Bass Fishing River Current

[TreeHook]

Which method do you find most effective for plastic worm fishing rivers with current. I’ve recently started fishing the Rappahannock river in VA and it was a bit different from most bass fishing I’ve done before. Generally fishing slower moving water, I’ve had great success throwing weightless T-rigged senkos, but even with 3/16oz worm weights, I was watching my senkos drift down the river about as fast as the current was moving. Would you recommend heavier worm weights, neko rigging, tiny child rigs, or just ditch the worm all together for fast moving baits? Thanks in advance for the help. I’m about 2 years into bass fishing and I’ve got the bug. Lol

[TreeHook]

43 minutes ago, TreeHook said:

Which method do you find most effective for plastic worm fishing rivers with current. I’ve recently started fishing the Rappahannock river in VA and it was a bit different from most bass fishing I’ve done before. Generally fishing slower moving water, I’ve had great success throwing weightless T-rigged senkos, but even with 3/16oz worm weights, I was watching my senkos drift down the river about as fast as the current was moving. Would you recommend heavier worm weights, neko rigging, tiny child rigs, or just ditch the worm all together for fast moving baits? Thanks in advance for the help. I’m about 2 years into bass fishing and I’ve got the bug. Lol

To be more specific, the location of the Rappahannock im fishing is around Hopyard ramp

[LrgmouthShad]

Shaky head finesse worm. 3/16.  In slower water I could fish it normally, but in swifter current, I would use the current. Cast the worm upstream of some object that I want to target, and then alternate a series of hops and feeding slack line. Hop hop… feed slack… reel in slack if any depending on angle…. hop hop. Do that in the current and it looks like a fish swimming in the current. 

[FryDog62]

I’m sure you’ve looked, but if at all possible try to find slack water, current seams, etc. near the current… I guarantee that’s where the fish hang out and just wait for the conveyor belt of food in the current going by.  In those areas, I’d recommend most any application of plastic worms, but Ned/Neko/Shaky would be great. 

[Scott F]

3 hours ago, TreeHook said:

Which method do you find most effective for plastic worm fishing rivers with current. I’ve recently started fishing the Rappahannock river in VA and it was a bit different from most bass fishing I’ve done before. Generally fishing slower moving water, I’ve had great success throwing weightless T-rigged senkos, but even with 3/16oz worm weights, I was watching my senkos drift down the river about as fast as the current was moving. Would you recommend heavier worm weights, neko rigging, tiny child rigs, or just ditch the worm all together for fast moving baits? Thanks in advance for the help. I’m about 2 years into bass fishing and I’ve got the bug. Lol

I find a weightless Senko to be my favorite worm for the river. River fish are looking for food to be drifting downstream with the current. No need to slow it down. You just have to throw it so it drifts into or very close to where a bass is sitting on the edge of the current. The fact that it’s moving quickly also doesn’t give the bass a chance to look it over too closely. He has to make a decision quickly or his meal is gone. Ideally, you are in a position to make several casts to the spot he’s sitting in case you miss the prime spot the first try.

[WRB]

Rivers that have both LMB and Smallmouth bass the species inhabit different locations. Smallmouth like current, LMB don’t.

When targeting LMB locate current breaks that create slack water like wing dams, big lay downs and eddies pockets.

Smallmouth current breaks in the current zone like boulders, deep pockets, lay downs and wing dam ends.

Your Senko and a variety of soft plastics works for both bass species just need to find a rig that presents the lure in front of the bass at the right depth. 

Jigs and jig & worm are another good choice. Surface lures like buzzers, smaller spinner baits all work.

Tom

[TreeHook]

44 minutes ago, Scott F said:

I find a weightless Senko to be my favorite worm for the river. River fish are looking for food to be drifting downstream with the current. No need to slow it down. You just have to throw it so it drifts into or very close to where a bass is sitting on the edge of the current. The fact that it’s moving quickly also doesn’t give the bass a chance to look it over too closely. He has to make a decision quickly or his meal is gone. Ideally, you are in a position to make several casts to the spot he’s sitting in case you miss the prime spot the first try.

I was struggling a bit with the Texas rigged senko on the river when I tried it. Mostly because I did manage to catch 2 small LMB over a couple trips and I never knew I had them, so they swallowed it. I’m sure it’s mostly due to my inexperience, but the line was moving so fast, I didn’t know the fish was there. I use 30lb braid with a 12lb floro leader on my work rod and I just switched my braid to HI VIS yellow to make line watching a bit easier.

[Scott F]

1 hour ago, TreeHook said:

I was struggling a bit with the Texas rigged senko on the river when I tried it. Mostly because I did manage to catch 2 small LMB over a couple trips and I never knew I had them, so they swallowed it. I’m sure it’s mostly due to my inexperience, but the line was moving so fast, I didn’t know the fish was there. I use 30lb braid with a 12lb floro leader on my work rod and I just switched my braid to HI VIS yellow to make line watching a bit easier.

The floro leader isn’t usually needed but the floating braid is. Watch the line floating and keep taking up the slack. You’ll see the line “twitch “ when a fish picks it up, or the line will stop moving if something has it.

[flyfisher]

nose hooked weightless 4" stick baits are a goto for me.  Like has been mentioned the smallies are looking at the current as a conveyor belt of food.  Now this time of year it is a different game though and I prefer a hard jerkbait or a bottom bait that sits in their face until they have to check it out.  

[TnRiver46]

Every river is different but you are in luck because @TOXIC fishes that same spot 

[Str8BraidPowa]

I fish in the Chickahominy and Pamonkey to the south of you about an hour. I have better luck with a jig in current, they generally eat it on the fall so you gotta watch your line close. I generally pick up a t rig worm at lay downs and brush, or when fishing slower side creeks. Good luck.

[Scott F]

One other thought. If you are having trouble feeling the bite and the fish are swallowing your hook, pinch down on the barb. It will make removing the hook 100 times easier and the fish will not be hurt. Keep a tight line and you probably won’t lose many fish. After you get used to seeing the pick up, you won’t get many fish that swallow the bait. You won’t have to pinch down the barb, but you’ll have to decide that for yourself. 

[Deleted account]

12 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Every river is different but you are in luck because @TOXIC fishes that same spot 

LOL. The Rap is full of fish, but it can be quite tricky to figure out. A lot of different things to catch. I don't get down there much anymore, but if you are fishing in a lot of current, you may be in the wrong spot...

[scaleface]

When I fish a small river its usually for smallmouths . Texas rigged craws , tubes , anything with appendages gets bit more than a worm . I toss them below ripples , current seam's and cover .

[bigbassin']

What angle are you casting at the current? I’ve had by far the most luck casting 45 degrees upstream than allowing the worm to drift with the current to 45 degrees downstream.

 

Watch some videos of swinging streamers fly fishing. Same concept.

 

 I like enough weight it hits bottom by halfway through the drift but light enough it just rolls on the bottom with the current.

[TOXIC]

We probably spent 95% of our fishing on the Rapp and we launch at Hopyard.  It’s really 2 different rivers from that launch.  We normally go upriver and have a lot of luck with largemouth, snakehead and sometimes smallmouth.  More of the smallmouth action is waaay upriver.  There’s some big largemouth both upriver and down river.  Up river I throw a lot of Ned rigs with a Yamamoto 4” Senko.  The farther you go down river they like swim jigs.  Upriver for smallmouth and some largemouth, I throw a lot of cranks and a dropshot.  Few are caught on a chatterbait.  I am a finesse fisherman and the upriver current has never been a problem.  Find Eddys current breaks and a weightless 5” Senko will work all over.

[bowhunter63]

There lazy feeders I aways look for slack current or Eddie’s . I ues 1/8 or 3/16 depending on current I love the Rage tail cutter worm  grabs their attention in current. I always Texas Rig and peg my sinker 

[TreeHook]

Thanks, guys. A lot of good info here for me to try out. Looking forward to getting back out next spring and putting some of this to use. A few methods I’ve never tried, so there will some learning involved. I’ve visited this site’s forums a lot searching information and it’s honestly been great.

[TreeHook]

12 hours ago, TOXIC said:

We probably spent 95% of our fishing on the Rapp and we launch at Hopyard.  It’s really 2 different rivers from that launch.  We normally go upriver and have a lot of luck with largemouth, snakehead and sometimes smallmouth.  More of the smallmouth action is waaay upriver.  There’s some big largemouth both upriver and down river.  Up river I throw a lot of Ned rigs with a Yamamoto 4” Senko.  The farther you go down river they like swim jigs.  Upriver for smallmouth and some largemouth, I throw a lot of cranks and a dropshot.  Few are caught on a chatterbait.  I am a finesse fisherman and the upriver current has never been a problem.  Find Eddys current breaks and a weightless 5” Senko will work all over.

I’ve fished a little up river and down river from the ramp, but never overly far either direction. My father lives local to the area as well, so sometimes we take his small bass boat, but a lot of times I’ll just launch my Canoe. I’ve taken my canoe way back into a couple of the creeks and pulled a few bass on chatterbaits and buzz baits. Had a bunch of blowups on a top water popping frog, but set the hook way to early and missed every bite (rookie mistakes). Never tried a Ned rig, or swim jig. I did catch a few snake heads last year. 2 were off of a chartreuse shallow diving crankbait fishing shallow grass and another one just over 8lbs was actually caught off of a t-rigged black w/ blue flake 5” Yamamoto senko and 3/16 worm weight fishing a dock. I probably fished the Rapp 5-6 times last year. Most of my fishing was around Mallows bay in Charles county, because it close to work and me and a coworker would generally get out every Friday afternoon after work and fish his boat. I’ve actually found the Rappahannock to be a much harder river to fish.

[TOXIC]

When we go upriver, the farthest we go is Little Falls.  We have launched there and at City Docks in Fredericksburg in the past.  Our smallmouth fishing is centered on specific spots.  We travel so far it would not be possible in a canoe or yak.  The biggest factor is not current, it’s the tide.  When we figure out the right tide we will run from Port Royal to Little Falls following it.  

[TreeHook]

9 hours ago, TOXIC said:

When we go upriver, the farthest we go is Little Falls.  We have launched there and at City Docks in Fredericksburg in the past.  Our smallmouth fishing is centered on specific spots.  We travel so far it would not be possible in a canoe or yak.  The biggest factor is not current, it’s the tide.  When we figure out the right tide we will run from Port Royal to Little Falls following it.  

Even in dads boat, the furthest up river I’ve gone in the is around 4-winds. Only gone down river to about Hicks landing. I definitely need to understand working the tides better. I was told the first 2hrs of incoming and the last 2hrs of outgoing is when the bites tend to pickup. On your swim jig, what weight are you using and do you use a trailer? Again I’ve never fished a swim jig, but I’d like to add to my arsenal. Wife thinks I’m spending too much on fishing gear, but what does she know? Lol

[TOXIC]

To be honest, I’m not much of a jig fisherman in general.  If I do it’s no heavier than  half oz and I use Yamamoto Zako paddle tails.  

[Susky River Rat]

I try to fish the slack water first. I do keep 3/8 oz jig heads in two rods and a lighter jig head for slacker water. Sometimes as others have stayed that gentle drift down ticking bottom from time to time can be deadly too. It does depend on the day what can be effective.

[Mbirdsley]

When fishing the titabawassee or Saginaw rivers ( Saginaw river has a shipping channel that has Great Lakes freighters) current is generally going pretty good. I’m generally using 1/2 oz tungsten worm/flipping  weights or regular lead jigs.  If it’s real low on the titabawassee I may go 1/4 but, that’s not very often. 

in the slack water I can fish a 1/8 oz mojo rig with No problem. like around the bridge pilings.  Sometimes with the lighter weight you have to throw it up stream and work it back using the current to your advantage. 
 

i fish curly tailed worms, senkos, tubes, chigger craw, swim jigs, arkies, brush jigs and what ever else that can be t-rigged.