river bassin help

I’m a ‘newbie’ to this part of fishing.Where do I look for bass not in the backwaters? Wingdams, rip-rap, backsides of islands? Any help is appreciated.

This time of year, I’ve had pretty good luck in side-channels around logjams and fallen timber. I’m not sure if you would consider that ‘backwater’ or not.

In the main channel, I would start looking for smallmouths along rip-rap shorelines and wingdams in moderate current. Smallies will tolerate very heavy current in the summer months so long as they can find a rock to squeeze in behind. Largemouths will be in slower water, probably adjacent to current as they do not want to work too hard for food. I would start around the mouths of marinas and island cuts, and overhead cover is a bonus.

I agree…the more I think about my experience on the river, the more I believe largemouth take to the current every bit as well as smallies. I’ve had plenty of lm in the summer time from main channel rip rap. As for wingdams, I believe I actually catch as many largemouth off them as smallies, maybe more!

I have found that sand flats or sand points in main river can hold a large number of bucketmouths. More than most people think…But shhh…it’s a secret….

Hey dhnitro, A few years ago I found that if you can find a school of bass on the river generally there’s a shallow spot where they can push the shad into. Question? are these sand points the feeding spots and holding spots or just the feeding spots with their holding spots just 50 yrds to maybe 100 yds away or maybe further?

What I have found is that the sand points are their feeding spots. The baitfish are usally plentyful are current is steady. Deeper water is also nearby in either a cut or main channel. I think alot of these spots are underfished, probably because it’s a timing factor. The fish move up and down to feed and if you can get a bite right away people just move on. I have found that mornings for me are best for locating these spots. A couple of tourneys ago I found one of these spots one day was loaded full of smallies when I pre-fished. The day of the tourney I went back there and caught a big bag of LM. Needless to say I’ll be back there next month for a tourney. Well hope this info helps. Is there anyone out there that fishes sand flats or points?

I have trouble finding these areas. I tend to fish trees and rocks that I can see. I’d like to get better at finding sand flats I agree that it is an underfished location. Last fall at the Regional BASS tourney on pool 10 the Wisconsin team had good luck fishing sand flats.

basspack-I agree that these point are hard to find. Myself, find these by mistake. The points that I find to hold good numbers of fish usally are fairly shallow in depth and do have some kind of structure on shore. The points I like are on the up current side. And usally have some kind of debris or rock on shore. But I believe that that sand holds that baitfish for some reason. There may be some sort of weed or rock on the bottom. But what I find its mainly sand. Early in the year in warms quicker. And through out the summer the current keeps it cooler. Maybe I’m wrong on that. But that is my observation anyway. I just wish I could find a few more or these spots myself. Unfortunately, I never have the time just to go look for these spot like I should. I do know of a few guys on the BFL circut that will fish sand points and flats. And just kill’em. I have found these spots by accident, but every spot is now etched on my map and mind. Keeping a log on your fishing trips helps alot. Nor matter what the other guys say. Hope this helps….

I have also begun to fish these spots more and more. They are really tough to find. Most I have been lucky, noticed some busting bait on the top, then fished them.

My more productive points, though, have been on the downcurrent side of islands, where two channels of current run together. I have found some on the upcurrent side, but most on the downcurrent.

Another spot is sometimes just on some rolling sand bottoms in backwater sloughs with current. No real reason for them to be there, just seem to be laying in the deeper rolls.

I have found these sopts to be better, especially for LM, later in the summer when the water is lower. Sounds like you are catching them all year here. Maybe I need to hit the upstream side more often!!

Thanks for some good ideas. I hope I can get them to work out. Keep posting!

Wow, great insight, guys! I appreciate it. What kind of lures do you use? I would assume shad imitators. Kind of a stupid question, but what type of bottom makes up the bulk of the river. Say you just pick out any old main channel spot…I always thought of it all as sand and silt.