Ask a hundred fishermen where to catch smallmouth bass in a river, and I bet you every one of them will mention fishing below rapids.  Ask them why, and you’ll get lots of answers: plenty of food,  dissolved oxygen, and rocky structure.  All good reasons for fish to be there.  What I am getting at is that I probably don’t have to convince you to fish below rapids.  But maybe I can pass along a few things that may help you catch more fish out of these areas.

Let’s start with one common mistake that I made for years.  I’d get to a section of rapids, all excited by the roar of the river.  There just had to be fish out there.  Just think of all that food rushing downstream!  I’d hurry right to the edge of the river, or even wade out into the shallower water in order to be able to cast out to the middle of the river where I figured the big’uns were.   It took me a while but I finally realized that the  slow, shallow eddies that occur alongside and especially at the bottom of the rapids often held fish.  I figured this out by observing fish in these areas when the water was clear.  At first it seemed strange that they were so close to shore, but these eddies were also loaded with minnows.  I had been standing right on top of these fish and casting over them, oftentimes spooking them without even knowing it.  Now when I fish below rapids, the first things I check out are the slack water and eddies between the shore and the faster moving water.  Staying  back from the edge of the water and making a few casts is a quick way to cover these areas without spooking the fish.  Remember, the fact that you are wearing waders doesn’t mean you have to be in the water all the time.  

On a typical river,  the main channel below the rapids is a fairly deep area.  I always underestimated just how deep it was and where the deep water began.  At first glance you would think that the deeper water would begin where the choppy rapids ended and the calm water began.  In reality, the deeper water always started further upstream than it appeared.  The waves caused by the rapids tended to continue out over the deep water because of the current.   This choppy surface acts like a canopy, extending out over the deeper water of the pool.  It is here that bass can sit out of the current  and in the shade, waiting for food to come to them.  I was able to figure this out by casting too far and expecting to get snagged on the bottom of the rapids – instead the lure hit bottom once or twice and as soon as it ran free, a nice smallie grabbed it.  I’ve repeated this accident many times since.

Getting your lure deep enough is just as important as how far you cast up into the rapids.  Because fish aren’t always aggressive and willing to come after a lure, if you don’t get your lure deep enough it may pass over their heads and go unnoticed.  When you can feel your lure occasionally ticking the bottom as you retrieve, you know  you are presenting it where bottom-hugging fish can’t help but see it.  Getting down to the bottom can be accomplished by using a progressively heavier or deeper diving lure until contact is made.

Besides fishing below the rapids, what really fascinates me is catching fish right in the rapids.  For years I passed them by, thinking they were way too fast and way too shallow to be worth fishing.  I was amazed to discover that these shallow, fast water areas held so many smallmouths.  The secret to this is that even in the fastest water, if a fish is able to get behind a small object that blocks the current he can hold virtually effortlessly.  Here he can sit and wait for the food to come to him, darting out to grab it as it passes.  

At first glance the churning water in a set of rapids will all look the same.  So where  do we fish in this choppy water?  The surface of the water will always reflect the bottom contour so that any slight changes in the choppiness or roughness of the water or places where it flattens out indicate something different is going on downstairs.   These spots deserve extra attention; fish them thoroughly.  Any visible boulders, wood, or other objects that break the current have the potential to hold fish.   During flood conditions, the fast currents will dig out deeper holes around these objects.  Later,  when conditions return to normal, the fish will set up shop in these deeper spots.   Many times the pocket of deep water around an object in the rapids will be extremely small, so success in these areas can be a game of inches.  Your lure must be placed right next to the boulder or wood you are fishing to be sure you are hitting that pocket.  

Now that we have an idea where the fish might be, let’s break out the tackle.  If the water is above sixty degrees and clear, try a topwater lure.  I just started doing this and it is pretty exciting to see a smallie come out of the rapids and hit a buzzbait or popper.  Plus, they don’t get snagged.  Next I’ll go a bit deeper with shallow crankbaits or spinners which can cover a lot of water quickly using a fan-casting technique (spacing casts every three or four feet).  The floating Rapala really shines here in that it can get some depth, but when it snags, usually if you give it slack it will float up and free itself.  Lastly, I’ll go to a lure that ticks the bottom, such as a tube jig or deeper diving crankbait.  This can give you fits because if it is hitting the bottom,  snags are likely.  But if you want to catch fish sometimes that is the price you have to pay.  Shorter casts help.  Adjusting the weight and size of your lure can also help prevent snags.  If you’re getting hung up, go lighter; if your lure is running free, go heavier.  

Regardless of which lure I catch fish on, I always do a speed change-up.  If I catch fish on a slow-moving jig, I will cast a fast-moving crankbait before I leave the spot.   Or, if I hit them on a crank, I’ll be sure to try a cast or two with a jig before I go.

There always seem to be a few fish in every spot that will respond to a lure traveling at a different speed.

The last lure I will mention is the secret weapon: the Insanely Heavy Jig.  These are used for vertical jigging around rocks and trees in the rapids and along sea walls, or anywhere you think there might be fish holding on the bottom but the surface water is really ripping.  The main idea here is to get your lure to the bottom where the fish are, and to be able to hold it right in front of their face without getting blown out by the current.  At times I’ve had to go as heavy as one ounce to accomplish this.  By pinching on a few extra split shots to the line above a jig you already have on, you can instantly create your own Insanely Heavy Jig without having to carry extra jigs you only use occasionally.  

So get your tackle ready and start checking the rapids as the water warms up this spring.  The eddies and slow water alongside will be especially productive in the high, cold, and muddy conditions.  Remember not to wade out into the rapids themselves; it is dangerous, and you may spook the fish.  As the water warms up more fish will be taken right out of the faster water and in the rapids themselves.  If you locate a spot that looks good, fish it thoroughly, making sure your lure gets deep enough to make bottom contact, and be sure to hit right next to current-breaking objects.  These small details can make a big difference and put you ahead of the pack when fishing an area that everyone knows about.