Fishing Big Rivers

By Scott Wiseman

Fishing big rivers tends to scare alot of anglers away. I have heard everything from "the fish are too scattered" to "My boat cant handle the big water". While there are times and instances that this may be true, don't let big waters scare you. With a little homework on your part, the use of a program like Google Earth and an understanding of hydrographic charts, you too can catch some nice catfish.

Hydrographs

Indiana Hydrographs can be found at this website: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=ind&view=1,1,1,1,1,1   This is a chart that shows you water levels and some points on the hydrograph will show you predictions of water flow a few days out, so that you can plan your trip accordingly.

What you are seeing in the above graphic is that at about 7AM on Saturday August 25th, the water levels are starting to rise. By 7AM on Monday August 27th, the river level has started to level off at a peak flow and by 7AM on Friday August 31st, the river has started to fall. This being the case, you will want to plan your trip to be on the water sometime between Saturday and Friday. When the water is on the rise is the absolute best time to be on the water, but anytime you have a sustained peak flow, the fish will be biting. The chart below shows the best times and the worst times:

When looking at the hydrographs, you do not want to be on the water during "Action Stages" or "Flood Stages". The water is simply too dangerous at these time.

Finding Fish on The River

Finding fish on big rivers is alot simpler than what you may think. With the help of programs like Google Earth or any other type of "live map" you can do your homework long before you ever hit the water and probably be productive once you get there. Typically, there are three things I look for when searching out a new river. They are:

1. Spillways - Any type of dam will do whether it be a hydroelectric dam or just a small wing dam. Fish (and big catfish) will tend to hold downstream from these dams and wait for baitfish. Use your depthfinder to find holes where the fish may congregate. The graphic below is Markland Dam. At the top of the picture is the hydro flow. The rest where you can see the water flowing are gates that the Corps of Engineers use to control water flow on the pools above the dam and adjust them according to water flows and levels. The Lock Outflow is a very dangerous place to fish. This is where the water comes boiling out of the lock when the water is being lowered in the lock to accommodate barges going upstream and downstream. DO NOT FISH IN THIS AREA.

2. Outside Bends - Typically, outside bends of the river tend to hold more fish, simply because the current is pushing bait fish towards them. Also, most outside bends will hold some type of undercut bank for the fish to hole up in. Generally, I will start at the top of the bend, and then fish the middle and then the bottom of the bend. When fishing 3 poles, I will fish 2 towards the bank and 1 in the middle of the current. The graphic below shows a typical bend in the Wabash River that holds some mighty fine fish. If you can find any type of structure along these outside bends (such as downed trees, rocks, etc), you chances for fish will increase even more.

3. Structure and Current Breaks - When fishing big rivers, I tend to look for anything that breaks the current, close to deeper water. This can be bridge pylons, downed trees, logjams, or rock piles. Typically, fish will hide outside of the current behind these structures and ambush bait fish as they swim by. Also, these places will provide daytime cover for these fish when they are less active. The picture below shows one of my favorite bridge pilings on the West Fork of the White River north of Gosport. What you see is some old bridge pilings and just to the north of that is some downed trees in the water. This is almost the perfect flathead habitat on the river. You could start by fishing the structure and then drift down to the pilings and anchor on the low side fishing the breaks that the pilings cause.

Baits

As a general rule, you need to use bait that is native to the river that you are fishing. I have fished skipjack on the Wabash and never had a hit, but couldn't keep them off my line on the Ohio. This is because there is not a big skipjack population on the Wabash. Typically, any river in Indiana that you fish will contain the following fish: shad, bluegills, sunfish, crappie, rock bass, bullhead catfish, and carp.  When fishing the big rivers I have had more success on cut baits that live bait, BUT I always have at least one pole with live bait on it for Mr. Flathead.  The absolute biggest key to your bait is that it needs to be fresh. Keep you fish alive with aeration until you use it, or keep it on ice. Dead warm bait just doesn't cut it. My number one bait is shad. Learn to throw a cast net and you will never have to buy bait again. Again...FRESH BAIT is the key.

Overview 

Fishing big rivers can be as easy as fishing your local farm pond with a little homework and knowledge. This guide is just a simple guide to help you possibly get on some big catfish. As always, be safe on the rivers. Wear your PFD, don't drink and boat,  and follow all boating regulations. Good luck to you.