(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
Just about every fishery has a section or sections of riprap, and Luke Dunkin believes that if you’re not fishing it – and fishing it properly – you’re not maximizing your time on the water. But first, he wants to make sure you understand the difference between riprap and natural rock.
“Riprap is a little different than chunk rock, which is a natural rock,” he explained. “This is actually a manmade rock that is placed or a river bank or in a pocket. You see it around marinas a lot to keep these banks from eroding, from washing away.”
Why is it so good, especially in colder periods like the pre-spawn and the fall?
“It’s going to collect heat on cold days.” It also has lots of nooks and crannies, hiding places to support an ecosystem including crawfish, bluegills, shad and other forage. “You’ll see a lot of life around riprap banks.”
When there are long stretches of riprap, fishing it all may be inefficient, so Dunkin looks for irregularities. There may be little fingers that break the current, logs washed against the bank, shallower spots, turns, or gravel run-ins. All of those get extra consideration and attention
Most of the time, Dunkin will put his boat right against the rocks and crank, and he uses a simple crankbait approach to get the job done. The lure he relies on most heavily is a 6th Sense C6, which goes down to about 6-8 feet on 12-pound fluorocarbon. That gets the call when the water temperature is above 55 degrees because it’s made of plastic, which makes it buoyant, and it also has a rattle. When it’s colder he’ll employ a lure made of balsa like a DT6 or a Shad Rap. After he plies that depth he’ll make a pass out a little deeper. “There’s always going to be a drop-off close to these riprap banks,” he said, so he’ll step up to a 6th Sense C10, which dives to approximately 10 feet on 12-pound fluorocarbon. With all of these crankbaits he’ll use a 7-foot parabolic cranking rod and a baitcasting reel with a 6.3:1 gear ratio.
Once he’s cranked a key stretch, he’ll back off even farther and throw a jig. This can be good at any time of year, but he’s used it to achieve the most success in the pre-spawn, when the big females may be staging but may not want a crankbait. He’ll let the depth of the water determine the weight of his jig – usually a 7/16-ounce ball-head or 3/8 ounce Arkie-style jig, but sometimes as much as a 1/2-ounce – whatever will stay down in the cover but not get hung up too much. “I want to barely tick that rock,” he said.
If you want more insight into the different techniques that pay off for Dunkin on riprap banks, check out his video, filmed on the water, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
