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Stream fishing
Stream fishing
By Troy Basso*
 When most people talk about bass fishing here in
Tennessee they are referring to one of
the many great TVA impoundments in middle Tennessee. Although Percy
Priest, Normandy, or Tim's Ford lakes offer some fine fishing they do
not hold a patent on good bass fishing.
We are blessed to be within an hour's drive of some really fine
bass
fishing via the network of small streams and rivers. Don't be fooled and
believe these streams are child's play. There are lots of fish and they
are far from easy to catch. The first thing you must learn is to leave
that seven-foot casting rod at the house. It is too long and odds are your
line will look like a barge tie-out rope in a small river.
The smaller water will demand you downsize your equipment. A
good
six-foot spinning rod is about right. I prefer a Sage medium fast rod
for stream fishing. I also lean toward a medium-spinning reel, with a
long spool. Line choice is simple. In a word think small; six-pound test
is about as big as I will go. Anything much larger will tend to spook
the fish. Another plus to the small diameter line will allow a shallow
diving crankbait to dive an extra foot or so. Unless you're only fishing
in the summer a good pair of waders would be a great investment. Throw
out your 3/8 ounce spinner baits and deep diving crankbaits. The key to
lure selection will be to think like a fish. Bass are predators and eat
basically anything that won't eat them first but in a stream the menu is
a bit Cajun. That means stream and river fish have a diet that primarily
consists of crayfish. Now they still eat minnows and shad but they eat a
lot (and I mean a lot) of crayfish. So when choosing your lures " think like a fish" and get smaller profile lures in crayfish
colors. It would be prudent to catch some crayfish and look at them as they molt several times a year and the hot color can change in a
matter
of days. Some other good selections include Rapala minnow baits;
generally try to stay with sizes five and below. Spinner baits are good as
well but again think small. That big tandem blade 3/8 ounce wake maker
will scare the crap out of fish in a stream that's only twenty feet wide and
at best eight feet deep.
Bass in a stream still relate to structure in the same manner of
their
lake dwelling kin but they also relate to different structure. A stream
fisherman must pay attention to the water more so than when fishing a
large impoundment. The sheer fact that the water is moving creates a new kind
of not only structure but hiding places as well. Look for places where
the river or streams have eaten out the shoreline below the water level,
also instead of looking for riprap find the gravel shoals. When you're
approaching pools of slower water your better fish will be in what's
called the tail of the pool, where the water runs out of the pool. Don't
just overlook the head of the pool just be aware that bigger fish will
lie at the tail out and feed on the plankton as it drifts by. In the
faster stretches of water pay close attention to large structure
like trees or boulders. They create an eddy or piece of slack water where fish will rest to avoid the current.
Stealth is of utmost importance when fishing small streams and
rivers.
These places are small and generally very quiet so to be successful you
must move slow and be very quiet yourself. A good way to judge how fast
your fishing is, is when you think you are fishing and moving slow enough
you are probably going to fast. If you are wading be especially stealthy and
don't make excessive waves in the water. Pay close attention to your
clothing as well. Those bright colored fishing shirts you can get in
town are NOT what you need to be using. Earth tones or dull clothing is
best. I just use my hunting shirts in camo rather than spending a pile
of money on the designer clothing available for the fisherman today.
Give the streams and rivers a shot and you will not be disappointed. They
are not crowded, have no bass tournaments, no jet skis or houseboats.
The do have beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife, and offer peace which
is hard to come by in our fast paced lives.
*Troy Basso is a freelance writer,
avid fisherman and instructor for the National Bowhunter Education
Program.
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