Fishing on a River

[Waterbeater]

The club I belong to will have a club tourney next month on the Ohio river and I have never fished the river with artifical baits. I have no clue as what to do. Can anyone give me some ideas?

[Grey Wolf]

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which part of the river will you be fishing ?

[smallieking]

i fishh the ohio up in pittsburgh once and a while    i like to fish current   so the best places are where little streams or drains dump into the river   a few fsih are sure to be there   also right below locks are ok places to fish   im not the biggest fan of fishing locks but there are fish there   i like keeping my baits small and very natural    my favorite bait for the ohio is the yum crawbug  

[Waterbeater]

I'll be fishing around Rocky Point at Cannelton, IN

[MA_Bass]

My favorite fishing area is a river. I have the best luck fishing the outsides of bends with weightless Senko's and 7.5" worms. I cast up stream and let the current cary the the bait through the bend and use the rod to add a little action. In straighter sections with steeper banks I like drop shotting with the lightest weight that I can find that will get the bait to the bottom before the current carries it too far.

[HesterIsGod]

I have never fished the Ohio but from what I hear it is really a tough place to fish. I would either use reaction baits or slow way down.

[Waterbeater]

I am new to this so please define reaction baits

[Mottfia]

I've also heard that area is tough but not impossible I'm sure. You should definately focus on places with current. The fish in these areas have to feed more actively to gain energy because they are always fighting the current. I'm partial to fishing lures that attract agressive bass. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are good for these fish. I'm from the south and things are sure to be different up there but I've fished the Alabama River all my life and a bass is a bass. Hope this helps.

[HesterIsGod]

I am new to this so please define reaction baits

No problem,

Reaction baits are baits/techniques that cause a bass to "react" to the lure. This means the bass gets suprised, angry, territorial, predatorial etc... And they hit the lure not because of feeding but purely because of their natural reaction. Lures like this include, lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and a lot more.

[crazy4bass1]

I'll be fishing around Rocky Point at Cannelton, IN

i have fished there a lot and i have had succes with small crank baits

minnow green and watermelon have been my fav color there so far,      if that doesnt work then a good ole' purple 6' senko will always produce fish

[Waterbeater]

I appreciate the ideas and advice. I kinda feel stupid but on the other hand if you don't ask you don't learn.

[crazy4bass1]

dont feel stupid

good luck on your tourny 8-)

[VekolBass]

Bass are bass, they are driven by the same factors in moving water as they are in still water. This time of year, when the water is cold, their life is a constant trade-off between energy expended and energy gained through eating. They have the same trade-off in the summer, but because the water is warmer their metabolism is higher (as is the metabolism of the baitfish they feed on), and that means they are more able to cope with current. That said, you want to find the warmest water you can find in an area with the least current. That means any sloughs or feeder creeks on the north side of the river. Bottom composition and depth also might play a factor, with shallower water warming faster. Rip rap also absorbs heat and transfers it to the adjacent water.

If you find water at or above 50 deg recommend you spend most of your time throwing either lipless crankbaits like the Rat-L-Trap or spinnerbaits. There are numerous articles on specific lure selections in the articles under the "Fishing Articles" tab on the top of this web page. Jerkbaits are another option. Do recommend that if you miss a bite with one of these lures, you immediately follow up with a different bait to the same spot. A good way to maximize the productivity of each piece of water you fish.

If the water is still in the 40s try jig and pig or dropshot.