catching river bass

[Jon P.]

does anyone have any tips for fishing for bass (largemouth) in faster flowing rivers? if you need an idea as to what I'm talking about look at Kelly island in Missoula Montana on google maps. it's an intersection of the largemouth stuffed bitterroot and the trout choked clark fork in a maze of sloughs and deep pools in the main river.

[Glenn]

 

[The Bassman]

Looks like heaven on earth for the sport fisherman. Betting it's a trifle chilly there right now.

[.ghoti.]

Nicely done, jefe.

The only thing I would add is a cautionary note about using an anchor in current. Particularly on a system when rapid changes in flow; such as below a power generation dam.

[TnRiver46]

You can't go wrong drifting along the bank and throwing a Texas rig. Also when you find a good depth change perpendicular to the current, there will be bass above and below that area. Usually they will be above it when they are hungry and below it when resting. Same thing with cover along the shoreline, they hang out right above and below logs 

[everythingthatswims]

My best tip for largemouth in fast flowing rivers is find the slowest moving water, slow water with wood is almost a guarantee. They are lazy. Largemouth in fast flowing rivers have got to be one of the most predictable largemouth out there. Once you get the hang of it, you'll see a pocket, and go "yep, a largemouth lives right there".

["hamma"]

  One of my favorite baits for the rivers I fish, which bares mentioning, is a 4" black/chartruese tailed berkley power ringworm. Usually, fished with a 1/8 oz gambler screwlock worm weight and a 1 or 1/0 straight or offset gamakatsu worm hook on a med heavy spinning rod, and a 1/4 oz screwlock with same hook on a med heavy casting rod. The lighter weight is for the slower slack water, and heavier for the current situations. I do use other lures as well on rivers, but this is a staple that I will "methodically" prerig for use on rivers, big or small. I can skip, pitch, flip, cast, and work however fast or slow the fish require. From the instant it hits the water till Im ready to cast again, Im watching the line with extreme attention for the slightest of hits, as sometimes they just crush it, and other times, its a very subtle hit.

 The largemouth and smallmouth both seem to gravitate to this plastic when others seem to just not cut it. Even the standard green pumpkin spider jig, or yamamoto double tailed hula grub on a jighead, has trouble outfishing this little gem. Which kinda perplexed me as that bait alone is a standard "tough" fishing bait for me and is typically at the ready. Also, a grub on a jighead, is another standard I have ready to go "EVERYTIME" I fish. But on rivers? for some reason, that little power worm is above and beyond, superior by far.

  Personally I think its the tail, that chartruese inch or so of plastic, with its slight flicker, that follows the black siliouette of the worm, seems to do it,.. as a solid black colored berkley power ringworm gets ignored. And you can bet your best dollar,..I tested that theory. And a larger 7" berkley chartruese tailed power worms? nope, again not so much as a nibble, compared to the success provided by the ringworm. And by the way, Im not sponsored by either berkley , gambler, or gamakatsu. Nonetheless,,.. at the very least, if you fish rivers, give this worm a shot. One bag? isnt going to kill you. I cant speak for your wifes actions,... lol,... but,... I hope it works for you as it does for me.

 And yeah, I have a few dozen bags in my overstocked plastics tote, just in case berkley discontinues them,. cuz they work that good for me,...

[the reel ess]

I've floated down a local river a few times and always caught bass behind wood and rock current breaks or behind an eddie. Look for places that completely block the flow and drop a bait right behind them. You won't catch many largemouth in a rapids section. They prefer places where the flow is slower. Bass will be hiding in the slack current watching for bait to wash by. I've mostly used cranks for this. They love the Rebel Wee Craw.

[bagofdonuts]

i fish the arkansas river here almost exclusively. knowing how they are relating to current is the key. during spring and fall they will be in the back waters away from the current. summer here is all about fishing the rock jetties where current is present. winter is in between , they will be on the jetties/riprap alot, but not on the tip or in front (in the current) as much as they are in summer, you also find them at the mouths of the feeder creeks in winter. crankbaits and spinner baits are great river search baits ( i always have both tied on no matter the season). i also throw a hard head/biffle bug alot(river equivalent of a carolina rig, great for covering the bottom). for slower presentations trigged worms and jigs are the ticket here.

I agree that lm usually prefer the slower current. when fishing a jettie or wingdam there is always a sweet spot where the rignt amount of current is hitting it. find that sweet spot and if there's a bigger rock or lay down in that zone it is golden. unlike lakes it is common to catch several bass off one rock or laydown, and then come back to it a bit later and more bass will fill in. 

river fishing is by far my favorite. it is always changing so you can't be fishing the spots that worked before, may be a good place to start, but you have to change with them. 

[Jon P.]

3 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I've floated down a local river a few times and always caught bass behind wood and rock current breaks or behind an eddie. Look for places that completely block the flow and drop a bait right behind them. You won't catch many largemouth in a rapids section. They prefer places where the flow is slower. Bass will be hiding in the slack current watching for bait to wash by. I've mostly used cranks for this. They love the Rebel Wee Craw.

in the afternoons on my particular river you can fill a Nike gym bag with crawfish just by walking along and picking them up, I'll have to try this rebel craw of yours.

[Jon P.]

here are a few photos of the river in question. note all the little canals and sloughs that the bass winter in. during the dog days of summer they almost completely vacate the sloughs to avoid getting trapped or boiled alive. in the sloughs I through punching rigs and hard body jumpfrogs (too many pike to risk shredding a softie) in the main river I throw swimbaits on a surf rod, spinner baits, gan craft Shape-S's, and football jigs. the crawfish species in question is the virile crayfish (orocontes virilis) and the baitfish are trout and squawfish. I see many more bass than I catch and the only info I can find on fishing rivers is on fishing larger bodies of water like the potomac.

the biggest bass rumored to come out of here was about nine pounds out of a strict "no trespassing" area. the guy who caught it (a local fly fisher by the name of Andy) caught it on a salamander streamer but released it to avoid having to face the possibility of a poaching fine. personally I don't believe it and his photo doesn't look quite like a nine.

[the reel ess]

41 minutes ago, Jon P. said:

in the afternoons on my particular river you can fill a Nike gym bag with crawfish just by walking along and picking them up, I'll have to try this rebel craw of yours.

Especially in rocky areas. Don't be afraid to retrieve it over logs and limbs. A lot of bites will follow.

[TnRiver46]

53 minutes ago, Jon P. said:

in the afternoons on my particular river you can fill a Nike gym bag with crawfish just by walking along and picking them up, I'll have to try this rebel craw of yours.

I would fish with live (or dead) crawfish in that case 

[Jon P.]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

I would fish with live (or dead) crawfish in that case 

you cant keep the squawfish off you if you use live or scented baits, they account for about half of my catches in the first place

here's a squaw fish just to give you an idea

[TnRiver46]

36 minutes ago, Jon P. said:

you cant keep the squawfish off you if you use live or scented baits, they account for about half of my catches in the first place

here's a squaw fish just to give you an idea

Wow never heard of those but it looks fun to catch!!!! If the squaw fish eats crawdads they will probably eat the rebel craw too

[bowhunter63]

Rage craws work great in the Rivers.

[The Bassman]

7 hours ago, Jon P. said:

you cant keep the squawfish off you if you use live or scented baits, they account for about half of my catches in the first place

here's a squaw fish just to give you an idea

Is the male called a bravefish?  (Just kidding).  I"ve heard those things get really big.  Researched after posting this and I think I'm confusing squawfish with sheefish.  Based on what I read that's a real big one.

[Jon P.]

the electrofishing survey teams always find giants, but for whatever reason I have only once seen one as big as that one in the photo. my little brother caught one that large on a huddle bug in an irrigation canal by the MSU griz stadium in missoula, it was nearly the size of him!

but for the most part they average out around 2-3 lbs.