i dont catch enuff fish

[dieselbeef]

wanna catch more gill,crackers.

no boat so i bank fish. small creeks and rivers near me. bout 50 ft wide and 15 ft deep is my favorite spot. moving slow water but lotta structure w/bare banks to cast from.
i almost always catch fish. catfish..gills, speck, even a bass once in awhile.
mostly i fish w live bait. crickets or junebugs or beetles. sometimes spinners or jigs. depends on the day.

the thing is that i catch one or 2-3 and then the bite is off and i fish another hr the same way i caught the first couple and catch nuthin.
so how do i keep on catchin em. i see you guys w/40 fish...aint never done that

[joejv4]

Sometimes you gotta change what your doing - switch from bugs to worms, use a bobber and change depth, tie on a bell sinker and see what's on the bottom. With jigs, changing colors or weights can make a big difference. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ways to catch them if they decide that what you started out with doesn't look to tasty to them anymore.

Other times you may just need to try a different spot, walk to the next hole and try there.

[superdave1984]

I agree. Variety is not only the spice of life, it very often catches fish.

[SpeckWick]

Also, sometimes you drag those hooked fish across and through what they are living in too many times and the others get spooked and hunker down and stop hitting for a while. Try working the closest part of the area you are fishing first, then work further out. If you make the longest cast you can every time, you may be spooking them before you have a chance to really get into them. Maybe try fishing from up river and let the bait drift into them too. Pick the outside, then work in. I have fished a lot of spots in lakes where dragging hooked fish through will spook the rest. Rivers and creeks can't be much different.

[PapermouthLegend]

I grew up 2 blocks from the white river in Anderson Indiana. I did the same thing for quite some time, where I would catch a few fish and the bite would stop. Then one day some guy wading taught me a valuable lesson for river and creek fishing. RIPPLE FISHING is what he called it and said it was the only way he fishes rivers and streams. And I have fished many rivers across the midwest and it works on EVERY ONE OF THEM.

A ripple is a shallow point of water that usually gets deeper on the down-river side. Find the areas (eddies) in a river where the current begins to flow in the opposite direction. This could be caused by a tree, boulders, sand bar etc... Fish in a river or stream will hold in these spots because they make great abush areas. Bait will wash down over the shallow bars and the fish will grab them.

When you find one of these eddies where the current flows in the opposite direction, fish what is called the SEAM. The seam is the area where the two directions of water converge. If you are using a float, your float should stand almost still with current flowing on both sides of it. One side will be the downriver flow while the other will be the upriver flow. Target these areas and change depths frequently until you find fish.

Last but definately not least, use natural forage. If there are a lot of minnows and baitfish, try to catch some. If it's crawdads, try to catch some. When I fish a river or stream I try to put out a minnow trap for a little while why I throw a spinner or jigs. I will then clip on a bobber and throw the minnows. Seining is the fastest way to catch baitfish and forage from a river. Just be sure to check your area laws for seining.

If there are a lot of fields or grasses up next to the bank, drag a wool army blanket through them and grasshoppers, crickets, cicadas etc.... will get their legs caught in it and you can use them for bait as well.

Watch for old rotten logs on the bank. You can usually swipe a few redworms and grubs from them.

Use natural forage and target these areas and you will increase your catch. Once you get used to the size and color of forage in your river or stream you will be able to purchase lures and jigs that match the forage. Then you won't have to waste any time trying to catch bait.

While I am spoiled a little now, fish from a boat, and just buy my bait. I don't catch any more fish then I did when I gathered and collected my bait each day. When I see someone struggling on a river to catch fish, it takes my back to being 10 or 11 years old and talking to that guy that one spring day and learning a lesson that I will never forget. Good Luck to you.

[dieselbeef]

those are some good ideas! thnaks.i ususally do move from place to place walkin up the bank. i usually go upstream. never thought about the spookin thing but i only hafta cast out about 20 ft to the structure.
as for the eddy thing there almost isnt enuff current on this creek. but thats a trick ill try fer sure.
lotta downed trees along the bank and thats usually my target areas.

the wool balnket thing really werk. cuz i walk thru alotta pasture sometimes to get to where i fish. not buyin bait 30 mi away on my way home would be great..specially if its free...my favorite kind

thanks guys...any tip is a good one so keep em comin...i gotta teach my little boy.

i used to live near the salt water and caught tons of fish. 10 yrs ago i moved into the middle of nowhere and really didnt fish much til lately. last couple yrs and freahwater fishin is like startin all over...even the tackle is so much lighter