When fishing In fast moving water like what you might find in rivers and streams, the fish are usually hugging the bottom where the current is not so strong. The biggest problem is: many anglers don’t get their lures or baits deep enough to get many strikes. The lures/baits hover way above the where the fish are. You need to get your offering to bounce along the bottom, to interest the fish. Here are a few techniques that I like to use when fishing strong currents.
Use enough weight
But not too much. Of course, you will need to use sinkers to get you lure or bait to the bottom. But many anglers either don’t use enough (the lure/bait floats over the fish) or use too much (the lure/bait gets stuck on the bottom). You need the lure/bait to bounce “along” the bottom. When you have the perfect amount of weight, you will feel the sinker “bounce” every second or two. This will take a little bit of experimenting, but is well worth it since you will maximize the time in the “strike zone”.
Cast way up stream
This will allow space for your lure/bait to sink, and then bounce the bottom for the longest possible stretch of the river or stream. This helps your lure/bait to be in the strike zone longer and cover more of the bottom.
Use a line that sinks
While the two above tips are enough to successfully fish fast currents, some anglers swear by sinking line. Since regular nylon monofilament line floats, it can slow down the sink rate of your lure. If you use line that sinks, like fluorocarbon, you can get your lure/bait to the fish faster and maybe even catch more fish. This will also prevent the water from pushing your line into dense weeds where it can be caught.
Keep these tips in mind next time you fish fast currents, they will definitely help you catch more fish. Looking for a more tame experience? Read our guide for ultralight pond fishing.
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