I was wondering if anyone has tips for fishing in rivers for bass. There is this river where I live and there is this bridge and people nail bass all the time under there (I even see it!) but I can never even get a bite. Any suggestions on baits, colors or techniques??

Can you give any more details about the river?

Mike

It's kinda hard to advise you on what to do without knowing more about the river but here are a few key things that will definitely help. River Fish base almost their whole lives on current, especially smallmouth. Fish anything that causes a break in the current. These places are bass magnets because they allow an easy place for bass to ambush prey and the bass don't have to fight the current which means they don't have to expend as much energy. Fish tight to these areas. Fish in low light conditions. Be patient. Fish a lure you have confidence in.

In shallow rivers and creeks in southern Ohio and Indiana, you can't go wrong with spinner baits and beaver type baits. In large rivers I focus on creek mouths and bridge pilings jerk baits. However, your best bet would to be to ask the guys you see catching the bass what they're using.

Like said before fish tight to cover. Even cast onto the shore and drag your bait back into the water. Sometimes they will have their noses shoved right up against the bank.

it has a concrete pillar and no topwater vegataion only weeds.

I have a small river with dirty water in my local area. I throw a lot of square bills and rattle traps. When Im not cranking, I throw beavers and jigs around the docks, stumps, and other various structure I find along the way. Spinner baits often come in handy as well.

If it is a river with riifles and pools, run a buzzbait across the riffle, awesome strikes. I would wait until the water was in the high 50s or 60s.

Mike

River bass fishing I would suggest the rebel crawfish crankbaits depending on how deep it is there are rebel craws for every depth and colors too. The crawfish in my river are a stream color. I just let them float across every pool and twitch it. its just like trout fishing with a fly but were using crankbaits. We also use the joesflies and panther martins for bass in rivers too.(smaller spin flies)

my suggestion is that you get a smaller square bill crankbait run it across the piers try that i caught killer bass like that! the depth should be about 2feet or 4feet

run it throught the weeds yank it my different actions with your lure that gave me succes

i mean make different actions not my different actions srry

Throw a senko against the bridge piling and let it fall, the bass holding on the structure will nail it! They can't stand that falling action. Also in my river I use flat bill silent cranks like the KVD, and small plastic beavers. As it warms us try buzzbaits and poppers early and late in the day. You can't go wrong with crawfish imitators like the rebel craw mentioned above. I love soft plastic craws like the power craw and paca brands too. Try some zoom lizards with a small weight. River fish can be finicky, just have a nice arsenal with you and let them tell you what they want. In my experience any Gary Yamamoto product is killer in river systems, they are expensive but they never let you down.