A bunch of Western Bass Club members use a technique in Nov.-Feb. that we tend to call "The Rev Rig". Also known as "the 3-way Rig". The guy that discovered/developed it is Reverand Chuck Bailey, hence the name. I think there may be some prayer involved, too. Basically, this is used on Lk. Washington and Sammamish for deep Smallies. I wouldn't say the current in Lk. WA is in the same class as your rivers, but there is some. I have been driven nuts at times, drifting upwind while fishing under the East Channel Bridge. Current should be heading North there, not South.
Anyway, the rig is a 7' med-lt G.Loomis baitcaster, decent reel (Shimano is likely), with a 'super-line', like Stren Braid. Tie on a 3-way swivel, then tie a 2 oz ball sinker on a monofil of about 8 lb test onto one leg of the swivel. The other leg of the swivel gets a leader of 6 or 8 lb Flourocarbon, with the lure tied to that. The lures of choice are jointed Rapala minnows or the Mann's Minus-1. I can't tell you the colors, because I don't do this stuff, but I'd bet Perch would work, Craw would work, and silver/black or gold/black should work. "Clown" might even work. It goes without saying, that the hooks are replaced with Gamakatsu EWG trebles, right?
The presentation is done by dropping (no casting) the rig over the side with the trolling motor running. The TM is kept running, pretty much as fast as you can while keeping the "downrigger ball" on the bottom. Deep water around 40-45 feet adjacent feeding flats is appropriate. Drag it down the drops, drag it back up the drops. Electronics are useful for this.
You have very little time to "CPR" these fish. To get them back to the depths, rig another rod with another 2+ oz sinker and a single barbless worm hook. Hook the fish on and drop that rig over the side, with the fish. The bloated fish will be pointed down, and will be pulled to the bottom. Wait a few minutes, and the fish will get itself loose from the barbless hook. Theory is that this saves the fish. There is some reason to think this is only temporary.
Like I said, I don't do this. I don't like cold weather that well (hypoglycemic), and don't like fishing for deep fish (but only because it's hard on the fish). But if you are interested and have the boat, it's a productive way to do it. Possibly not tournament legal, but certainly worth a try for sport fishing. I gotta say, I don't understand why they don't just use downriggers. :hoboy: C&R, Steve
