I went and fished the Verde River today in Arizona...all the snow run off made its way to the Verde. Anyways...I tried a Rapala Husky Jerk and some 1/2 oz spinner baits but had no luck at all...the current was going fairly good...the spot I was fishing is normally a honey hole for bass. I was a little shocked....any tips, suggestions, etc??

Was the water dirty?

 

With a lot of water movement the water can turn chocolate very fast.

 

The bass may have been holding in areas without too much or no current or just on the outside of the current flow.

 

In addition, if the new water was "cold" it could shut them down.

 

Give us more facts about the water clarity and temperature and if there are places the bass can hide to get out of the current.

Yea you couldn't see a thing, it was as dirty as it gets. I imagine it was cold water since it was all snow run off from last weekend's snow storm. There are some rocks and areas where the current would definitely slow down, although they are on the other side of the river. I was casting to those spots, but still didn't have much luck...maybe it was just one of those days

In the high water situations you mentioned I rarely find the bass in the same spots as normal. They are usually either deep to avoid the current or tight to the shore in any current break they can find. Spinnerbaits usually are a good bait as it provides something for them to feel and then see.

Like Sam said though, cold water can shut them down for a day or two.

Yea I think it was just one of those off days!

Cold muddy water really is tough. The only thing I could say is the more muddy the water the shallower I fish. And I usually fish slow with lots of scent.

Tight Lines

You should watch the underwater oz trout series so you can understand flowing water better. Current doesnt always do what you think it does. A fish actually expends less energy sitting in fast water then it does in still water. If you watch a fish in fast water they pitch and yaw like an airplane with the currents, very little fin movement. A fish in still water must use every fin it has to hold position. What the water is doing at the surface isnt always what its doing at the bottom.

 

Evey fisherman should see that series, yes its based on trout but its not trout fishing, its about fish habits.

Here is his page... http://www.underwateroz.com/

 

The second video in the series... feeding lies.... is the one which focuses on Hydrology

I will check that out thanks!

In the high water situations you mentioned I rarely find the bass in the same spots as normal. They are usually either deep to avoid the current or tight to the shore in any current break they can find. Spinnerbaits usually are a good bait as it provides something for them to feel and then see. Like Sam said though, cold water can shut them down for a day or two.

x2. Use a spinnerbait with a Colorado Blade (as opposed to a willow leaf.) It will produce a much more pronounced thump/vibration that the fish can sense with their lateral line. 

 

I would also try fishing slack water flooded areas, perhaps near flooded timber/vegetation. Try slow fishing a rattling crankbait in firetiger, chartreuse or black. If the water is 4 feet deep, use a crankbait that dives 6' and slowly bump the bottom on your retrieve. Fishing in low visibility is hard enough, but throw cold water into the mix and it makes for pretty unpredictable results. If you catch anything you should feel pretty great. I still try when it's safe to.