Trout fly-anglers probably have the edge over bass anglers when it comes to matching the hatch. In fertile lakes, bass can present hatch-matching challenges where they key in on one food source to the exclusion of any others.

Not so with river bass. Food in streams is often not as abundant, but a stronger factor is at work. Current is a constant in the life of a river bass, so it must always expend energy to maintain position. That means these bass must always be replenishing the energy they've expended.

In streams, bass are much more likely to exhibit selective opportunism. They'll eat anything that looks like food, regardless of whether it's part of their regular diet. That rapacious approach to dining is part of the attraction of river-fishing for bass.

POST-SPAWN ANGLING
After the spawn, you'll find that lake bass are tough to catch. Females are typically suspended in deeper water, trying to recover from the rigors of dropping thousands of eggs, while the males are guarding nests. Once the eggs have hatched and the fry are dispersed, the males drift off toward their summer holding stations.

The task gets a bit easier in rivers and streams, if only because the fish are easier to find, though you still have to convince them to hit your offering. Don't expect to find any substantial concentrations of post-spawn fish. River fish, unlike lake fish, don't school.