The Most Useful River Bass Fishing Tips

River bass fishing will differ slightly from targeting the various bass species in a lake environment. Different types of bass will be found here than in open ponds and lakes, and lifestyles and habits will be quite different, leading you to need to employ a new set of tactics in order to have a successful catch. This article gives a little insight to river bass fishing for those who have never targeted this type of water for bass before.

First of all, there are several different species of bass that can be found in rivers across the country. Largemouth, smallmouth, Kentucky spotted bass, shoal bass, Suwannee bass, Guadalupe bass, and more run throughout the river systems in North America. However, even though some habits and patterns differ between the particular species, they are all still bass and have certain similarities that can work in your favor when river bass fishing. One of the main things to keep in mind is that all bass will use structure and natural curves and breaks to provide shelter for themselves against the current. That means anglers have a target point to shoot for in any river for any kind of bass.

River bass fishing on the inside and outside curves of a river can be productive. The current cuts deep into the bank, building outside curves, and gravel, dirt and debris are deposited to form inside curves. In outside curves, bass can find much of their preferred cover in fallen trees, big rocks, and root systems, covering them in deep water where they are cool and in a prime spot to ambush unsuspecting prey. The inside curves have sandbars and shallow water flats. If there is any kind of grass or shrub growing here, it makes a great spawning location, and you can find many active bass in these holes in early spring.

River bass fishing around current breaks is also a successful method, since bass like to rest in areas where some sort of structure is creating a substantial reduction in water flow. Try fishing around manmade bridges, large boulders, log jams, fallen trees, and even dams. Even if you do find such structure in a fast moving river, though, you may not have a great deal of success because it is difficult for bass to live in fast moving water. You will have better luck in a river with a slow or even medium current. When you find one, look for peeper holes or ravines, holes that are at least ten feet deeper than the rest of the river basin and run at least 20 to 30 yards long. These provide a bit of shelter for the bass for feeding, especially when they are headed up river to spawn.