Fishing Small Rivers And Creeks

Local Waterways

Some water ways look too shallow and narrow to fish and so are often left untouched by fishermen. This can be a mistake.

While small waters may not carry as many fish as the big waters they can still offer good sport if approached properly. Best of all, if they are overlooked by most anglers then the fish are more likely to take a bait.

Small rivers and creeks close to the suburbs often have degraded or polluted water so eating the fish is not recommended but if you’re  simply interested in the sport of locating and hooking fish they’re still worth a try.

I often fish my local suburban creek when I am short of time and need to do a bit of fishing without wasting time travelling for too long.

Where To Fish

So where do you find a spot to fish in your local water?

The first time you visit a new water, or even the water you fish often,  it is worth doing a bit of exploration to find spots with the right conditions.

 What you’re looking for is:

  • Depth of water
  • Slow moving water
  • Free of snags
  • Structure

If you can find all these items in a spot then you could be on to some fish.

Depth of water is important. Many creeks and rivers have very shallow sections where the fish feel exposed and nervous and usually only visit these areas at night. Also, being shallow they are less likely to hold food so won’t keep fish for long.

Deep Water

Slow moving water is more likely to hold food especially if it is where the current slows on a bend or where the creek or river widens. Food that is carried by the fast current will drop in these spots and fish will visit them often.

Slow Water

Fish don’t have to work hard to stay in these areas and that makes them comfortable for the fish. They’ll keep returning during the day to rest.

Snag Free

Snag free areas make fishing so much easier. Some great spots are simply unfishable due to the amount of branches, rocks and rubbish in the water. There’s no point putting a bait where you can’t play or land a fish.

Structure Holds Fish

Fish hang near structure. While some spots are unfishable because of too much weed, rocks or branches, a spot without these things is a bit like a desert. An area with a fallen tree, undercut bank, large rock, even a car body can be great hiding spots for fish.

 If you can fish beside or near them and lure the fish out with Berley and attractive bait you can might have a fantastic session.

Fish more than one spot

Finding one “fishy” spot it is good but finding many is better. You can visit each spot for an hour, drop in some Berley and if you don’t catch within 15 minutes then move into the next spot. Do this a few times and then revisit these spots on the way back.

The Berley might have brought fish into the area and you have a second chance of a bite.

I do this quite often in spots near my home. A creek and a shallow river are hardly ever fished by anyone because they look unlikely to hold fish. But with the right approach it’s surprising the number of bites you can get.

Offer A Tasty Bait

One thing you can do to get fish to bite is to offer a bait this is much tastier than everything else in the water. Dipping you bait in a Fish Attracting Liquid adds a lot more flavour to the water. This makes your bait stand out and it may be the thing that convinces a fish to bite even when it’s not really hungry.

Increase You Chances Of A Bite

Next time you explore your local water, locate a few likely looking fish holding spots.

Drop 2 balls of Bite Hard Berley in each one and fish them for 15 minutes.

 Fish with your regular bait and if you don’t get any action dip your bait in a fish attracting dip and fish for a few more minutes.  If you don’t get a bite move to the next spot and repeat the process.

Once you’ve fished each spot, revisit the spots on the way back to see if fish have been attracted by the berley while you were away. It can be amazing how you hook a fish in spots you left quiet for a few hours.

I really like this method as it gives a good chance to try a number of spots and makes the fishing session more interesting.

…..do this at your local waterway and you might just end up with your own secret fishing spot !

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