Winter River Techniques?

[Scuba Steve]

My local river is great for 3 seasons out of the year. I haven't given it much effort over winter but want to this year. Does anything major change with the fish in the winter time? Will I still be able to find smallies, walleye, and crappie? What presentations do you guys opt for when approaching a river in the winter time? Lots of guys here recommend the float n fly but I honestly don't think I understand rigging it. Any pointers? Slow baits? Thanks.

[bowhunter63]

Weightless flukes or Hair jigs. Hair kills in cold water. Plus the float and fly is a great option in cold water.

[Scuba Steve]

Think like a 4" fluke? Even in current? Million dollar question... how do I avoid losing a hair jig every other cast?! haha

[Fried Lemons]

On my river the walleyes are already moving to the spawning grounds. They and other fish will spend the winter in the nearby deep holes and will occasionally move onto the warmer flats to feed. You want to look for places with slow current and transitions from soft to hard bottom. Rock points and the downstream ends of islands usually have a deep slack pool with a soft bottom.

 

In the right conditions I catch active fish on small paddletail swimbaits. My favorite technique is to bounce bottom with a blade bait. Many different species use the same wintering holes and the blade bait will catch them all.

[Scuba Steve]

Just now, Fried Lemons said:

On my river the walleyes are already moving to the spawning grounds. They and other fish will spend the winter in the nearby deep holes and will occasionally move onto the warmer flats to feed. You want to look for places with slow current and transitions from soft to hard bottom. Rock points and the downstream ends of islands usually have a deep slack pool with a soft bottom.

 

In the right conditions I catch active fish on small paddletail swimbaits. My favorite technique is to bounce bottom with a blade bait. Many different species use the same wintering holes and the blade bait will catch them all.

My typical river intel by me. My river is all rock bottom. Hardly any wash up sediment areas. Max depth in the middle is probably chest high at normal levels. What sort of blade baits we talkin? Paddletails kill out there in the summer. Downsize a bit you think? Standard jig head with exposed hook?

[Fried Lemons]

Deep is relative to the stretch of river. I use blades from 1/4 to 3/4oz depending on depth and current. Go with the lightest you can to reduce snags. I use 4 inch paddletails with an exposed hook. I consider it more of an active fish bait so I don't fish it smaller. Shallow snaggy areas I prefer to fish hair for the slow rate of fall.

[Scuba Steve]

2 minutes ago, Fried Lemons said:

Deep is relative to the stretch of river. I use blades from 1/4 to 3/4oz depending on depth and current. Go with the lightest you can to reduce snags. I use 4 inch paddletails with an exposed hook. I consider it more of an active fish bait so I don't fish it smaller. Shallow snaggy areas I prefer to fish hair for the slow rate of fall.

Do you have a hair jig preference? And what kind of blade baits? 

[bowhunter63]

Hair jigs Vmc,Kalins or Yankum tackle. Straight out and straight back with out a lot of action. Slow steady retrieve works best. Float and fly you won’t really ever get hung. Try it adjacent to deep drop offs. 

Hair jigs Vmc,Kalins or Yankum tackle. Straight out and straight back with out a lot of action. Slow steady retrieve works best. Float and fly you won’t really ever get hung. Try it adjacent to deep drop offs. 

Also check out Smallmouth Crush hair jig video on YouTube. Really great information 

[Munkin]

8 hours ago, Scuba Steve said:

Do you have a hair jig preference? 

 

Nothing beats bear hair in cold water (<40 degrees). We catch SM on the Upper Potomac in 35 degree water through the winter.

 

Allen

[TnRiver46]

8 hours ago, Scuba Steve said:

My typical river intel by me. My river is all rock bottom. Hardly any wash up sediment areas. Max depth in the middle is probably chest high at normal levels. What sort of blade baits we talkin? Paddletails kill out there in the summer. Downsize a bit you think? Standard jig head with exposed hook?

Max depth is chest high? That might be tough fishing in winter. I’ve tried float and fly for years and caught one yellow bass. I have much better luck with gulp minnows or hair jig without bobber . Also tiny tubes and suspending jerkbaits 

[Scuba Steve]

Hmmm, steady retrieve. Never would have thought. Now is that a ball head or do they make swimmin hair jigs? I've never had much luck with jerkbaits out there. 

[Jermination]

crawdad shad rap is always a killer in the winter, throw a #4 or #5--bang it off the rocks. walleye will choke them too

[Scuba Steve]

1 minute ago, Jermination said:

crawdad shad rap is always a killer in the winter, throw a #4 or #5--bang it off the rocks. walleye will choke them too

How about a craw colored red eye shad until I can get one? Haha

[Jermination]

 

3 minutes ago, Scuba Steve said:

How about a craw colored red eye shad until I can get one? Haha

should work but i doubt it will be as good, something about that slow retrieve ticking the rocks drives em nuts. i'd use 10 lb mono with it though because you're bound to get hung a few times and that stretch helps you pop it loose....the 7,8, & 9 are usually sold out in just about every store i go to around knoxville. Its something about that orange crawdad color that they love. Works in clear or muddy water

[Scuba Steve]

Just now, Jermination said:

 

should work but i doubt it will be as good, something about that slow retrieve ticking the rocks drives em nuts. i'd use 10 lb mono with it though because you're bound to get hung a few times and that stretch helps you pop it loose....the 7,8, & 9 are usually sold out in just about every store i go to around knoxville. Its something about that orange crawdad color that they love. Works in clear or muddy water

Awesome thank you. I'll keep an eye out for it when I'm out. Add it to my list of winter techniques to buy. 

Can anyone elaborate on what size hair jig they prefer? Weight and length? Do you want a bigger profile? Thanks.

[bowhunter63]

I always use 1/8 ounce black or brown. Smallies tear em up.

[Jermination]

16 minutes ago, Scuba Steve said:

Awesome thank you. I'll keep an eye out for it when I'm out. Add it to my list of winter techniques to buy. 

Can anyone elaborate on what size hair jig they prefer? Weight and length? Do you want a bigger profile? Thanks.

throw a 1/8th or 1/16th hair or duck feather jig--throw whichever makes it easier for you to cast. get a weighted 1 inch styrofoam bobber and clip it on desired depth. I have never done this in an actual running river during winter but do it alot on nasty winter days up river on the lakes around here. If the sun is out i wouldn't waste a ton of time throwing it. slip floats seem to be easier to cast but i dont think the action is nearly as good as the clip on floats

[Scuba Steve]

19 minutes ago, Jermination said:

throw a 1/8th or 1/16th hair or duck feather jig--throw whichever makes it easier for you to cast. get a weighted 1 inch styrofoam bobber and clip it on desired depth. I have never done this in an actual running river during winter but do it alot on nasty winter days up river on the lakes around here. If the sun is out i wouldn't waste a ton of time throwing it. slip floats seem to be easier to cast but i dont think the action is nearly as good as the clip on floats

Ok so clip the float at the desired depth and let it drift with the current? Any 1" float will do? Is this basically the float n fly? Haha. 

[Jermination]

2 minutes ago, Scuba Steve said:

Ok so clip the float at the desired depth and let it drift with the current? Any 1" float will do? Is this basically the float n fly? Haha. 

yes sir--thats why throwing them on an 8+ft rod is so beneficial-- im not certain how well it works in rivers because usually when i throw it it's when i see smallies suspended on a bluff or deep point. if they're deeper than 8-14 feet im usually picking up drop shot because its just too big of a pain to try to cast something with a 12-13 ft leader lol

[Scuba Steve]

1 minute ago, Jermination said:

yes sir--thats why throwing them on an 8+ft rod is so beneficial-- im not certain how well it works in rivers because usually when i throw it it's when i see smallies suspended on a bluff or deep point. if they're deeper than 8-14 feet im usually picking up drop shot because its just too big of a pain to try to cast something with a 12-13 ft leader lol

Haha right. I supposed I could try it. 2-3' above the hair jig and let it drift. Worth a shot. Or just straight slow retrieve the jig as mentioned.

[bowhunter63]

Kalins 1/8 ounce 

[Scuba Steve]

8 minutes ago, bowhunter63 said:

Kalins 1/8 ounce 

Didn't ever think it was this simple with those things. And those same ones can go beneath a float? 

[bowhunter63]

Float and fly set up

Fly is 1,16 ounce really small. Clare water shad bite.

[Scuba Steve]

53 minutes ago, bowhunter63 said:

Float and fly set up

Fly is 1,16 ounce really small. Clare water shad bite.

Does the tri swivel on the bobber just making rigging easier? And what does the two vertical lines above the fly represent? 

[bowhunter63]

Hit up you tube on the float and fly great videos on there probably better then i can explain.