Newb here....have some questions about river fishing

[sunnyvalesmostwanted]

Hello

Im looking to get back into fishing as I havent done much in the last 5 yrs....used to fish slave lake with my father all the time, but he has all the fishing gear.

I just got my fishing licence today and want to fish the nsr one night this week and hopefully more times this summer. I dont have much tackle, just some jigs and spoons......and prob a 10 yr old walmart special for a rod/reel setup. I was thinking of maybe getting a new reel for river fishing. I have a few qs maybe someone could help with??

1. What size of line (lb) should I use for the nsr and should there be a minimum length of line I should have on my reel? (150 yds??)

2. I dont care what I catch, i just want to catch some fish to have fun (C&R). Will jigs n spoons usually work well on the nsr? Any recommendations of a setup that a novice fisherman such as me could probably handle?

3. What would be a good place to fish on the river where I wont have too many problems with getting my line snagged all the time. I guess I would be looking to cast n retrieve from the shore......I saw some guys at the whitemud creek area a cpl weeks ago (drove down for a walk there to see what others were doing there) and the guys basically had their rods propped up and sitting there with the lines just staying in the water.....I assume they were using a bobber and baited hook? I would love some advice here, or even to join someone who knows what theyre doing and doesnt mind the company of a noob for the evening, haha

Thanks

[tysonlazo2]

well the lb depend i use 10lb mono on every thing but sturgeon my sturgeon rod had 75lb braid and those men u saw where useing pickeral rigs which alot of use that fish teh nsr use right now the river is going done back to normal which is good but as of today i think it is still moveing to fast if u wonan try a pickeral rig there 86 cents and the weights cost maybe 2 dollars you can use minnows or worms even leeches if u can find them if u get minnows i recommend parkers if u can find them . if u have any more question pm. a good spot is hermitage park u walk 3 minutes and theres a cenment inlet thats good for pickeral rigging

[Cal]

X2 on the 10lb mono. For river fishing use a tough abrasion resistant line like Berkley Big Game or XT over the softer, more limp line.

Not much gear required, some pickerell rigs, a tub of minnows or pack of nightcrawlers, and a few jigs and spoons for when you get bored of soaking bait. The outlet at Gold Bar has always been good to me, lots of walleye and sauger with the odd pike or goldeye.

[pike_king780]

I fish the NSR all the time, because your a new fisher to the nsr I would go with at least 20 pound braid, mono breaks off way to easy especially 10 pound.. The river has lots of snags and is constantly changing so new snags show up daily in spots that may not normally have them.. Braid is a safe bet, way stronger you'll keep way more lures that way.. Yes jigs work spoons too, almost anything wil work. If you have any more questions pm me if you want. I kno some guys won't probably agree but that's my opinion. If you are worried about visibility of braid by fish than use a fluorocarbon leadrer, as they are way more abbrasive resistent than mono.. My 2 cents.

[Cal]

Originally Posted by pike_king780

I fish the NSR all the time, because your a new fisher to the nsr I would go with at least 20 pound braid, mono breaks off way to easy especially 10 pound.. The river has lots of snags and is constantly changing so new snags show up daily in spots that may not normally have them.. Braid is a safe bet, way stronger you'll keep way more lures that way.. Yes jigs work spoons too, almost anything wil work. If you have any more questions pm me if you want. I kno some guys won't probably agree but that's my opinion. If you are worried about visibility of braid by fish than use a fluorocarbon leadrer, as they are way more abbrasive resistent than mono.. My 2 cents.

Braid will probably chew the guides out of a "10 year old wallmart special" in a matter of hours, maby days if your just soaking bait. If your go with braid you may as well pick up a new rod while your at it. If your reel is big enough you could go to 15 lb mono, I do plenty of fishing in the rivers and never go heavyer than that. You will lose some gear but most anything you chuck into a river is dirt cheap anyways.

[pike_king780]

Well if your that concerned about ruining a" 10 dollar" 10 year old rod and don't mind losing gear than do that.. However I strongly suggest fluoro, way better than mono, mono is garbage IMO

[Cal]

Originally Posted by pike_king780

Well if your that concerned about ruining a" 10 dollar" 10 year old rod and don't mind losing gear than do that.. However I strongly suggest fluoro, way better than mono, mono is garbage IMO

Meh its up to the OP, I have rods spooled with both mono and braid and IMO for the type of fishing the OP is talking about he doesnt need to go with braid. Plenty of us use and prefer mono under most situations, some of us dont but to say one or the other is grabage is ignorant.

[sunnyvalesmostwanted]

thansk for the replies guys

I actually headed over to the fishin hole tonight and saw a 8' rod with a much heavier reel that is meant for 12-25 lbs line.......think maybe getting that rod specifically for river fishing, and keeping my old walmart special for lake fishing

does this sound right? heavier rod for river fishing?

I guess i will need to decide on line....might as well go with a 12-15 lb line ......stronger I guess. Only decision will be braid vs mono......i have no idea what those mean other than i assume braid is more 'stringy' looking vs the plastic-like looking line (mono??)

One more question.......has anyone had good luck fishing the nsr under the hwy 60 bridge near devon? Ive stopped by a few times and no one is there.....seems like a nice quiet place to fish!

Thanks for all the suggestions!!!! I think I will head out wed night....just gotta get me a rod/reel and figure out how to put the line on it, haha

[pike_king780]

Ignorance would be my not knowing anything about it(mono) and telling him something(itsgarbage).. I gave my OPINION just as you did, based on personal experience.. That's far from ignorant bud, jus an opinion..


*EDIT* try this experiment... take 2 feet of 10 pound mono and take 2 feet of 10 pound braid. ill bet you cant snap the braid, but ill bet youll snap the mono no proble,... if you have a new rod id go with braid. IMO (Which is allowed under the freedom of speech act, cal) mono has to much stretch when setting the hook along distaqnce out. braid you feel every little thing on the line.. not to mention the diamater of 10 pound mono is equivalent to 40 pound braid(roughyl) so youll be able to get way more line on the reel which is something I really like about braid..again this is my OPINION which is ALLOWED on a public forum... good luck to the OP and hope you enjoy the river.... also yes, hwy 60 underpass is a great spot to fish.

[slivers86]

I cannot offer any information on that river, however welcome to the addiction. There is no help for you once you become addicted, but I hear WayneChristie is a rattlesnake whisperer, he might be able to help you

[ddddd05]

pickeral rig with worms or minnows and enough weight so it sits on the bottom and doesn't get taken by the current.

Line 10lb mono sure, or braid in the same diameter. There is all kinds of **** on the bottom of the river so the braid is more durable. If you get snagged you will break the pickeral rig off before your mainline.

Later in the year when the river slows, you can cast croc spoons, 3/8 ounce or jigs or lindy rigs, but the pickeral rig is the most reliable.

[B-rett]

Personally, I like the braided line waaaaaay better. When I first went to The Fishin Hole, I talked to the guys and they said for fishing the river, go with braided. I haven't lost a single hook due to snagging on a tree in the river! ( only time I lost a hook was when i snagged it on the other side of the creek and the actual hook itself broke.) My two friends who got into fishing as well, didn't go with my advice and didn't go to braided. They've lost countless hooks to snags in the river. I tell them to take that horrible junk for line off and get some real line. Buuuuut that's just me!

[Cal]

On saturday I was fishing the Slave River and I had my two favorite walleye rods in the boat. A Fenwick with 10 lb Fireline on it and an Uglystick with 10 lb Berkley Big Game. I lost tackle with both and one was no easyer to break than the other. Either way, sorry for turning your thread into a braid debate I'll quit arguing now.

[Geezle]

Originally Posted by sunnyvalesmostwanted

thansk for the replies guys

I actually headed over to the fishin hole tonight and saw a 8' rod with a much heavier reel that is meant for 12-25 lbs line.......think maybe getting that rod specifically for river fishing, and keeping my old walmart special for lake fishing

does this sound right? heavier rod for river fishing?

I guess i will need to decide on line....might as well go with a 12-15 lb line ......stronger I guess. Only decision will be braid vs mono......i have no idea what those mean other than i assume braid is more 'stringy' looking vs the plastic-like looking line (mono??)

One more question.......has anyone had good luck fishing the nsr under the hwy 60 bridge near devon? Ive stopped by a few times and no one is there.....seems like a nice quiet place to fish!

Thanks for all the suggestions!!!! I think I will head out wed night....just gotta get me a rod/reel and figure out how to put the line on it, haha

Ahhh yes, the good ol' mono vs. braid debate...it's right up there with spinning vs. baitcast reels

Anyhoo, back on track! If you're going to be chucking p-rigs or similar weighted bait rigs then a heavier rod wouldn't be a bad idea. With an average medium action rod you can probably toss up to about 2-3oz before you run into problems. A heavier rod will let you throw more weight to hold in stronger currents.

What rod/reel combo are you looking at? When you buy it, just get them to fill it with bulk line for you. It's cheaper than buying a spool, plus you don't have to worry about loading it up yourself. I personally like PowerPro, but they also have Spiderwire and Fireline for braids, as well as Trilene and maybe Maxima(?) for mono.

[sunnyvalesmostwanted]

I cant remember the exact combo.....but i think there were two of the larger/heavier rod/reel combos at the fishin hole that were priced just right for my budget right now (not gonna say what that is....dont wanna be laughed at, haha) .

I think one was a diawa reel/rod......cant remember the other.

Im gonna go check out cdn tire tonight and then prob the fishin hole if i dont see any better deals at cdn tire. I saw an abu garcia combo for 1/2 off but Im still thinking about the heavier rod for the river and just keep my old walmart special for the odd lake fishing trip.

Its a shakespeare rod/reel (the one I have) and isnt too bad......ill prob just get some new line for my ol cheapo and keep it around for the cpl times a year i go lake fishing.

[0liver]

Prepare for a good read Mr. Newb, for I shall reveal in as brief a form as possible some of the secrets to the NSR..

For the type of fishing your looking for [cast and retrieve] I would suggest using a flat black double tail Mister Twister jig. Yellow/green is also nice. A great spot for casting & retrieving is just by the Goldbar 'Fresh' water outlet.[Drive down 50th street to the boat launch and find somewhere to park. I think the parking area there is for boaters only, not sure don't quote me on that..And facing the river, take a right downt he dog path. Keep walking until you hear rushing water, you will see a chainlink fence housing a running freshwater outflow. You are at the Goldbar Spillway] the trip down the dog path will be a little bit smelly but once you get down to the shore its not as much of a problem.

I would begin by getting some 8-12lb mono [its up to you, mono is fine for the river, trust me. these guys are saying 20 pound braid...wayyyy over kill for what your looking for.. run the mono down to a plain steel or wire leader, and clip on your favorite jig [be it a scoop bottom or the plain circle gumball shape with the eye pattern..what ever you prefer] and slip your mister twister on there.

Standing at the Gold Bar outflow, cast towards the foam line at a 45 degree angle down stream [about 5 meters out depending on how high the water is] and reel in slowly keeping your jig between the foam and shore. Speed up reeling or slow down intermitently, and add a little twitch here and there to stir up interest. Watch your line and the tip of your rod, at the first sign of resistance, don't just haul on her.. odds are its some weeds or a big log. Wait a moment and set the hook with a horizontal sweeping motion up stream. You'll know instantly wether or not its a fish or a log after you've landed a couple and get used to the feeling again.

If your not getting much interest start walking downstream towards a second, smaller, inactive outflow just a minutes walk down the beach. Stand ontop of it and looking downstream you will see a couple eddies just out and to the right of the outflow. It gets pretty deep around those eddies [about 5' depending on the water level] and there is a nasty snag a bit farther out that you will learn to hate with a passion. Cast into the eddies and reel quikly keeping your bait near the surface. I have caught 2 or 3 walleye in this eddie EVERY TIME i have went out [knock on wood].


Another great place is ofcoarse the legendary Whitemud creek. Most people stick to the mouth which is fine if your into that Bait&wait scene but if you want to ditch the crowd and get into some serious pike then walk upstream the creek and cast&retrieve standing under the first foot bridge , after your done there walk up and around the bridge and cast all up and down the creek between the foot bridge and the next overpass, both sides of the creek. Don't be afraid to cast close the the shorline your standing on, the pike love to hide in the weeds all up and down the creek. You'd be surprised how many pike i've caught in that creek that have been hugging the shore less then a meter away from me, In fact almost all of the pike in that creek are hiding right next to shore, waiting to ambush anything that swims by.

If your finding that jigs are not produceing, try my secret weapon. A storm Kickin' shad swimbait. The big silver ones with the black dot on the side and with the hook on top and the treble on the bottom. This brand and model imitates a young goldeye really well, and I have caught dozens of pike in that creek tossing it to the opposite bank with a big SPLASH! [the bigger the better cuz' it ****es them off and you get a reflex bite if there not in the feeding mood] and retrieve it with a jerky-twitchy-fast-slow retrieve, trying your best to imitate a wounded/confused goldeye. If your bait is near the surface you will be satisfyed as you watch 2 or 3 ripples make there way towards your bait slowly, and SPLOOSH your baits gone, wait 2 seconds and set the hook. Be sure to set your drag nice a tight [not to tight] because you will get some nasty rats nests if your drag is too loose and its spinning too much, it twists the line and causes all sorts of problems. For the most part the pike you will find are in the 'hammer handle' catagory [2-8lb range] but I have personally caught a 12lb pike from whitemud and I am sure there are more to be found. Some walleye are in there too, although most are caught closer to the mouth. Have seen some nice 5lb+ walleye come out of that creek in early-mid june, with action tapering off in july and picking up again after september.


SORRY FOR THE WALL OF TEXT AND GOOD LUCK OUT THERE!
Don't wear your good shoes, there's mud everywhere. I mean everywhere..

Tight Line's,
Oliver

PS: Pinch your barbs, BGSH is watching.

[sunnyvalesmostwanted]

Thanks a lot 0liver......i really appreciate all the info and the tips of where/how to fish those spots.

I went and picked up a rod tonight, and even founf my old wimpy lil tackle box that has the odd jig n spinner in it, haha. Picked up a 5 diamonds and double tail green/yellow translucent, and double tail black jigs,......so Im set. Think Im gonna head out tomorrow after work ( 430ish) and give er a go!!!!

Just not sure which location to try....hmm....maybe Ill try the goldbar park and retreat back to the west end to whitemud creek or even the devon bridge if I dont have much luck at goldbar.

[sunnyvalesmostwanted]

Well.......went and gave the NSR a shot tonight for the first time....

Fished at gold bar, near the water outlet between 5:00 and 700....then headed over to devon hwy at the boat launch.....approx 745 - 920

no luck tonight......

I was casting/retrieving with black doubletails, yellow dbl tails, a storm-shad type of lure (i think thats what its called, haha) and even tried a good ol 5 of diamonds for the last 15 mins at devon

Oh well....hopefully better luck next time I guess

[Gust]

Try 10 lb test P_Line,,, awesome line

[B-rett]

Originally Posted by sunnyvalesmostwanted

Well.......went and gave the NSR a shot tonight for the first time....

Fished at gold bar, near the water outlet between 5:00 and 700....then headed over to devon hwy at the boat launch.....approx 745 - 920

no luck tonight......

I was casting/retrieving with black doubletails, yellow dbl tails, a storm-shad type of lure (i think thats what its called, haha) and even tried a good ol 5 of diamonds for the last 15 mins at devon

Oh well....hopefully better luck next time I guess

Yep! It's a hit and a miss sometimes. Some days you can't keep the fish off your line!

[Cal]

Originally Posted by sunnyvalesmostwanted

Well.......went and gave the NSR a shot tonight for the first time....

Fished at gold bar, near the water outlet between 5:00 and 700....then headed over to devon hwy at the boat launch.....approx 745 - 920

no luck tonight......

I was casting/retrieving with black doubletails, yellow dbl tails, a storm-shad type of lure (i think thats what its called, haha) and even tried a good ol 5 of diamonds for the last 15 mins at devon

Oh well....hopefully better luck next time I guess

With a jig its important to keep it on the bottom. At gold bar just downstream of the outlet there is a narrow band of slack water near the shore with some faster water further out. Cast your jig straight out and just let the current swing it accross that transition, a lure swung by the current usualy catches me more fish than one retrieved.