Fishing High Waters

Recently after hard rains here in my local area we are hit with very high waters. I am a river fisherman and this could cause fast, high currents and muddy water. This just sounds like a bad day of fishing. From my experience these conditions sound terrible, but it could also give way to an amazing fishing day on the river. These are 3 pointers to think of next time you are hit with high, fast waters.

First, fishing high waters allows anglers to fish areas not normally fished otherwise. At my local river there are tall stalks of grass that doesn’t get covered with water normally unless there is a massive rain or during the winter drawdown of the lake above. This lends itself to cover of bass as the water muddies up. The also makes for a fun time fishing shallow in thick cover.

Second, fast current causes for bigger eddies and putting an emphasis on current breaks. During fast current the fish will almost always focus towards the eddies and current breaks. This causes fish to be very predictable in the locations in which they ambush prey. I know many times on rivers when there is low water it is extremely high to target fish because they could be very scattered chasing bait. When there is fast current it causes most of the fish to move into those calm pockets that are extremely easy to toss a bait into and hook into a giant.

Lastly, fish just bite better! When I say this, I mean that it is easier to fool a fish during these conditions. We all know those bright, calm days are the hardest sometimes to fool a bass into eating a bait. With fast current, it breaks up the water making it harder for those fish to get a great look at the flaws in your presentation. These fish are better “set-up” and ready to attack prey that swims by during these conditions. Your presentation most time doesn’t have to be perfect and you can fish most times with your favorite power bait. That being a crankbait, spinnerbait, and so many more. During those high waters have fun with bait selections because this a great time to build confidence in a bait.

Always remember to ultimately to be safe if out in those situations. Safety is most important in kayak fishing. Good gear is a must to be successful. Always have a PFD on at ALL times. That should be your best friend on the water. Remember this tips and pointers and I promise it will help when approaching high waters. Good luck and tight lines!