Riprap:
A Magnet For Gamefish

Riprap is a magnet for game fish. This man-made structure — jumbled rocks placed to prevent 
shoreline erosion, steer current or some similar purpose — attracts black bass, catfish, white bass, stripers, walleye and even trout. Non-game species also are attracted to riprap. Drum, buffalo, carp and other species spend time prowling the rocks.
Most man-made reservoirs have a few miles of riprapped shoreline. Bridges are usually approached by riprapped fills. Dams are often riprapped. Any shore that must be stabilized or is exposed to high winds or moving currents is often riprapped. The irregular surface of jumbled rock provides spawning habitat for fish, hiding places for crustaceans and other objects of prey. Crayfish live by the thousands in the crevices and small caves formed by the rocks. They don't have to dig burrows; the riprap is a huge complex of ready-made homes. And because crayfish are there, fish that feed on them are attracted. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass cruise along riprapped shores watching for crayfish to dart from one hole to the next, picking them off enroute. Drum, channel catfish and flathead catfish also come to feed on "mud bugs" along the riprap. The rock provides a surface on which algae can grow, so snails and other small marine creatures arrive to eat their fill. Red-ear sunfish (also called "shellcrackers") and other fish that feed on snails are attracted to riprap as well. Crappie, bass, walleye, catfish and carp often spawn on riprap in many lakes. The spawn, in turn, provides crayfish, nest-robbing sunfish and minnows something to eat. In short, riprap is the center of an ecological system within a larger system — the lake, reservoir, river, etc. It's often one of the busiest places in lakes or streams — an area that anglers should learn to fish.
Depending on the season, riprap produces a variety of fish species, so an assortment of techniques 
and tackle may be needed to cover the bases. Many bass tournaments have been won by "crankin' the riprap" when proven patterns failed elsewhere. Crankbaits are excellent riprap baits. Divers can be fished perpendicular to the shoreline to follow the sloping bank downward. For added crankbait attraction, retrieve the lure as deep as possible, so it taps the rocks now and then. Another approach favored by many experienced bass fishermen is retrieving crankbaits parallel to the shore. For example, if one or two fish are caught at the 7- to 8-foot level, select a bait that will run at that depth; then position the boat over that depth and make long casts parallel to the bank.
Crayfish-colored crankbaits are often good choices for fishing riprap, and in many reservoirs 
shad-style baits will work as well. Another lure that can be deadly on riprap bass is a jig combined with a Pork Frog or soft-plastic crayfish. Either bait, fished with a hopping motion away from shore, resembles a fleeing crayfish and can trigger aggressive strikes from nearby bass. A Texas-rigged plastic crayfish, like a Larew Salt Craw or a Wacky Craw, can produce the same results. In fact, during warmer months, a Texas-rigged Salt Craw can be more effective than a jig-and-plastic crayfish combination.
On calm days, especially late in spring, surface lures can be productive when fished over riprap. 
That pattern can continue to be effective throughout summer, although during the hottest days it 
is usually an early morning and late-evening technique. As with stumps, standing timber, creek channels, ledges or other common types of bass-holding structure, not all riprap holds bass as well as a few particular spots. Some are simply more attractive, and some attract fish only when environmental conditions are right. Often, a secondary structure, in conjunction with the riprap, is the key to successful bass fishing. A mile-long stretch of uniform slope may have two or three small places that frequently produce fish. There may be a sunken brush pile on the riprap. Maybe a large, fallen tree trunk rests on the rocks. Or perhaps there is a culvert or some invisible opening beneath the water's surface. Three keys to locating fish on riprap are current, wind and sunlight. Places where current sweeps past riprap or runs directly against it are worth checking out. They often hold many species of fish - all at the same time. Wind blowing directly against a riprapped shore can drive baitfish into the area. Game fish may congregate to take advantage of the food-delivery service.
In colder months, you'll often find that a riprapped bank facing the sun will hold more fish than a 
similar spot in the shade. This may occur because reflected sunlight helps warm the water.
During hot summer days, concentrate on riprap that is shaded or, at least, catches the sun's rays 
indirectly. That's where the bulk of the fish will seem to gather.
Riprap can be productive most any time of year. If this rocky structure is in the lakes or streams 
you fish frequently, don't neglect it.