Heavy Spinnerbaits And Deep Weedbeds

[TommyBass]

Hello all,

I'm heading out to fish a lake soon that constantly produces good bags with this technique. Problem is, I have no experience doing it. It has vast weed beds that run from just under the surface down to 15ft +. The water isn't super clear, but it has 4-5' visibility on most days. From what I can tell, most people catch these fish 10-18 ft deep around these beds.

My question is, how do you guys do this technique? What do you look for on your sonar to know where to start? The last time I fished the lake I noticed some fish holding 2-3 ft off the bottom in 18 ft of water just on the outisde edge of these beds. Do you try to keep the bait in a certain zone, or slow roll it toward the bottom in areas that meet the depth criteria?

I'm not a seasoned spinnerbait or weed fisherman, I'm more of a jig and brushpile type of guy

I've read all the articles I can find so far, and they just arn't satisfying my thirst for knowledge! Any help with this technique would be greatly appreciated!

PS... any advice on something other than a spinnerbait that would also work in this scenario would be helpful too. Last year, anything texas rig or jig oriented would catch a fish for me. Its not my home lake so I don't know of too many brush piles to hone on. A chatterbait was my best bite then.

[roadwarrior]

Fish the outside edges. In addition to your spinnerbait, you migh try a swimjig, soft swimbait,

GYCB Kreature, Smokin' Rooster or Space Monkey Rage Rigged and the new Rage Tail Menace rigged

with the tail vertical. Crankbaits are another option.

[BradH]

I hang a rod out of each side of the boat and troll with the electric. I try to follow a contour line on the GPS at a depth I'm marking fish. I don't let out much line, maybe 10 to 40 feet. If I'm fouling constantly I speed up a notch. 1.5 to 2 mph seems to be a good starting speed. You'll just have to experiment with boat speed and line out 'till you get your bait where it's hitting the weeds but not fouling all the time. Heavy spinnerbaits with willow leaf blades get deep and don't hang up as much. With two rods you have a bait working in the water while you are cleaning the other off. If I start getting hit in the same spot I stop and cast, letting the bait sink and bringing it in slow or switching to a different bait. On Okoboji in Iowa and similar lakes this works well for me on the deep, submerged weed beds.

[papajoe222]

If the weeds are too heavy to bring a spinnerbait through (milfoil, coontail, duckweed), fish the tops and outside/inside edges. For the deeper edges, downsize your blade (single) to keep it down. For fishing over the top, try adding a jig rattle just behind the skirt. For the inside/shallow edge, wake a Colorado or Indiana bladded bait.

You can get away with heavier line when fishing these weeds. Don't be afraid to tick the tops or edges and then rip the bait to clear it. Often that is the trigger that'll get you bit.

If the weeds are sparce or there's room to swim the bait through them (cabbage is an example) fish the same areas, but actually get into them. Braid is great for doing this as it cuts right through most weed stems.

Oh yea, loose the trailer hook. Loose or rigid, it'll be more of a hassle than a benefit.

[TommyBass]

Thanks for the replies, thats some good information to start with. How heavy of a spinnerbait would you recommend for fishing 8-15 ft weed lines? I can't deceide between 1/2 and 3/4. I will most likely be using at least a small trailer so that will add a little resistance.

[BradH]

3/4 minimum for this guy. I use lots of 1 and 1.5 ounce spinnerbaits to get deep. If you don't have a rod for those big ones downsizing the blades or running a single as Papajoe pointed out will get you there.

[TommyBass]

I thought about a 1 oz too, but I didn't know how well that would work for me wanting to make a random 'wake' cast up shallow occaisionally. Guess I could just put up two different sizes on two different rods....

[BradH]

That's what I do. When I'm in search mode I'll toss the light one out on the inside and the heavy on the outside and troll them with the electric. After I pick up a couple fish off the same spot I stop and cast, working shallow with the light rod and going deep with the other one.