Photo by Tom Evans

Snow flurries were falling from a silvery January sky. It seemed crazy to be starting a float-fishing trip, but that we were. We pushed our canoe from the gravel bar and began Day One of a two-day float down west Arkansas' Caddo River. We quickly became absorbed in the scenic Ouachita Mountain landscape that surrounds the river near Glenwood.

Cold, crystalline water carried us through mountain passes cuffed with snow-covered hardwoods. Curtains of icicles sparkled along riverside bluffs, and wood ducks flushed before us. As we paddled farther from civilization, we became enveloped in the stark, elemental beauty only winter can create.

Fishing in pools and riffles, we caught several kinds of fish -- crappie, spotted bass, rock bass and a variety of sunfish. None of these, however, could compare to the smallmouth bass that comprised most of our catch. Seeming to lurk behind every rock, they were small fish mostly -- 1 to 2 pounds -- but the action was steady and enjoyable. We released them back to the river, but kept a few panfish for a gravel-bar supper that night.

As I watched those fish sizzling over the campfire, I found myself extremely content to be sitting comfortably on a remote riverbank watching it snow. This trip had seemed at first a ridiculous notion. It had become, instead, a fun and memorable outing.

If you get cabin fever this winter, plan a smallmouth-fishing excursion of your own. It can be hard to find a quiet smallmouth-fishing spot in spring, summer and fall. But such is not the case in winter. Head for a cool, clear mountain stream in the Ozark or Ouachita mountains this January or February, and you'll find a pervasive feeling of peace and quiet: no boats, no tourists -- just a relaxing away-from-it-all atmosphere.

And the fishing? Well, smallmouth angling is darned good during the warm months -- but in winter, it's superb. If it's big bronzebacks you're after, January and February are the months to go. Good fishing, lots of big 'uns, and no crowds: three factors that make Arkansas' mountain streams ideal places for beating the winter blues.

Convinced yet? If so, consider some of the following waters when planning a trip this season.

BUFFALO RIVER
Arkansas' best-known smallmouth stream is the Buffalo National River. During warm months, hordes of visitors detract from the peaceful, aesthetic values that are the reason many anglers go fishing in the first place. But in winter, crowds on the river have thinned, and anglers can enjoy a more peaceful, relaxing float through gorgeous canyons with sky-high bluffs.

The Buffalo is a model smallmouth stream, with clear, fast, oxygen-rich water and a gravel bottom and boulder beds that smallmouths love. Most smallmouths are welterweights, a pound or less, but there are plenty to be caught, and there's always the chance of boating a 3- or 4-pounder.

Lure choices are many, but in winter, one of the best is a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce brown leadhead jig dressed with a No. 11 pork frog. Use your rod tip to control lure depth and action, bouncing the bait along the bottom like a crayfish scurrying backward for cover. Other good winter lure choices include crankbaits fashioned to imitate crayfish and minnows, the smallmouth's favorite prey, and small soft-plastic jerkbaits weighted for an underwater retrieve.