Fishing a river often can be more productive than lake fishing for bass, especially in the heat of summer when lake bass go deep. The location of fish in moving water is predictable. Fish don't want to expend a lot of energy fighting current, so they look for places out of current and that provide them with food. A little looking and a proper presentation of your lure or bait will bring home the fish.
Find the Fish
Study a map for the river you are going to fish. Fisherman Charles Stuart says to look for feeder creeks, backwaters, docks, stonework or bridges. Look for areas that are not in heavy current and for areas that have a supply of food.
Fish With The Current
Fish in the direction the water is flowing. Do not pull your lure against the current. Fish in rivers, especially smallmouth bass, swim with their faces into the current. They look for food that is drifting downstream. That natural presentation of food is what you are trying to match. Fisherman Charles Stuart says to let the current work your lure.
Understand Where the Bass Are
Study the water and the current to learn where the fish are. Pro fisherman Denny Brauer says bass set up ambush points to snare bait being swept downstream by current. Look for rocks, stumps, laydowns and eddies, anything in the water that breaks the flow of the current. That's where bass hide, rest and look for food.
Watch the Tide
Fish tidal rivers as if the tide were current. Pro fisherman Denny Brauer says the difference between fishing a running current and tide is timing. Tidal fish move a lot, but their movements are predictable. Brauer says that if you catch a fish, note the time and level of the tide. Fish will return to that spot at the same time and tide. You should, too.
Throw Crankbaits for Smallmouth
Catch smallmouth bass in rivers with crankbaits. Smallmouth like clear streams with rocky bottoms. Crayfish live on rocky bottoms. Smallmouth love to eat crayfish. Crankbaits imitate crayfish. Fisherman Juan Veruete picks a crankbait that runs about one foot deeper than the water's depth. That means that the crankbait bounces off the rocks and structure that are on the bottom in a motion that imitates crayfish. Veruete says a crankbait with a square bill deflects better than one with a round bill. Mimic crayfish colors of green, orange and brown in clear water. Use bright colors with a lot of contrast in muddy water.
Float or Wade?
Catch fish in a river either by floating or wading. The Missouri Department of Conservation says both approaches work. You can cover a lot of water in a canoe or a jonboat. You can reach places a boat cannot go when you wade. If you wade, be careful not to kick up mud or dirt that will spook the fish. Cast upstream, and let your lure drift downstream rather than casting downstream and retrieving your lure upstream in an unnatural manner.
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