Wade up or down stream?

[J Francho]

Since I switched to a centrepin, I haven't touched a fly rod.  Come to the dark side.

[Catt]

On 10/16/2018 at 8:14 AM, scaleface said:

I walk both ways , I have to get back after all .

 

Pretty much it! ?

 

I'm aint gonna wade a mile up stream & then walk back to the truck.

 

I'm gonna fish my way back!

 

Your still looking for the same eddies, cover, structure, just from a different angle. You know where the bass are holding, that is if you were successful on the way up.

[Tennessee Boy]

I haven't done much wading in the last 35 years but when I was a teenager I spent my summers wading creeks.  I always waded upsteam.  I would wade a mile up stream and then climb up on the bank and walk back to the truck.  I'm not saying I didn't hit some of my favorite spots on the way back but I would climb down the bank below the spot and fish it from downstream.  

 

You catch almost all of your smallmouth in the current.  They're facing upsteam looking for a meal.  You approach them from behind,  throw your lure up into the current and work it toward them.  That's hard to do from the other direction.

 

The fish I caught were 90% smallmouth and 10% spotted bass.  If you're only fishing for largemouth,  it might be a different story but I think going upsteam still gives you the advantage.

 

Spend the time you have wading upsteam then take the fastest route back to the truck when it's time to go.

[J Francho]

48 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

That's hard to do from the other direction.

It's simple, you swing the bait.  Bait fish swim facing upstream.  Your presentation could look backwards.  Both work, though.  Who knows, maybe that's why it works, too.

[Scott F]

There are advantages to fishing going upstream against the current to be sure, but to totally pass on fishing downstream in my opinion, is a mistake. As most guys who fish rivers in kayaks or canoes do, they put in or paddle upstream, and float back downstream.

[Tennessee Boy]

5 minutes ago, J Francho said:

It's simple, you swing the bait.  Bait fish swim facing upstream.  Your presentation could look backwards.  Both work, though.  Who knows, maybe that's why it works, too.

I get what you're saying.  I'm not suggesting that the way I did it in Tennessee 35 years ago is the only way to do it everywhere and for all time.  I threw crawfish baits in the current and caught large numbers of very small smallmouth.  I probably averaged 10 an hour and the fish probably averaged 7 in.   It was big fun for a teenager in those days and involved a lot of trespassing on private property. ?

[J Francho]

Lol, I bet it was fun.  We'd do a lot of creek fishing in spring and fall, but the fish were steelhead, browns , and salmon.

[TnRiver46]

34 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Lol, I bet it was fun.  We'd do a lot of creek fishing in spring and fall, but the fish were steelhead, browns , and salmon.

I bet those are a handful in shallow current !!!!

[J Francho]

Yep, they are.  I had a weird one a few years ago, hooked a steelhead, on it's first run, it launched in the air.  It landed in a tree.  The end. LMAO. We catch a handful of smallies in certain waters too.  Once I even caught a largemouth in a creek, which is very unusual.

[Tennessee Boy]

41 minutes ago, Scott F said:

There are advantages to fishing going upstream against the current to be sure, but to totally pass on fishing downstream in my opinion, is a mistake. As most guys who fish rivers in kayaks or canoes do, they put in or paddle upstream, and float back downstream.

We would typically fish about half a mile an hour.  We could walk back to the truck much faster and would often cut across a cow pasture or two.  Only fishing while wading upstream allowed us to maximize the time we spent fishing the pattern that worked best for us.  

[Catt]

We don't have Smallmouth down here but we do have a lot of Spotted Bass. 

 

I wade fish Toro Creek below Toledo Bend, it's crystal clear, cold, hard bottom with nice current.

 

Probably my second favorite way to bass fish!

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

@Catt  That's some beautiful water.  There's just something about fishing a stream that's good for the soul.

[Otter17]

49 minutes ago, Catt said:

We don't have Smallmouth down here but we do have a lot of Spotted Bass. 

 

I wade fish Toro Creek below Toledo Bend, it's crystal clear, cold, hard bottom with nice current.

 

Probably my second favorite way to bass fish!

 

 

Beautiful water there! 

[islandbass]

On 10/16/2018 at 10:31 AM, B-Dozer said:

You know what they say about fly fishing. 

Once you try it, you're hooked ?

Indeed. That's why I'm afraid to try it. My conventional gear might be turned into glorified dust collectors.

 

With regard to the video, I can't believe someone was filming me without my permission.

[trouttracker]

If I'm planning on fishing in both directions before getting out, I will usually opt to wade upstream on the way out since it will be much easier (energy-wise) to wade back downstream.

[buzzbaiter83]

Upstream for me when possible, although I’ve done it both ways. We always took 2 trucks. Parked one where we wanted to get out, drove the other and parked it where we started. I’ve even waded upstream with my kayak tied to my waist and floated back down to the truck when finished. Most of the time, if I’m alone, I fish my way back down though. 

[Otter17]

Those are 2 dang SOLID ideas there buzzbaiter83! Thanks for sharing those!

[J Francho]

10 hours ago, buzzbaiter83 said:

Upstream for me when possible, although I’ve done it both ways. We always took 2 trucks. Parked one where we wanted to get out, drove the other and parked it where we started. I’ve even waded upstream with my kayak tied to my waist and floated back down to the truck when finished. Most of the time, if I’m alone, I fish my way back down though. 

Really common practice up here on the Salmon river with the float boat guides.   Easier, since it's usually a guide and two clients.

[Harold Scoggins]

On ‎10‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 12:31 PM, B-Dozer said:

You know what they say about fly fishing. 

Once you try it, you're hooked ?

Still on the bucket list. If I told my wife I needed a another rod/reel, I'd be in the dog house for sure.

[J Francho]

6 minutes ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Still on the bucket list. If I told my wife I needed a another rod/reel, I'd be in the dog house for sure.

This is my good friend, Eric's company.  We've known each other since the third grade, were in boy scouts together.  I gave him his first pole and a small box of lures.  Led to this.  Take a look, really reasonable gear.  Call them, and you will probably get his wife Heidi or him on the phone directly.

 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/13180987011?_encoding=UTF8&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Wild Water&ref_=w_bl_hsx_s_lg_web_13180987011

[Fairtax4me]

I tend to have better catch rate fishing upstream. Making a long cast and bringing the lure back with current or across current produces well for me. It’s also a lot easier to walk back downstream after you’ve fished a half day (or all day)! 

I try to remember places where I may have missed a fish or spots that look promising that I stumbled upon it but didn’t cast there. Hit those spots on the way back, or fish areas where I had followers or saw other fish chasing while one was hooked. 

[fishwizzard]

On 10/17/2018 at 10:36 AM, Catt said:

 

I'm aint gonna wade a mile up stream & then walk back to the truck.

 

I'm gonna fish my way back!

But see, it takes me a few hours to wade that mile, but only 15-20 min to walk back.  I like to wade upstream and then if I have not pushed my time limit/daylight to the max, I will hike back on land and try to hit a few of the more productive spots on the way back.  I don't think I have the self control to move fast enough upstream to allow for much fishing on the way back. 

 

I also feel like I am way less sure of my footing when wading downstream, even when just crossing water when hiking my preference is to cross on a upstream diagonal. 

 

Also, if you want to see some more insanely good casting and some really beautiful creeks, check this guy out.  It's also all in japanese and this guy uses casting rods to throw small cranks to trout.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrQAtakEbQa-YZ6zmESV92w