Swimbaiting in tidal rivers

[Hughie]

I'm on the east coast and fish mostly the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay from a bass boat. I've caught a lot of fish on Swimbaits in these rivers, but not consistently.There are really no lakes near me that allow boats, so I fish some lakes from shore but when I use my boat rivers are really my only option. I know a lot of you guys fish the Delta in CA. Which I don't have that class of fish in my rivers,but you have to deal with fluctuations of the tides,how do you guys approach hunting larger bass in these tidal rivers? I've heard some guys say they stay away from larger trout looking glides in situations like this because there not as effective, also its harder to pattern larger bass in tidal rivers because of the tides going up and down the bass move differently and don't feed all day but feed at certain times when the tide moves up or down. Any help from you guys that are familiar with these types of rivers would be helpful, especially guys that are fishing in the colder months like we get here in Maryland.

[R8R]

Be at your best spots on the switch, best time to catch the big 1s at least that's what I notice, I'm sure there are other things in play but that is known fact on the Delta. Most of the time when I catch a good 1 the switch just happen

[Hughie]

Thanks for your response,I appreciate it. Have you caught many between the tides?

[BigSlant]

Chase the tide..I've learned to get to my spots and follow the tide out to my last spot..slack tide should be called lunch break..find any moving water during that time and fish it..move away from the banks at low tide and fish outside where you think you should..the submerged islands and points that are now peaking thru are prime..and Cat Is right..right after the switch be on your A game

Edited December 7, 2016 by BigSlant

[Good Year 71]

I agree with above comments. Big LM prefer not to fight current. They got big by being smart. Use less energy, avoid predators, eat selectively. My largest have indeed come at high/low switch. Almost without failure. Outside that it's location, location, location. They'll be tight to something, not willing to chase. Our 'cold' really doesn't get that cold but the water from snow runoff does. Conditions likely not too different than your own I imagine.

[JR Basser]

Agreed on timing of the swing. I can look at a tide chart and pinpoint when and where my most productive bites will occur. I target key areas, flats that are adjacent to ledges. For swimbaits I prefer a bait I can pitch tight to certain cover and openings or lanes. Certain glides have been deadly for me. I use current direction to my advantage also, imagine how the fish will be staging for ambush and make my presentation as effective as possible. Unlike some of the other members on here I've noticed reading about, I pay lil attn to keeping as quiet as possible, I'd rather cause some disruption getting into a key area, rather than sitting on the outskirts wondering what it's like over there. I've caught some big fish during bouts of weed whacking, getting into extremely shallow areas during low tide, in fact, my better bites have occurred during low tide, and the first hr of the tide coming back in.

[Hughie]

Thanks for all the information guys,I'll definitely put it to use. One more question, have you caught them on trout baits in the rivers? Or our Shad type baits more effective?

[kennebecstripers]

Up in Maine we always like to fish the outgoing tide as the bait will be getting sucked into the deeper waters where the smallmouth are waiting for lunch. Bringing baits through the eddies and close to the submerged rocks will usually produce as the bigger fish are using the current breaks to rest and wait for their meal.

 

I'm not too familiar with the area you fish but try looking for flats and setting up shop in the boat near the drop off.

 

Hope this helps!

[BigSlant]

Thanks for all the information guys,I'll definitely put it to use. One more question, have you caught them on trout baits in the rivers? Or our Shad type baits more effective?

Personally I stick to shad just because my confidence bait is the phoney..however I've caught a few on an 8" freestyle and have seen a bunch on an s waver 200

.and the Rago 9" weedless and alpha are deadly

[northeast_trev]

Slightly off topic, but how do you guys compensate for the action of the bait due to current? Does the speed of the water change your retrieve? Or are you mostly concerned with the action when bringing the bait past the target zones, which have a break in the current?

[R8R]

Slightly off topic, but how do you guys compensate for the action of the bait due to current? Does the speed of the water change your retrieve? Or are you mostly concerned with the action when bringing the bait past the target zones, which have a break in the current?

Yes it does change the action, just throw it and see what it does then adjust to it, but when the water picks up fast I usually move and find slower moving water, LM seems to like slower moving water that fast, if your targeting striper then I will look for faster moving water.

[JR Basser]

Actually that's a good question Trev,, the current and especially wind on the delta hugely effect glides. At least with the Phoney shad you can take it apart and adjust the glide swath, , pretty easy to add weight to it also, which I found to have to be the best remedy for a glide washing out. Boat positioning is critical too

[Ceaser]

Each spot ive caught big ones in over the years clicks at a certain time. 2 hrs after the high switch, over cast wind from the south feb-april is one of my spots. Caught 3 over 10 there over the years, all within a 5ft circle, those exact conditions. I have never been able to run tides for big fish. I like to find prime locations big fish should use then its all i grinding it out and finding out when they will click. Ive caught big fish thru all the tides, deep, shallow, slack water and super high current. Just depends on conditions but im def no expert.

[Ceaser]

Oh, i throw alot of big big trout baits with success. I dont post pics of fish i catch that arent on my baits, but i can assure u when its right they get bit. We do have large forage species here tho that grow 12"+

[bassing305]

I fish a couple bodies of water where it's very similar to a tidal river.The right tide,at the right time,with the right bait can definitely make the difference from a memorable day of decent sized snook, to a day that was better spent fishing somewhere else.With that said , paddle tails seem seem to slay the snook for me in the waters I fish.