# Newbie: What river gear would you use?



## Sailor50 (Nov 8, 2007)

Wanting to get back into fishing freshwater a little and try the Choctawhatchee, Black Creek, and Holmes creek. 

Want to catch some pan fish, maybe some bass. Really don't care for catfish, just a personal thing, nothing against catching them. Just wondering what you all use and the general area you go to. I plan to use one rod with a float and worms for the bream (throwback to my youth) and another one with a plug/worm for bass. Any crappie around? 

Drove around a little yesterday and checked the area out some. Someone had fried up a bunch of bream near one of the ramps near Vernon and offered me some, really enjoyed it.

Have a 12' v hull with a 10 hp, think it will be ok. 

Thanks


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## catchenbeatsfishen (Nov 25, 2007)

My regular rig for consistent fun: Beetle Spin on a light spinning rod with 6 or 8 lb line. Dark body on dark days light body on bright days. Bounce it off of stumps and trees in the edge of the river. let it sink and then just pick the rod tip up and start jigging it back to you. If there are any pan fish or small bass there, they should pick it up.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Good advise from catchenbeatsfishen. I will be going down to Cowford on Hwy 20 on Wed or Thur early morning I'm headed to Cowford on the Choctawhatchee River. Water too low to launch at Dead River or 7 Runs. I use the same techniques as you. ill try the Bettle Spin technique used by "fishen". Howe ver, I seem to leave a fair number hooked up to cyprus stumps and roots when I use the Beetle Spin. It's cheaper to use just a cork and bobber and light wire hook that will bend when it hangs up. You rig will work just find. My rig is a 14 ft jon boat with 20hp kicker.

I was down there last week and went north of hwy 20 about half mile, but learned later they were biting better below hwy 20. I'm catching a lot of Warmouth along with bream.


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## Dragnfly (Jan 25, 2008)

I third that. You may also want to try the smaller "roadrunner" in yellow. Fish it about a foot or two under a small bobber, just enough to float it. Pull, not pop, it in a few inches at a time, then let it swing back down straight under the bobber. A light action spinning rig will work great with it. Just mind the line on the spool to avoid tangles. Once in awhile cast it out as far as you can and reel it in under light finger pressure to keep the line nice and tight on the spool. You can adjust the depth to keep it off the weeds or snags. Works great. You'll catch anything that swims with them. Good luck.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Thanks Dragnfly for this one. Never thought about this technique. It's a new one to try. Will report back on how it works for me. I'm headed out early Thursday.

I have been so set in my ways I rarely experiment. Have learned some neat new techniques on this forum.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Gave it a go this morning on the Choctawhatchee at Cowford, but could not locate any "roadrunners". We have only Wal-Mart and a small bait shop that has a little tackle. Will make a run to Bass Pro in Destin next week. Need to get some salt water tackle as well. 

The catch today was puney to say the least. 3 decent channel cat, 4 large warmouth, 6 mediaum bream, and many bream throwbacks and 3 undersize bass. Not much boat activity on the river.


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## Sailor50 (Nov 8, 2007)

Thanks for the info, have got me some beetle spins and hope to get over there next week and try them out. 

As a side note, I drove around last week checking out the boat ramps and some guys at the Dead River boat ramp had caught 2 what they called "jacks" ( looked like a pickerel?) on mullet, just wading down the bank.

Also, lot of fish jumping up the river at Berrian Lake landing in the sloughs, looked like mullet. Do the mullet get that far up the river?


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

"Jacks" are in the river and back water but I haven't caught one in a long time.

On mullet, yes they are this far up the river. They jump as well as gar and sturgeon. Watch the sturgeon! These things are huge and would knock you out of the boat if you were running and one jumped in front of the boat.

Last Thursday just as I was leaving the sand landing at Cowford and passed under the hwy 20 bridge at idle one jumped about 25 feet to the side of my boat. Startled me so bad I darn near jumped out of the boat myself. Down right scary!


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## jesse1378 (Mar 29, 2010)

we prefished for a tournament and i was using a craw pitching for bass and the war mouth (stump knockers) tore it up. we put 11 in the livewell. so i would say something that looks like a crawfish


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Sailor 50 - by any chance do you use a fly rod? They are producing well on the Choctawhatchee using popping bugs. A "hot" bug right now is Bea Bea Bugs #14-10 made by Bad Boy in Wewahitchka. This one has a white head and chartreuse tail with white rubber legs. One place to get them is the store in Bruce on hwy 20. You might check other shops nearby. Others that are similar by other vendors should work as well


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## Sailor50 (Nov 8, 2007)

I have a fly rod but have not used it in years. Was thinking about it though, think i will stop and try those bugs, still have not made it over there, rain or work. Appreciate the info.


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