It happens every spring. The weather turns nice, flowers bloom and the water rises. I didn’t realize how much high water intimidated people until just recently. It seems a bit overwhelming when you first see high water but it’s not that different from normal water.
I have learned a few things that have helped me on lakes and rivers all across the United States during high water situations. Although I spend most of my time fishing for bass these simple guidelines also apply to crappie, bluegill (sunfish) and northern pike. I gather all of the information that I can about my destination. The Internet is a wonderful tool for this fact finding, but for the most up to date and detailed info I will stop by a tackle shop in the area of the lake or river that I am fishing.
One of the things I like to find out is the current water level. If it is higher than normal- like it often is in the spring- I find out if it is still rising or on its way back down. My approach for water that is still rising is very simple – I fish extra shallow.
In the spring this shallow water warms up first and as the water is coming up the fish’s world is expanded, and with this influx of fresh water comes food. Not necessarily food for the fish that I’m trying to catch but food for the baitfish that they like to eat. This fresh food and warmth will draw the baitfish to the shallow water and the bass and other game fish will follow them.
More often than not the fish will be surprisingly shallow and aggressive which makes for a great day of fishing. For this super shallow action packed bite I like to throw a Little Mike’s spinnerbait or a swim jig, both in ¼ ounce since I will be fishing so shallow.
My approach for a falling water level is greatly different and not as simple. If water is only over normal by a few inches and then starts to fall the fish will immediately abandon the extra shallow water and move back to their normal water areas. This unfortunately also means an end to that great aggressive bite. These fish can still be caught but I will usually end up using slow moving baits like jigs or some type of Texas rigged soft plastic bait.
If the water level is up over normal a foot or more before it starts to drop then my game plan is different again. In this situation not all of the fish totally abandon the high water areas. They will leave the extra shallow water; some of the fish will head out to the original shoreline to wait for the water to return to normal even if there are several feet of extra water. The rest of the fish will scatter out in the remaining high water and cruise around hunting for food. These are the fish that I like to target because they are still in the mood to feed aggressively. They are just not as easy to find now as they were when they were up against the bank in the extra shallow rising water.
For these scattered fish it’s necessary to use fast moving lures like spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and shallow diving crankbaits so that you can cover a lot of water searching for the active biting fish. High water does not have to be intimidating – the fish are still willing to bite.
I hope these tips are helpful and like always if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me at Cedar Valley Saver Attn: Andy Sommerfelt 122 Black Hawk Rd., Suite B., Waterloo, IA 50701 or email me at cvs@mchsi.com. Until next time keep your lure wet.
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