Cannonsville Reservoir — The Call
If still dead, switch to a **live minnow under a slip float** (if legal) — nothing beats real bait in glassy water.
Cannonsville Reservoir — The Call
Start tonight during the calmest forecast window. Light wind and stable pressure make this a quiet-water, slow-presentation evening. Target smallmouth with a drop-shot rig or dark tube jig fished deliberately along any verified shoreline transition. Best control: 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM EDT. If you can stay past midnight, the 1:30 AM – 4:00 AM major solunar is a timing hypothesis worth testing.
WHY IT WINS
- Calm wind (3-4 mph tonight) allows longer casts and natural lure action without spooking fish. Light drizzle reduces boat noise.
- Stable pressure (1012-1013 mb) is neutral forecast context — no extreme change to force fish deep or shut them down. That leaves location and presentation as the deciding factors.
- The hourly forecast ranks 10-11 PM as the most controllable window (lightest wind, lowest rain risk). Solunar does not improve this ranking.
- Stale 63°F water temp (61 hours old) is not usable for current decision — ignore it. The species profile reference ranges are not evidence of activity.
START HERE
No verified mapped spots are available. Begin at a legally accessible shoreline area you verify on site where the observed wind stays manageable. Focus on any visible rocky banks, points, or transitions you can confirm with your electronics or eyes — those are the only structure clues you have. If you see nothing distinct, fish a straight shoreline and cover water slowly.
THROW THIS
Primary: Drop-shot rig — 1/4 oz weight, 12-16" leader, green-pumpkin or smoke-colored soft plastic minnow (3-4"). Cast to the bank and work slowly back, keeping contact with bottom. This presentation excels in calm, clear conditions with no visible current.
Backup: Dark olive-brown tube jig (3.5") with a lighter 1/8 oz head. Hop and drag on a tight line. If you spot baitfish near the surface, switch to a suspending jerkbait in silver/blue — twitch-pause cadence.
Why: Calm wind demands natural, quiet entry. Drop-shot and tube jig put the bait in the strike zone without aggressive movement.
BEST WINDOW
10:00 PM – 11:00 PM EDT — forecast wind stays around 4 mph, drizzle light, no storm threat. This is the top control window today. If you can fish after midnight, the major solunar 1:30-4:00 AM is a timing hypothesis, but the wind may be slightly higher (4.3 mph at 9 PM). Either way, the evening calm gives you your best shot tonight.
NEXT MOVE
If the first spot produces zero touches, follows, or visible fish on electronics within 30 minutes, relocate to a different shoreline section you can verify on site. Do not change presentation depth or color — location is the variable. Once you find fish or marks, slow down even more: add a longer pause (3-5 seconds) between hops. If still dead, switch to a live minnow under a slip float (if legal) — nothing beats real bait in glassy water.