High Water Tactics

We’re near the end of the Fly fishing top water Bass season so it’s time to shift my focus to the river. I’ve figured out how to find a few fish over the years during normal fall conditions: low flows, low levels, clearer water. This year the river is very high, very fast, very dirty, and full of big trees floating by at 15 MPH.

I understand that the tip of the first wing dam out in the main channel is probably a poor spot right now. Is it a matter of moving in closer to shore, or fishing the second or third dam in a row, or do I need to find a backwater area that has some flow to it?

I’m not looking for secret spots….just an idea of what kind of water to look for under these conditions.

Thanks guys

SR

High water is my favorite to fish. Once you find the fish they are usually very hungry and stacked up together. Trick is to locate them.

Shoreline current breaks are good but the fish do not use all of them. Keep hitting them and checking back on the ones you think are fishy. Ones near back channel openings can be good also.

Back water areas with less flow can be good. Some of those back water points and rock piles had no flow on them a few weeks ago. Now can be prime spots.

Loud baits can produce well in cloudy water. Cranks with rattles, ripping raps are a couple of good baits. On the other hand hair jigs can also produce well in high falls water. Not sure how the walleyes find them but they do.

Good luck Steve. Doesnt look like the rally high water is going to stick around long unless we get more rain. That could even make the bite a little more challenging as the fish will keep moving with changing water levels.

Rootski,

My experience is that you need to move around more often during high water — checking each likely area until you find them. Once you find them, I agree with Mike that it’s usually a really good bite. But you gotta move around a lot to find them.

For current seams, the higher the water the tighter fish will typically be to the front of the seam. In really high water, they’re often right in the “V” at the front of the seam. Same with wingdams … the higher the water the closer to shore the fish will often be (but the wingdam rule isn’t as consistent as the current seam rule).

I like hair jigs and cranks in high water. It’s hard to go wrong with chartreuse hair jigs and gold crankbait patterns.

Good luck!

Backwaters for sure

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Hope to see you down on the river soon.

SR

Bass were snuggled in the rocks warming themselves in the sun this AM up this way. Those rocks radiate heat nowadays in the cooler water, if you find slack water with some good rock like that ahead of it potentially putting a degree of warmer water into it cha-ching.

nhamm wrote:

Bass were snuggled in the rocks warming themselves in the sun this AM up this way. Those rocks radiate heat nowadays in the cooler water, if you find slack water with some good rock like that ahead of it potentially putting a degree of warmer water into it cha-ching.

I’ve seen that happen in the spring in lakes up North. Nothing in the weeds except small perch, meanwhile all the nicer Crappies were sitting on the rocks in the warmer water.

i’m far from an expert but in high water, i find current seams and/or rocks. if you can find both, its the best but don’t make it a requirement. many of the rocks (bank protection) are way out of the way of the current so theres no seam but the water is slower moving.

I pretty much throw moxies and flickershads….big 6’s and 7’s. i like to cast to the rocks and seams. the water is fluctuating quite a bit so you have to cover ground from one spot to the next and there are times where you hit the mother load, whether it be walleye or some other species.

last year in higher water (haven’t gotten out this year) in late september we fished 4 spots until finally settling on one where we caught probably 25 fish in 2 hours. tons of white bass, smallies, pike, largemouth and a limit and a half of eyes/saugers.

Good to have you back, rigginjake! Lol

AUTO_5 wrote:

Good to have you back, rigginjake! Lol

x2

Still using that hybrid frog/moxie I believe it was you were catching some nice fish on? This time of year id think that lure might start turning on again.