Smallmouth Bass Fishing on Yasu River: Flowing into Lake Biwa
Overview
In the previous post in the "Fishing Report in Japan" category, we introduced bass fishing at Takayama Lake, located in Kyoto, a city renowned for its world-famous tourist destinations. Today, we bring you a report from Yasu River, located in neighboring Shiga Prefecture, where we enjoyed a day of smallmouth bass fishing. Yasu River is one of many rivers that flow into Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, which holds the world record for the largest black bass. Among these feeder streams, Yasu River is the largest.
My Fishing Experience on Yasu River
On September 28, 2024, I decided to spend some time fishing for smallmouth bass on Yasu River in Shiga Prefecture during a short break from work. Shiga Prefecture, home to Lake Biwa, is where our office is located and is a great environment for bass fishing. While there are very few smallmouth bass in Lake Biwa itself, the river systems flowing into and out of the lake are home to many smallmouth bass, including Yasu River.
Much like overseas, smallmouth bass in Japan tend to favor areas with strong currents. In fact, they can often be found in the uppermost reaches of rivers where water depth is less than a meter, and the width is narrow—places where you might expect trout to live. On this day, the fish I found were not in the slack water or eddies but instead positioned in the main current.
Effective Tackle and Techniques
The most effective rig that day was a free rig with a 5g(1/5oz) sinker. This rig is one of my go-to setups, and it works well in all locations for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. It is particularly effective when the bass are feeding on small crabs or shrimp, with their attention focused near the bottom. I primarily used hog-style soft baits such as the O.S.P. "Drive Claw 3 inch" and Nories "Chibi Escape Twin."
I fished with a bait finesse tackle setup and spooled my reel with 6-pound fluorocarbon line. For those who find 6-pound line to be too light for baitcasting setups, rest assured that with the right reel and rod balance, you can land even large bass over 50 cm(20 inch) without worrying about line breakage. The thin line allows the lighter lures to move freely without interference, while the bait finesse tackle ensures good casting performance. My reel of choice is the Shimano 2016 Aldebaran BFS XG Left, which, despite being 8 years old, is still one of my primary reels. Bait finesse reels are known for being lightweight, especially the spool, but they remain durable enough for reliable use.
Results and Conditions
In the end, the favorable conditions—enhanced by rainfall a few days prior that raised the water level—helped me catch six fish in just one hour. There's a noticeable difference in fish behavior and numbers when the water level rises after rain compared to periods of low water. More fish migrate upstream from lower parts of the river, and their overall condition improves, making for more exciting fights.
Conclusion
This time, I’ve written about smallmouth bass fishing on Yasu River, a tributary of Lake Biwa. While I primarily enjoy bass fishing and area trout fishing, I hope to introduce various other types of fishing through this blog as well. I look forward to sharing more adventures with you in future posts here on "Fishing Report in Japan."
