River Bassing

While most of us visualize bassing water as weedy lake flats and brushy shorelines, some of the best bass fishing in the country is found in big rivers like the Tennessee—maybe the best smallmouth fishing in the nation, right below Pickwick Dam on the Alabama/Tennessee boarder—and the Alabama River passing through Montgomery, Alabama is among many outstanding largemouth waters. So is the St. Johns River, now improving in water quality and sporting thousands of trophy class bass throughout its flow in northern Florida. California’s Sacramento Delta is another famed bass fishery based entirely on flowing water, as is the St. Lawrence River in New York state.

In most cases, the operative word is “flowing”; when the water is not moving, these rivers become skinny lakes, and they don’t produce well. But when the flood gates are opened or when big rains start the water moving, the fish turn on with some incredible bites. In fact, some lakes officially designated as lakes, such as the hallowed waters of Lake Guntersville, fish a lot better when flood gates are opened and there’s water moving on the main channel.

Because the fish are generally keying on shad when the water moves, baits that imitate the naturals are the place to start; in moderate depths, vibrating crankbaits like the Rat-L-Trap, and in deeper waters big-lipped crankbaits. These fast-moving lures work particularly well where side creeks meet the main channel; fish the points that develop in these areas, working from right up on the shore down to 30 feet and more.

Areas that are particularly productive sometimes have an obvious color line, where the clearer water from a side creek meets the muddy flow of the main river—or in some cases vice versa. But either way, the seam where the two flows meet is likely to hold shad and other bait, and that makes it an area worth prospecting.

Tidal creeks are equally productive on the flows—I particularly like an outgoing tide at creek mouths where they dump into the main channel—and the Withlacoochee River on Florida’s west coast has lots of productive areas like this, as does the Anclote and the Pithlachascotee. Topwaters and jerkbaits work well in these relatively shallow flowages.

Many areas of the Louisiana Delta, site of the recent record catches in the BASS Classic, also fishs best where water diverted from the river flows through the grassy marsh country—again, shallow running baits work well, and you may catch as many redfish in some areas as you do bass, because the species mix in the brackish water here.

In impounded water, you can often get a schedule of water releases by contacting the agency operating the dam. That way, you can plan to be on the river at your prime spots when the water begins to flow. Odds are, you’ll find the bite immediately goes off the charts when that still lake becomes a flowing river.



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