Wade fishing for bass

Little rivers.  Big bass.

You don't have to have a boat to get on some good bass.
Here in AL and most of the southeast at least, there are plenty of smaller rivers that hold good red eye and spot bass.  

No, you're most likely not going to catch a wall hanger.  But these bass tend not to be pressured as much and the reaction bite is pretty fun.

Deep pools behind rapids, over hanging branches, undercut banks are prime spots to cast on.

I myself use 6lb test on a small spinning reel but use a 7' medium action rod.  Instead of those whimpy 5' micro light rods.

I very rarely get to actually "cast" my lure.  Instead I sling shot my lure.

Let out line equal to 2/3rds the length of your pole.  By pinching the bend of the hook with the point facing away from you, you can pull the lure back.  Bending the pole so you can shoot the lure to its location rather than casting to it.

By doing this you can make a cast in super tight spots that you would otherwise get tangled up in.

Doing a sling shot cast flush with the water you can skip your lure, like a rock,  underneath very low branches.



:::will add more a bit later:::

I love to catch fish in this manner too.
Long medium weight rod and 6 lb test with night crawler or grasshopper on a small overgrown stream.
To me it is more like hunting; stealthy, patient, close observation of situation/habitat, more opportunities to see and interact with other types of wildlife too.
Small streams with very little fishing pressure can produce some amazingly large fish.
It is also inexpensive because I don't need a lot of tackle, or a boat, and there are overlooked small streams close by.
Gosh, I think I'll go fishing today right after chores.
 

Great post Jay! I have only fished the Rockies most of my life so it is nice to see what others do. Is there a size limit? How big /small can they be to get a good filet from them?
We do pretty much the same here in Wyoming. Lots of little streams, with small trout . My favorite is using a fly fishing rig on a small stream in the spring. I have been places where the fly had not even hit the water before the brookies would come flying out of the water to grab it. Tons of fun but don't keep them as they are usually pretty small. Use hooks with no barbs to cut back on the damage.

Wonderful, informative post Jay.
I too love to fish this way, but I also use a fly rod on many occasions.

Redhawk

My favorite way to fish. I grew up in western Arkansas and fished the streams of the Ouachita mountains like this. I took this style to western Pennsylvania and had a great time with feisty smallmouth bass. Beautiful fish and venue!