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by Darl Black
A river is an unfriendly place. From the moment you hook a fish until you take it off the hook, nothing good can happen."
That may sound harsh, but it's exactly what Kevin Turner tells anyone who climbs into his jet boat to go smallmouth fishing. Turner is owner of River Pro Jet Boats and one of the most dedicated river anglers you'll ever encounter.
"I fish shallow, fast flowing rock-infested rivers. It's different than lakes," explains Turner. "I'm standing on the trolling motor, bow pointed upstream as I slip downstream in a 3- to 7-mph current with water rushing over and around boulders, rock ledges, deadheads and other obstacles that I'm doing my best to avoid, while at the same time casting to enticing spots and retrieving a lure.
"Because the boat is constantly moving, everything is happening fast - there is no time to take a break. You get snagged. You get a strike. You miss a fish. You connect with a fish. A wild smallmouth on your line is jumping all over the place as the boat continues being swept downstream. You are working the fish, while watching all around the boat to avoid a collision. You land the fish, still standing on the trolling motor, fighting to maneuver the boat away from potential disaster. Now you've got to get it unhooked - without getting yourself hooked should the boat bang into a rock.
"This isn't fishing a placid backwater for largemouth. This is taking place in strong current where everything has the potential of going wrong. It's a rush! I love it!"
Turner has been fishing rivers for 37 years - ever since his father took him on an outing at age eight. Turner won't fish lakes, and he does not fish for any species other than smallmouth bass.
His home and business are located onthe outskirts of St. Louis, Mo. But he spends his summers on the Upper Mississippi in central Minnesota. "It's the absolute best river for my style of angling. I've sampled the smallmouth fishing in many rivers around the country. Some are pretty good, but none can hold a candle to bass habitat in the Upper Mississippi."
But what really sets Turner apart from other equally hardcore river smallmouth anglers is his devotion to the buzzbait. "Through an entire season of bass fishing, I throw only three lures - a spinnerbait, a tube and a buzzbait. The buzzer is the primary bait, fished almost exclusively from late spring through early fall."
When quizzed about his limited lure selection, Turner refers back to his statement about nothing good can happen. "There are many potential problems when fishing fast water. I've learned to eliminate as many as possible. The first one is to get rid of treble hook lures; they are accidents waiting to happen. Singlehook baits fish easier with a lot less chance of fouling or snagging.
"Usually you get only one cast at a target as you drift downstream. That cast has got to count. I don't want a lure that is easily tangled or can become misaligned. I choose simple lures that have large, single hooks. When I hook a smallmouth on one of these, it's unlikely they will come unbuttoned."
When he goes fishing in the early spring or late fall, Turner throws a double willow spinnerbait. "I go with a white skirt, and either gold or painted white blades. Mostly I throw a 3/8-ounce model although I'll drop down to 3/16 ounce on occasion. That's it, period. |
