What is Rip Rap Fishing?

Ripraps are among the most underrated and underutilized structures for fishing. This is mostly due to the fact that anglers simply don’t know how and when to fish them. You’ll be happy to know that you can fish the man-made structures and come again and again in the same place! The strategically placed stones can feel like just any other border marker, but they can be a honey hole when fished correctly. That’s what we’ll look at more closely today. In this article, we’ll discuss what is rip rap fishing and provide you with tips on fishing riprap!

What is Rip Rap Fishing?

Rip rap fishing is simply catching fish hiding within rocky rip rap and seawalls.

So, what’s riprap? Ripraps are massive shoreline-hugging structures that are found on reservoirs, rivers, and lakes across the country, and they harbor bass and other species throughout the year.

There are also anglers that do riprap fishing with do-it-yourself rip rap able to stand the test of time.

Tips on Riprap Fishing

Now it’s time for you to learn how to increase the quantity and quality of your catch through riprap fishing:

Fish When Water Rises

When water is dark and rising, there are species of fish like bass that head for walls. Fish head for familiar structures whenever they are struggling to determine where exactly they are within a body of water. After a storm, the water rises and gets murky.

This is the best time to fish riprap relentlessly as banks will most definitely be loaded with different species. Which bait will work best here? It will depend on the species that you’re after!

Bump Cover with Squarebill

Take shallow diving squarebill crankbaits, cast along the riprap, then bang those babies into rocks on your way back.

Durable squarebill crankbaits will make a world’s difference when riprap fishing. These lures are excellent in shallow waters and bumping structures.

Try fishing squarebills along rocks and with periodic pauses in order to allow fish to strike. You’ll be filling your boat soon!

Hit Hard During Spring and Fall

Fish migrate into creeks and rivers from lakes in the fall then they back out after spawning. It’s the best time for you to target them.

Search riprap and along bridges as they will be where moving fish narrow down onto a smaller channel. Riprap along bridge structures is an excellent spot for species that are looking for a snack for their road trip.

Use shad-colored trailers behind jigs and work all the areas of the structure. A bridge is going to hold a lot more fish than you’d think during this time of the year.

Study Your Maps

You already know the answer to what is rip rap fishing. Another crucial thing you need to know is that map study is key in locating great stretches of riprap.

Search for the areas that are most likely to offer bass and other species such as dolly varden the most efficient travel route. An offshore structure may also be productive e.g. when a channel backs up against riprap or when offshore points or humps come close to rocks.

They’re all travel corridors. They’ll hold more fish compared to other stretches. Just a couple of minutes of your time dedicated to map study will pay off!

Focus on Changes

The most productive stretch on a riprap will always correlate to subtle differences and changes. 

Corners of bridges, laydown trees along banks, and spots where the slope starts changing will have lots of fish for you to catch.

Rock size changes will also be great. Bottom line is whenever you see something that’s different or changing, fish it!

Come Back Again

Like making several casts, when you are focusing on a riprap, it’s absolutely important that you fish every location multiple times.

Fish move around riprap and they move when they are feeding actively and back down when they rest.

So, don’t be hesitant in re-fishing stretches of riprap you’ve already fished before. There’s a great chance different fish or even more have moved in order to feed.

Be Extremely Thorough

Because fish will be behind rocks, they’re not going to spot everything that floats overhead. That being said, it’s important for you to be thorough whenever you’re riprap fishing.

When you observe seasoned anglers, they can sometimes look like they are CD sets on repeat. They make repetitive casts onto the same exact place.

This is for an excellent reason: every single time you cast, the bait will take another route through riprap. It will take several tries for fish to finally see your bait.

Fish in the Right Direction

Especially when there is a current, fish on riprap will face a specific direction. If a specific lake doesn’t have an obvious current, fish will most likely hold their nose to the prevailing wind.

For you to maximize your time on the water, make sure that you are fishing upstream. You want your bait to come back together with the current, right into the faces of your target.

It’s going to be much harder for you to take control of your boat, plus it will drain your batteries much quicker. However, fishing into currents will be productive and you will catch more fish!

Conclusion

Ripraps are used as armor banks that prevent wave erosion. They are some of the best places for locating fish such as baitfish, bass, and ribbon fish. Apart from defining what is rip rap fishing, we’ve given you tips and tricks that are considered secrets in the angling community!

However, everything from the angle of the cast, bait selection, and the time of the day will affect the quality and quantity of fish that you catch on riprap banks.

Stay tuned for a more in-depth guide on riprap fishing. Also, persist and remember the aforementioned tips as we’re sure you’ll surely have a great time.