Long Rip Rap Walls

[OroBass]

how do you fish em? I have been parallel casting spinnerbaits with some success. Just looking to learn what you all like to do.

[Ozark_Basser]

Square bills just ticking the rocks.

[Bluebasser86]

Cranks or swimbaits fished parallel are usually good. Dragging jigs, shakyheads, or swinging football heads can be good too. 

[00 mod]

Everything said above, but also look for anything different.  If there is a hump, a dip, a point etc.  Fish tend to stack on those spots more often!  Also, use your graph to find the last rocks out deep.  I have had some very good big fish days fishing those isolated rocks!

 

Jeff

[scaleface]

I love fishing rip rap , its one of the most consistent producers I have found. Dont underestimate a texas rig hopped from shallow to deep. You will get caught between rocks , so you really have to pay attention when the lure touches down and get it back up in a hurry. I've always wondered how a mojo weight would work there.   I have some but never tried them. 

[Team9nine]

Graph it thoroughly first (if you have a boat), then go back and fish it. You'll find that most long stretches of riprap have certain sections that are simply more productive, more often than others. Beyond that, let the water and weather conditions dictate presentation. If no boat, then you simply have to fish it enough to learn the best sections.

 

-T9

[RB 77]

Love em'. I get down with a jig on rip rap.

[speed craw]

No love for Tubes ?

[Nice_Bass]

I usually only fish riprap when there is good wind blowing up onto it, and then choose a lure that will get the job done.

[1234567]

I agree with jeff. On okeechobee the rim canal has miles of this riprap walls and the bigger fish tend to be just below the last rocks where it drops off into deeper water.

[dead end canal]

Anyone have successful techniques for fishing rip rap from the bank?

[geo g]

Square bills, rattle traps, chatterbaits, and swim jigs fished parallel. Up north, good on winter days with bright sun. Rocks hold heat in the afternoon.

[WRB]

Rip rap being larger size broken rocks used to protect from wave action or a marina barrier or some dam faces are man made structure not found naturally around a lake or river are good everywhere.

Being man made rip rap is usually sharp broken rocks that can snag lures easily, be prepared to loose a few. Scrounger jig is a excellent choice because it works through rip rap without snagging often, allowing you to vary retreive speeds and action. The prey around rip rap are crawdads and smaller size baitfish using the rocks to hide in. The bass searching for prey look for movement near or in the rocks, so whatever you use it needs to be close or bumping the rip rap without snagging a lot.

If you fish a regular jig, use a lighter weight and keep it moving, don't give it a lot of slack line or let it settle into the rocks, it will snag often.

The direction you choose, uphill, downhill, sideways or paralell depends on the angle you are to the rip rap and how the bass are reacting to the lures. Isolated piles of rocks are good, any wood in or near is good, any current breaks are good, any breaks in the rip rap with gravel, clay, weeds, culverts, bridge abutment, corner, ends, anything that creates shade or a change in direction are good places.

Late in the day or dusk crawdad color crankbaits or a rat style swimbait can good.

Tom

[dead end canal]

Thanks for the replies, they pretty much confirm what I've found to work. I was just hoping that someone had figured out something that wasn't so prone to snag, but I guess that's the price of doing business in the rocks.

[OroBass]

thanks guys

[WRB]

Thanks for the replies, they pretty much confirm what I've found to work. I was just hoping that someone had figured out something that wasn't so prone to snag, but I guess that's the price of doing business in the rocks.

Scrounger jig....

Tom

[OroBass]

hey tow what do you use on your scrounger jig? flukes?

[dead end canal]

Found this:

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/116666-scrounger-heads-what-do-i-need-to-know/page-2#entry1276854

 

Great post! Thank you, Tom.

[Bankbeater]

If I am fishing from the bank, I fish it just like I would any other piece of shoreline.  I move, cast in a semi-circle, and then move down the bank some more.  If I am in a boat I try and find how far out the rip rap goes into the water. When I find it I look for some kind of structure or cover at the edge.

[BASSPATROL247]

Look for irregular features along any stretch of rip rap,weedlines etc.. and fish will key on them...

[scaleface]

Thanks for the replies, they pretty much confirm what I've found to work. I was just hoping that someone had figured out something that wasn't so prone to snag, but I guess that's the price of doing business in the rocks.

When I first started fishing rip rap back in the late 70's , I often used 1/4 ounce jigs and a mister twister double tail trailer. The two twisting tails caused it to fall slower and get fewer snags. Today there are  dozens of choices  . Dont let the lure settle . Watch it closely and get it back up as soon as it touches  down. After awhile you can anticipate when it will  hit bottom and raise the lure back up before it happens .

[dead end canal]

Thanks!