hey Steelheader#1, just spend time on your river of choice. In my opinion your best bet if you are unfamiliar with the river, is to choose a method that allows you to cover water fairly fast targeting the more aggressive fish. Before you make your first cast take note of the water height, visibility and temp.what about the current weather pattern? think of as many variables as you can and refer back to what you've read in magazines, what other fishermen have taught you, and your own past experiences. then focus on covering as much water as you comfortably can.
I fish the North coast a lot and even though I know the rivers well I still prefer to cover the water fast 90% of the time. I live in Puget Sound area and fish as many of them as I can too, therefore other than the Sky I don't know any of them real well. tip: unless the water is low and clear and the sun is bright, you will have better sucess fishing lures that trigger aggressive reaction strikes like spinners, spoons and plugs. These types of lures are also condusive to fishing faster and turning over more rocks. Good Luck!