dream to land one of those beautiful bronze and blue smallmouths myself.

For now, though, I'll have to settle for finding them in the winding rivers of western Iowa.

Since moving away from my familiar ponds and lakes in the Iowa City area, I've been exploring new fishing spots around my new home in Des Moines. There are plenty of small ponds surrounded by walking trails and office buildings, stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie, but these were starting to get a little old. It wasn't worth dedicating a whole Saturday to fishing these spots. A friend recommended a smaller river 45 minutes east of Des Moines—not close enough for a weekday evening trip, but perfect for a Saturday outing.

So on Saturday, September 21, we loaded up my buddy Will's car and drove to a local access point on the river. It was warm that day, with a high of 87°F and sunny skies. There had been some recent cold fronts in the week before, so I was hopeful the fish would be in a feeding mood. We couldn't get there super early and arrived at 10:30 AM. I was worried we'd missed out on the morning bite, but that would turn out to be false. As we unloaded our rods, we heard multiple fish jumping.

After hearing the splashes, it didn't take long for me to tie on a topwater lure. As we worked our way upriver through a slow-moving section, I started with a jig but didn't get any bites. After Will got a couple of hits on his plopper-style lure, I quickly switched to a spook. Below a section of white water, I started walking it through the current. It didn't take long to get a hit. Will's first fish was a largemouth, so I wasn't quite sure what I'd hooked into. It fought hard, and once I had it on the bank, I realized I'd caught my first smallmouth! I was thrilled that this new fishing spot had paid off and I had a new species in my hands.

I was surprised by how big their tails are!

Catching fish in a new spot provides a thrill that I'll always seek. The topwater bite continued for a while until the sun was overhead, at which point I switched back to the jig. I put on a craw trailer and did a slow hopping retrieve in the eddies of the white water. I couldn't have asked for better fishing. In one of these eddies, I pulled out the biggest fish of the day—a nice ~2.5lb smallmouth.

Please pardon me posing like a fly fisherman

All in all, Will and I caught a combined 20+ fish, mostly smallmouth but a couple of largemouth and one walleye. It was a gorgeous day spent trekking up and down the small Iowa river.

Tips and Tricks for Iowa River Fishing

I'd like to share some tips that I believe made a difference. Whether you're using a plopper-style bait or fishing a jig, these can help improve your chances.

Tips for Fishing the Plopper-Style Bait:

Try different retrieve speeds

Vary your retrieve speed and add quick jerks and pauses. One of these techniques might trigger a bite.

Use a swivel

When using a plopper, it can spin during retrieval, causing your line to twist and weaken. This may lead to line breakage when a fish bites. Using a swivel prevents line twisting.

Tips for Fishing the Jig:

Use a craw trailer

A craw trailer is my favorite for jigs. It has a large presence in the water and has given me the best luck catching bass.

Be patient

With a big trailer like a craw, bass may not always eat the lure in one bite. They might pick up one claw before taking the whole lure. If you're missing hooksets, wait a moment after feeling the bite to ensure the bass has taken the entire lure.

Use a strong, swift hookset

Make sure to use a strong and swift hookset to drive the hook past the weed guard and into the fish's mouth. A heavier rod can help with this.