Tips For A 100 Acre Lake

[outdoorsman110]

So there is this lake by my house, run by the VDGIF and so far I've only pulled out 6 nice sized bass around 3lb all on spinnerbaits.. The record at this lake is 13lbs and I'm just getting frustrated I want bigger bass. So far BASSclary and I are the only ones pulling bass out of this water that I know of. However I have a kayak, and 90% I fish in one, so I need some advice for this lake. The lake has heavy structure, 100 or so standing trees and deadfall ( perfect structure ) I know the lake runs about 18 to 30 feet deep possibly deeper around the drainage well. I've tried everything from football jigs to cranks, senkos, top water and nothing seems to be hitting! I'm gettin to the point where I'm just gonna give up on this lake and ask the farmer if I can fish his pond. Any advice?

( the lake is called Lake Curtis in Stafford County VA )

[00 mod]

Don't give up on the jigs!

Jeff

[North Ga Hillbilly]

I know quite a few people in VA doing real well with big swimbaits. Are there any trout that get in there? Even if not I would get a few 6" Huddlestons and give them a try. I wouldnt hesitate to throw an 8", but the 6 can be thrown on a flippin stick or other H action rod. I have consistently caught bass under 2# on weedless hudds, so I wouldn't think your limiting the fish you can catch

NGaHB

[BASSclary]

Havent been there in a while, but jigs are always a good bet there. Flipping a lizard on the timber will get em too.

However I havent been there in a while, late february, so i have no idea if they're in post-spawn or what. Regardless the bite has been tough for me this last week even at Aquia.

BTW, have you been to R-6 yet ?

[outdoorsman110]

Havent been there in a while, but jigs are always a good bet there. Flipping a lizard on the timber will get em too.

However I havent been there in a while, late february, so i have no idea if they're in post-spawn or what. Regardless the bite has been tough for me this last week even at Aquia.

BTW, have you been to R-6 yet ?

Not yet man! What's that place about?

[BASSclary]

Not yet man! What's that place about?

Tiny little pond on QMCB, little pull off right on 610 at the r-6 sign. Walk around the fence then walk down a gravel road for a mile. Then you catch bass non-stop. Average is a two-three pounder.

The only stiffle is, you have to call range control to see if they're open, and they're usually not.

[gr8outdoorz]

As said before, keep throwin those jigs! If your huntin for just bigguns, jigs and swimbaits will get em. Might take you a little time but those will get them eventually. Good luck!

[outdoorsman110]

As said before, keep throwin those jigs! If your huntin for just bigguns, jigs and swimbaits will get em. Might take you a little time but those will get them eventually. Good luck!

in your opinion, what's the best way to throw a jig?

[gr8outdoorz]

in your opinion, what's the best way to throw a jig?

There are LOTS of ways to work them! The saying "there is no wrong way to work a jig" is true. I'll break down for you what I normally do when I fish a jig all day. This doesnt mean this is the "best" way, just the way I have found gets me the best results. To me its all about the cover/structure Im fishin.

- standing timber - I like to pitch or flip the jig to the timber (making sure to hit it) and let it slide down to the base. If it doesnt get hit on the drop I let it sit for a few seconds then lightly shake it. If nothing hits it then I'll move to the next one and work the same way.

- Lay downs - I like to pitch it so it lands ON the tree and let it fall off or hop it off the side. If no immediate hits, I start off by hopping it (quick jerks of rod from 3 o'clock to 1 o'clock) down the lay down. Usually 2 hops then a pause. I will switch up my cadence (sometimes 2 hops, sometimes 1 hop, 3 hops, etc..) to see what they want that day. I the hopping doesnt work, I'll drag it a few inches at a time then pause. If I drag it into something (branch/rock) I give it a quick hop over it. A lot of hits come at this point.

- brush piles - I start off by pitchin just past the brush and let it sit after the fall (if no bites on fall) then drag it a few inces at a time with some hops between drags. I do this repeatedly on all sides. If no hits, I pitch/flip it right in the middle of the brush and shake it once it hits bottom. You will get hung up some doing this but Its worth it. Ive caught some good bass in the middle of the thicket. Just make sure you have stout rod/line!

- structure/no cover - I'll start with a "faster" retrieve then slow down as needed. I like to swim it a few feet at a time then pause to let it fall back down. Now keep in mind when Im "swimming" it I never have it more than a foot or so off the bottom. If the faster retrieves dont work I slow down the retrieve. Sometimes I slow all the way down to a drag if need be.

- grass - . I like to start out by drag/hop them parallel to weedlines to get any hanging out at the edges of the grass. After that I pitch/flip to any open pockets or irregularities in the grass and fish it same way as standing timber.

Like I said before, there is NO wrong way to fish them. These are just the ways I like to fish them. They are by far my favorite lures to fish because the are big bass catchers! Its even more fun to catch a hog on one that you made Just keep changing up the presentation until you find one that works then repeat it. I hope this helps! Let us know how you do!

Good luck!

Carlton

[outdoorsman110]

There are LOTS of ways to work them! The saying "there is no wrong way to work a jig" is true. I'll break down for you what I normally do when I fish a jig all day. This doesnt mean this is the "best" way, just the way I have found gets me the best results. To me its all about the cover/structure Im fishin.

- standing timber - I like to pitch or flip the jig to the timber (making sure to hit it) and let it slide down to the base. If it doesnt get hit on the drop I let it sit for a few seconds then lightly shake it. If nothing hits it then I'll move to the next one and work the same way.

- Lay downs - I like to pitch it so it lands ON the tree and let it fall off or hop it off the side. If no immediate hits, I start off by hopping it (quick jerks of rod from 3 o'clock to 1 o'clock) down the lay down. Usually 2 hops then a pause. I will switch up my cadence (sometimes 2 hops, sometimes 1 hop, 3 hops, etc..) to see what they want that day. I the hopping doesnt work, I'll drag it a few inches at a time then pause. If I drag it into something (branch/rock) I give it a quick hop over it. A lot of hits come at this point.

- brush piles - I start off by pitchin just past the brush and let it sit after the fall (if no bites on fall) then drag it a few inces at a time with some hops between drags. I do this repeatedly on all sides. If no hits, I pitch/flip it right in the middle of the brush and shake it once it hits bottom. You will get hung up some doing this but Its worth it. Ive caught some good bass in the middle of the thicket. Just make sure you have stout rod/line!

- structure/no cover - I'll start with a "faster" retrieve then slow down as needed. I like to swim it a few feet at a time then pause to let it fall back down. Now keep in mind when Im "swimming" it I never have it more than a foot or so off the bottom. If the faster retrieves dont work I slow down the retrieve. Sometimes I slow all the way down to a drag if need be.

- grass - . I like to start out by drag/hop them parallel to weedlines to get any hanging out at the edges of the grass. After that I pitch/flip to any open pockets or irregularities in the grass and fish it same way as standing timber.

Like I said before, there is NO wrong way to fish them. These are just the ways I like to fish them. They are by far my favorite lures to fish because the are big bass catchers! Its even more fun to catch a hog on one that you made Just keep changing up the presentation until you find one that works then repeat it. I hope this helps! Let us know how you do!

Good luck!

Carlton

Wow man!!! I'll be sure to try all that! I really apreciate your advice!

[Deleted account]

Haven't fished Curtis in a while (used to live in Sprinigfield) caught #s with a finesse spinnerbait, size pitching smallish jigs into the cover, its a lot of work because there is so much of it, but well worth it.

[hatrix]

X2 on the 6" hudds.

The grass minnow has been killer for me also.

[gr8outdoorz]

Wow man!!! I'll be sure to try all that! I really apreciate your advice!

Your welcome! Thats what is so awesome about this site...get help when you need it and give help when you can. Just dont ever give up. If you keep at it you will get em!

Good luck!

Carlton

[Raul]

Trees are not structure, they are cover. Structure is what the trees are standing on ( bottom ) and what they stand more important than the tree on it´s own. My everyday lake has a big bunch of standing timber, lots of it, and out of those hundreds of trees and brushes only a small percentage produce fish, so just because you see a tree doesn´t mean it will hold fish; the tree will hold fish when it´s standing on or close by to particular bottom contour/composition and/or structural feature like a rockpile, s wall, a river/creek bed, ditch and so on. Sometimes a single or a couple of trees are the only available cover on a structural feature like a flat, those will hold some fish, unless there´s something with more appeal than them ( ex. a weedbed )

So it´s not a matter of casting jigs or whatever to every tree, it´s a matter of casting baits to those trees that have a higher probability of holding fish and those are the ones I mention, those that have important structural features beneath or very close to them. You can have an idea of what´s underneart the tree by identifying the species, certain species only grow on specific locations, for example, in my neck of the woods willows only grow where the soil is moist year round, in natural form that only happens along river/creek beds or springs, springs are not an everyday occurence so then then it´s river/creek beds, if I see several willos then I´m positive that the river/creek bed is not far from them, so I focus my efforts on those and ignore the rest of the trees.

Trees have branches and braches create levels by fishing only one bait ( ex. jigs ) you are only covering a very small part of the levels at which the fish may be holding, if you want to cover all the levels you´ll have to fish with something else along with the jigs, cranks and spinnerbaits are great baits for attacking the levels created by the branches.

[outdoorsman110]

Trees are not structure, they are cover. Structure is what the trees are standing on ( bottom ) and what they stand more important than the tree on it´s own. My everyday lake has a big bunch of standing timber, lots of it, and out of those hundreds of trees and brushes only a small percentage produce fish, so just because you see a tree doesn´t mean it will hold fish; the tree will hold fish when it´s standing on or close by to particular bottom contour/composition and/or structural feature like a rockpile, s wall, a river/creek bed, ditch and so on. Sometimes a single or a couple of trees are the only available cover on a structural feature like a flat, those will hold some fish, unless there´s something with more appeal than them ( ex. a weedbed )

So it´s not a matter of casting jigs or whatever to every tree, it´s a matter of casting baits to those trees that have a higher probability of holding fish and those are the ones I mention, those that have important structural features beneath or very close to them. You can have an idea of what´s underneart the tree by identifying the species, certain species only grow on specific locations, for example, in my neck of the woods willows only grow where the soil is moist year round, in natural form that only happens along river/creek beds or springs, springs are not an everyday occurence so then then it´s river/creek beds, if I see several willos then I´m positive that the river/creek bed is not far from them, so I focus my efforts on those and ignore the rest of the trees.

Trees have branches and braches create levels by fishing only one bait ( ex. jigs ) you are only covering a very small part of the levels at which the fish may be holding, if you want to cover all the levels you´ll have to fish with something else along with the jigs, cranks and spinnerbaits are great baits for attacking the levels created by the branches.

thanks for your reply but I know for a fact there is structure around the standing timber, I have a lowrance.

[Daniel My Brother]

Are you fishing the same time of day, every time out? We fish one particular lake that seldom produces any good fish during daylight hours. But once that sun goes down the big girls come out.

[outdoorsman110]

Are you fishing the same time of day, every time out? We fish one particular lake that seldom produces any good fish during daylight hours. But once that sun goes down the big girls come out.

I fish all day 3 days a week sometimes 4

[RoLo]

Some years ago, Bill Dance stated (after a long pause) that "structure" is more important than "cover".

Trouble is, the word 'structure' has been bandied about for decades, and its meaning today has lost its specificity.

Let's call it "Bottom Contour" instead, that way no one can refer to a mud-line as structure.

Before targeting a single tree, I'd obtain the best hydrographic map available. If the lake is a manmade impoundment,

then a topographic quadrangular would be just as good, but you'll need to know the shoreline elevation

so you can convert elevation to depth.

At your home, pinpoint all the spots that offer the most rapid depth change (compression points)

It's immaterial to fish whether it's an abrupt prominance or an abrupt depression.

All the matters to fish is RDC (rapid depth change).

On the water, motor over to each waypoint that you isolated at home and evaluate the cover at each spot.

Despite a plethora of standing timber, you'll be fishing the most promising 'cover' in the lake.

Roger

[outdoorsman110]

Some years ago, Bill Dance stated (after a long pause) that "structure" is more important than "cover".

Trouble is, the word 'structure' has been bandied about for decades, and its meaning today has lost its specificity.

Let's call it "Bottom Contour" instead, that way no one can refer to a mud-line as structure.

Before targeting a single tree, I'd obtain the best hydrographic map available. If the lake is a manmade impoundment,

then a topographic quadrangular would be just as good, but you'll need to know the shoreline elevation

so you can convert elevation to depth.

At your home, pinpoint all the spots that offer the most rapid depth change (compression points)

It's immaterial to fish whether it's an abrupt prominance or an abrupt depression.

All the matters to fish is RDC (rapid depth change).

On the water, motor over to each waypoint that you isolated at home and evaluate the cover at each spot.

Despite a plethora of standing timber, you'll be fishing the most promising 'cover' in the lake.

Roger

Thanks man! My dad was Topographical Army Engineer, he gave me the same advice.