River Fishing?

[muzzy125acc]

How do you folks fish rivers that feed the lakes?

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[Frank C]

we have all black crappie on the river i fish, we target laydown trees, lily pads off the main river docks in marinas, bridges.

[NYHellbender]

don't forget bridge supports.

[slipbobber]

The very first thing that I look for is bait fish. The crappie will not be far from the bait fish then look for some structure in the area could be brush piles, channel ledges, beaver cashe, rock piles, current breaks, river bends, lay downs. Actually I like it when there is some current it tends to concetrate the fish no current and then they can scatter making them much harder to find.

Hope that this helps some.

RB

[bassbull]

All very good advice already said above. Will try and add one more pattern that I have ran into a lot. First you will need a depth finder for the front (back) of your boat. When you are cruising up these side channels, boat harbors, keep a eye on your graph for high spots. Just behind these high spots will be deeper water and less current near the bottom. If your real lucky you will find one with a old tree top our just a big branch laying on the bottom. These scour holes don't have to be very deep either. Some of my best ones are below sand bars with very shallow water running into the hole that is 7 to 9 ft deep. The crappies just love to stack up in these type of areas. GOOD LUCK STEVE

[Saludariverman]

I under stand fish like to stay around cover. But what if there's a tree laid down in the water like every ten feet? Just try all of them? Or is there away to tell which ones. And how is the best way to fish trees that are down in the water? Thanks

[CrappiePappy]

I under stand fish like to stay around cover. But what if there's a tree laid down in the water like every ten feet? Just try all of them? Or is there away to tell which ones. And how is the best way to fish trees that are down in the water? Thanks

My ...

The bigger ones offer more shade & protection from current ... so I'd start with those.

If fishing with live bait (hook/sinker/minner rig) ... I'd suggest long poles out the front of the boat, and ease towards the tree from the down current side.
If fishing (casting) with jigs ... I'd suggest using weedless jigheads & casting straight down the length of the tree (if the current will allow you to). If the current is a problem, go up in jig weight & vertical jig the tree ... allowing for the current to angle the jig/line towards the main portion of the tree.

Current present = Crappie will be on the down current side of the tree, using the trunk/branches as a current break. They'll be "used to" bait coming along with the current ... but, also coming towards the tree AGAINST the current (if it's not too strong for them to swim against).

The bigger the tree (trunk/branches) ... the more current break it affords, and the more shade it provides. And it also allows MORE fish to utilize it, than a smaller tree.

... cp

[newly]

Personally I like fishing the river feeding a big lake here in NC better than the main lake. Still trying to figure it out. I like it because there is a whole lot less traffic. Seems like the still water where you are near the current produces the fish

[river scum]

i look for timber in deeper areas, like bend holes. power fish till you get bit. vertical jig twister tails in and around the limbs( VERY QUIETLY). when you get bit stay a while. 5-10 min is usually enough time to tell if they are there. you will find areas that produce fairly regular for you,and you will develop a "milk run" of these spots and there for increase your bite to time ratio! just work a couple miles at first, to get a general feel for the river. when you figure out that section, look for similar areas in new sections. dont be afraid to take a print off of a river section(from google earth)and mark it as you catch fish. this is a great time of year to be in your neck of the woods, so get to it bro.! lol

oh, and post some slab pics for us good luck!

[bassbull]

If you have a lot of tree tops that close together there are a few things you should pick up on real quick. Outside bends at normal water stages are hot spots to hit and forget the rest. If its a long strait bank with a lot of tops, pick out the biggest ones with big limbs. You also will notice where you get your bites on how much water depth the tops have on them. Hot summer time the deeper branches should hold the best fish, if the current is there to bring the bait to them. Like already said also the crappies like the down stream side of the branches. As the water cools they will move quite shallow on these trees towards the bank. Never forget to hit the shadows on these trees. Have a good day. STEVE