Lets Talk River Fishing

[bassNspear]

Lets talk River Fishing.

Wondering how people fish rivers different from lakes?

Just general talk on fishing rivers is all!!

[fellowx]

Definitely different from Lake fishing. I had a bass tournament last year on the St.croix and didn't catch anything. The fishing was tough, and the wakes were unbelieveable with yachts crusing by every 5-10 minutes.

[Jakesbuds]

Well I usually fish the Mississippi in Champlin down to the Coon Rapids Dam or from Dayton up towards Elk River. Last year was an awesome year out there catching Smallies, but this year has been a little slow so far. I usually just throw a Senko for plastics, a Buzzbait or a Sammy for topwater and a 2-3ft diving crankbait. Last year the Senko's were HOT, it didnt even matter what color they were. Flippin under docks always produced decent Smallies with plastics, but the best is just around the corner when the topwater lures will start picking up. Nothing funner than seeing a 20 + inch Smallie smoke a topwater!

[Daze Off]

The primary difference is current so I start by looking for both natural and man-made current breaks/eddies (wood, rock, docks, bridges, etc.) and fishing them carefully. Could also be where an island splits the river or a tributary comes in creating an eddy.

Bottom structure (holes, riffles, drop-offs, channels) is also worth checking as are undercut banks.

I tend to fish my lures either directly across current or with the current. Only occasionally will I retreive up-river and usually it is to bring a bait even with a break and let the current hold it there.

I use most of the same baits/techniques - perhaps downsize a bit if the bite is slow.

That's my experience anyway....love to hear and learn what others have to say too.

Daze Off

[DancesWithWaves]

This time of year you find the eddies, you find the fish. Land a topwater on those current seams and let it sit. Pulled in a 19.5 incher a couple days ago. The lower the water goes the better it gets because those fished are forced to look upwards for food, hence topwater is the way to go.

[Slyster]

Fished the St. Croix yesterday at the rapids in Taylors falls.. we came up from Osceola.. was a grand old time.. so beautiful... got a few nice smallies in the turbulent water using white Chatter baits.

[Lunker]

I'll just copy and paste my report from the Croix that's in the "what's working now" post.

Fished the Croix today south of Taylors falls. Caught 13 SM, one LM among other species. Mostly on a white mini strike-king spinnerbait, but a couple fish on softplastics and cranks. Fish were shallow holding to primarily wood cover. Rocky areas were not nearly as productive, and midstream cover(rock or wood) and current seams and eddies gave up a big fat 0. So ALL the fish I caught were along banks, and nearly all were from wood cover. The more branches the better, and isolated cover was most productive.

I also do a lot of fishing in the Wisconsin River around Point and some upstream around Rhinelander, as well as a bit in the Mississippi. I really enjoy river smallies, they sure so fight.

[bassNspear]

So let me ask all your river fisherman this.

Are you mostly fishing up river or down it. And what do you look for as far as tactics, and spots on rivers. Reason i ask this, is becuase almost everything looks good on the river, but how do you place what is better then the other.

[EBass]

River rule #1 - ALWAYS go upstream! (unless you know for sure your boat is in working order and it's a dredged section) You don't want to crack the skeg while down stream a couple miles from where you launched.

If you don't know the river go slow. I saw a fiberglass I/O on the upper sippi this Sat. They hit a few times and I was 500 yards away and could hear the prop crunch. LOL That boat should be on a lake.

[bassNspear]

Isnt that a fact. That is not a river boat. I understand what your saying. THe thing that is hard for me to understand, is if there is a river with lakes off it, do you think the fish will hold in the river more often, or on the lakes.

[EBass]

river with lakes attached - like pool 2 and 4. Well that's my example, but it's more so backwaters than a lake.

It depends - the largies will stick to the backwater lilypads, but some will move out to the wing dams as well. Smallies will be in the current as the temps are warm now so I assume they will be in the main river or wing dams. Everything uses those wing dams, eyes, pike, bass, drum, etc..

I know, I'm not much help. It's fishing so here today and gone tomorrow.

[bassNspear]

So you think most of the smallies are always going ot be towards the backwaters?

[EBass]

Nope the largies will be in the backwaters. Smallies will be in the main river on rip rap walls, fallen trees, or eddies. Smallies love to be just out of fast moving current.(behind a boulder with fast current around) However there's always the exceptions. Any ambush spot will suffice.

Good luck - going outa town for the rest of the week.

[Deitz Dittrich]

B-N-S, one of my fave bass lakes is the Horshoe Chain... its technically a backed up river.. and you can fish areas that have current, and lakes that have none... River fish are more predictable in my opinion.

[bassNspear]

Its always great to hear other ways that people fish river systems. Thanks guys!!

[Stick in Mud]

Don't forget about fishing the main river channel. I do most of my fishing between the Sartell and Royalton dams, and we get tons of fish right in the middle of the river near typical shoreline structure like rip rap, downed trees, etc. Usually it's only four or five or six feet deep, but the fish seem to stage in the "deeper" water before making forays into the shallows for food. Vertical jigging or pulling raps both work wonders.

I don't know how well this would work on bigger water, but I know that up here where the river is smaller lots of people miss lots of fish by focusing too exclusively on the "typical" smallie structure.

[sicheneder]

how do you vertical jig the main river? i can do well when the sun comes out but in the mornings or in fog those fish will be crusing and moving around off the bank. i find it hard.

[sicheneder]

one of the things is that in a slower moving river like the miss. the smallies will often face the current and not so much behind objects. or atleast the ones that will bite. i would say that most of what has been is general locations on a normal year. but when the water drops those largies will move out of backwaters into the main channel. they will be close to the cuts where they were living. also one of the consistent patterns on the upper miss. has been buzzbaiting or rattletrapping weeds outside of small cuts will hold smallies.

[Stick in Mud]

You need to use a relatively heavy jig and use either the trolling motor or main motor to provide enough forward thrust to slow the boat's drift downstream. Or you can just drift at the pace of the river if it is slow enough, though I usually prefer to control the speed of the drift with the trolling motor.

[CALVINIST]

Quote:

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Well I usually fish the Mississippi in Champlin down to the Coon Rapids Dam or from Dayton up towards Elk River. Last year was an awesome year out there catching Smallies, but this year has been a little slow so far. I usually just throw a Senko for plastics, a Buzzbait or a Sammy for topwater and a 2-3ft diving crankbait. Last year the Senko's were HOT, it didnt even matter what color they were. Flippin under docks always produced decent Smallies with plastics, but the best is just around the corner when the topwater lures will start picking up. Nothing funner than seeing a 20 + inch Smallie smoke a topwater!

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Senko's sound awesome. How do you rig the Senko for fishing rivers? Would love to give it a try!

[Stick in Mud]

Texas-rigged or wacky. Downsizing is also not a bad idea, though the larger baits will keep the smaller ones off the hook (if you get bored catching too many )

[st.crioxfishin]

Whats the current like on the st.croix river? fast, slow? I have a tournament out there in late august and was wondering if I would be able to use my boat in it. Its a 15 ft smoker craft, with a 30hp motor, 55lb thrust trolling motor, would that be enough for the river or not so much? Never been out there before, should be fun.

[Studer]

Was below the dam at the Beaver Islands yesterday and started throwing small rapalas and landed a few right off the bat. Another guy showed up and was just slapping them. It was like one right off the other. He came over, showed us what he was using and gave us each a couple tubes and we just started slappin em too!!! Heading back tonight for some more action!!!

[Stick in Mud]

Are you wading, Studer, or are you out in a boat?

What color tubes were working? We've been getting 'em on smoke colored Kahlin's and small Senkos.

[Studer]

We took the canoe to the islands and then we wade around!!! Smoke was the color working for us too. Can't wait to get back down there.