As for the fishing, it is pretty typical to any bass fishing on rivers. It is all about the current. Current brings food, and bass will follow the food no matter how high the water levels may be. This time of year if you can find the right amount of current around bait then you will be catching your share of bass. On the big river backwater areas turn into sloughs full of current. Following the typical contours and typical channels will lead you unlocking the correct current. "Running lanes" that are normally a couple feet deep are not eh "main channel" of that backwater area, funneling the flooded water down river. Standing trees, rock structures, and creeks all play into unlocking this high water mystery.
FIND THEM: Catching fish isn't the hard part, finding fish is. It is vital when fishing high water to stay on the move and cover a lot of water. My favorite baits for this include a swimjig, bladed jig, and a swing-head craw. These three baits let me keep the trolling motor going and me casting to the next area in front of the boat. Shad patterns or bluegill colors are best for the swimjig and bladed jigs. The swing-head craw color varies with the water clarity. These baits allow me to cover a lot of water and catch the active fish in the area. Then, after catching a few, I like to slow down and work things over with a Texas-Rigged Tube or jig/chunk. When you find a couple of fish when the water high, most likely there are many more in that same area.
Rod/Reel/Bait Specifics:
- Lew's Custom Lite 7ft Medium Rod Reel with 30# Tour Grade braid
- Strike King Pro Swim Jig
- Strike King Thunder Cricket
- Team Lew's Custom Pro Rod/Lew's Super Duty Reel with 15# Tour Grade Mono
- Hot Rod Baits Tube/Swing-Head Big Craw
