River Bass
Fishing
Bucketmouths with Attitude hey're tough, they're angry, and
they're hungry
By Jerry
Curtis
Too often
here in the Upper Midwest, people dismiss rivers for bass fishing.
Oh sure, there's the occasional smallmouth article with some
fly-rod wielding yuppie targeting those trendy "bronzebacks," on a
scenic bluff country stream. But seasoned bass anglers know that
our rivers contain (pound for pound) some of the strongest
largemouth bass in the country.
Believe it
or not, rivers give Midwestern anglers a taste of saltwater
fishing right here in the heartland. Stay with me now, because it
makes sense. Ever fished saltwater? All those tidal forces and
currents running every which way (not to mention lots of toothy
predators chasing each other around) create remarkably strong,
resilient fish. They're unrelenting swimmers with unbelievable
endurance.
River fish,
like their saltwater comrades, are survivors. Burning those extra
calories fighting current means river species forage more often
and more aggressively than their slow water counterparts. Bass can
be tougher to pattern in rivers because of this constant foraging,
but if you adjust your tactics accordingly, you'll find 'em. For
starters, spend more time with active presentations like
crankbaits, and place less emphasis on finesse lures like
plastics.
This year
looks absolutely prime for river fishing bass in the Upper
Midwest. A long, gradual snow melt meant most rivers stayed below
flood stages. Unlike a year with flood conditions, which scatters
fish, river largemouths are more predictable and easier to locate
in low water years. Because the water warms faster in rivers than
in lakes, river bass spawn up to a month earlier than their lake
cousins. When the temperature hits 57 degrees in a river bass
start spawning. In most of our rivers, they'll wrap it up by late
April or early May.
You'll often
find smallmouth and largemouth bass in the same rivers. Follow the
same rule you would on a lake: Smallies suspend more around gravel
and rock while largemouth inhabit the softer bottom areas.
Work
vegetation, and shallow, slackwater areas. We're talking one to
five feet of water with a smidge of forage-carrying current. Toss
a buzzbait or spinnerbait in there and work it back slowly and
erratically.
In late June
on big rivers, focus on wingdams, particularly spots where you can
find a break. Occasionally a barge or tow boat will bump the rocks
underneath and create an opening. Largemouth hunker down in these
breaks (commiserating with those pesky walleyes), and as the
current washes minnows through, the bass gobble them up. Stay
right above the breaks and drop a tube jig. It's fun fishing,
almost like drift fishing for steelhead on our northern Great
Lakes tributaries. The tough part is keeping your boat over the
right spot. Spend some time studying your electronics and learning
a specific wing dam top to bottom.
You can also
try casting spinnerbaits to shore and working them back over the
wingdam. Remember, this is stained water, so flash is important.
Use a No. 5 or 7 willow leaf or larger on your spinnerbait in gold
or copper. If you're a late riser, you'll love river largemouth
fishing. The bite seems to peak mid to late morning, so I rarely
hit the water before 8:30 or 9 a.m. The turbid, stained water of
our rivers seems to mean these fish hunt best in strong daylight
when they can see forage. I love river fishing. Again, just like
saltwater, you never know what you're going to catch in a river
‹thumping catfish, American eel, even sturgeon in some places. And
if it's bass you're seeking, you can't beat an angry, hungry
largemouth who's been fighting current all day.
I'm telling
ya, they got attitude!
Jerry Curtis
is a bass tournament angler and the 2001 winner of the Minnesota
Pro/Am Bass Tour Championship
