Winter River Techniques? 2024
Scuba Steve reply :
My local river is great for 3 seasons out of the year. I haven't given it much effort over winter but want to this year. Does anything major change with the fish in the winter time? Will I still be able to find smallies, walleye, and crappie? What presentations do you guys opt for when approaching a river in the winter time? Lots of guys here recommend the float n fly but I honestly don't think I understand rigging it. Any pointers? Slow baits? Thanks.
bowhunter63 reply :
Weightless flukes or Hair jigs. Hair kills in cold water. Plus the float and fly is a great option in cold water.
Scuba Steve reply :
Think like a 4" fluke? Even in current? Million dollar question... how do I avoid losing a hair jig every other cast?! haha
Fried Lemons reply :
On my river the walleyes are already moving to the spawning grounds. They and other fish will spend the winter in the nearby deep holes and will occasionally move onto the warmer flats to feed. You want to look for places with slow current and transitions from soft to hard bottom. Rock points and the downstream ends of islands usually have a deep slack pool with a soft bottom.
In the right conditions I catch active fish on small paddletail swimbaits. My favorite technique is to bounce bottom with a blade bait. Many different species use the same wintering holes and the blade bait will catch them all.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/7/2019 at 11:57 AM, Fried Lemons said:On my river the walleyes are already moving to the spawning grounds. They and other fish will spend the winter in the nearby deep holes and will occasionally move onto the warmer flats to feed. You want to look for places with slow current and transitions from soft to hard bottom. Rock points and the downstream ends of islands usually have a deep slack pool with a soft bottom.
In the right conditions I catch active fish on small paddletail swimbaits. My favorite technique is to bounce bottom with a blade bait. Many different species use the same wintering holes and the blade bait will catch them all.
My typical river intel by me. My river is all rock bottom. Hardly any wash up sediment areas. Max depth in the middle is probably chest high at normal levels. What sort of blade baits we talkin? Paddletails kill out there in the summer. Downsize a bit you think? Standard jig head with exposed hook?
Fried Lemons reply :
Deep is relative to the stretch of river. I use blades from 1/4 to 3/4oz depending on depth and current. Go with the lightest you can to reduce snags. I use 4 inch paddletails with an exposed hook. I consider it more of an active fish bait so I don't fish it smaller. Shallow snaggy areas I prefer to fish hair for the slow rate of fall.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/7/2019 at 12:31 PM, Fried Lemons said:Deep is relative to the stretch of river. I use blades from 1/4 to 3/4oz depending on depth and current. Go with the lightest you can to reduce snags. I use 4 inch paddletails with an exposed hook. I consider it more of an active fish bait so I don't fish it smaller. Shallow snaggy areas I prefer to fish hair for the slow rate of fall.
Do you have a hair jig preference? And what kind of blade baits?
bowhunter63 reply :
Hair jigs Vmc,Kalins or Yankum tackle. Straight out and straight back with out a lot of action. Slow steady retrieve works best. Float and fly you won’t really ever get hung. Try it adjacent to deep drop offs.
Hair jigs Vmc,Kalins or Yankum tackle. Straight out and straight back with out a lot of action. Slow steady retrieve works best. Float and fly you won’t really ever get hung. Try it adjacent to deep drop offs.
Also check out Smallmouth Crush hair jig video on YouTube. Really great information
Munkin reply :
On 11/7/2019 at 12:34 PM, Scuba Steve said:Do you have a hair jig preference?
Nothing beats bear hair in cold water (<40 degrees). We catch SM on the Upper Potomac in 35 degree water through the winter.
Allen
TnRiver46 reply :
On 11/7/2019 at 11:59 AM, Scuba Steve said:My typical river intel by me. My river is all rock bottom. Hardly any wash up sediment areas. Max depth in the middle is probably chest high at normal levels. What sort of blade baits we talkin? Paddletails kill out there in the summer. Downsize a bit you think? Standard jig head with exposed hook?
Max depth is chest high? That might be tough fishing in winter. I’ve tried float and fly for years and caught one yellow bass. I have much better luck with gulp minnows or hair jig without bobber . Also tiny tubes and suspending jerkbaits
Scuba Steve reply :
Hmmm, steady retrieve. Never would have thought. Now is that a ball head or do they make swimmin hair jigs? I've never had much luck with jerkbaits out there.
Jermination reply :
crawdad shad rap is always a killer in the winter, throw a #4 or #5--bang it off the rocks. walleye will choke them too
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 12:03 AM, Jermination said:crawdad shad rap is always a killer in the winter, throw a #4 or #5--bang it off the rocks. walleye will choke them too
How about a craw colored red eye shad until I can get one? Haha
Jermination reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 12:04 AM, Scuba Steve said:How about a craw colored red eye shad until I can get one? Haha
should work but i doubt it will be as good, something about that slow retrieve ticking the rocks drives em nuts. i'd use 10 lb mono with it though because you're bound to get hung a few times and that stretch helps you pop it loose....the 7,8, & 9 are usually sold out in just about every store i go to around knoxville. Its something about that orange crawdad color that they love. Works in clear or muddy water
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 12:09 AM, Jermination said:
should work but i doubt it will be as good, something about that slow retrieve ticking the rocks drives em nuts. i'd use 10 lb mono with it though because you're bound to get hung a few times and that stretch helps you pop it loose....the 7,8, & 9 are usually sold out in just about every store i go to around knoxville. Its something about that orange crawdad color that they love. Works in clear or muddy water
Awesome thank you. I'll keep an eye out for it when I'm out. Add it to my list of winter techniques to buy.
Can anyone elaborate on what size hair jig they prefer? Weight and length? Do you want a bigger profile? Thanks.
bowhunter63 reply :
I always use 1/8 ounce black or brown. Smallies tear em up.
Jermination reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 12:11 AM, Scuba Steve said:Awesome thank you. I'll keep an eye out for it when I'm out. Add it to my list of winter techniques to buy.
Can anyone elaborate on what size hair jig they prefer? Weight and length? Do you want a bigger profile? Thanks.
throw a 1/8th or 1/16th hair or duck feather jig--throw whichever makes it easier for you to cast. get a weighted 1 inch styrofoam bobber and clip it on desired depth. I have never done this in an actual running river during winter but do it alot on nasty winter days up river on the lakes around here. If the sun is out i wouldn't waste a ton of time throwing it. slip floats seem to be easier to cast but i dont think the action is nearly as good as the clip on floats
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 12:32 AM, Jermination said:throw a 1/8th or 1/16th hair or duck feather jig--throw whichever makes it easier for you to cast. get a weighted 1 inch styrofoam bobber and clip it on desired depth. I have never done this in an actual running river during winter but do it alot on nasty winter days up river on the lakes around here. If the sun is out i wouldn't waste a ton of time throwing it. slip floats seem to be easier to cast but i dont think the action is nearly as good as the clip on floats
Ok so clip the float at the desired depth and let it drift with the current? Any 1" float will do? Is this basically the float n fly? Haha.
Jermination reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 12:53 AM, Scuba Steve said:Ok so clip the float at the desired depth and let it drift with the current? Any 1" float will do? Is this basically the float n fly? Haha.
yes sir--thats why throwing them on an 8+ft rod is so beneficial-- im not certain how well it works in rivers because usually when i throw it it's when i see smallies suspended on a bluff or deep point. if they're deeper than 8-14 feet im usually picking up drop shot because its just too big of a pain to try to cast something with a 12-13 ft leader lol
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 12:58 AM, Jermination said:yes sir--thats why throwing them on an 8+ft rod is so beneficial-- im not certain how well it works in rivers because usually when i throw it it's when i see smallies suspended on a bluff or deep point. if they're deeper than 8-14 feet im usually picking up drop shot because its just too big of a pain to try to cast something with a 12-13 ft leader lol
Haha right. I supposed I could try it. 2-3' above the hair jig and let it drift. Worth a shot. Or just straight slow retrieve the jig as mentioned.
bowhunter63 reply :
Kalins 1/8 ounce
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 1:12 AM, bowhunter63 said:Kalins 1/8 ounce
Didn't ever think it was this simple with those things. And those same ones can go beneath a float?
bowhunter63 reply :
Float and fly set up
Fly is 1,16 ounce really small. Clare water shad bite.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/9/2019 at 6:50 AM, bowhunter63 said:Float and fly set up
Fly is 1,16 ounce really small. Clare water shad bite.
Does the tri swivel on the bobber just making rigging easier? And what does the two vertical lines above the fly represent?
bowhunter63 reply :
Hit up you tube on the float and fly great videos on there probably better then i can explain.
Scuba Steve reply :
Theres so many different riggings on there I’m not sure what to go with. I like the bobber stop above the bobber method with a weighted jig.
Scuba Steve reply :
Tried it the other day but I dont have much confidence in it yet. On rivers do you just let it drift in the current then reel it back and cast again?
any other tips for shallow rivers in winter?
scaleface reply :
I havent done a lot of it but have had some success . I like to fish still water next to current and bounce crappie jigs off the bottom
TnRiver46 reply :
Small paddle tail grub slowly bounced off bottom is also good
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/12/2019 at 4:52 AM, TnRiver46 said:Small paddle tail grub slowly bounced off bottom is also good
What sort of hook do you run with that? How small are we talking? Same profile as a paddletail swimbait?
TnRiver46 reply :
On 11/12/2019 at 5:57 AM, Scuba Steve said:What sort of hook do you run with that? How small are we talking? Same profile as a paddletail swimbait?
I use 2.5-3 inch baits on an 1/8oz round ball jig. Use hooks you don’t mind losing
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/12/2019 at 6:19 AM, TnRiver46 said:I use 2.5-3 inch baits on an 1/8oz round ball jig. Use hooks you don’t mind losing
Ok so ball head jig exposed hook then?
TnRiver46 reply :
On 11/12/2019 at 7:24 AM, Scuba Steve said:Ok so ball head jig exposed hook then?
Yes or if it’s extra snaggy just use the same hook but rig the bait weedless like you would a worm on a shakey head . When the water temp gets below 45 I don’t fish shallow fast water for smallies anymore but some do. That’s when I like to fish deep clear lakes
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/12/2019 at 8:23 AM, TnRiver46 said:Yes or if it’s extra snaggy just use the same hook but rig the bait weedless like you would a worm on a shakey head . When the water temp gets below 45 I don’t fish shallow fast water for smallies anymore but some do. That’s when I like to fish deep clear lakes
Yeah unfortunately i dont have any of that around me! Im about an hour from lake michigan but i havent dabbled much in fishing from shore up there.
TnRiver46 reply :
On 11/12/2019 at 9:27 AM, Scuba Steve said:Yeah unfortunately i dont have any of that around me! Im about an hour from lake michigan but i havent dabbled much in fishing from shore up there.
From what I understand, some guy just broke the Illinois state record for smallmouth fishing off the bank of Lake Michigan
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 11/8/2019 at 12:58 AM, Jermination said:yes sir--thats why throwing them on an 8+ft rod is so beneficial-- im not certain how well it works in rivers because usually when i throw it it's when i see smallies suspended on a bluff or deep point. if they're deeper than 8-14 feet im usually picking up drop shot because its just too big of a pain to try to cast something with a 12-13 ft leader lol
This is where a slip float comes in.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/12/2019 at 10:14 AM, TnRiver46 said:From what I understand, some guy just broke the Illinois state record for smallmouth fishing off the bank of Lake Michigan
Yep he sure did. Thing was huge. Over 7 lbs.
OnthePotomac reply :
Potomac river winter fishing = 1/2oz silver buddies in gold, hair jigs and Manns Sting Ray grub n 3' avocado on a 1/8 or 1/4 ball head jig.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 11/13/2019 at 2:51 AM, OnthePotomac said:Potomac river winter fishing = 1/2oz silver buddies in gold, hair jigs and Manns Sting Ray grub n 3' avocado on a 1/8 or 1/4 ball head jig.
Grub on the hair jig? Or grub on a ball head? And potomac in DC?
OnthePotomac reply :
The sting ray grub on a jig and I am 15 river miles South of DC on the Potomac, but Steve Chaconas,, who guides up there advocates for its use in those waters.
Scuba Steve reply :
So i fished a 3’ deep stretch of river today. Waded close to shore. Another skunk. Tried a mepps, small texas rigged grub, and the float and fly. Can’t buy a bite and very frustrated. Fished the structure, current breaks, rock walls... nothin.
JediAmoeba reply :
On 12/23/2019 at 6:20 AM, Scuba Steve said:So i fished a 3’ deep stretch of river today. Waded close to shore. Another skunk. Tried a mepps, small texas rigged grub, and the float and fly. Can’t buy a bite and very frustrated. Fished the structure, current breaks, rock walls... nothin.
3' deep sounds more like a creek to me. I would guess there has to be some holes that are deeper. If there isn't any in the immediate vicinity, there probably is within a few miles and that may be where the fish went.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 12/23/2019 at 6:27 AM, JediAmoeba said:3' deep sounds more like a creek to me. I would guess there has to be some holes that are deeper. If there isn't any in the immediate vicinity, there probably is within a few miles and that may be where the fish went.
Yeah its called a river, but by most standards it could pass as a creek. My spot was about 100 feet across, 3-4’ deep. No fish seen. Its been so brutal out there.
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