Float Fishing Question?

[goosetalk]

I get out maybe once or twice a summer for a float so my expertise is novice and always rusty.  For those of you that float often, how do you approach to fish a riffle?  Do you make long cast into the riffle from the pool above out of watercraft?  Do you stop at the back side of the gravel bar and walk to the top of the riffle and work your way down?  I usually carry 3 rods for top (buzz/spook), middle (fluke/spinnerbait), and bottom (Ned/craw) and I have no problem parking and doing some wading, but that usually is fishing the bottom of the riffle.  A lot of times I have found my self going through the riffle and stopping before it dumps into deeper water and fishing the current seam and structure there.  

[Brian Jones]

Both.  I've had good luck fishing the area just in front of the riffle with a moving bait of some kind as well as stopping the boat at the top of a riffle, walking down the bank or gravel bar and working the riffle itself by casting a bottom bouncing bait upstream and letting it bounce its way back down river.  

[goosetalk]

Thanks.  I think when I approach a riffle, I am so focused on the proper course going though for me and my 11 year old son, that I fail to stop and fish those riffles and runs like we should.  This year I have a two day trip planned in mid June (staying at campground) and the two days combined with be less than the one day float I took last year on the Courtois.  Planning on slowing down and really fishing, first for the active fish with topwater and then try and pick apart cover for bass and rock bass.

[Al Agnew]

It depends upon the riffle. As Brian said, first order of business on some riffles is to make sure you fish the water at the top of the riffle if it's one where the river drops abruptly into the riffle itself. That last 20 feet or so of slow water before the drop-off can be magic, but it takes long casts from well up in the pool, because those fish will be spooky. Also, look for the very last piece of cover before you enter any riffle, either logs or rocks, and make a long cast to it.

Now, as for the riffle itself and the good water at the bottom of it...if possible, it's easiest to get out wherever you can land above the top of the riffle and walk down, staying well away from the water, until you can get in and fish your way back up. Stealth is important...walk softly and don't splash when you get into the water. But on bigger rivers, this often isn't practical because the riffle is too wide and deep or too strong, and even on many smaller streams, the banks are too brushy to land and walk down the bank. Next best thing on streams where it can be done is to park at the top and wade down, fishing as you go. And if that isn't practical because of too much water, you just have to start down it, looking for anyplace you can stop the boat and reach good water--eddies along the bank, a log or rock where you can stick your foot out and hang onto, a shallow spot where you can put your foot on the bottom or perhaps get out. And if all else fails you just have to fish as you go. If you keep the canoe or kayak parallel to the current, you can hit several hard back paddle strokes even in pretty strong current and stop the craft long enough to get in a cast or two. Finally, choice of lures. If you can't get out and wade or stand in one spot, forget using stuff you have to let sink and drift with the current. Fish stuff you can fish fast--buzzbaits and spinnerbaits are ideal.

Having said all that, I will admit that I very seldom get out and wade riffles. I stay in the canoe and look for spots where I can slow or stop it as described above. Another good spot to stop or slow is a water willow bed, just run the canoe into and over it if it's deep enough. If not, I will draw and back ferry the canoe so that it eases sideways into the bed, trying to keep the back end of the   canoe against the bed. If you let the back end get further into the current than the front end, the canoe will immediately start to turn around, which is never good and can be really bad in strong current. A little attention to getting and keeping the canoe in position before you pick up the rod pays dividends.

[goosetalk]

Thanks for the great information.  I'll be sure to try it out on our floats in June.