How to fish stream eddies.

[CR]

I'm fishing a small stream in north alabama, but this question
probably works for most streams. Suppose the stream curves left. To
the right is a small channel of fast moving, deeper water (usually
about 4 or 5 feet on my stream). In certain spots along the right bank
there are eddies cause by roots or other obstacles. This is the
perfect spot for bass. They have depth, structure, no current, and can
wait for a meal to get swept past them. The problem is how to fish
these spots. If I stand on the left bank and cast a plastic worm into
the eddie, as soon as it sinks it gets swept away by the current
catching my line. A spinnerbait doesn't seem to work because it
doesn't really get going for a few feet, by that time its out of the
eddie and into the current. The only thing I've had luck with is a
floating original rapala. Since it floats I can keep my line out of
the water and it will stay in the strike zone longer. The only other
thing I can think of is another noisier topwater like a tiny torpedo.

Any suggestions?

Chuck.

[Chuck Coger]

Do what I did, Buy some waders and get in the water.

If that isnt an option try a footbal jig and a spider or hula grub. It
usually holds well enough to fish the eddies. I never use to cast into the
eddies, the natural presentation a bass is looking for is the current to
sweep them by their liar. So I would cast above them and let the current
carry them through or close by, a bait heavy enough to hold in the eddie
might just be enough to scare them off.

It will be hard to keep any bait in the strike zone for very long, therefore
the key is multi casts.

---
Chuck Coger
http://www.fishin-pro.com

"CR" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm fishing a small stream in north alabama, but this question
> probably works for most streams. Suppose the stream curves left. To
> the right is a small channel of fast moving, deeper water (usually
> about 4 or 5 feet on my stream). In certain spots along the right bank
> there are eddies cause by roots or other obstacles. This is the
> perfect spot for bass. They have depth, structure, no current, and can
> wait for a meal to get swept past them. The problem is how to fish
> these spots. If I stand on the left bank and cast a plastic worm into
> the eddie, as soon as it sinks it gets swept away by the current
> catching my line. A spinnerbait doesn't seem to work because it
> doesn't really get going for a few feet, by that time its out of the
> eddie and into the current. The only thing I've had luck with is a
> floating original rapala. Since it floats I can keep my line out of
> the water and it will stay in the strike zone longer. The only other
> thing I can think of is another noisier topwater like a tiny torpedo.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Chuck.
>

[Calif Bill]

Biggest smallie I ever got was on a yellow / black Roostertail in line
spinner in the Russian River in Calif. Works really well in currents.
Bill

"Chuck Coger" > wrote in message
om...
> Do what I did, Buy some waders and get in the water.
>
> If that isnt an option try a footbal jig and a spider or hula grub. It
> usually holds well enough to fish the eddies. I never use to cast into the
> eddies, the natural presentation a bass is looking for is the current to
> sweep them by their liar. So I would cast above them and let the current
> carry them through or close by, a bait heavy enough to hold in the eddie
> might just be enough to scare them off.
>
> It will be hard to keep any bait in the strike zone for very long,
therefore
> the key is multi casts.
>
> ---
> Chuck Coger
> http://www.fishin-pro.com
>
> "CR" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I'm fishing a small stream in north alabama, but this question
> > probably works for most streams. Suppose the stream curves left. To
> > the right is a small channel of fast moving, deeper water (usually
> > about 4 or 5 feet on my stream). In certain spots along the right bank
> > there are eddies cause by roots or other obstacles. This is the
> > perfect spot for bass. They have depth, structure, no current, and can
> > wait for a meal to get swept past them. The problem is how to fish
> > these spots. If I stand on the left bank and cast a plastic worm into
> > the eddie, as soon as it sinks it gets swept away by the current
> > catching my line. A spinnerbait doesn't seem to work because it
> > doesn't really get going for a few feet, by that time its out of the
> > eddie and into the current. The only thing I've had luck with is a
> > floating original rapala. Since it floats I can keep my line out of
> > the water and it will stay in the strike zone longer. The only other
> > thing I can think of is another noisier topwater like a tiny torpedo.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> >
> > Chuck.
> >
>
>

[Bob Rickard]

You said: "A spinnerbait doesn't seem to work because it
> doesn't really get going for a few feet, by that time its out of the
> eddie and into the current."

CR, you are fishing the wrong spinnerbauts.

Bob Rickard
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------<=x O')))><


"CR" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm fishing a small stream in north alabama, but this question
> probably works for most streams. Suppose the stream curves left. To
> the right is a small channel of fast moving, deeper water (usually
> about 4 or 5 feet on my stream). In certain spots along the right bank
> there are eddies cause by roots or other obstacles. This is the
> perfect spot for bass. They have depth, structure, no current, and can
> wait for a meal to get swept past them. The problem is how to fish
> these spots. If I stand on the left bank and cast a plastic worm into
> the eddie, as soon as it sinks it gets swept away by the current
> catching my line. A spinnerbait doesn't seem to work because it
> doesn't really get going for a few feet, by that time its out of the
> eddie and into the current. The only thing I've had luck with is a
> floating original rapala. Since it floats I can keep my line out of
> the water and it will stay in the strike zone longer. The only other
> thing I can think of is another noisier topwater like a tiny torpedo.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Chuck.

[CR]

"Chuck Coger" > wrote in message news:<yUCeb.33849

> If that isnt an option try a footbal jig and a spider or hula grub. It
> usually holds well enough to fish the eddies. I never use to cast into the
> eddies, the natural presentation a bass is looking for is the current to
> sweep them by their liar.

Good point. I didn't think about that.

[Bob La Londe]

I have had very good luck doing exactly what you have had a problem with
using rubber worms. In fact I'll use one with a very light worm weight (not
pegged) and a 6 or 7 inch Zoom worm.

After three or four times tossing the worm into different areas of the eddy
I can judge pretty well where the current will carry it back into the slack
water. That seems to be the best pattern. I can do this on the edge of
current runs too, but quite often those are further from the bank and you
have to guess a little more about hooksets.

I can work this very close tot he action. I'll quite often fish this on a
medium or medium light spinning rod with the bail open. WATCH THE LINE
CAREFULLY. It only takes a little practice to tell the difference between
the line moving with the current eddies and when a fish picks it up. If you
have trouble with hook sets, then wait a second after you would normally set
the hook. The worm weight should be light and will slip away from the worm
so the fish will often not feel the weight at all.


--
Bob La Londe
Yuma, Az
http://www.YumaBassMan.com



"CR" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm fishing a small stream in north alabama, but this question
> probably works for most streams. Suppose the stream curves left. To
> the right is a small channel of fast moving, deeper water (usually
> about 4 or 5 feet on my stream). In certain spots along the right bank
> there are eddies cause by roots or other obstacles. This is the
> perfect spot for bass. They have depth, structure, no current, and can
> wait for a meal to get swept past them. The problem is how to fish
> these spots. If I stand on the left bank and cast a plastic worm into
> the eddie, as soon as it sinks it gets swept away by the current
> catching my line. A spinnerbait doesn't seem to work because it
> doesn't really get going for a few feet, by that time its out of the
> eddie and into the current. The only thing I've had luck with is a
> floating original rapala. Since it floats I can keep my line out of
> the water and it will stay in the strike zone longer. The only other
> thing I can think of is another noisier topwater like a tiny torpedo.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Chuck.

[G. M. Zimmermann]

Chuck,
The floating rapala is one of my favorite stream smallmouth/trout lures.
If the current is the right speed, you can position youself directly up-current
of where you want to fish and cast down to the hole. Then, just shake the rod
tip. This causes the rapala to dart erraticly in the current.
My other go-to lure is a rooster tail spinner. I like to fish these from
directly down current from a suspected fish lie. The trick here is to keep it
moving in the current fast enough to keep the blade spinning.
Also, you mentioned that the streams bends. Keep an eye out for a current
seam. The outside bend will likely have deeper faster water whick will get
slower and slower the closer you get to the inside of the bend. If the bend is
sharp enough, you can have a zone of fast moving water which canges abruptly to
a zone of slow moving water(or an eddy which mave have a slow current in the
upstream direction). These seams are magnets for fish.

-Zimmy