When streams are discolored after summer showers, try lures in visible colors, such as pink.

Rivers are dynamic environments, and consistently successful river anglers tend to be a versatile bunch, ready to roll with whatever punch nature throws them. Even subtle day-to-day changes affect bass behavior

Though no two scenarios are exactly alike, there are several general truisms that apply to high, dirty water situations.

Rapid, dramatic change is bad. Rivers quickly rise when deluged with the widespread rain that comes major fall weather systems. Jumps of four to five feet can occur overnight. In such cases, it's wise to wait a couple of days for the fish to become acclimated to the new environment. The bite will pick up after conditions stabilize.

Conversely, if you can be on the river during the initial stage of a less dramatic river rise, you can be in for some great action. The rain's cooing effect, coupled with some stain to what had been gin-clear conditions, often give bass an activity boost. Expect fish to move shallow and more aggressive.

When rivers rise from low to normal flows, the general movement is from spots out in main river areas to banks and islands, where the fish can escape the increased current.

While low, clear water often calls for more subtle, finesse-style presentations, when things cloud up louder, flashier offerings are the way to go.

Islands are major components in the diversity of river systems. During the spring, back channel areas often provide the kind of protected habitat that provides excellent spawning areas. When rising water inundates island shorelines, bass and other predators move into the cover.

Bass location in rivers always is closely tied to the current. When dealing with islands, finding smallies often means locating the quiet pockets where fish can rest without expending excess energy. Shorelines of islands tend to have faint irregularities that create such niches. Finding the sweet spots is usually a matter of fishing the entire island shore.

Typically, the upstream edge of an island will feature a point that tapers off into the river. This point deflects current, so expect the first quiet water to be just below this point.

Start a drift by tucking into this area, then slowly proceed downriver, pitching casts up to the island's edge. From a distance, it's difficult to read the current along the island edge.

But when you are fishing along it, the slow pockets will be much more apparent.

I like to keep the boat a short cast's length from the edge. Pinpoint casts are important, as the fish often will be in very shallow water and close to shore.

My first choice is usually a Fluke-style stickbait in a hot color, such as bubblegum or chartreuse. I like the stickbait to have lots of motion, so I start off by nose-hooking it with either a number 1 offset worm hook or a number 2 drop shot hook.

Nose hooking the stickbait allows it to act like a pendulum, giving it more action. If the bass seem to prefer less action, I rig it Tex-posed with a number 3/0 light wire, wide- gap worm hook.

A 4- or 5-inch Senko-style stickbait also is a good choice for pitching island shore edge. Regardless of stickbait style, most hits will happen within a few feet of shore. Don't bother fishing the bait back to the boat; once it hits the faster water, wind it in and recast.

Spinnerbaits are another top action for working an island area. Hot colors like florescent orange, with big willow leaf blades, score well with smallies are up in the grass.

If both sides of an island can be accessed, be sure to do so. Often one side or the other will have the "right stuff," current-wise, for that particular day.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.