# blackwater river



## wishin4bass2

anybody got any info they would like to share about bass fishing on blackwater? I have fished it a little and can never seem to produce. Any help would be great. Thanks!


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## screwballl

Look for wide areas of the river, side eddies of slow water, try the outside slow areas of turns, look for overhang or fallen trees, that may have some hiding close by...
It depends on the area of the river too. If you are southwest by Milton, try the smaller side areas and lakes just off the river. If you are farther up like around Blackwater state park, just find the slower moving areas, use dark lures like jigs and senkos fish really slow, and also anything silver/white like a minnow or crankbait should do decent if the fish area around.

If you are in the Crestview area, try the area where the Shoal and Yellow rivers meet in the slow current areas there, my brother in law pulls out at least 5-10 bass (largemouth and stripers) even in the coldest weather. they like sitting close to or right up against the trees in the water when it is cold like this.


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## jesse1378

screwball has good points. for me white spinnerbait, bandit 200 series crawfish crankbait, good ol trick worm, those are the top teir. buzzbait, buzzfrog, zoom vibe tail worm, 4 inch slim stick are the second teir. rapala original, pop-r, lizard/brush hog are the back ups.


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## xtopdawg386x

Depending on what part of the black water river your talking about depends on what bait to use and how to fish it . I have fished it mostly around cotton bridge Kennedy bridge areas . I usually run a beetle spin 1/4 oz or 1/8 oz green body with black stripes or a black body with yellow stripes slow to medium retrieve. Also during the summer time i use a small frog 5/8oz . Cast into the slow flowing areas of the corners , pay attention to the logs in the river work those areas ,or the brush in the river also have found with deep holes you can fast retrieve across 3/4 of the hole slowing the retrieve once you start getting closer to the shallow part of the river usually get hits this way i think the bass hide in the deeper parts waiting for bait or pray to come from the shallow into the deep part of the river . Down around milton were the river alot wider i would run your crank baits or even spinners .1/4oz green Buzz Baits work pretty good down that way fish them pretty much like you would the beetle spins key spots to hit would be close to the bank around logs and even next to Lilly pads . Since the river alot deeper and bigger these baits usually work better since you can cover much more area faster then you can with the beetle spins . hope you have some luck . I do not fish milton area much since if i head that way im usually going to the gulf some one that fish's that area may have more information on what to use there .


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## auguy7777

Screw Blackwater, just make the 5 minute run down to Yellow River:thumbup:


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## xtopdawg386x

auguy7777 said:


> Screw Blackwater, just make the 5 minute run down to Yellow River:thumbup:


well its about a 5 min run to yellow river from my house and about 5-8 min to black water so i can go ether place with out much of a problem how ever black water usually more to my liking since i usually head there with my girl and she likes to swim and she can swim there while i wade up or down the river fishing 
:thumbsup:


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## -WiRtH-

xtopdawg386x said:


> well its about a 5 min run to yellow river from my house and about 5-8 min to black water so i can go ether place with out much of a problem how ever black water usually more to my liking since i usually head there with my girl and she likes to swim and she can swim there while i wade up or down the river fishing
> :thumbsup:


I used to always go to Peaden Bridge and wade up the river fishing or to the Gator Hole and wade down the river fishing. A lot of fun times


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## screwballl

I liked Blackwater for swimming, but fishing has always been better for me on Yellow and Shoal rivers.


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## L4570

I've been fishing the rivers around this area about 25 years, like a lot of the members. When I first started fishing around here I never seemed to catch anything regardless of which river I fished. One day I went with a man who was raised on these rivers and noticed that the main difference between him and me was the casting. You have to throw the holes and eddies but you have to be exrtremely accurate and always get your lure within about 6 inches of the bank. The difference between catching and not, is usually less than a foot. Whatever lures you have most confidence in will probably produce fish for you, but casting accuracy I feel is the secret . I fish spinnerbaits, small buzzbaits and devil horses. Some people dont fish anything but plastics. I usually always catch something. Some days are better than others. I also prefer Yellow river over Blackwater.


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## screwballl

My brother in law has been doing a lot of Shoal/Yellow river fishing for at least 2 decades. He has found, and taught me that the lighter/flashy colored and "noisy" baits tend to produce a lot better than the typical suggestions that you may hear from the "pros" on TV.

Since our rivers here at not typical of much of the country, we have the dark stain due to the cypress and plant life, you need the light color+sound to get the fish to come to the bait.


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## cbrash

Do you have any recommendations on spinnerbaits?


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## Bbagwell

screwballl said:


> My brother in law has been doing a lot of Shoal/Yellow river fishing for at least 2 decades. He has found, and taught me that the lighter/flashy colored and "noisy" baits tend to produce a lot better than the typical suggestions that you may hear from the "pros" on TV.
> 
> Since our rivers here at not typical of much of the country, we have the dark stain due to the cypress and plant life, you need the light color+sound to get the fish to come to the bait.


vibration is the key in these dirty and stained waters. I caught 13 bass in 3 hours on escambia saturday morning. all came on a double carolina blade spinner with a 4 in. brush hog trailer or a boogie bait. i love the boogie bait. hangs up like a SOB though.


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## cbrash

Alright! Thank you very much!


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## L4570

You could probably ask 20 people who fish the river and get 20 different answers. Bbagwell is right about the vibration. Since the river is constantly changing colors depending on the rain you have to experiment a little. My favorite is a 1/2 ounce terminator but I change the blades out to gold indiana blades and I usually fish either white or chartreuse. A friend of mines is a 3/8 ounce single gold colorado blade with brown and orange skirt.. You just need to find some you are confident in and stick with them.


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## Bbagwell

Well said. I have several boxes of spinnerbaits with different blade, skirt and color combinations. I have found the silver double carolina works best for me with either white or cartreuse skirt. I always use a trailer as well. the more flash and flutter the better. The more vibration the better. I caught a lot of bass on Escambia in 2010 and 95% were on spinnerbaits. I even have a few with four and six blades on them.


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## Bump_N_Twitch

get a few beetlespins from walmart, there small enough a brim will hit it too. but yea anything with a blade works in blackwater


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