River Fishing - Tips That Will Make You a Better River Angler

Do you like to fish in rivers? In this article I'm going to provide some tips that will make you a better river angler. Most of these tips are for wade fishing or fishing from the edge of a river. In reality when it comes to river fishing, wading is a necessity in many instances. What aren't necessary (if you don't mind getting wet) are waders. To me, waders are also a necessity when river fishing, simply because they allow you to be so much more comfortable, but to each his own.

I was first introduced to river fishing more than 20 years ago in central Pennsylvania by a man I've always considered my river fishing mentor. He was the father of my best friend and taught me many river fishing tips and tricks that I still use to this day, some of which I will share in this article. In any case these tips will certainly make you a better river angler, and if you fish in rivers but not while wading these tips can be easily modified for fishing from a boat.

Let's get down to business, shall we?


Wear Drab Colored Clothing - This is very important when river fishing. Fish is rivers are very aware of their surroundings and easily notice anything "out of the ordinary", and guess what happens when fish notice something out of the ordinary? Yep, they are much less apt to bite. Always make sure that you wear colors that don't make you stick out like a black person at a Mormon religious gathering. Wearing drab colored clothing while river fishing is always a good idea.
Use Fishing Line That's As Light As Possible - Normally when fishing in rivers the water is clear to very clear. This means that you want to spool your reel with line that's as light as possible so that the line isn't detected by the fish. This is especially true with fish that have very sensitive eyesight such as trout and bass. I personally almost always employ ultra light gear and very light line when river fishing, except in the case of steelhead and salmon fishing.
Have An Efficient Bait Carrier - When you're stuck in the middle of a river fishing, using live bait can be a challenge, to say the least. This is why an efficient bait carrier is of the utmost importance. This way you always know right where your bait is, and it's at your fingertips. An efficient bait carrier saves a ton of valuable fishing time spent baiting up and re-baiting.
Tread Lightly - When wading you always want to tread lightly and be as gentle as possible while walking on the bottom of the river. The sound of rocks hitting each other travels great distances underwater so you want to avoid this as much as possible. I realize it's impossible to totally eliminate rocks hitting together while wading in most rivers, but just be aware of the problem and do your best. Tread lightly, especially around the areas you intend on fishing.

Although many of these river fishing tips may seem over simplistic, in my experience the simple things make the most difference when fishing. This was my mentors' philosophy as well.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.

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