largemouth tend to be in the areas you described, but they will also hang
close to current breaks, especially if there is brush or some other cover
there.
smallies will be in the current more than largemouth, but the main issue is
that the fish are rarely in actual current. They may be in a chute, but
they will be hanging in a hydraulic of some sort where the current is
blocked. That way they can use little energy to stay put and wait for
forage to go by. The structure is sometimes not very large. The trick is
to get bait to them. If the current is significant, you'll probably need to
drift with it, bouncing baits off the bottom. If your boat isn't moving
with the current, you can cast upstream, or use heavier baits.

There's also all kinds of diagrams on websites and fishing mags showing the
larger river structures that attract fish, like current breaks, etc. Boat
positioning is a key to many of these areas. You generally have to keep the
boat in the slow water, and cast to the transitions between fast and slow
water.

Boat handling in current is something you just have to do a lot to get the
hang of it.

I've seen some pretty good smallie articles on websites and in In-Fisherman
and other mags. If you read enough of them, you'll see the general
strategies over and over, but I wouldn't get too concerned about specific
baits mentioned in them. I think they overdo the articles on topwater and
crankbaits, which is probably about selling those baits.

bill


"BIG FISH 2006" wrote in message
...
small river, both largmouth and smallies.

matthew 4:19
follow me and I will make you fishers of men.