Hey guys. My buddy and I managed to sneak away for a quick afternoon trip on a narrow section of a Louisiana river. These small flows are rarely fished due to their shallow sand bars and frequent laydowns. Unfortunately, the same heavy wood cover that makes them difficult to navigate by boat also makes them tricky to fish. However, with some good kayak positioning and accurate casting these rivers can be very productive.

The spotted bass that inhabit these small flows are extremely aggressive and will eat just about anything that runs by their little green noses. Small spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwaters are all productive and can be fished in the current. If you manage to hook one, these little guys will rush under heavy wood cover or into the fastest current possible, doing everything they can to break your line or throw your lure with frequent thrashing and jumping.

This ended up being a fairly productive trip with about fifteen fish total between the two of us. Many more managed to outsmart us and all of them were released to fight another day.

This is my first video featuring music but I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I hope you guys enjoy the video! Please make sure to like and subscribe so I have a reason to keep making these videos!

Joshua

I bet there are some pigs in there...rivers that size usually produce really nice healthy fish. Does it always stay that color and run that fast?

I bet there are some pigs in there...rivers that size usually produce really nice healthy fish. Does it always stay that color and run that fast?

I'm honestly not that sure. That was our first time ever on that river. We launched at a little sandy beach and just paddled up... Probably didn't go two miles up. A friend who has fished it before said it wasn't as clean as it can be. These rivers usually fish better when they are very clear. We just got hit with another hard rain so maybe before winter ill go check it out again and see if its cleared up.

It's less than an hour away and a 2.00 launch with safe parking. Hard to beat!

jay, what kind/length is that stakeout pole do you use?  looks like a yak attack 

and that cast @ 2:25, man you make that cast and you're supposed to catch a fish.....  nice river catches.

I'm honestly not that sure. That was our first time ever on that river. We launched at a little sandy beach and just paddled up... Probably didn't go two miles up. A friend who has fished it before said it wasn't as clean as it can be. These rivers usually fish better when they are very clear. We just got hit with another hard rain so maybe before winter ill go check it out again and see if its cleared up.

It's less than an hour away and a 2.00 launch with safe parking. Hard to beat!

Yeah clear water rivers are my favorite...Get a 5" or 6" bull shad, if there are any big mamma spots, that will catch them! 

Yeah clear water rivers are my favorite...Get a 5" or 6" bull shad, if there are any big mamma spots, that will catch them!

I'll PM you my address and when I receive the bull shad from you ill gladly give it a try!

But on a more serious note... I do have a spro BBZ 4 inch floating shad as well as a strike king wake shad around the tackle box somewhere. They should suffice?

I would never throw anything subsurface there that didn't float, such as a squarebill. Far too many snags and too much current to fight to undo them.

I'll PM you my address and when I receive the bull shad from you ill gladly give it a try!

But on a more serious note... I do have a spro BBZ 4 inch floating shad as well as a strike king wake shad around the tackle box somewhere. They should suffice?

I would never throw anything subsurface there that didn't float, such as a squarebill. Far too many snags and too much current to fight to undo them.

Yeah burn that BBZ shad around cover during low light periods (the closer you get to the cover, the better), you should see some explosive strikes! Everyone I fish with thought I was crazy for getting a bull shad...then they saw the fish I catch with it 

Yeah burn that BBZ shad around cover during low light periods (the closer you get to the cover, the better), you should see some explosive strikes! Everyone I fish with thought I was crazy for getting a bull shad...then they saw the fish I catch with it 

 

You know, I actually purchased a 5 inch floating gen 2 from a guy once on another forum for fifteen bucks. I never threw it and turned around and sold it . I regret that a whole lot.

 

I wouldn't mind trying another some day, for sure. The price is just tough to bear.

jay, what kind/length is that stakeout pole do you use?  looks like a yak attack 

and that cast @ 2:25, man you make that cast and you're supposed to catch a fish.....  nice river catches.

 

Hey man! How are you?

 

That is a yak attack park n' pole, 6 footer. The leash is a "kayak tow rope" by yak gear. It has some good shock absorption with its stretch. It's doubled up as well to strengthen it up. 

 

The cast at 2:25 was my buddy Jordan. You really have to thread a needle with some of these casts, especially when you were in a spot like he was in... it was too deep to anchor in the middle so he had to anchor on the opposite bank and cast across. That exact same situation is what lead to me having to cast across the river at 0:18, the first fish of the video. Sometimes you just have to bomb those cranks and 3/16 oz spinnerbaits.

 

But don't think for a SECOND that we didn't toss our fair share right into a brush pile by overthrowing anywhere from mere inches to a couple feet!

i know those missed casts are more frequent than the money balls....  but when you nail one like your buddy did, you just hope to be rewarded!  you know how it is, can be tough to nail that spot from the yak sometimes.

gonna have to get myself a stakeout pole....

nice footage on the video, looking forward to another one.

i know those missed casts are more frequent than the money balls....  but when you nail one like your buddy did, you just hope to be rewarded!  you know how it is, can be tough to nail that spot from the yak sometimes.

gonna have to get myself a stakeout pole....

nice footage on the video, looking forward to another one.

 

You are right. Judging the distance and even getting the proper arc to make casts like that are tougher sitting down than standing in a bass boat. He was throwing a KVD 1.0 in that clip... he had not even began reeling and it was hit like a topwater. It was really neat to see such a hail mary drag in a fish.

 

Also, a stake out pole is the only thing short of a paddle that would make me turn around to get it if I left it at home. Then again, it never leaves my kayak for any reason, because I refuse to be without it! You'll be glad you spent the fifty bucks or so for a quality one. You could also make one from PVC... Take a 1 or 1.5 inch PVC pole, saw off the tip at a forty five degree angle for a point, then put a ninety degree "T" on the end. I would use a large wooden dowel or broom handle on the inside to reinforce it. Even then, it doesn't have the bend and shock absorption of the yak attack, but its about 1/4 the price.