Hello! This is my first time visiting this site and I must say that it is quite nice. I know where I will be coming from now on. Anyway, I live in Mississippi right alongside the Mississippi river. If any of you know, now the river is on a constant rise pushing water everywhere. You can just about fish anywhere you can imagine. I have been trying to catch me some bass. For the past two weeks I've been going everyday and I have only caught one decent sized bass. I have fished the water on the rise, and I plan on fishing it on the fall. My question is how does the water actualyl need to be in order for me to snag a bass or two? Muddy or clear? High or low? Current or none? Moss or no moss? I have been fishing all the time and just can't understand how I have not been able to find them, but I know they are there somewhere so I keep trying to find them.
I have used spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, crankbaits, worms, and rat-l-traps and nothing seems to get their attention. That's why I think it has something to do with the water. Thanks for your time.
Lefty- We're going to have to ask Johnnie Crain or Dan Galusha to answer your post. The Mighty Miss is their home water and if they can't help you, no one can.
Johnnie or Dan? Can you help this fella?
Thanks for posting, Lefty. Much obliged.
JoeMo
Good Fishing,
JoeMo - Bassin' USA Message Board Moderator
Good evening. I went fishing again this evening, but this time I actually caught two bass. I had a friend with me, and he caught two also. We had much better luck than before.
I feel kind of good about it because I finally found some. I read a few guides here and there and used what I read to find them. We finally ended up catching them on a levee. There was a road going down the levee that water was flowing over. The bass were swimming across the road, and on the drop off side of the levee which was underwater. We caught them on a slope.
Lefty, I too fish the Mississippi near the Quad Cities, Iowa, Illinois border. Glad you caught some fish off a levee, that would have been one of my suggestions. Up here, we seek backwaters most of the time and go as far with the rising water as possible> The bass with move with the rising water until they reach a barrior or run out of water. We like to find standing trees in the flooded water. WE pitch a jig and pig at indivdual trees, but only the base of the largest tree in the area. We don't try to fish every tree, also, any tree that is different the the rest can be good (i.e.) a willow tree mixed with oaks.
If you can locate weeds or grass with fairly clear water you will catch fish. Try 1/4 ounce white spinnerbaits with a small silver willow leaf blade, slow roll the bait just over the top of the weeds and or grass. Buzzbaits may also work. Try to locate feeder creeks or ditches that are now full of water. Go as far as your boat will go then fish your way back, again, a jig and pig, shallow diving crankbaits or spinnerbaits will work. As the flood waters begin to recede, you'll need to follow the fish back toward the main river. Fish the same type cover until it gets too shallow. Good luck, the river can be tough, but it canm also be good fishing. Keep tuned to this site and you'll learn alot and maybe teach us all something as well. Johnnie-Iowa
While I fish all the types of lures, my biggest thing is flipping and pitching the cover. I like to find cuts coming from backwater lakes that are feeding into the main chutes and sloughs. When the water is moving the fish are usually holding in these areas waiting to see which way things are going.
I flip the cover with the most holding areas. I really like to find some crossed trees. If I see an area where a lot of debris or weeds are being wash in and held, then I allow my lure to go in the same place. Many times this will be a give away as to where the food is being washed for the fish to feed upon. Also, I look for cover with small baitfish, and if there is a disturbance this is usually an indication some fish are present.
Many times I fish the outer edges of the holding area first with spinnerbaits or shallow crankbaits. Then work around until finally going to the thickest area. This way all the more aggresive fish are picked up first, without disturbing the mass by getting only one out of the middle. Sometimes there is only one in the middle, but it doesn't hurt to try the other first - you can never tell.
Other areas are stump fields, especially if they are on island points, or along the mouth of a backwater lake.
As the water drops lower, and fish may pull out further in warm summer months, then the rock areas around wing dams and channel markers can produce. You may also be lucky to find a silt trap, such as I did a few years ago, but it was gone the next year after it did its job, and now is like a sand beach.
Summer is also a good time to find lily pad and arrowhead weed areas. That is if you have them. Any wood cover along these areas should never be past up, especially if there is a duck blind, which brings up another good spot to fish.
Duck blinds can be dynamite. Especially those with some cover placed around them. Just don't do like I did once, and allow the lure to go through a crack in a dog runway. Naturally a big bass hit, and there was no hope but to rip the board loose, which was impossible. However, the dog run or boat hide areas of these blinds can be very good fish holders, so fish around them.
If there is a down flow, look for places where a narrow area may be drawing bait fish out to some awaiting bass, that may have easy access to safe water, and as a result will be setting and having a very good feed.
I like to fish mild to slow current. Very strong current areas don't yeild well, and fish would rather find an area where they don't have to fight as hard to find food.
Hope some of this will help. Just remember the fish move up and down with the water level.
Dan
Anyway, I live in Mississippi right alongside the Mississippi river. If any of you know, now the river is on a constant rise pushing water everywhere. You can just about fish anywhere you can imagine. I have been trying to catch me some bass. For the past two weeks I've been going everyday and I have only caught one decent sized bass. I have fished the water on the rise, and I plan on fishing it on the fall. My question is how does the water actualyl need to be in order for me to snag a bass or two? Muddy or clear? High or low? Current or none? Moss or no moss? I have been fishing all the time and just can't understand how I have not been able to find them, but I know they are there somewhere so I keep trying to find them.