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Big River Bassing from the Bank
By Cameron Cronin
Bass are one of those great Australian species that many of us are able to comfortably access somewhere within our local area. However that being said, it is true that they are often swept under the carpet in favour of larger, more powerful adversaries, especially Murray cod in recent times.
This has certainly been the case for myself and as until recently I had probably picked up my bass gear about 2-3 times in the last year. However that all changed when I discovered wild river bassing and some of the truly remote and unspoilt waterways that these fish call home.
Just by going to the extra effort of driving an hour or two away from larger towns, we were finding bigger, more aggressive fish and in larger numbers than ever before. I was hooked! One recent example was a small pool we fished that yielded 17 fish over 40cm, with many significantly over that mark. That same session comfortably produced over 80 fish, which is fairly stock standard for these seldom fished locations. Furthermore, as we don't own a canoe suitable for river bassing, all of our fishing has simply been done from the bank.
Although big rivers certainly seem quite daunting to fish landbased, we found as long as you are prepared to get a little wet, the fishing can be nothing short of exceptional. In this article I hope to give a brief overview of how to find productive water, before focusing in detail on each of the most productive techniques that we use, and when specifically to use each of these. Hopefully by the end you are just as keen as I am to get out and give it a crack!
Firstly I should probably clarify what I mean by 'big rivers'. Generally speaking, big rivers are catchments with far reaching tributaries, containing expansive freshwater, non-tidal reaches for bass to call home. To put it simply, if you can't drive for a couple hours upstream of the river mouth and still be in bass water, it's probably not a big river. A few good examples within my home state of NSW are the Shoalhaven to the south and the Clarence up north. Why these larger systems are so good boils down to a couple of reasons; the size of fish encountered and the remoteness of the upper reaches. While smaller coastal creeks and lagoons may have big numbers of fish, they normally seem to be smaller in size and are far more localised, meaning they are generally more susceptible to fishing pressure. In big rivers the fishable area is massive, meaning the large bass that live in remote areas rarely see lures, rendering them far easier to catch.
With that out of the way, it's time to talk tactics. Once you have selected a big river to fish, it's time to scour Google Earth. If you are fishing the main river, try and choose a fairly remote section with plenty of sharp bends. These sections are usually more productive than long, straight sections, as deeper, slow flowing water tends to pool up here, creating the ideal habitat for big, hungry fish. Believe me, nothing sucks more than walking kilometres between each pool after choosing an overly straight section with too many shallow 'run' areas. Other than the main river, it also pays to seek out feeder creeks as these can be a haven for bass, especially when the river is running higher from recent rain.
With these different locations in mind, it pays to have a variety of lures on hand to deal with whatever conditions the river might throw at you. Although I previously carried hundreds of lures each session, these days I find myself using the same productive baits over and over. In the following I'll give a rundown on each presentation, how to fish it and most importantly, when to tie it on over all others.
ZMan 4" Turbo CrawZ
Where to start with this one... I could write an entire article on this lure alone! Until discovering big river bassing I had largely placed this American style bass bait in the 'too large' basket... and how wrong I was! What sets this lure apart from most is a combination of its versatility and its magnet like ability to attract the biggest bass of the pool. At 4" in length it's no easy meal and I reckon this can be a good thing, especially when dealing with schools of bass which vary in size. Too often have I had smaller fish belting this lure and struggling to hook up, before a big fish comes in and swallows it in one go!
The great thing about this lure is that you can fish it either on the surface or sub-surface, either weedless or with a standard jighead. Generally, if I want to catch big numbers on this lure, I'll run a 1/6oz 2/0 TT HeadlockZ jighead, providing an exceptional hook up rate and a reasonably slow sink rate, aided by the flapping crawfish arms that slow the decent.
However, sometimes snaggy terrain or weed growth dictates the use of a weedless hook. Here I switch to a TT Lures SnakelockZ jighead in a 2/0 size in a 1/8 or 1/6oz, which lets you fish close to cover with less fear of lost gear. You may miss a few smaller fish with this method, as the hooks sits flush to the plastic, although I prefer this rig as a missed bite from a small guy can often trigger its bigger companions into feeding.
For me, I can't resist tying on a Turbo CrawZ in bigger, deeper pools, with shady or steep banks. This lure works wonders when slowly sunk along the face of deep structure, often getting nailed on the initial drop in spectacular fashion. If the first drop doesn't get a hit, try working the lure across the bottom, allowing the claws of the lure to float up in natural defensive position. Otherwise just burn it in across the surface as a top water lure and cast again.
When it comes to big, fussy bass, this lure seems to draw great numbers of fish from 45-50cm+, even after other lures have already been cast at the same snag. All in all, if you are after that trophy fish, the 4" ZMan Turbo CrawZ definitely deserves a place in your arsenal.
TT Lures Jig Spinner + ZMan 3" MinnowZ
Sometimes you might turn up to your promising location, only to find recent rain has stained the river an unpleasant brown. Don't despair, just tie on the above lure and start catching! Whether the river is rain affected or just naturally brown, a ZMan MinnowZ on a TT Jig Spinner is the lure I love to fish in dirty water environments.
The flash of the Jig Spinner blade combined with the aggressive tail beat of the MinnowZ seems to draw the bass in while fishing the mud, resulting in brutal hits and epic sessions. I usually run it with a TT lures HeadockZ jighead in 1/6oz or 1/4oz, with a 2/0 hook, depending on the depth I plan to fish, deeper water, heavier jighead.
Usually a straight wind retrieve will suffice, although when the bite is tough I will pause and allow the lure to sink around structure to draw bites from timid fish. Furthermore, this lure has the added bonus of being an exceptional skip cast presentation, even on a Jig Spinner. Therefore, if there's a lot of overhanging structure, you can't go past the fat body of a MinnowZ for skimming across the surface, deep into the shady pockets where the big bass live. No matter what colour the water is, this lure excels when used in this manner. True, you can use an unweighted lure for better skip casting but in big rivers where covering water is the aim of the game, this will ultimately slow you down, resulting in less fish at the end of the day. Nothing beats a Jig Spinner for covering water and big rivers certainly have plenty of it!
TT lures Jig Spinner + 3" ZMan Slim SwimZ or ZMan 3.5" GrubZ
Although very similar to the previous presentation, I reckon you'd be mad not to include these few lures in your wild river bass box. While they don't skip cast as well as a MinnowZ, their slighter profile lends them to becoming fish food for bass of almost any size. This is especially great while exploring new systems, when you just want to get a few fish on the board to confirm their presence. However, there is always the option of leaving this lure on all session, just to rack up some ridiculous numbers. In my experience, it isn't uncommon to score upwards of 100 fish a session, between two anglers, fishing these lures. This is incredible fun, especially while fishing landbased. They also cast like bullets on a 1/6oz 1/0 TT HeadlockZ jighead and will still easily tempt even the largest bass you will encounter, despite their smaller size. Overall, if you simply just want to catch heaps of bass, you can't go past a ZMan 3.5" GrubZ or a ZMan 3" Slim SwimZ on a Jig Spinner.
So there you have it, a handful of my favourite wild river bass lollies and how to fish them. Although there are thousands of great bass baits out there, a small backpack with a selection of the above lures will provide you with untapped opportunity to get into your nearest wild river bass, wherever they live. Get out there and make the most of the rest of bass season, I guarantee you won't regret it!