A little breeze and a rocky shoreline
Ashokan Reservoir in New York has given theBASSguys some memorable smallmouth fishing. In this report, the conditions lined up for the kind of fishing we enjoy: air around 71°F, water near 63°F, and a light breeze from the southeast. The drift took us slowly along a rock-covered shoreline.
We did not need to cover the whole reservoir in a hurry. We could work the available shoreline patiently and concentrate on the presentations that the bass were responding to.
The soft-plastic worm did its job
We have always liked the way a simple plastic worm can put smallmouth in the boat. On this visit, a four-inch plastic worm was one of the two baits recorded as producing every smallmouth in the original trip notes.
Working a smaller soft plastic slowly makes sense on a rock bank, especially when a gentle drift lets you stay in contact with the structure. We let the conditions dictate how long to work an area rather than rushing to change baits.
Let the fish tell you what they want
The log points to a straightforward formula for this outing: a slow drift along rock, small soft plastics, and patience through the middle part of the day. We kept using what the fish were eating.
A four-inch swimbait earned its place
Alongside the worm, our report records catches on four-inch swimbaits. These gave us another compact, natural-looking bait to fish along the same shoreline.
The original account does not identify an exact swimbait model or retrieve speed, so we're not going to invent one. The valuable observation is that both four-inch plastic worms and four-inch swimbaits caught smallmouth in those conditions.
It happened between late morning and midafternoon
Our recorded catches came between approximately 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. That is useful experience to preserve: we did not need to be on an early-morning topwater bite to find feeding smallmouth.
Rather than treat those hours as a guarantee for another day, we look at them as a reminder that the day's weather, water temperature, and presentation matter more than any fixed schedule.
Portable fish-finder experience
Our archived report also featured a portable Humminbird fish finder as part of the day's smallmouth fishing. It was part of how we recorded and shared real on-water experience with practical equipment.
Because the old report does not provide a complete step-by-step setup, we've left the technical specifics to our separate equipment guides rather than presenting an invented procedure here.
Fishing by the reservoir's rules
The original account specifically noted that Ashokan's boating rules required registered, approved nonmotorized boats and human-powered travel. That makes this story different from our outings in the Lund and Lowe with outboards. We have not used a picture of those motor-powered boats to suggest they were used on this trip.
Those restrictions are described as they appeared in the historical fishing report. Always consult the New York City Department of Environmental Protection for current access and boating requirements before visiting.
Above all, it is another story of fishermen learning what worked on a real body of water: smallmouth on a rocky shore, a little wind, and soft plastics that did the job.
