Mike's obviously kidding. The Stones River system is completely devoid of smallmouth ... mainly due to the TWRA's decision to stock bull sharks (with frickin' lazer beams on their heads) a few years ago.
Actually, it is a very fertile system that produces largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. You'll find all three in a stretch of river, although the East Fork has produced more smallies for me. Traditionally, it's a little clearer and cooler than the West and Middle sections.
Mike's exactly right -- the Greenway in Murfreesboro is a good place to start, especially on a float. The section of river below Walter Hill dam gets hammered with fishermen in the spring, mainly because of a traditional run of bigger smallmouth. I've fished it, but prefer a more solitary approach for the gamest fish that swims.
A good map of the Murfreesboro area will reveal a bunch of opportunities, especially below dams and near bridges (traditionally access points). Some are better than others, but all will yield good fish. Mike's suggestions on the baits to use are dead on, with the addition of live bait, especially creek minnows, being a big producer. For a long time, I relied almost solely on soft plastics, but I've fly-fished the streams for the past couple of years. The summer months are great for tossing foam and deer-hair poppers, big streamers and crawfish imitations (I always carry a couple of carp flies as well because some nice ones frequent the same stretches of river ... and I apparently crave frustration and abuse). But largemouth and spots seem to be easier for me to fool with flies than smallies.
The streams don't receive a great deal of pressure, but I encourage you to consider catch and release on the bigger smallies. Both for increasing the odds that someone else (well, like me) will have a chance for catching a trophy ... and for keeping the bull sharks fed, of course.
I hope this helps.
Topic: Smallmouth on the Stones (Read 6721 times)