River fishing

[NolinProwler]

Hello, I have a few questions for the vets out there.

My dad owns some land off of Nolin River, so I always go fishing there. I really just started getting into fishing this year. I've never caught a bass, or anything besides a cat, over 1 lb., anywhere. So, I'm pretty wet behind the ears.

Anyways, the Nolin is pretty muddy, with visibility as low as 6 inches sometimes(and places). This year its actually rather clear, but I digress. It is also very shallow. Very few holes are deeper than 6 Ft., and I've never heard of one more than 7(talking summer time, as its too difficult to fish when the river is up). I have a few problems with this river and its bass population.

First off, I'm not sure it has a huge bass population. They don't stock the river or the lake, because its a self sustaining system. Secondly, I'm forever getting hung up in the submerged logs. There are thousands of them up and down the river. What is the best way to fish this river(or any river) for bass?

I'm always using a grub, because they cost about a dime. Saves a lot of money when I'm losing about 3 lures per trip. I try out different colors a lot. Usually use white or yellow. Sometimes a brown with specks in it. Could this lure be causing my performance to suffer? Any suggestions on a cheap effective lure?

One last question; How close to the banks should my cast be? Right on the bank? Because that's how I lose a lot of lures, since there are roots and logs in the water. Do the bass not respond if the lure is not close to the bank? Any tips are apperciated!

Thanks!

Actually, I use a kayak for the river now, so I don't lose too many lures, anymore. I just go out, and get it. Its just very, very frustrating to be doing that every few cast.

[RyDogg]

hey man, if the water is pretty still in places your fishin' ide get some live worms and try some of them on a decent sizejig hook with a split shot about an inch above the hook and throw a bobber on your line about3-4ft above it. Throw that near submerged logs and rocks and stuff and wait. always a good way to go. If you dont have any luck with that. Also, if your having trouble with snags try some top water stuff. Maybe a popper. By the way, bass can hit your lures right on the bank. I've had some nice bass hit my worms about 1 ft off the bank and ive had em hit it with about 4ft of line out from my boat. Another good way to go is if you see other people their catching fish, ask em what theyre using. Usual people wont mind.
Good Luck!

[Rebbasser]

Welcome to the forum!

With a river you need to think current, or rather the lack of. Specifically, you want to fish current breaks-rocks, logs, retaining walls, whatever. Fish will position themselves in the slack water facing upstream, which is why you want to cast upstream and retrieve it with the current. The fish will dart out, grab what is floating by and get back in slack water.

If you are getting hung up try something weedless like a soft plastic bait. I would throw something like a stickbait, tube, worm, etc. but I would fish it weightless so it looks like something edible that is floating by.

[3dkicker]

Weightless or very light weight if the current is slow. Increase the weight in faster water. I'd fish the head or tail ends of the holes first and try some of the faster moving rapids if there are any. If you don't catch anything then wade or kayak into the deeper holes and fish the wood. Undercut banks are ideal for smallmouths, largemouths and sunfish. Add in some wood or roots and all the better. Baits I use while wading include finesse worms, super flukes, spider jigs, and tubes (all weedless). I recommend a lift and drop technique when retrieving baits...don't set the hook when the line gets heavy...you are probably hung up. Lift up slowly and see if you can ease the bait out of the cover. Most bites you will feel but sometimes the fish picks up the bait and heads to you or downstream. These bites take time to learn.

[NolinProwler]

Great recommendations, guys. I'm headed out to Green River on a kayak trip early Memorial Day. I will be using these tips.

[brushhog]

Nolin - I fished a local river last year with very little luck... Employing almost the same advice in this thread, from almost the same guys, I've had greater success this year. Good luck and keep us posted!

[NolinProwler]

Wow, my trip to Green River was a blast. I caught a 3lb small mouth, 1.5lb small mouth, and a 1.5lb white bass along with a bunch of smaller ones.

Thanks for the tips!

[brushhog]

Congrats- these guys won't steer you wrong... well they could steer you wrong about a lot of things actually!!! But as far as fishing goes they're good!

[flbassman]

To me, this river is screamin spinnerbait.....Colorado blade with a grub trailer. Good luck!

[3dkicker]

So fill us in on what you did differently and how you caught your fish!!!!! You going to hold out on us or what????

[NolinProwler]

Well, I fished with the current instead of against it. I looked for quiet pools after ripples, which was just astounding how many more hits I had. I actually caught the 3lber in one of these areas.


There was a beautiful waterfall that a lot of fish must've been feeding off of that netted the 1.5lbers. I lost another big one after some ripples. He ran up under a log, and got my line tangled up in it.

The Green River in Ky. must be a great smallmouth bass river. The two guys I was with caught a bunch of 1-1.5lbers, too. Just thinking about that trip gets me excited.

[3dkicker]

You'll find that smallies will cruise together in packs, espically large fish, in the pools that you found below the "ripples". If you are quiet and move slowly you can catch more than one large fish.
I really enjoy fishing small streams for smallies and should do it more often in the summer. Sometimes when I fish largemouth tournaments I wish I could weigh some of my best 5 I've caught while wading for smallies.

[BPACA]

Don't be afraid to fish the backwaters for largies...they tend to favor them in a way...if the water is stained look for the cleanest water possible...they will be there.