Drifting or Wading: Which is Best?
Filed under: Adventures, Observations — admin @ 10:45 am
When river fishing, it’s common to see boats drifting down a bank working flies off the shoreline. Smallmouth bass often will hold close to the bank and this method of “bombing the banks” can be a very effective way to fish smallies any time of year. Another twist to this technique is to drift mid stream reefs and structure to target fish that see little pressure.
Alternatively, a very effective and simple way to get the most out of specific area is to wade fish. Many smallmouth and trout anglers prefer this method since one can scour an entire area, working different kinds of water thoroughly, before moving.
Drift fishing and bank bombing are largely targeting the more aggressive fish, tempting them to react quickly to an unexpected meal. Time of day and presentation method vary.
For example, in Minnesota smallmouth surface activity is generally best in the afternoon. I presume this has to do with rising water temperatures, but I am unsure exactly why fish look up more in the afternoon than earlier in the day. After fifteen years of experiencing this behavior I know for a fact they generally will turn on a popper better later in the day.
The prime summer time hours for top water are from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Often, the hour just before dark in not as good as earlier in the evening. Obviously dark, cloudy days and other factors can initiate surface activity all day long, but rarely. To stack the odds in your favor, if you want top water, go in the afternoon.
Last Saturday, on a trip through the Beaver Islands south of St. Cloud, MN, we had the privilege of floating some of the finest bronzeback water in the country. Fist-sized rocks and large boulders scattered about and few weeds make this a joy to fish in and around the myriad of riffles, runs, pools, reefs, and rock fields.
We started by parking on a gravel bar and wade fishing an area. Most of the action was subsurface and the size of the fish ranged from 12 to 15 inches. I like to pull out a popper periodically to “check” and see if they will hit one. If I don’t get a strike in slower water, adjacent to a seam or eddy within ten minutes, I will switch back to subsurface.
We caught fish on a variety of patterns including:
- Clousers
- Fly of the Day (Dave Kollmann)
- Murdich Minnow
- Crayfish patterns
- Hellgramite patterns
- Chartreuse/White Deceiver
- HMH Tube Flies - chartreuse
I had the pleasure of catching my first fish on a homespun tube fly in a chartreuse and white design. I used the HMH equipment, including their super Spartan Vise to craft several flies both weighted and unweighted.
At 3:00 p.m., right on schedule, the top water activity commenced. Remember to keep checking throughout the day to determine when (and if) they start looking up. The rest of the afternoon was spent in bronzeback heaven as big fish blasted our in-shore poppers in a lime color.
To wade or drift…? Be prepared to do both and give the fish what they want!