No wind at all or too much wind can also be detrimental to riprap fishing. A dead calm day can make the fish very nervous, suspend off of the structure and be very hard to catch. Too much wind can make the riprap dangerous and unfishable. Sooner or later, the conditions will be right and the fish will eventually come out to feed. Being persistent and waiting them out can often produce good results.
Some anglers even go as far as to provoke the brown fish to come out of the rocks.
Avid smallie fishermen may work a riprap area with a noisy lure such as a crankbait banging on the rocks during their first pass. The first pass may be enough to just arouse their curiosity and the second pass with a finesse bait could be the key to catching them. Whether you are using a slow moving jig or a bottom-bouncing plug, your line is going to take a tough beating from the rocks or possibly zebra mussels lying on the bottom. Make sure and check your line for roughness every half-hour or after catching a couple of fish. It s also a good idea to use an abrasion resistant line such as Excalibur Silver Thread or even a fluorocarbon.