Recently a great post was made on the River Bassin Forums by klmccllg and it made me realize that it is another common topic we have yet to cover in an article.  This question was posed, “How far is too far to paddle upstream when doing a paddle up trip?” Continue Reading

There has been a lot of talk on the forums lately about where bass go in the winter.  Well, I hope to shed some light on the topic based on my experience in this article.  Be warned that not every river is the same due to several factors each could have – dam downstream or upstream, large tributary entering it, warmwater discharge by a power plant, a lake downstream etc.

The key to this question is to know more about the bass and the priority of their needs to survive.  It is no different than humans really.  We have certain needs that must be met in order for us to stay alive.  I would put oxygen at number one on that list.  If I am not getting oxygen then everything else is moot because I will be dead.  I’m not thinking about women or food if I can’t breathe!  Likewise, if I am Continue Reading

…By:  WaderJon

How many times have you made a trip to the river in hopes of having a day of repeated top water blow ups and rod jarring spinner bait strikes only to find that the fish were just not in the mood? That’s why I always have a worm or soft plastic craw tied on for just such occasions. Usually even on the worst of days when the fish are not cooperating you can mange to catch at least a few small one’s if you have the Continue Reading

People are always asking me what is the best lure to use on the river and it isn’t a simple question to answer.  There are just so many variables to consider when choosing a lure, like water clarity, temperature, time of year, current speed etc.  What I will try to do is share about my top five favorite river lures that I use at different times of year.

Before I get started I’ll begin by showing you the results of a survey I conducted in the summer of 2007. This poll was asked to river fisherman only and the question was,”What is your top big river bass producing lure?” The results were very interesting and fairly diverse. Continue Reading

People have always asked me how I know if a river is fishable – which basically means that it is clear and low enough to reasonably expect to catch fish, and is safe enough for watercraft navigation. All of this can generally be determined by the river gauges even if you have never been to or seen the river! All you have to do is simply learn how to read the gauge and understand a little bit about what lakes and dams are built for and have to do with the water that comes in from upstream. If there is no dam, it is even easier to read the gauge and figure out what is going to happen from a rain event.
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By John Japuntich AKA Sumtershoaliefan
Wading the shoals and fishing for black bass can be one of the most enjoyable and productive methods of river fishing. Whether your quarry is redeye bass, shoal bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass or even largemouth bass, wading the shoals at certain times of the year can yield big results. Of course, like any other art form, it must be done carefully. Before an angler just jumps right into the shoals, there are several things that should be considered beforehand. Some of the things that bear discussion are safety, equipment, moving through the shoals, tackle and tactics. These may sound like basic items but when looked at closely, these things are essential to a productive outing. Continue Reading

Local flow getting boring?  Want to branch out and explore some new water?  We’ve all been there, and trying to locate some new productive water is really a fun game within the game.  In fact, I spent about three years of my life exploring every single river, creek, ditch and trickle that held shoal bass.  I struck out many many times when searching for them, but when I hit pay dirt and caught a shoalie in a new place, there was no better feeling.  That has to be one of my favorite chapters of my life, because it reminded me of my childhood days where I used to explore the creek behind my house.  The only difference was that this time I was exploring drainage’s that spanned hundreds of miles and three states.  Exploring new water is what brings that kid out in all of us and keeps the sport of river kayak fishing new and fresh each time.  I know I will never get bored of this pastime because there is always something new to see and explore. Continue Reading

Sometimes when people see all the pictures of big bass on RiverBassin.com, they think that river bassin’ is easy and better fishing than their local reservoir, small community lake or farm pond. Truth is, sometimes it can be, and sometimes it is brutally tough, but either way the effort it takes to do it can be physically demanding. The work involved is never mentioned or spoke of through all the nice pictures and it deserves to be. River bassin’ has a lot to do with what suits your personality, because the truth about river bassin’ is that it can be very time consuming and exhausting. Hooking a bass boat to the truck and driving it to the launch is easy. Cranking up the outboard and driving to wherever you want to go on a lake is physically easy. There isn’t too much physical labor involved in traditional boat fishing. River fishing, if done from a boat ramp and traditional boat or jon boat can be similar. Continue Reading

The truth of the matter is that dink bass can be caught virtually anywhere on a river. If you are fishing for dinks, you can stop reading now. For those that seek the power and drama that a big bass provides, read on. If you are specifically targeting big fish there are certain sections you’ll need to spend most of your time fishing. Likewise, there are other sections that you’ll need to paddle straight through in order to spend the majority of your time in the productive big fish water. The more promising sections I am referring to all have one thing in common – deeper water.

Deeper may be relative depending on which river, stream or creek you may be fishing. In a small creek deep could mean two and a half to three feet. In a larger river it may be four feet or deeper. The point is that deep water holds the biggest fish in that particular flow. If you can add into the mix “current” and quick access to shallow water with baitfish, then you have an equation for a big bass. Continue Reading

There are certain rules to the river that we should try and adhere to when fishing with others and confronting other river bassers on the river.

1. Before the trip, be sure to make your float partners aware of any time constraints you may have. Most people, when doing a float trip, plan on being gone all day. That is crucial information because it can change how many vehicles may be needed and/or what section of river is floated. Or, it could mean that the guys who want to go all day may have to go independently from you. You don’t ever want to throw this curve ball at a float partner at the last minute. At least if they are made aware ahead of time, everyone can change plans accordingly if need be. Continue Reading