When do the smallmouth/sunfish slow down for winter?

[americandesi]

I've had some medical issues recently and haven't been able to fish. I was hoping to catch some river smallmouth and sunfish in a stream like the SBR or the Delaware before it gets too cold. When do they slow down?

[FASTEDDIE29]

You have plenty of time to target both species dude. Everything is feeding heavy and will continue to feed til the New Year. The water is the warmest its been in years. I was on a Trout stream a week ago fishing for Smallies and caught about 20-25 in a couple hours. Go get em and I hope all is well!

TIGHT LINEZ!!!

[Fishinfire]

They never slow down! Both open water and hard water have produced slabs for me the past couple years!

[liveitup1.75liter]

I can't catch bass in open water nearly as big as I do on ice!! An occasional pig on a musky plug but ats it!!! Mist out on wayyyyy to many monstahs waiting for spring!!

[nate01]

The smallmouth were definitely feeding heavy this weekend. Had my 13 year old nephew and 8 year old son out on the Delaware this weekend. Both kids got their first bass, and many more after that. Biggest was 15.5 inches and we probably got 20 fish in all. Oddly enough, I had 4 dozen minnows because I had inexperienced kids on a small boat, but only managed one fish on live bait. They wanted plastic worms and topwaters! The water warmed up 7 degrees in 4 days due to the hot week we had--combine that with shortening days and the smallmouth were hungry.