Tough Days

[hoglaw]

I managed to put a trip to one of my favorite local rivers together today. My girlfriend and I drove to the river and shuttled our vehicles by about 7:30, and set off on a 10 mile float. The water was definitely up (I've been watching the level like a hawk all week), which is how I convinced myself to go float in this wind. Anyway, when I first laid eyes on the river I figured we were in for a big day. The water had the most beautiful green stain that falling rivers tend to have - the kind that makes you think fish can see baits but aren't going to be picky. With all the flooding, I thought they'd be hungry. Basically I psyched myself up for the trip in every way possible, including a trip to Southtown for four buzzbaits I was just sure they'd be all over (and a new reel and other things I didn't need, but that's beside the point).

Reality is another thing alltogether. The fish were SLOW. At most we caught eight or ten, but my girlfriend caught the biggest of the day after chunking a 3/8oz chartruse and white spinnerbait with a long white twin tail trailer all day long....mainly because I didn't know what else to give her. I fished Spro poppin' frogs, buzzbaits, horny toads, a crankbait, hula grubs, trick worms, a single tailed grub, and (...ugh...) a tube. I caught a 12" spot on the crankbait, and had a few dinks hit the hula grub, but other than that, nada.

The wind was absolutely brutal, but that's no excuse. We made plenty of quality casts and should have caught some fish. The water was on the fall, but certainly a little high (with the wind and our fishing efforts, the 10 mile float was done in about 5.5 hours). With the south wind and clear skies, I knew the bite might be off but I figured I'd get some reaction strikes. I was wrong. I have nothing but a sore back, a serious sunburn, and a lighter wallet to show for the trip. I did get to spend some quality time with my girlfriend on a bright sunny day, and she did get to catch the big fish, so it's certainly not all bad.

Anyway, I had such high expectations for this trip because I love this stream. Even on Memorial Day, we didn't see other floaters. How do you handle situations like this one? Post spawn, post flood, high pressure, high wind, and high water (but pretty green tint). I feel like I hit every part of the water column and tried all the likely spots like slack water, heads of pools, tails of pools, pools, wood, rocks, etc. I had a hard time navigating the faster riffles and fishing them, but that's really the only area I neglected. Aside from that I fished my tail off and my girlfriend did too. What can I do differently next time I'm faced with these conditions?

[ollie]

Stay home!! Really I am not much of a help other than I try not to hit the water on this weekend and with water dropping I don't think I have ever done very good. Wait till it gets back to somewhat normal as far as water levels.

[Mitch f]

I managed to put a trip to one of my favorite local rivers together today. My girlfriend and I drove to the river and shuttled our vehicles by about 7:30, and set off on a 10 mile float. The water was definitely up (I've been watching the level like a hawk all week), which is how I convinced myself to go float in this wind. Anyway, when I first laid eyes on the river I figured we were in for a big day. The water had the most beautiful green stain that falling rivers tend to have - the kind that makes you think fish can see baits but aren't going to be picky. With all the flooding, I thought they'd be hungry. Basically I psyched myself up for the trip in every way possible, including a trip to Southtown for four buzzbaits I was just sure they'd be all over (and a new reel and other things I didn't need, but that's beside the point).

Reality is another thing alltogether. The fish were SLOW. At most we caught eight or ten, but my girlfriend caught the biggest of the day after chunking a 3/8oz chartruse and white spinnerbait with a long white twin tail trailer all day long....mainly because I didn't know what else to give her. I fished Spro poppin' frogs, buzzbaits, horny toads, a crankbait, hula grubs, trick worms, a single tailed grub, and (...ugh...) a tube. I caught a 12" spot on the crankbait, and had a few dinks hit the hula grub, but other than that, nada.

The wind was absolutely brutal, but that's no excuse. We made plenty of quality casts and should have caught some fish. The water was on the fall, but certainly a little high (with the wind and our fishing efforts, the 10 mile float was done in about 5.5 hours). With the south wind and clear skies, I knew the bite might be off but I figured I'd get some reaction strikes. I was wrong. I have nothing but a sore back, a serious sunburn, and a lighter wallet to show for the trip. I did get to spend some quality time with my girlfriend on a bright sunny day, and she did get to catch the big fish, so it's certainly not all bad.

Anyway, I had such high expectations for this trip because I love this stream. Even on Memorial Day, we didn't see other floaters. How do you handle situations like this one? Post spawn, post flood, high pressure, high wind, and high water (but pretty green tint). I feel like I hit every part of the water column and tried all the likely spots like slack water, heads of pools, tails of pools, pools, wood, rocks, etc. I had a hard time navigating the faster riffles and fishing them, but that's really the only area I neglected. Aside from that I fished my tail off and my girlfriend did too. What can I do differently next time I'm faced with these conditions?

I agree with Ollie

I realize you have to go when you can, but I learned from a couple of guys much better than me to stay off the river when it's falling rapidly, let it stabilize for a couple of days, then go. I don't know if that's the case for your river or not. Having said that, you can sometimes go out when the conditions seem perfect and have the same results as you had this weekend.

[jdmidwest]

Alcohol usually helps in that situation. If fishing is slow, kick off in the woods and knock one off with the girlfriend.

[DaveMac]

Beach the canoe and fish the riffles wet wading.

[techo]

I would rather have the day you did than the day so many others did. Really sounds like you spent a great day on the water with your girlfriend. Sounds silly but quite a few folks in Joplin would trade you places. As a matter of fact..... I worked all weekend. While I am thankful for having a job, I wouldn't have minded being on the water with my wife.

[Kayser]

Wet wade and fish riffles, or seine some minnows to drop into rootwads or float past logs. At least you can get some panfish for dinner that way.

Rob

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, after a big flood when the river is still dropping steadily will usually be pretty tough. I think a lot of people would be surprised at how much bass feed DURING a flood. There is a LOT of food washing into the river during high water, and the fish don't just hunker down, they take advantage of it. From vast numbers of earthworms coming to the surface and being washed downriver to all kinds of terrestrial critters being swept downstream to lots of baitfish moving into the same areas sheltered from the current where the bass are, they have lots of stuff to choose from, and they can smell and sense through their lateral lines even if they can't see. I learned this the first time when I was attempting to catch catfish on Big River when it was at the top of an 8 foot rise. I was fishing a big flooded gravel bar at the mouth of a feeder stream with nightcrawlers, in water where you couldn't see three inches down, and kept catching nice smallies.

So when the river gets to dropping back within its banks, three things happen. The fish, having fed heavily during the flood, are full and usually not too interested in eating anymore. The river has been swept clean of quite a bit of the algae and plant life that is the base of the food chain, and the bottom organisms and minnows aren't feeding very much either, so they are either hunkered down or skittish. And the fish know instinctively that they have to vacate the shallows or run the risk of being cut off from the river channel once it drops so far. At least that's my guess, but I find that you're often least likely to find the bass feeding shallow after a big flood.

So what to do about it? Well, I always start out fishing shallow and even fishing in odd shallow spots like willows that are still slightly under water along gravel bars or at the heads of riffles, just in case the fish are there. Usually though, they aren't. So I figure they've moved out into deeper, slower water well off the banks. Sometimes, certainly not always, a big deep-diving crankbait fished through the mid-portions of the big pools will find a few. Or a big spinnerbait slow-rolled in deeper water sometimes works.

But sometimes nothing appears to be working. I used to keep changing lures and locations where I'm fishing, trying to come upon the magic lure or technique or location. But I guess I'm mellowing a bit, because now I just put on a big crankbait and throw it whenever I feel like it, while otherwise sitting back and letting the current take me downriver while I'm soaking up the sights and sounds and smells of the river.

[Guest]

I like to pitch finesse jigs (1/2oz) to rootwads, logjams, and stumps.

just let it soak, then work it over each limb, which is your best bet sometimes.

You can work the jig like a spinnerbait or crankbait around heavy cover, just swimming it.

The crankbait is a good search bait when the water's slightly higher than normal.

I like crawdad and bream patterns the best.

I've caught lots of bass on a baby brush hog, texas rigged to suit the current speed.

When the waters fast, go with a heavier sinker..

[Jack Jones]

Interesting thoughts on falling rivers. I hadn't ever thought about how it affected the food chain. I guess I always figured that fish would be as freaked out as I am if there was a flood on. But...as I've always heard, if you want to catch fish you need to start thinking like a fish.

I'm with you Al, when the going gets tough, just float along with it. In those situations I throw out some nightcrawlers. If I can't get anything on them, then I know I ain't getting any.