With, across or against the current

[Red Childress]

Do any of you have a preference when fishing rivers regarding the direction your lure travels relative to the current??

I have been experimenting with this for several years and have my own assumptions that I will post later.....I am running out of time and have to leave work right now.

[allegheny river kid]

I seem to prefer across or into the current but have caught fish w the current also. my 2 cents

[Chris Streich]

I like to reel back against the current but kind of diagonal. So I guess my answer is both against and across the current at the same time.

[Larry Jones]

I usualy go accross current during daylight hours,puting the boat above structure with lures below and behind structure,using boat angle and current so as to not loose ground down stream.If the bottom has rocks small enough to slowly crunch down stream using Hi-Fin Trophy Divers made of closed cell polyerathane foam,that bounce lip first over structure,I will also do this through deeper holes.But night time it is almost always dead slow going up stream again'st the current.With gin clear water I'm usualy going accross stream using the longest lines I can putting the boat as far upstream as possible and using a 100 lb Seaguar Fluorocarbon Leader,3/4 the legnth of my rod,placing only the crankbait and leader in the strike zone.

[b.bent66]

i normally go across or against the current but i have caught several fish going with the current.

[Red Childress]

For me, night fishing is across or against the current unless using a slow moving bait, then I will fish it all 3 ways. Larry is fishing in much stiffer current and deeper water on the Niagara while this section's current is about 1.5-2.5 mph (at summer outflow) so I can get by with shallower running baits.

If having a tough time moving fish during high sun hours, I like switching to a "with the current" presentation while moving baits faster to possibly get a reaction strike. Many times at night, I will drop an anchor and free spool 50-75 yards of line downstream into areas holding fish and then slowly (or quick ripping-pausing) retrieve back against the current. After a few casts, pull the anchor and move laterally until the area is fished thoroughly and then begin slipping downstream repeating those same steps. It is a tedious process but well worth the effort if the fish are active or if you have a real pig located. Very little trolling motor noise and other than the anchor being secured, everything else can be very quiet. I like the fact that the boat is at least 100 feet from the primary location when the baits are coming through.

There have been trolling days that the fish just seem to want it with the current. The best day we ever had was trolling with the current and all 7 fish ate the same perchbait.

[Larry Jones]

Red, Your right the Niagara River averages 20 ft. in depth and current averages 3.0 mph.I have used the methods I posted in the upper Allegheny River past Salamaca,NY some years ago with success.In the Niagara River I use 60 lb test Leadcore,in the upper Allegheny River back then I used 36 lb. Tigerbraid,80 lb Fluorocarbon Leader with 6" Hi-Fin Trophy Diver Jtd in Gold Pikie color.I never got into any big hawgs through that stretch of the river but did get some low 40" fish.The only big muskie I every caught out of the Allegheny System was in 1998 near Shinglehouse,PA in the Oswago on a White Grubtail Jig,50 1/4" Fattie. Now that I have a 21 ft, glass Targa 2000,I can't fish those waters anymore.I plan to go and fish Willow Bay area of Kinzua the 18th & 19th of April,want to try the trout colored Small Legend Jtd Perchbaits on the 30 ft. drop.I'm also going to grab one of your summer night trips,sounds like fun!

[Red Childress]

It is hard for me to grind bottom in this shallow/clear water without getting hung up or messing up the Lexan lips on my cranks.....the metal lipped baits were hard for me to hook up with during the daylight hours.

Maybe I need to give that a shallow water another chance with the metal lips. It has been 10 years or more since I grinded shallow water with the Cisco Kids.


Hey Larry,

You do have some 9-12 mph current areas that hold muskies as well, right???

[river rat24]

I generally fish across or slightly against the current. Sometimes when the action is really slow though, I fish with the current and it seems to increase my odds. Maybe it's because it's easier for the fish to move with the current, so it won't put out the energy it takes to strike something upstream from him? I don't know. . . .

[Larry Jones]

The fast water that is as fast as 12 mph by the Peace Bridge does hold fish. The best method in the fast current is drifting with Storm Fire Eye Swim Shad.You have to keep your big motor running,if you snag up your reel will be stripped in seconds of all its line.But there have been some nice fish caught from the fast water.I have never fished the Allegheny River below the Dam and look forward to the July Night Trip with You.Since your message board is the only one with action going on,muskies being caught & released,that is what has me visiting here the last few days,looking to see what your guide advenures bring to the boat each day.Keeps me wishing I was on the water right now as well.

[Red Childress]

No problem posting here, Larry. We all can learn something from a guy with a many "river" years on the water as you.

You are welcomed here anytime!