river fishing

[the ohh face]

I havent fished much in moving water mostly stick to small ponds, large ponds and maybe their inlet stream.  I want to get out to the Taunton river to do some fishing and was hoping you guys could direct me to some articles on fishing running water or give me your own tips.

[BASS fisherman]

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/habitat.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/river_fishing.html

A couple articles that mey help.

When I river fish, being in Pittsburgh the only bass in the rivers are smallies and spots.  I like to bounce or drag a tube across the bottom.  Also try finding a factory with a warm water discharge. The warm water usually attracts lots of different fish species.

[tipptruck1]

Well all I fish is rivers. First thing me and my buddy do is drift down the river close to the bank. While we drift we throw spinners towards the bank. If one area gets more then 2 hits we go over it agian. Also fish the back side of points. Try to find and fish eddys they will hold fish most of the times. Also never bring a bait up river. But heres a good site to check out. www.infisherman.com

[BASS fisherman]

Try to find and fish eddys they will hold fish most of the times. But heres a good site to check out. www.infisherman.com

Bingo Bango!!  I wa thinking of that, and then forgot it.  Very good tip!

[BassKing813]

Fish the banks. This where I catch 90% of my fish. I only use t-rigged worms and crankbaits because they are the only lures I have success with. I generally fish crankbaits in the fall and use worms the rest of the year. As far as what areas to cast to, it's just like lakes and ponds. Cast wherever there is cover, but the areas that produce best are those where a break in the current is created. That means casting to the downriver side of wood structure because that's where bass position themselves. I usually float downstream and cast to the banks but many like to go upstream so that every cast is able to be retrieved downriver with the current. I never go upstream because it puts too much stress on my trolling motor and the battery won't last as long, plus, I won't be able to cover as much water. It's just a matter of personal preference.

 

When the river is really low, I have found that fishing the banks doesn't produce as well. During low water periods I will often use my depthfinder to locate fish (most of which are in the middle of the river) and then toss a crankbait out there and retrieve it back to shore. If this doesn't work, then I will go back to the bank and throw a t-rigged Zoom Trickworm.

Hope this post helps. You can learn a lot from reading articles and posts by the knowledgeable fishermen of this site, but the real way to learn river fishing is to give it a try. Get out there and catch some bass!

[Dan:]

If you're fishing for smallies, don't forget that they often times like to hangout very, very close to current (if not in it) so don't just target big pools and slow eddies.

I would also reccommend tubes, but if there is a lot of brush or rocks or what not, you will probably need to try to use a weedless rig

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I don't fish rivers for bass much, in RI, most all of our river fishing is for trout and we use fly rods for those,however,....many of the same priciples apply, a few of the main obvious ones are:

A fish will duck behind any object that breaks the current.  Sitting behind a rock in a river allows a fish to expend very little energy while resting in an ambush state.  Food is delivered to these fish via current.  They simply slide out from behind the rock, suck up passing food and slide back in behind the rock.

The placement of your offering needs to be precise and forcasted as to how it will be manipulated and delivered.

these are just a few obvious ones.

RW is away this weekend but is a premier river angler and will surely give you the whole picture when he returns.

Another thing to keep in the front of your mind when river fishing is boat handling and more importantly, boating safety.

PFD's are a must, 100% of the time.  A swift current can make harmless looking water,deadly.  Current can also sneak up on you and your vessel and put you in a situation you can't get out of.  

Always stay EXCEPTIONALLY clear of all hydrofoils, they are UNESCAPABLE.

[NATHAN_JAMES]

LBH me and my bud sunk a john boat this morning. We're ok just a little wet, good story for a laugh. life vest are a  must.

[Garnet]

Were the current bumps up indicates a current break. But the breaks are upstream then you need to cast futher up to let your bait fall and drift into the zone. With tubes get a selection of heads and keep adjusting until you can drift it right to the spot. Even sidecutters to trim your heads. Also if you slide to head back from the nose will make the tube swim more.

Garnet

[roadwarrior]

I fish the Tennessee River, the White River and the Mississippi River. Although I target different species in all of these rivers, the techniques are very much the same. So, if you are fishing big water, from a boat, here are a few suggestions that will help you catch more and bigger fish. I will focus on smallmouth fishing on the Tennessee River in this post.

Equipment

I fish spinning tackle, 7' medium power/ fast action rods, 2500 series Shimano reels and #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft. For the most part I fish live shiners, but artificials would include Fat Ika, Hula Grubs, grubs and Gitzits. Occasionally I fish hard lures: Spook, Sammy, Pointer, X-Rap, Rogues and jigs.

Structure

Smallmouth relate to structure, not cover. Anything that creates a current break is a potential candidate. I prefer rocks, rock piles, ledges, ridges, humps and pools away fronm the bank. Small fish (bank runners) stay close to shore, bigger bass are usually in deeper water or very near deep water. Smallmouth will always be in current, never in slack water. Fish in front and to the side of eddies, not behind them. Cast perpendicular towards the bank or uptsream so that your bait/ lure is always worked downstream. All predator fish face into the current.

When drifting, position your boat facing upstream and twenty-five to thirty yards off the bank or where you can cast to within five feet or so from the shore or your target. To save battery usage, anchor near stragic targets and fish them thoroughly.

Technique

Regardless of the bait/ lure you are using, it should NEVER be fished down stream. Always cast so the lure is moving with the current. This is how bass expect bait to appear and it will help you keep from getting hung-up most of the time.

Good luck!