Need Help On Lure Selection

[ThatZX14Fella]

I haven't had any luck in the past few days at the pond I normally fish. I normally fish top water because it has so many weeds that every time you cast something out, by the time you start reeling it is already covered. Earlier this year I was catching at least eight a day there on a worm but was getting so tangled up in weeds I gave up fishing it for a while. I haven't been catching much on top water so I tried a worm today and steady retrieved like I normally do there. I only got one bite and I missed him. My question is, what lure should I be using? I don't have much for tackle (a few lipless cranks, brim cranks, buzzbaits, one spinnerbait, worms, a few frogs, and a jitterbug). If I could get some advice it'd be nice.

[Catch and Grease]

Boat or bank fishing? If it's from a boat you could try more vertical presentations like throwing soft plastics or jigs into holes in the grass, or break out the punching gear. Frogs and buzz baits are also great lures for heavy weeds, try using a soft plastic like a rage craw, zoom speed craw, or space monkey (something that creates a good disturbance on the water) and fish it weightless like a buzzbait works great around here.

[Raul]

I normally fish top water because it has so many weeds that every time you cast something out, by the time you start reeling it is already covered.

 

Ok let me see if I understood, I suppose that the place you fish has the bottom covered with vegetation and that there´s only a small layer of free wáter between the vegetation and the surface.

 

The question is how much free wáter there is between the surface and the vegetation ?

Another question, is the vegetation distributed evenly like a carpet or unevenly with patches where the vegetation surfaces ?

 

The question may not be about which tackle but how you use the tackle available, you may have the right tackle but not the right rigging/presentation.

[ThatZX14Fella]

Boat or bank fishing? If it's from a boat you could try more vertical presentations like throwing soft plastics or jigs into holes in the grass, or break out the punching gear. Frogs and buzz baits are also great lures for heavy weeds, try using a soft plastic like a rage craw, zoom speed craw, or space monkey (something that creates a good disturbance on the water) and fish it weightless like a buzzbait works great around here.

 

I'm fishing from the bank. I'm not any good with the hollow body frog I have and the other frogs get hung up so I don't like using them much. I've tried fishing a fee soft plastics on top water but had no luck with that either.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I normally fish top water because it has so many weeds that every time you cast something out, by the time you start reeling it is already covered.

 

Ok let me see if I understood, I suppose that the place you fish has the bottom covered with vegetation and that there´s only a small layer of free wáter between the vegetation and the surface.

 

The question is how much free wáter there is between the surface and the vegetation ?

Another question, is the vegetation distributed evenly like a carpet or unevenly with patches where the vegetation surfaces ?

 

The question may not be about which tackle but how you use the tackle available, you may have the right tackle but not the right rigging/presentation.

 

There's about a 8-10 inches of water above the vegetation and its pretty even. I can get on the dock and cast toward the middle without much problem because it's a really deep pond. My dad told me when they were building it they made it deep enough that and excavator could extend its arm all the way up and it would be close to even with the bank. Not sure if that's true, but I do know it's deep

[Raul]

Got any subsrface crankbaits ? something like Storm´s Subawart, Mann´s Baby Minus 1, Rapala´s Shallow Shad Rap, Rapala´s Original Floating minnow, all those dive less than a foot. Get smaller versions of your lipless cranks, those sink slower and you´ll have time to reel them in before they sink to the weeds. Wacky rigged worms and UNWEIGHTED soft plastics will help beacuse they will remain above the weeds even when they fall on them. Spinnerbaits are excellent for that kind of situation if you reel them imediately after they touch the wáter.

 

Í´ve fished a bunch of ponds with conditions similar to those you describe and it can be done, as I said, you may already have the tackle but not the correct rig/ technique.

[Catch and Grease]

Mojo/split-shot rigs work good and stay above grass too, I need to start using the mojo rig more around here...

[ThatZX14Fella]

I don't have any carnivores. I need to buy some, but I have other things I have to pay for before I spend more money on fishing gear. Lol I have to spend money on one of the few things more important to me than fishing.

[einscodek]

highly suggest getting the hollow frog and learning to work it

on hairy weedbeds its the lure you need to keep from pullin weeds off yer lure and to keep from pullin hair outa yer head

[ThatZX14Fella]

highly suggest getting the hollow frog and learning to work it

on hairy weedbeds its the lure you need to keep from pullin weeds off yer lure and to keep from pullin hair outa yer head

 

I have an H2O hollow body, I just haven't learned to walk it properly. I started getting the hang of it and it shanked itself. Now it just tends to bob along.

[tholmes]

I'd try a Johnson's Silver Minnow with a trailer of your choice. Run it through the tops of the weeds, occasionally letting it fall a few feet.

 

It's an oldie, but it still works.

 

Tom

[gulfcaptain]

Grass/Weeds can make some crazy.  It did with me until I read to use a heavier weight.  Now I look forward to fishing these spots where I used to hate. 3/4 tungsten flipping weight and some bobber stoppers with any softbodied creatrure you prefer.   Punching through the grass can be very productive.  May give that presentation a try.

[Comfortably Numb]

Weightless fluke would be my choice.

[Heron]

Perhaps, a dog-walking topwater bait of some description, or a weightless soft jerkbait.

[roadwarrior]

Rage Toad and Cavitron. Retrieve both fast enough to keep them on top.

[kikstand454]

I have an H2O hollow body, I just haven't learned to walk it properly. I started getting the hang of it and it shanked itself. Now it just tends to bob along.

Just because its not walking, doesn't mean it won't work. I "bob along" an h2o frog all the time and do just fine with it!

Believe!

[ThatZX14Fella]

Just because its not walking, doesn't mean it won't work. I "bob along" an h2o frog all the time and do just fine with it!

Believe!

 

I'll continue bobbing it then. Lol still haven't gotten used to hooking fish with it yet either.

[kikstand454]

The key (for me) with the frog bite .....or any topwater bite really, is to reel when you see the explosion. Make this become your topwater habit. Most people set the hook and pull the bait right out their mouths. If you see "boom" and your first instinct is to reel- you will catch WAY more topwater fish. Do it! Practice it. Make it habit.

I have made it a habit of smiling at the bite then reeling down into the fish for a hook set. Its keeps things relaxed. I fish a LOT of topwater though for inshore fish, and a topwater hit is "normal" to me now. Still super exciting. ....but normal. When I'm working a topwater I EXPECT to get bit. Its a different mindset.

[ThatZX14Fella]

The key (for me) with the frog bite .....or any topwater bite really, is to reel when you see the explosion. Make this become your topwater habit. Most people set the hook and pull the bait right out their mouths. If you see "boom" and your first instinct is to reel- you will catch WAY more topwater fish. Do it! Practice it. Make it habit.

I have made it a habit of smiling at the bite then reeling down into the fish for a hook set. Its keeps things relaxed. I fish a LOT of topwater though for inshore fish, and a topwater hit is "normal" to me now. Still super exciting. ....but normal. When I'm working a topwater I EXPECT to get bit. Its a different mindset.

 

 Thanks for the tip, I'll try that. I used to do that actually, I would reel up the slack and wait a second. I kept hearing people say to set the hook as soon as you feel a bite so I went back to doing that.

[kikstand454]

Yeah- don't necessarily wait a second. ... jut reel down and if you feel the fish- THEN set the hook. The problem with swinging on the strike is not only do you pull the bait away from the fish, but if the fish missed- you have now jerked the bait out of the strike zone! If you just reel you give the fish time to inhale the lure, and if its a miss .... then your lure is still right there where it was and you can call that fish back up!

[Basser126]

Hey I got a question, I know when your rod has a lure weight limit but I'm throwing a 3/8oz buzz bait when my rod is 3/4oz limit. Should I be ok?

[ThatZX14Fella]

Hey I got a question, I know when your rod has a lure weight limit but I'm throwing a 3/8oz buzz bait when my rod is 3/4oz limit. Should I be ok?

 

I don't take the weight suggestions seriously. I use every weight on mine and its a Heavy. Plus 3/8 is less than 3/4 anyways.