How would you fish this area

[A_Glenn_2]

Hey all im heading out fishing saturday morning and need your thoughts on how to fish a area. This is on the savanah river water temps will probably be around 55-60

and water clarity extremly clear and water color a light green. I was thinking about using a suspending slashbait and maybe some top water if i see them coming up. I drew a picture of the area ill be fishing its pretty much looks the same on one side of the river well Id like to hear your tactics thanks

I should add on the inside of the drilla and shore I see alot of dinks but on the outside entering and exitimg the drilla I see some nice fish

i always spook them getting to close. So im going to try casting further away parallel with the shore on the outside of the drilla

[Gatorbassman]

Tie on a 1/4 or 1/2 oz Rat-l-trap in silver/black or silver blue and parallel the outside of the hydrilla. Try to clip the edge of it. Vary your speed and when it gets hung in the hydrilla just drop your rod tip to put slack in the line and then jerk up quickly to rip it out. Then continue reeling. Cover water. If the fish are there you'll catch a few.

[jwo1124]

I am not familiar on fishing in rivers, so I don't know how the role of the current will come into affect, or if this will even be a problem. It seems that during these water temps bass probably won't be in their usual summer spots. This was the case the past couple months up here when the cooling autumn weather caused the bass to school up. Now it's early december and the ponds are starting to freeze over.

Anyway, 55-60, I'd try some susupending crankabits and jerkbaits. You mentioned a suspending slashbait, which I am willing to say means an X-Rap. I would say this would be an excellent choice since bass are looking for easy meals to fatten up for the cold weather. Try to use a color that matchs the main minnow population of the river, silver and black should do well if it's sunny, but if the clouds roll in and you are forced to fish overcast conditions, try a bright color bait. Silver will just blend into all the gray around.

I would stay away from the spots holding all the dinks, usually this is a sign of poor holding areas. The bigger more dominant bass are going to bge able to dominate the best spots, so most likely where you see smaller bass holding, you are better off going else where to find worth while bass. This isn;t to say that big bass won;t some into these areas at feeding times, but bass aren't always actively feeding, they're mostly holding somewhere.

Do some homework researching bass fishing in rivers and maybe you'll learn that bass may act a little differently, and maybe you'll be able to learn prime holding or ambush spots. As far as lures go, i think suspending lures will be best, but also try your favorites like a spinnerbait or a ratl trap.

I am just going from what I have read on various articles. 55-60 is far enough out of the LM Bass's preferred 70-75* temp range to effect their behavior. Also try some soft plastics like flippin into that hydrilla or working a heavy carolina rig on the bottom.

Best of luck to you. Hopefully some other guys can give you some better tried and true advice, as I said I am just using what I have read to give you these pointers.

[A_Glenn_2]

thanks for the tips jwo the forcast is for partly cloudy low 46 high 75 with a light 5mph wind out of the sw so I have a ghost xrap which is white with silver scales but from what you said if its going to be cloudy maybe i should use a clown colored or something really bright will that be ok with the clear water?

and also if its partly cloudy I need to fish the most lite side of the river correct?

[Tokyo Tony]

I like the Rattletrap/X-Rap lineup to cover water.  If you run into a good holding area, you might wanna try a jig.  

And something else that may work is if the weeds are a couple feet under the surface, burn a single colorado blade spinnerbait over them, then let it flutter down the weed edge, and slow roll it back to the boat.  That or slow roll it parallel to the edge.

Good luck  

[Tin]

Definatley go parallel with the trap. If they are not all over the trap pitch the outside edge of the grass with a texas rigged brushhog or jig.

[jb_adams]

You might laugh because I did when my partner tied on a white chatterbait.  Similar conditions for temp and clarity.  The fish were a bit more sluggish and didn't want to really chase anything.  Right now, the forage is mainly shad and a white or mouse color War Eagle spinnerbait slowly rolled similar to a jig will work well too.  My partner tied on the chatterbait and outfished me 5 to 1.  Throw the chatterbait close to the hydrilla, parallel to the bank and it will swim on the wat down.  Work it with a slow twitch and slow yo-yo retrieve along that drop off.  You'll catch some.

Oh yeah, use white.  That bait caught 5-6 fish that day when I caught 2 on a spinnerbait.  Slow fishing day and we still caught fish.  The longer the bait is in their face, the better your chances.  Find something you can fish slow and still cover water well.

[Tokyo Tony]

I don't think people realize how freakin' money chatterbaits are.  They look so stupid, and it took several beatings from my brother (fish wise - he can't touch my ninja skills when we throw down) to get me to use one.  Now it's one of my go-to baits.  That's a good idea jb_adams.

[Catt]

Tie on a 1/4 or 1/2 oz Rat-l-trap in silver/black or silver blue and parallel the outside of the hydrilla. Try to clip the edge of it. Vary your speed and when it gets hung in the hydrilla just drop your rod tip to put slack in the line and then jerk up quickly to rip it out. Then continue reeling. Cover water. If the fish are there you'll catch a few.

X2 + a Fluke or Wacky Rig

[jb_adams]

Tie on a 1/4 or 1/2 oz Rat-l-trap in silver/black or silver blue and parallel the outside of the hydrilla. Try to clip the edge of it. Vary your speed and when it gets hung in the hydrilla just drop your rod tip to put slack in the line and then jerk up quickly to rip it out. Then continue reeling. Cover water. If the fish are there you'll catch a few.

X2 + a Fluke or Wacky Rig

I agree that a slow presentation should work.  Fluke or wacky is a great slow presentation for sluggish bass.  But if I can get them to hit a chatterbait or spinnerbait in a consistent manor, I'd rather fish those because they are a bit faster.  I just don't have the patience needed for wacky rigs.  I need to learn to have patience though.  If I know there are fish around, I have patience but a wacky rig is not my search bait.  Too slow.

There is something about a free falling chatterbait that offers just enough flash and vibration to be somehwhat subtle and enough to be aggressive enough to get a reaction strike.  It's a good bait for 55-60 degree water temps in clear water.  Worked for us 2-3 trips in a row.

You can always throw an ***!  Brent guarrantees a catch or he'll ship you a box of more baits!  Right Brent! ;D

[A_Glenn_2]

hey all I bought a chatterbait a few weeks ago threw a few times and didnt get a hit but I might have a try it again I also dont have alot of patience with rubber worms and soft baits but I know I need to build my confidence back up with them, growing up they were my primary aresonal. I picked up a pack of "THE spot removers" so I think Ill rig my spinner with that tonight and try some jig fishing

[jb_adams]

hey all I bought a chatterbait a few weeks ago threw a few times and didnt get a hit but I might have a try it again I also dont have alot of patience with rubber worms and soft baits but I know I need to build my confidence back up with them, growing up they were my primary aresonal. I picked up a pack of "THE spot removers" so I think Ill rig my spinner with that tonight and try some jig fishing

TRUST ME when I say go to Wal-Mart and buy a package of "REGEGADE WORMS". You can find them on the bottom shelf next to the floor usually or towards the bottom. My favorite clear water color is "MOTOR OIL" and the best standby color is BLACK/FIRE. I use these on spot removers all the time and I can feel perch nipping at these worms and the bass just kill them! If there is a fish there, they will hit the spot remover with a finesse size Renegade. They have a very sweet smell to them that makes them very unique.

Here is what they look like.  Did I mention that they are only about $1.00 a bag!   :o

[X-Rap]

I think your best bet would be to fish a X-Rap parallel to the edge of the weeds.  Be sure to mix up your retrieve till you find what they want.  If that doesnt work get a jig in that thick stuff.