|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
"River Fishing" Give it a try, you might like it!by Dave Madson There seems to be a large number of anglers who prefer not to fish river systems. My belief is that lack of understanding of river systems can lead to intimidation of such waters. A couple of factors may lead to this: navigation or large expanses of water that look to hold a fish every few feet, but seldom do. This intimidation factor can be overcome so good fishing opportunities can be utilized. My first area to explore is the mental preparation in approaching a river system. The first thing to avoid is negative thoughts about fishing rivers. A better approach is to maintain a positive attitude, as if you were going to your favorite fishing spot. The reason for this is that most anglers’ fishing results revolve around the attitude of the angler. Many times I have seen a negative attitude on and off the water lead to poor fishing. By staying positive good things will happen. As the saying goes, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work." The next thing to do in fishing a river is to get the best possible maps available. These maps will aid in navigation and show potential fishing areas. The navigation of rivers varies dramatically. I have experienced rivers, such as the Mississippi, where a main channel is maintained at a minimum depth marked by buoys, as well as stretches of a river system that are used for flood control, like Lewis and Clark Lake in South Dakota. Both of these systems have great fishing opportunities but the navigation differs greatly. General up and down travel on the Mississippi is made easier by staying between the buoy markers, as compared to Lewis and Clark where no main channel is marked. Lewis and Clark is known for shifting sand bars that can change overnight. Additionally the upper stretches of Lewis and Clark have miles and miles of bulrushes that limit the view of the boat operator making high speed travel very dangerous. The approach to such an obstacle is that slower boat travel is a necessity until you have located routes that can be traveled at higher speeds. This same step is used to navigate the back water areas of the Mississippi River. It can be a frustrating experience but maintain your positive mental state of mind! These same maps might also help in locating good areas to fish in those large expanses of water. Start by looking for creeks entering, rivers joining each other, and other run-off areas. These areas can be great fish producers due to many foods entering the river. Man-made structures, like wing dams and closing dams are used to divert water into the main channel and can be good fishing holding areas. Rip-rap is utilized to avoid bank erosion and is the home to many minnows and crayfish. Also, do not overlook boat harbors for their dock fishing opportunities. A very important thing to remember in looking for fish holding areas is that the fish need to have slack or slow current areas to allow for resting. These same areas provide for ambushing of prey coming along with the current. Keep in mind that bass and other species will be in current when needed, such as feeding. The next time river fishing presents itself, give it a try, it might turn into another favorite of yours. I know it’s one of my favorite methods of catching big bass. See you on the water.
Copyright © 1997 Classic Bass |
|
Send mail to Classic Web
Services with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
