Fishing Talk

By early summer, river and creek fishing has undergone enormous changes. Gone are cool water temperatures and shortages of food. Most species of fish have finished spawning and develop a fairly consistent appetite.

For anglers, most creek fishing is limited only by access, weather and water levels. Shore bound anglers have much more vegetation to content with. This can be a considerable problem, especially in areas where trees, reeds or tall brush grows along the shoreline. Some shore anglers use waders to gain access, while others seek out open areas and avoid areas that include dense foliage.

Boaters and kayakers have more access but often find fishing to be best near the shoreline, especially near dense cover. Summer creek environments usually require less travel time and more fishing for boaters and fish occupy more areas. For small, shallow creeks, fishing kayaks are especially useful as they can go where other boats cannot.

Summer anglers find a wide range of species in local creeks and rivers. Species such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, catfish and pickerel are all very active in many American creeks. Depending on the species desired or personal preference, anglers rely on baits or cast artificial lures to entice fish.

For species such as sunfish, crappie, perch and other panfish, one favorite technique involves mimicking local food sources that fall from tree branches of shoreline vegetation. Casting small jigs near overhanging limbs will often draw strikes from predators that are lurking underneath, waiting for insects or other prey to land near the surface.

During the low light periods of early morning or late day, surface lures such as poppers, topwater plugs or other noisy, commotion-causing lures often work well. During these times, top predators such as musky, pike, pickerel and largemouth bass lurk near submerged structures such as fallen trees, stumps or dense cover, waiting to ambush prey struggling on the surface.

These summer tactics work in most small and slow moving bodies of water such as creeks, canals and minor rivers. Until fall arrives, fishing in these areas is consistent and action-filled.