River Rat Review
While there are some quality bass fishing reservoirs in the Mid-Atlantic, most of our best fisheries are rivers – and specifically tidal rivers. Hanna and I live closest to the Potomac, but we’ve fished others including the James, Chickahominy, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Nanticoke, Pocomoke and various tributaries of the Upper Chesapeake. If you fish around here you’re going to need to learn to deal with the tides, or else you’re going to struggle most of the time. As far as I can tell, every new tidal river angler goes through the following steps:
Shows up completely confused by tides
Gets butt kicked by anglers who do understand the tides
Has a good day without considering tides, becomes convinced they don’t matter
Gets butt kicked again
Learns to read a tide chart
Has some good days by understanding the movement and behavior of bass on different tides
Shows up and due to wind, moon or some other factor, water does not do what chart says it will
Gets stuck in a backwater creek or on a mud flat due to exceptionally low tide. Runs out of snacks waiting for enough water (may or may not knock off a skeg in the process)
Realizes you can never fish too shallow
Settles into a general détente with tidal water, and actually begins to enjoy the semi-certainty of the water movement.
I’ve gone through all of those steps – and more (some painful, some fun) in nearly 30 years of living here. Accordingly, I feel that I’ve earned the title of River Rat. Fortunately my friends – local tournament magnate Steve Camp, artist Mark Adams and unofficial spokesmodel Ronnie Baker -- have developed the River Rat clothing brand and I’m rocking the gear proudly. I love the hat, the Hammer Shirt and of course the “I Love Big Girls” tee. Head to their website and buy some gear to show off your mud-bogging sensibilities.
Not the Only River Rats
Oddly enough, this is not the first River Rat apparel that I’ve owned. A little over a decade ago, while covering a Bassmaster tournament at Lake Oneida, Clark Reehm recommended that I visit the River Rat Tackle Shop and Marina in Brewerton. Owner Matthew Gutchess had accumulated an amazing amount of JDM tackle. I bought a few items, plus a yellow shop t-shirt that I still wear proudly to this day.
There are also other regional “rat packs,” including the California Delta Rats.
Former Elite Series pro Chris Groh is a leading member of the Fox Chain of Lakes “Chain Rats.”
River Rat Bait Staples
While various “rat” lures have captured my affection on trips to Mexico, and may work here in the Mid-Atlantic, they’re not (yet) a prime player for me around home. Nevertheless, there are all sorts of baits that I consider “must haves” when you’re chasing tidewater bass. War Eagle, one of my favorite wire bait manufacturers, even has a specific spinnerbait called the “River Rat.”
If you’re going to head to any of our rivers, here is an admittedly non-exhaustive list of lures that you should not leave home without:
Mann’s Baby 1-Minus — (get the older ones if you can)
Obviously, there are quite a few more, including green pumpkin and black/blue Senkos, which never leave my boat, but these are some of my year-round staples. The classic Silver Buddy is also a tool for catching monsters, especially in the winter.
Additional River Rat Resources
If you’re looking for written or YouTube content that’ll help you improve your river game, do a search for any of the following pros. They’re listed in no particular order. Again, this is not an exhaustive list, as there are plenty of other certifiable rats, but these guys are a good starting point — they’re the ones who drool when they see skinny water and current on the schedule:
Be sure to bring a tow strap, a push pole and a spare prop with you.
Finally, if you’re looking for tide charts, Saltwatertides.com is an easy-to-use resource. Many modern electronics also have tidal information built in to them.
