Everything About Finesse Fishing

[fishinphilly]

im a power fisherman and don't finesse fish at all (unless throwing a weightless fluke) and i need some tips on shaky head fishing. this year I'm trying to get into finesse fishing and want to start with shaky heads, so just shed a little light on me as what size weight i should use and the best baits.  i have tried it a couple times last year but its hard to get into something that you have no confidence in 

 

thanks! tight lines

[fisherrw]

use roboworms 7 inch worms a 1/4 ounce head and 8 pound sunline sniper

[fishinphilly]

use roboworms 7 inch worms a 1/4 ounce head and 8 pound sunline sniper

i live up north (philadelphia) i usually fish clear lakes so any specific colors you can recommend?

[Angry John]

use roboworms 7 inch worms a 1/4 ounce head and 8 pound sunline sniper

I like this as well as the Serbert shakey heads. I use zoom trick worms and baby brush hawgs

[benthinkin]

shaky heads are a good option. but a dropshot will out fish a shaky head any day IMHO

[Blues19]

I love fishing a shakey head.  Depending on wind or depth, I will throw between an 1/8 oz and a 1/4 oz Spot Remover Pro Model jig head (I always use green pumpkin).  I would suggest getting the screw lock cause the little push on one doesnt really work well. I throw differnet worms, depending on the conditions too.  If I am looking for a bigger bite I will throw a Zoom Trick worm on the 1/4 oz head.  If I'm just looking to limit up I will start out throwing the 1/8 oz jig head with a Zoom Finesse worm or a Centipeed.

 

You can use any baits, for real, but I tend to try to use a straight tail worm when going finesse.  It just seems finesse to me. 

 

Strike King makes the Elaztech plastics that some people like, because they float.  So those are pretty rad too.  When I use those I use the strike king shakey head jig.  I do that cause its so soft its darn near impossible to thread one of those on to the screw lock and it will stay on a regular keeper pretty well. 

 

As for colors, I tend to go as natural as possible.  I will use green pumpkin 75% of the time, but every once in a while I will throw on a summer craw color, or "dirt" in the strike king colors. Really, any colors you normally will work.  Anyway, hope this helps. Any questions, lemme know

[EvanT123]

I'm pretty sure jfrancho posted this awhile back. It among other things is on my reading nightstand. A good read that is still relavent today. I believe there is also a new version if you can use google.

http://www.richz.com/fishing/articles/finesse_87_in-fish.pdf

[smalljaw67]

I'm in PA about 2 hours north of Philly and shaky heads work great. I make my own and I prefer the ones with a screw lock, I tried a bunch of different ones and while the screw lock takes an extra second or two to put the worm on, it holds better without tearing than any other system I tried. That said, I'm pretty much using small manufacturers baits, I really like the River Rock Baits SM Killer for a shaky head, it is 4.5" and deadly in cold water as well as any time the bite gets tough. For dingy water or when I'm after bigger fish I like the 5.5" Stanley Sidewinder and for ultra clear water, the Basstrix Loca-Motion worm in watermelon/black bars. The Basstrix is a 6" worm and it has a look and action all its own, it is hollow and it floats really well and the plastic is so translucent that it reflects light in a different way, not good in dirty water but it is the number 1 choice in clear water. I like using 1/16oz up to 1/4oz with shaky heads with 1/8oz being the most common weight I use, and it will work good for you, I use the shaky head with a lot of success at Marburg, give it a shot. Rod and reel is simple, I like a 6'9" to 7' medium power spinning with a fast or extra fast action, in the cold water I like 6lb line in the warmer water I prefer 8lb but a lot like 10lb braid. Line and rod is important because most shaky heads are made with light or standard wire hooks which you can bend out with 20# braid so match the line up with the rod and reel and you'll be set.

[Sam]

Depends on the water conditions and current.

 

Shaky Head

Jig Head - 1/18 and higher depending on the fall you want and the current.

Line - 6 to 8 pound fluorocarbon or copoly.

Spinning rig with at least a 7-foot medium or medium heavy fast action rod.

Reel - 2000 or 2500 size but not larger.

Baits - Zoom Trick Worms in the color of your choice

 

When selecting a jig head be sure the hook is of high quality and is strong.

 

Check out any Denny Brauer YouTube videos on Flipping and Pitching or purchase his book, Denny Brauer's Jig Fishing Secrets with Monte Burch.

 

SENKOS

Spinning rig set up like with the above shaky head.

Rig Senko wacky style.

Use a 1 or 1/0 hook. You can use a weedless hook if you like.

 

Finesse Worms and Brush Hogs

Spinning rig set up like above.

Small #1 hook.

Rig the finesse worm wacky style.

Or, Texas a finesse worm with the bullet sinker of your choice.

Bullet weight of your choice, with the lighter the better.

Consider throwing this setup without pegging the weight.

 

Flukes

Throw weightless on a spinning rig such as the one mentioned above.

 

All finesse fishing consists of is throwing the lightest line with the smallest hook and weight you feel comfortable into all cover and structure you can find.

 

Using the underhand pitching technique you can guide your bait into  the target with a soft entry.

 

You can continually cast your light setup with the flipping technique.

 

When finesse fishing you are close or on top of the bass' habitat.  So being as quiet as you can is an advantage.

 

Some of the pros say that starting and stopping your trolling motor tips off the bigger bass. I don't totally agree with this philosophy but I do try to be as quiet as possible and let the boat float towards and past the targets.

 

There is nothing like seeing your line take off when a bass picks up your bait. Your heart skips a beat; your pucker factor reaches 100; and then you set the hook hard over your head and hope you don't throw yourself out of the boat or on the ground next to the bank.

 

Now go out there and practice your flipping and pitching!

[bkohlman]

Sam that is a great Golden Nugget of information! 

[Master Bait'r]

Nice post Sam!  

 

I also like to utilize a little bit more to the power side of finesse fishing as well since I normally fish in and around some pretty heavy cover where even forage is aggressive.  If I go TOO finessey with my hooks and baits, I'll get hosed by hiding juvies, crappie and bluegills and I have little confidence in lighter line that close to heavy veg.  Remember OP, finesse isn't just one thing these days but the general concept of how to work a bait- maximizing the effect by minimizing the components instead of power fishing's general "Use big gear and throw big baits with big weights" since you're still using the bare minimum you can that the situation will allow.  Also being weedless is huge to me, as the aforementioned heavy cover will absolutely pounce on trebles or open hooks of any kind.  The ability to cast right onto the edge of a pad line and then dip it in & dance it around without worry of catching is HUGE for me.       

 

For heavier finesse tactics near cover this is the best I've come to know

 

Rod:  MXF  Stiff and backboney with a nice tip is preferable. 

Reel:  Best light bait thrower you can afford.  (I use an older curado 51e w/ Abec7s and love it)

Line:  10-15lb braid, no leader but size depending on your local fauna but be careful to dial yourself in slowly if you aren't used to throwing light braid on a casting setup if that's how you're going to go.  I like straight braid since it is so thin and limp with no stretch, it never seems to get in the way of the action of the bait when jerking or tugging, and it's very strong.  It lends itself very well to an erratic action and the hooksets are like lightning.  It also holds up very well to pads and vegetation.  I always use a double palomar and get it sopping wet on the tie.      

Hooks:  Dependent on bait profile/weight and line choice, but for my 10# SX1 braid setup, I really like Trokar #3 Mag EWG hooks for compact/fatter/heavier baits like hudd bugs/ pit bosses/rage bugs/rage shads and smaller #2 reg EWGs for whippier profiles like Slug-Go SS or Roboworms.  I find these wire weights & sizes give them a well-matched flutter, weight distribution and rate of fall- and hooks aren't just about firing a point through a lip- they impact everything about how your bait pulls through the water, stands/aligns when worked, it's momentum in it's action and also how fast it sinks.  A worm needs very little coaxing to dive, whip/walk or hunt while a craw will benefit from a little more tail weight and some more momentum via a beefier hook in a jerking motion.  Sometimes when I'm working a heavier round plastic like a rage shad, etc.          

Rig:  Texas rig.  Completely weedless and easily collapsible on the strike.  Also belly hook gap span helps bait be correctly weighted on retrieve and sit right when rested on the bottom.  Don't forget to rig the craws backwards so it moves like a real craw when you tug it and lands butt-first and claws up when stalled on the bottom.

 

 

 

You are in full-on ambush mode and working inlets in heavy cover/using vegetation to get inside the strike zone just like every other predator on the lake when doing this so act like it.  Stay super quiet and be very deliberate- don't even make any unnecessarily high arm movements that could spook the fish or knock stuff around.  I fish from a kayak and usually do low and long underhand/side casts to keep the bait splashing to a minimum as well.  Also being weedless is huge to me, as the aforementioned heavy cover will absolutely pounce on trebles or open hooks of any kind.  The ability to cast right onto the edge of a pad line and then dip it in & dance it around without worry of catching is a big plus- also keeps the splashing down too.  If you can't see your bait as you work it through an area or are in a pause/dive and can't feel it very well, lock your eyes on your line as it floats on the surface.  Strikes can be communicated by changes in the line's movement when when you can't feel them.  The rest is up to you!  Cadence, timing, action, colors, sizes and profiles can all be tailored to your region, specific waterway and time of year, but I find that a heavier version of the finesse approach is actually a huge benefit in heavier cover situations.  I still consider it 'in the finesse school of thought' though, since it's the absolute minimum the situation will allow.            

 

I know I'm forgetting about a million things but I only really talked about one rig- and just in the capacity of unweighted but using the gauge and size of the hook to dial weight and action and there are no real rules my man- just different schools of fishlosophy.  Just a few things to think about.  I hope any of that drivel helped in some way though and I apologize ahead of time to anybody who sees some massive flaw in my logic or grammar which there very well may be.  It works exceedingly well for me though.  Best of luck out there!!    

[Munkin]

I'm pretty sure jfrancho posted this awhile back. It among other things is on my reading nightstand. A good read that is still relavent today. I believe there is also a new version if you can use google.

http://www.richz.com/fishing/articles/finesse_87_in-fish.pdf

 

Read the Rich Z. article until you have it memorized.

 

Allen

[Felix77]

I prefer the VMC Rugby jigs. I use the Strike King fat baby finesse worms. I use weights as light as 1/8 and as heavy as 3/4 depending on the depth.

For starters I second using the 1/4 Oz with light line.

Good luck