Fast Current Lures

[LrgmouthShad]

Hey ya'll,

 

Okay I'm doubling up here on posts started. My next question is about faster current. So having never fished in current before, when I first encountered quicker current and tried to reel a spinnerbait through it and saw it do all sorts of crazy stuff, I was like... woah...

 

I am wondering if.... when you are fishing faster current, is it imperative that if you are fishing a moving lure that it run back to you in the same direction as the current? Do you lean more towards bottom contact lures in fast current? I have kinda familiarized myself with the concept that if I want to fish on the backside of a rock, I need to often cast upstream so that it will land on the bottom close to the rock. 

 

I guess what I'm asking is if the "crazy stuff" that I see a moving lure do in faster current when it is traveling a path different than current direction is... okay? 

[TnRiver46]

They will eat a dead stick senko in raging current, so I would say it’s definitely ok. 
 

in-line spinner and curly tail grub can really slay in swift water . Deep and swift I like a jerkbait 

[VolFan]

Speaking of jerkbaits - I like the OG Rapala minnow in current- cross stream to quartering down stream. Swim(ng) it by likely holding spots.

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I guess what I'm asking is if the "crazy stuff" that I see a moving lure do in faster current when it is traveling a path different than current direction is... okay? 

Current, no current, shallow, deep, it's all the same (just like bank and boat fishing...)

The goal is to present your lure wherever they are. Sure, the current will play a big role on where the fish will be, and you need to figure that out, but once you have done that, use the lure best gets to that spot. A lure will look more natural, and fish are more often than not conditioned to have prey swept down current to them, so yes, casting upstream and retrieving with the current or quartering it will usually be more productive, as can just following the lure downstream on a semi slack line. 

[gim]

I would personally try a faster presentation initially to trigger a more aggressive fish. Bottom contact in swift current is risky because it often gets hung up. I don’t think it makes much or a difference which direction you reel the lure in. Bait and food likely become disoriented in the current anyways.

[throttleplate]

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Bottom contact in swift current is risky because it often gets hung up.

 

Thats for sure, you need to work your rod like you are a symphony conductor.

Whenever you feel the lure tap the rocks on reel in you gotta be carefull because here in the minnesota rivers the zebra mussles will grab the hook and you think you have a fish but its you pulling the lure free of the mussel clump.

Using square bills that float up are real effeciant  for not hanging up, the suspending jerks you have to work the rod to get them up above the rocks, to deep and youre askng for a snag. When you lose an expensive jerk bait in a snag you will then become an expert .

[Kirtley Howe]

When fishing in current I have found that closing a spinnerbait up (making the arm with the blades closer to the body of the lure) will often stop the lure from doing weird things (the whole lure spinning around, the lure "wadding up"). It is also critical that the blade arm is perfectly aligned with the body of the lure. Any deviation from dead perfect straight will make the lure about useless. 

I also often fish crankbaits and stickbaits AGAINST the current. I cast them out and let them drift downstream whatever distance I am comfortable with and then reel them back slowly with a lot of pauses. 

[Drawdown]

I’ve done fine in swift current, but only when the water is clear. Haven’t figured out swift + chocolate milk.

[roadwarrior]

Cast upstream and work the lure towards you. Generally, the predators face upstream

and feed as the bait comes to them.

[T-Billy]

Grub on a jighead is hard to beat. + They're dirt cheap and you'll go through a bunch of them.

Cast upstream or quartering upstream. They'll always be facing into the current.

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

Grub on a jighead is hard to beat.

Yup, the trick is to dial in the weight of the  jig head and line diameter so that it kind of glides just above the bottom, and maybe ticking it once you get the hang (pun intended) of it. It's how we fish bucktails in the surf too, just much bigger and heavier stuff.

[Spankey]

Don’t overlook a tube. Great crawdad imitation. Plenty of colors available. But don’t get hung up on colors. 

[Drew03cmc]

For faster water, my three go to baits are a double willow 1/2oz compact spinnerbait, Zoom Super Fluke, 3.5" Paddle tail on an 1/8-1/4oz ball head. I will throw all of these on fluorocarbon or braid to fluorocarbon. The fluorocarbon will help get the baits down and avoid the surface disturbances. Also, focus on boat position as much or more than where to cast. @LrgmouthShad if I recall, you fish central Missouri, right? I fish those rivers as often as I can (I live in Overland Park, KS) and would be willing to come show you where, what and how if you aren't sure. 

[LrgmouthShad]

40 minutes ago, Drew03cmc said:

cast. @LrgmouthShad if I recall, you fish central Missouri, right? I fish those rivers as often as I can (I live in Overland Park, KS) and would be willing to come show you where, what and how if you aren't sure. 

Sending PM 

[throttleplate]

Also I use a bobber at times with a jig head, throw it upstream and let it go downstream while its ticking the rocks. Throw it in eddies and let it swirl around back and forth.

[ironbjorn]

Squarebills bashing a long a rocky bottom in fast current is killer. 

 

 

[Cdn Angler]

I've had a lot of luck in fast relatively shallow (5-10 feet or less) current reeling a small shallow diving crankbait against the current. 

 

The current will make it hit bottom and stop reeling when digging too much. Much slower retrieve but it doesn't matter as the bait will never stop moving. 

 

I've also let out a metric ton of line and let the bait float away for awhile then started reeling. Can cover a ridiculous amount of water in one cast like that. 

[LrgmouthShad]

6 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

Squarebills bashing a long a rocky bottom in fast current is killer. 

 

 

The bait monkey hired you didn't he?

[ironbjorn]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

The bait monkey hired you didn't he?

Gotta give the credit to my buddy who taught me this several years ago 

[Chris Catignani]

One observation from the river: Every so often you will see smallmouth streak buy as if the current is not a factor at all.

If I came into a "hole" that had swift current, initially I would throw a small crank bait (Little O) around the edge of the hole...many times the smallie will come out and hit it. Then I would re-tie with a Slider and throw up stream and work it into the hole. Then lastly, I may even retie and throw the crankbait again...this time in the hole. The reason for this order is that if you get hung up in the hole...you spook the fish. Typically, a hole would be the root ball of a fallen tree. I know this sounds like a lot of retying but believe me...its a good habit.

[throttleplate]

Also on some of my square bills i have removed the leading hook of the front treble to help reduce snags. Front treble is now a double only.

[Bdnoble84]

I cant say enough about a spinner bait in current burning it directly cross stream. 

[PaulVE64]

I've not thrown a spinner bait in years.

I should talk to the bait monkey.

[scaleface]

It hasnt been mentioned , the Strike King Rocket Shad excels in fast current . Put a split ring or a little bit of wire around the double hook . I lost two nice hybrids after they pried the hook loose from  the lure .

[roadwarrior]

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