by Marc Phillippe Babineau

Created on: September 06, 2010   Last Updated: September 09, 2010

There are many inherent problems with fishing a fast flowing and shallow river, and one of the most popular problems is keeping your baited hook where you want it to be, under the water’s surface and near the bottom.  In order to catch fish in these water conditions, fishermen find themselves having to cast more frequently, as the baited hooks will be caught in the fast currents and moved very quickly towards the shoreline, into weed beds, tree root systems, or other areas of the water bodies that cause fishermen headaches.

The best methods for fishing a fast flowing and shallow river are to use heavy weights, set at a short distance from your baited hook.  Using heavy line will help in keeping your offerings at, or near the bottom of the water, which is both the ideal location for setting your trap for the fish you are hunting for, and the likely location of those fish.  Using a bobber usually turns the fishing into a nightmare, as the current thrashes the bobber around, and twists your line into a gnarled mess.  Re-fill your line or connect a new, filled spool to your reel’s bail.

In a fast flowing and shallow river, having your baited hook set at a few inches above a rocky bottomed area will help you in catching more fish more often, as they will feed frequently to gain more energy for their fight against the currents.  Using a heavy weight, set a foot or two above the hook, as well as a heavy jig head will help to keep your baited hook where it should be, slightly above the bottom of the water body.

For fly fishermen, a fast and shallow flowing river is one of the ideal locations for fishing, as their flies float on the top of the water, and therefore will catch the fish that are feeding on flies and other top water meals.  Top water lures, like crank baits, mice and wet flies will work wonders for spin cast fishermen in fast flowing and shallow rivers, as will baited worms set on rocky shoals and after quick turns in the river.

One of the more popular problems with fishing a fast flowing and shallow river is to keep the lure or live bait in a presentable position in the river.  Using a deep-diving lure, like one of the many deep-diving shad lures with large bills will work well in these conditions, as they dive deeper in faster waters, or during quicker retrievals, and will stay on the bottom of the water body longer.  Split-minnow shad lures with larger bills are one of the more prosperous lures to use in these water conditions, as are heavy spoons.

So, make sure that you have some heavy weights, some heavy jig heads to bait your live worms, grubs, minnows or other offerings with.  Weights should be set no more than a couple of feet above the hook, much less in shallower waters.

So, make sure that the weights that you use blend well with the surroundings, so that the fish are not spooked away by your offerings.  Dark grey or black weights are more likely to not be noticed by the fish as they blend in well the water body‘s bottom’s rocks.

Learn more about this author, Marc Phillippe Babineau.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.