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Streams the Hidden Bonanza
By: Chris Erwin
While most of us are gearing up
to hit the lakes, I count myself in that group, we are also blessed in Kentucky to
have some of the best streams anywhere, this can be a very fun day doing something
a little different.
I can remember many days when I would head for East Fork or the Little Sandy to
spend the day fishing from the bank, stream fishing during the spring is very
fickle, but when you hit it right, it can rival a day on the lake and put a
whole bunch of fun right at your finger tips.
If you haven't tried stream fishing you should do yourself a favor and learn more about it.
Having small children along can be a blast, at the same time kids on the bank are a little
more manageable if they aren't very experienced fisherman and need lots of help.
All types of gear can work from the bank,
although with the exception of the guys that want to wade, most people use some kind
of live bait gear, from bluegill to catfish rigs, they all seem to have a place in
this type of fishing.
Since you are limited when it comes to retrieving snags and hang-ups,
we recommend using gold Aberdeen hooks, they are a little softer and can be
pulled loose instead of breaking your line with each snag, you can usually
just bend the hook back into shape, and you're good to go.
In spring most live bait works, from worms, to minnows, to cut bait, If you
are thinking about fishing a stream, you need to check it regularly, streams
can change overnight, going from a peaceful green clear slow moving current
to out of the banks raging mud nightmare.
Tip**
When you find the stream you think you want to fish, try to find where a creek runs into the main body of the stream, this can be a staging point for almost any kind of fish you are looking for, If the creek is running clear and the main stream is a little muddy all the better, this can be a real hot spot. Let your bait drift down the creek and into the main stream watch for strikes as the bait moves close to the moving water of the main channel.
If you do plan a stream trip, and you don't plan to wade bring something to sit on, like a folding fishing chair, this time of the year the bank will most likely be wet, sitting on the ground can get down right cold.
If you bring something to drink or eat, bring something to put your trash in, don't leave it on the bank, and always ask permission if you're going to be on private land, cleaning up your mess is the best way to keep good bank sites on private land.
Some of the other things that people don't think about are bringing something to wash your hands, (wash rag, towels) other tools should include needle nose pliers, pocket knife and lighter, if you have young children they should have a life preserver on if they are anywhere close to deep water.
How about wading:
I have left this to last mostly because this is not something that is done in early spring, but it is the cream of stream fishing, as the water warms to the point where wading is possible. This can be some of the hidden treasures that few explore.
This is usually broken down into two categories; one would be pure wading without the aid of any kind of floating help, namely a float tube or small boat, in some deeper streams this may be the only way to fish, in shallow streams all that may be necessary is some strap-on gear to hold baits and other needed tools.
For the propose of the article, I'm not going to go into the whole world of float tubes and drag boats, instead I want to stick to the actual fishing end of things and the gear that will help you if you decided to try a little wading in your local stream.
Gear Tips**
The question always seems to come up what kind of rod and reel do I need to use if I'm going to be wading?
Let's take a look at your options. The first thing you must determine is how much head space do you have when wading the section of the stream you select. I have found in my neck of the woods' fishing streams like Kinniconick, Tygarts Creek, Little Sandy, or East Fork head space is an issue, so things like long fly rods and even long casting rods tend to be hard to keep out of the over hanging trees and bushes. I use a five foot spinning rod most of the time when fishing creeks and wad-able streams.
Line weight is also something you should think about, unless you're fishing for Muskie or some other large toothy fish my suggestion is to stay on the light side say 10 or 12 lb test, In many cases, I will go down to 6lb test if the water is clear.
Suggested baits:
When fishing streams I find I can't drag around a box full of baits, so it becomes
important to select baits that are both good baits for this type of fishing
while at the same time easy to carry.
My number one bait for fishing streams is a four inch worm; at times I fish it weightless but more often I fish it with either a small split shot about 10 inches up the line, I also use a very small 5/32 bullet slip sinker at times, this combo is just deadly on bass, large bluegills and even active catfish.
I wade down the middle of the stream casting as close to each bank as I can. Let the worm sink to the bottom and just lift the rod enough to bring the worm back off the bottom, slowly drag and drop the worm back , using the rod tip to move the worm, (not the reel) using this method you can get a good feel while being ready for the slightest strike. This is a bait that is also easy to carry, you can have a pocket full of worms, sinkers, and hooks without taking up to much room.
My second choice would be the jig, tipped with some type of little kicker, like a twister tail you can even tip it with live bait if you like, I never do that just because live bait is hard to carry while wading, but the jig is fished very much like the worm.
The last type of bait choice I use are the small minnow type baits like a small Rapala or some other natural looking swimming bait.
The last thing I want to suggest is to bring a buddy, that way you can fish one side of the stream while your buddy covers the other side. There is one other advantage to having a buddy, if you both drive one of you can park where you enter the stream, and the other can park where you plan to leave the stream saving you the walk back..
Till Next Time
Good Fishing
Chris "The Trimmer" Erwin
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