Many people believe you can only fish a river using a fly rod. However, a spinning rod can be just as effective, particularly for those anglers not familiar with the essentials of fly fishing.
Fish are often found in pools. Look for these on the downstream side of rocks or along the water’s edge. Other good locations for finding fish are around or under submerged trees, brush, or artificial structures like pylons. Look for them too around juts of land, such as where the river bends. Visually locating the fish is easiest when wearing polarized sunglasses.
The feeding habits of fish are affected by many factors, including the weather, temperature and time of day. Generally, fish will congregate where the water is cooler, and feed less during the hotter hours of the day. Therefore, early morning or evening times tend to be best for catching fish, or in deeper waters during the mid-afternoon.
Because insects are most active around sunset, fish that were running deep during the day may rise to the surface to feed on the insects. In areas where there is very little insect activity, the fish may feed more consistently off the bottom. Always direct your bait or lure to the same depth as the fish.
The color and clarity of the river water’s color will affect a fish’s vision. If a river is muddy or contains a lot of silt, a brighter lure may be easier for fish to see. When the water is clear, use lures with less dramatic colors to avoid scaring the fish.
When choosing your bait or lure, try to match it as closely to the natural baits available to the fish. For example, if the river contains minnows, try using a lure that mimics the look and action of a minnow.
Smell is another sense that fish will use to determine if bait is acceptable. Avoid using artificial scents that may transfer to the lure or bait such as sunscreen, cologne or human food scents.
Before casting, check the drag on your fishing reel. To do this, take hold of the line and strip it from the reel. It should come off the spool with some effort, but not too much. If it comes off too easily, the fish may strip the spool and you’ll run out of line. If the drag is too tight, the fish may break the line.
Cast your bait or lure according to where you believe the fish are, experimenting with depth and placement until you find the right combination.
When preparing to cast, stand in a location that gives you enough clearance from nearby trees or bushes. Cast in an area that will allow your lure or bait to pass over or settle in a location that may contain fish. If you’re using a lure, while reeling in, occasionally pause or lightly jerk the rod tip to mimic the action of wounded prey. With worms or other live bait, reel in more slowly.
When the fish takes your lure or bait, quickly jerk up on the rod to set the hook. Do not lower the rod without first reeling in any slack. The key is to keep the line taut so that the pressure on the hooked fish remains constant. Reel in, but if the fish takes the line, stop reeling. If the fish jumps out of the water, reel in quickly to take in the slack that will occur when it drops back into the water. Adjust the drag if necessary, but only make small corrections. With practice, you should be able to initially set the drag before hooking a fish, and not have to adjust it even after setting the hook.
Reel in your fish, then enjoy the pleasure of having conquered the river with your spinning rod.
