A buddy and I went out this past Sunday morning to do some fishing on the local river. Now, this is a fairly quick river, but not enough to really push us around in the canoe.

 

We got totally skunked! I used every type of lure, even live bait (minnows), to no avail, not even a bite. We went pretty early around 8:30am, and fished until about 12pm. On our way back up river, I watched a guy in a small john boat pull up a 14" Pike, and he also mentioned that he grabbed 2 Bass on his way down the river.

 

We also spied lots of jumping on our way up, and the river felt more "alive". So my question for the pros here is this; do rivers need to "warm up" in these cooler New England nights/mornings before Bass are feeding? I've always had good luck fishing in the morning in ponds/lakes, but this river continues to evade me. It's a pure Bass paradise with overhangs, TONS of fallen trees in the water, coves, lilypads, etc.

 

Thoughts?

I have always found fish need time to "wake up" in the river. Noon is a good time to start usually. Sunset can be a dynamite time.  The exception is the migratory stripers that like first light. 

Yea, I decided I would hit it up closer to noon. Just harder to get out at that time what with the wife and kids. I find it easier to not be around early mornings, or late afternoons. Have had a bit of luck towards sunset, but have yet to pull a bass.

Rivers don't need time to "warm up" during the summer. Every body of water is different but for the most part you can catch them any time of the day if you find them. The past week we have had overnight lows in the 50's and the early morning fishing has been great (4:00am - 8:00 am).

 

Try throwing search baits in the morning. Something you can cover a lot of water with and get reaction strikes. Buzz bait, rattle trap, swim jig etc.

I too agree that rivers are better mid day than early in the summer. I don't think it has anything to do with temperature. Early in the mornings, fish will be roaming everywhere since it is low light and rivers offer a lot of habitat for a bass to be comfortable in. Later in the day, when the sun gets up, fish will head towards the banks where trees create shade as well as into/around cover, making them easier to locate.

If the water temps are above 60ish I don't think they need to wake up, in unfamiliar water I definitely start throwing search baits like buzzhudson suggested above. I like using whopper ploppers a lot of times I'll get short strikes and follow up with a t rig. 

 

Fish the current seems.

19 hours ago, BuzzHudson19c said:

Rivers don't need time to "warm up" during the summer. Every body of water is different but for the most part you can catch them any time of the day if you find them. The past week we have had overnight lows in the 50's and the early morning fishing has been great (4:00am - 8:00 am).

 

Try throwing search baits in the morning. Something you can cover a lot of water with and get reaction strikes. Buzz bait, rattle trap, swim jig etc.

A ++++ to that man. Great reply. 

 

Give us some water temps.

 

What were you using that didn't work?

I started with a chatter bait, then switched to hula popper, then to a square bill. Also tried split back rappala.

 

Also had another pole set up with minnows.