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Started By
Message
Upstream vs. Downstream Retrieve for Bass/Redfish
Posted on 8/9/18 at 2:02 pm
Posted on 8/9/18 at 2:02 pm
I watched a video of Greg Hackney bass fishing in the basin and killing it. He was casting downstream and retrieving upstream and he was catching like crazy. I always assumed that in an effort to mimic bait, that it would be more productive to cast upstream and retrieve downstream.
Have you noticed a difference in production if you retrieve upstream vs. downstream (as natural prey would tend to do)? Would this be the same in the marsh chasing reds as it would for bass around cover?
Have you noticed a difference in production if you retrieve upstream vs. downstream (as natural prey would tend to do)? Would this be the same in the marsh chasing reds as it would for bass around cover?
6
Posted on 8/9/18 at 2:07 pm to Cankles
I was under the impression that all fish face upstream. Seems like baitfish facing downstream would just get swept away in the current
Posted on 8/9/18 at 2:22 pm to Cankles
This is one of those things that will change day to day. Bait doesn't just swim one way either, which is why what works best changes. Guarantee Greg tried it several ways off camera and found what they were responding to best.
Posted on 8/9/18 at 2:26 pm to Riseupfromtherubble
quote:
I was under the impression that all fish face upstream. Seems like baitfish facing downstream would just get swept away in the current
This probably matters more in clearer water for boat position purposes. Other than that, I don’t think the fish care much which way the bait is coming from.
Posted on 8/9/18 at 3:36 pm to PillageUrVillage
For spotted bass in rivers it matters a ton. They're sight feeders more so than largemouth so their ability to see and track a bait coming downstream towards them (in a river they will face upstream 95% of the time) is very important vs one coming upstream that they have to reaction strike at when it comes upon them from behind.
Posted on 8/9/18 at 4:00 pm to The Last Coco
That makes sense. My experience fishing rivers is very limited. I always used the "look for eddies" strategy. 
Flowing water in the basin usually isn't too fast moving. My experience there, especially since it's almost always stained water, I don't notice much difference. It's more just putting the bait in front of them.
Flowing water in the basin usually isn't too fast moving. My experience there, especially since it's almost always stained water, I don't notice much difference. It's more just putting the bait in front of them.
Posted on 8/9/18 at 5:09 pm to PillageUrVillage
River currents always dictate casting up current or cross current. Slower flow it isn't as critical.
Posted on 8/10/18 at 8:04 am to Cankles
quote:
(in current they will face upstream 95% of the time
And feeding fish will tend to sit and wait for bait being swept toward them by the current rather than running it down from behind. Similar to how we set up for grounders in baseball. That's my understanding anyway.
Posted on 8/10/18 at 8:10 am to Cankles
I don't know if one way is always better than the other, but a few weeks ago fishing for trout, a buddy and I kept passing back and forth across this one spot that had fish (too poor for spot lock). Every approach from West to east, we'd pick up several fish. Going back the other way, nada. Only thing we could figure is the current direction had something to do with how the bait (matrix shad) was swimming.
Posted on 8/10/18 at 9:48 am to Cankles
Very goood chance he was fishing an eddy which supersedes water direction every time.
Posted on 8/10/18 at 9:51 am to Cankles
quote:
Greg Hackney
Can catch bass in a bathtub
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