Current Fishing: How to Catch Swift-River Bass. At Penn State I was fortunate enough to meet many skilled anglers who helped teach me various new techniques as well as different ways to approach bodies of water. During these two days of fishing, I not only caught a new personal-best spotted bass, but I also learned a lot about targeting bass in situations with current. When these bass are not actively feeding, they often are on the down-current side of the bar where the water drops off deeper. They sit here, ahead of all the other bass, so they get the first shot at prey being washed downstream. Using the current when river smallmouth fishing is key to a great day on the water!Copyright 2018 ANGLR Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved. That is stating the obvious considering he has won two Bassmaster Opens on the Red River in Louisiana and won the 1996 Red Man All American on the Arkansas River. Smallmouth bass love fast-moving water – rivers, creeks, anything that has moving water. Your bait could drift by before the fish even realizes it’s there.
When analyzing a body of swiftly moving water, you will recognize areas with rushing current, and then areas scattered between the current with slack water.
Within those smaller rivers, the fish will gather around the mouth of the little creeks that flow in. This means casting upstream of your target so your bait has time to sink before it drifts downstream into the strike zone. For this reason, fish at the top of a run are often easier to catch so I tend to target them first. As I got older I became more adventurous and began to wade the Susquehanna River for smallmouth bass. Fishing River Pilings & Current Bait Selection - Gluszek how-to bass fishing instructional video.
An ideal position is in a current break (slack water) immediately alongside the swift current. Many anglers will target them in the deeper and colder water. Some go to baits for this strategy are a After exhausting the first area, I like to transition lower to fish behind the boulder or laydown.This type of area often holds numerous fish so it is important to have multiple presentations ready so you can adapt if the bites get slow. Anglers who go with the flow can enjoy outstanding bass action during some of the most beautiful days of the year. The biggest mistake people do is cast right where they want their bait to go. If you cannot feel the bottom, try casting further upstream to give the bait more time to sink, or increase the amount of weight you’re using.I fish two types of high percentage areas and in a specific order: the top of a run and then behind the eddie. After finding good success on the fisheries around me, I joined the Penn State Bass Fishing Team. Free Download This is the most crucial step to catching fish because to catch them, you must understand how to present your bait naturally. Understanding river smallmouth fishing is key as moving water provides a continuous supply of oxygen and food, thus creating a perfect smallmouth summertime home. All over North America, river smallmouth bass fishing can be absolutely phenomenal if you know where to look. I cast into the upstream portion of the current seam and use it to drift my bait between the slack and fast water. On … This current also changes how the fish position on the different structures we have learned to fish.