Confessions of a river fisherman

[Susky River Rat]

@gimruis there are no fish in PA that aren’t pressured. Creeks,river, ponds or lakes. The fishing doesn’t even have to be “ good” it just has to hold fish and people will be there. Kayaks ruined a lot of this. 
 

@Turtle Angler it’s Always interesting to me on here how people talk about rivers. Then once described it’s a “creek” around here. I guess the deciding factor of what makes a river vs a creek is flow rates. So, I know you guys are just calling them rivers. There is a lot of portion of creeks here you cannot cast from bank to bank. 

[IndianaOutdoors]

@TnRiver46Thanks for the reply on boat fishing.  I'm still working on the methods and I'll figure it out sooner or later.

@Darnold335I get your point about rivers vs creeks but all rivers have to start somewhere.  Up here in Northern Indiana you can cast bank to bank in several spots on the biggest rivers.  The Eel river which is close to me starts as a drainage ditch in a field.  We don't call it a ditch because, well it's still the same body of water...  It does get a bit confusing when your making comparisons with people from all over the place.  

[Swamp Girl]

As a bog fisherwoman, I must confess that I admire you river fishermen. I lived on the Wisconsin River and fished it every morning and I've fished the Mississippi for many, collective months, as well as other smaller rivers, including brookie streams I could hop across, so I speak from extensive experience when I opine that river fishing is harder than still water fishing.  

[gimruis]

3 hours ago, Darnold335 said:

there are no fish in PA that aren’t pressured. Creeks,river, ponds or lakes. The fishing doesn’t even have to be “ good” it just has to hold fish and people will be there. Kayaks ruined a lot of this. 

I wasn't specifically referring to waters in PA.  I was referring to smaller rivers here in MN/WI.  There are definitely waters here that are almost completely untouched.  The further north you go here, the less people there are.  I have fished one of those smaller rivers for over 20 years.  The number of people I've seen fishing it I can count on two hands.  The shore is lined with private land and its too shallow for a sizable boat.  But as you indicated, kayaks/canoes can get in there.  They just don't.  The fish have almost never seen a lure, it honestly does not matter what I throw at them.  I just have to be accurate with my casting.  Some years its loaded with big river smallmouth.  The last good fishing season I had in there was in 2019.

[Blue Raider Bob]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I wasn't specifically referring to waters in PA.  I was referring to smaller rivers here in MN/WI.  There are definitely waters here that are almost completely untouched.  The further north you go here, the less people there are.  I have fished one of those smaller rivers for over 20 years.  The number of people I've seen fishing it I can count on two hands.  The shore is lined with private land and its too shallow for a sizable boat.  But as you indicated, kayaks/canoes can get in there.  They just don't.  The fish have almost never seen a lure, it honestly does not matter what I throw at them.  I just have to be accurate with my casting.  Some years its loaded with big river smallmouth.  The last good fishing season I had in there was in 2019.

Sounds like Heaven and you didn't have to die to get there!

[Susky River Rat]

@IndianaOutdoors oh I know they have to start somewhere. The Mississippi is completely different than the susky. The susky is completely different from the new river. 
 

@gimruis oh, I know you weren’t referring to here. I am just slightly jealous we do not have untouched water here.

[gimruis]

1 minute ago, Darnold335 said:

oh, I know you weren’t referring to here. I am just slightly jealous we do not have untouched water here.

Its because we're the Land of 10,000 Lakes and there's so many lake options instead that people often over look rivers.

[Susky River Rat]

@gimruis we have to many anglers and not enough water. 

[PaulVE64]

The most important picture I ever saw to explain bass