Gimmie a Nudge in the right direction.

[Dub J]

I have a question for all you experienced fisherman......I generally fish cumberland river around ashland city. My question is where do the fish go after they spawn in the creek arms and tributaries on a river system since the only "deeper" water is the channel. Im guessing most of the females have spawned already and mabye moved to the secondary points? And I know from research that post spawn bass have a rest period before they move to the points and creek channels that they were on in the pre spawn, on their way to shallower water. But how does this apply in a river system? The areas that I fish dont really have long sloping points like Old Hickory does. Its either main river channel, or small shallow creeks that lead to more shallow open areas like marrowbone lake or dysons ditch, or where the harpeth dumps into the cumberland. Im just having a hard time finding fish, as most of you know Im more of a junior angler and feel that I could be eliminating ALOT of unproductive water if I had just a small nudge in the right direction. I mean, thats what this site is all about isnt it? What am I doing wrong? I fish ALL DAY and might catch 2-3 fish if Im lucky....help me out guys.

[Travis C.]

My #1 thing for where you are fishing would be the current. I grew up fishing the river and you may find some fish here or there in the slack water like Marrowbone but your gonna need to find current breaks.

Look for submerged island's and humps. Don't just think about that limb hanging over in the water as a current break. You really have to be able to visualize what is beneath because that is where the fish are. The water will go around that island under water same as it does one that is visible on top. It will also go over it creating slack areas and eddy's in that way as well.

On cliffs don't just look for places where a rock may stick out into the current. Look above for place where rocks have been and are no longer there. They will most likely be found just off shore and will create current breaks for ambushing fish.

The good thing about river-run lakes is when to current gets rolling the bait fish look to get out of the strong currents in the same places as the predator fish.

Start finding those and you will increase your chances.

[Travis C.]

As far as the spawing fish they will more than likely move out to "deeper" water as it goes towards summer patterns. Deeper could be just a depth change and not always meaning deep. Don't get the two confused as they are two completely different things. Some hang around shallows all summer some don't after it is done. Heck some fish out on the main lake spawn in 15-20ft of water or deeper and never move off the main body. There are bunches of schools of bass out there in the lakes and one that lives its life in a creek arm may not respond the same as one that resides out on the main lake body. In a lot of cases like on Old Hickory they will even spawn at different times. Some years the spawn will last early April thru mid June or so.

You just have to get a game plan together, throw the trolling motor on high and find them. Once you rule out an area like a wooded flat or something with no luck simply don't waste any more time on wooded flats. You can narrow a lake down quickly this way. That is how most pros do on the trail. They will spend their time in practice fishing a major feeder creek pretty hard. Those creeks will have most all the structure the lake has. Once they find a pattern that works then they will transfer it over to the whole lake. There you have a starting point to work from without wasting gas running all over the lake to find it.

I would suggest a chart/white spinnerbait, shad colored lipless or a shallow runner crankbait to cover water. In the large bays and back water areas down there look for the big flats then find where it changes depth. Fish those depth change areas. They also have humps as well as the creeks find those too.

Then move out to the main river and fish current breaks.

[Dub J]

Thanks Travis. Will definitly put this to good use. We never fish the main river channel, instead we concentrate ALL our time and effort on the smaller creeks, and lakes. So your saying we should find current breaks on the main channel? We may have been shooting ourself in the foot by neglecting the main channel as a good place to catch fish?

[Travis C.]

I am not saying your are totally shooting yourself in the foot but think of the river as a conveyor belt for food and dissolved oxygen. The higer amounts of both will be closer or in the strongest flow. I know you can't easily fish out in the middle during a big generation pulse but that is where current break really play into it.

You can find fish/catch in the backwaters on a river system and when you come to creeks that enter the river definitely go back in them as far as you can then fish your way back out. Those areas are less predictable just like going to a lake. You have to search more.

On the main river most current breaks will be there all the time unless a flood moves them. They will always hold fish as long as there is flow.

[Dub J]

Man, this is some good Info. Wish I had asked this sooner. I really appreciate it man.Ya know come to think of it, the only really NICE fish that Ive caught out there was directly next to some high current adjacent to a sloping rip rap bank. I just figured I got lucky and happened to drag that square bill crank right in front of her face or across her bed. Didnt have a scale but she measured 19.5". This is the biggest fish Ive ever caught, and it put me on cloud nine.......but I considered it luck. Caught that fish and like 2 others. What you said makes sense Travis. Mabye if I move around more instead of hammering these wooded areas in the creeks ALL day I could catch more fish.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/DubJ311/img_2198.jpg

[Travis C.]

Maybe this will help you out a little as to what I am talking about.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/42784862#42782936

[Dub J]

Man I love that show. I think the Bass Pros is the best instructional fishing show on the air by far. Tim Horton is a billy B-A too. If it were me and my friend fishin that spot......we'd be over there against that tree line fishing lay downs instead of fishing out there on those ledges and channel breaks like we should!!:(:( Guess I need to spend alot more time and research to find those specific areas instead of wasting time and effort on unproductive water. Thanks Travis.

[RiverShoes]

Maybe a good fish finder would help? Can't find any of that stuff without one..... dot dot dot .... nudge nudge nudge..

[Travis C.]

If it were me and my friend fishin that spot......we'd be over there against that tree line fishing lay downs instead of fishing out there on those ledges and channel breaks like we should!!

Hey no problem. I also don't want you to think fishing wood and trees are bad. They are not. But based on where you guys like to fish a higher % of finding fish would be near or in the current. Wood in current are must stops to fish. Fish all sides including out from it if the tree is laying in the water. The current will break not just infront or behind but several feet out from where the limbs extend. Trout really take advantage of that holding spot because being behind the tree food gets straind before they can get it.

If there was a period with no generation you could to trees and wood not to far from channels whether it is a creek or main river.