Secret Bait For Beds.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Zoom Fat Albert on a 1/16 shakey head or something similar.  I prefer pearl white and I'll dip the tail in red Spike it or JJs magic.  I won't shake it though, I'll just slow reel it through the bed and more times than not, the fish will grab it.

[RoLo]

I don't know why your all hung up on a colloquialism like lizard… yes, it is supposed to look like an amphibian. It's just a name. Horny toads are lizards, not toads, but we all know what someone means.

As far as nesting fish just clearing the bed, the article I linked above addresses that exact situation.

 

Words are the only tools we have to communicate.

A Bass Resource thread centered on "Secret Baits", is not a good time to misuse those tools.

Land lizards are basically Brown or Green in color, whereas salamanders are Orange or Red and vividly spotted.

The "plastic lizards" marketed by bait companies are indeed colored to imitate a lizard and not a salamander.

If you've never turned over rocks in a stream bed, you may never see a newt or sally in your life (urban myths die hard).

 

Roger

[scaleface]

Has anyone actually seen a salamander try to sneak into a nest guarded by a  bass and try to nab a few of its eggs ?  Just doesnt seem likely to me .

[F14A-B]

Water dogs are prime suspects.. Wait, are those lizards, amphibian or dogs? Lol.. I know they all work in plastic & water dogs are often used " live"

[RB 77]

I use gill nets. Usually I will net the whole flat and sort them out later. It's better that way cause then I know I didn't miss any big ones.

 

d**n! Dat Dar is funny. Haha...

 

In all seriousness I agree with what RoLo said. It's all about that "sweet" spot on the bed. The ol' "spot" on the spot.

[J Francho]

Mud puppies, and they're brown, are what I see a lot of in spring during the spawn.

[RoLo]

Mud puppies, and they're brown, are what I see a lot of in spring during the spawn.

 

Mud puppies??

I had them yesterday for lunch........Oh wait a minute, they were corn dogs

 

Roger

[J Francho]

http://legacy.earlham.edu/~lanest/sizescale.jpg

[F14A-B]

Geez, that thing is a monster..

[RoLo]

http://legacy.earlham.edu/~lanest/sizescale.jpg

 

When you free-line your dogs, do you prefer tail-hooking or the standard snout-hook-up?   

[ColdSVT]

I know a rage shellcracker really ticks off bedding fish...

[J Francho]

Geez, that thing is a monster..

I've seen them twice as big.

[paul.]

Care to elaborate

here's a few.

 

i prefer baits/rigs that stand up on their nose.  simulates something possibly trying to munch on the eggs when worked properly.

 

most people are not aggressive enough when trying to provoke the bite.  they are too hung up on the notion that you have to tease, coax, or finesse the fish into biting.  you are not trying to seduce the fish into biting.  you are trying to aggravate it into biting.  don't be scared to whack them in the tail or side with the bait (as long as it's not something that might accidentally snag them.)

 

initially you want to work the bait when the fish's back is turned to it.  many times this forces them to whirl around and look at the bait (which is exactly what you want.)  when they do turn around to look at the bait (at least initially), don't do anything.  rinse and repeat.  many times this game of  "i'm only going to move when you're NOT looking" will make a fish absolutely come unglued.

 

how you set up on the fish is crucial.  if they can see you and associate you with what's going on with the bait in their bed many times it's game over

 

you need the male to catch the female.  many times the female will not engage at all until the male is fired up.  catching the male to "get him out of the way" is a no no.

 

keep the bait between the bass and the shallow water part of the nest.  an approach from the deep water side cuts off the bass' escape route and makes them more wary.

 

if you are not getting results, come back a different time.  in a couple of hours, a neutral or negative fish can become red hot.

 

there are attracting moves and there are triggering moves.  some bait movements will get the fish interested but never get them to commit.  if you continue with the attracting moves with no real commitment from the fish, try something else because sometimes fish will quickly lose interest in even the attracting movements if you don't find a way trip their trigger and push them over the edge.

[F14A-B]

here's a few.

i prefer baits/rigs that stand up on their nose. simulates something possibly trying to munch on the eggs when worked properly.

most people are not aggressive enough when trying to provoke the bite. they are too hung up on the notion that you have to tease, coax, or finesse the fish into biting. you are not trying to seduce the fish into biting. you are trying to aggravate it into biting. don't be scared to whack them in the tail or side with the bait (as long as it's not something that might accidentally snag them.)

initially you want to work the bait when the fish's back is turned to it. many times this forces them to whirl around and look at the bait (which is exactly what you want.) when they do turn around to look at the bait (at least initially), don't do anything. rinse and repeat. many times this game of "i'm only going to move when you're NOT looking" will make a fish absolutely come unglued.

how you set up on the fish is crucial. if they can see you and associate you with what's going on with the bait in their bed many times it's game over

you need the male to catch the female. many times the female will not engage at all until the male is fired up. catching the male to "get him out of the way" is a no no.

keep the bait between the bass and the shallow water part of the nest. an approach from the deep water side cuts off the bass' escape route and makes them more wary.

if you are not getting results, come back a different time. in a couple of hours, a neutral or negative fish can become red hot.

there are attracting moves and there are triggering moves. some bait movements will get the fish interested but never get them to commit. if you continue with the attracting moves with no real commitment from the fish, try something else because sometimes fish will quickly lose interest in even the attracting movements if you don't find a way trip their trigger and push them over the edge.

Good stuff paul, you ever ran a female off the bed? Boy it's happened to me... Just bolt! Of course she typically comes back, after a cooling off period..

[FishTank]

GYCB Kreature, Fat Ika's, and Zoom Lizards.  Nothing that is too much a secret or scientific. 

[Ben Eipert]

I just set a finesse tube in the middle of the bed and wiggle it until something happens. Something always happens and since it is so small the hook up ratio is pretty nice

[Catt]

So when does Eric Snowden get here?

Aint heard no secret yet!

What paul & Roger said should be basic knowledge; I'd copy & paste that to Micro Soft Word for future reference.

Secret bed fishing lure!

Roboworm 4" FX Sculpin; color Ayu - 8Z30

1/0 straight shank round bend hook

1/32 oz bullet weight un-pegged! Optional 1/16 oz

Reffering back to paul, ya don't wanna get in a staring contest with the female, ya want play "freeze" with em!

Hotspot within the nest; cast beyond it & agressively move into it.

Agressive but short movements!

I want more than a shake in place kinda thing but I don't want 1 or 2 movements to take me out.

[Kyle46N]

So when does Eric Snowden get here?

Aint heard no secret yet!

What paul & Roger said should be basic knowledge; I'd copy & paste that to Micro Soft Word for future reference.

Secret bed fishing lure!

Roboworm 4" FX Sculpin; color Ayu - 8Z30

1/0 straight shank round bend hook

1/32 oz bullet weight un-pegged! Optional 1/16 oz

Reffering back to paul, ya don't wanna get in a staring contest with the female, ya want play "freeze" with em!

Hotspot within the nest; cast beyond it & agressively move into it.

Agressive but short movements!

I want more than a shake in place kinda thing but I don't want 1 or 2 movements to take me out.

 

The aggressive movement advice put a nice fish in the boat for me today.  For 15 minutes I kept a bait in front of it, right on the bed, tried drop shot, various other lures.   Finally just remembered what you said as I read this thread the other night.  First time I aggressively ripped the lure across the bed, BAM!  she inhaled it.  Thanks!

[Mr_Frodo]

In my experience presentation has as much to do with the strike as the bait itself . I've thrown a Texas rigged worm into a bed multiple times with no strike I then took the weight off and let it sink slowly into the bed and it got slammed .

[Basseditor]

Bubblegum Senko.

I agree with the spot on a spot, especially for smallmouth.

When a bass picks up lures by the tail, put the hook on the back and a nail weight in the head.

[PitchinJigz]

Bubblegum Senko.

I agree with the spot on a spot, especially for smallmouth.

When a bass picks up lures by the tail, put the hook on the back and a nail weight in the head.

That technique may or may not work depending on the bait you're using, plus me being impatient, I'm probably not going to totally re-rig with a bass right in front of me.

[SirSnookalot]

So secret I'm not saying, lol.  Give ya clue, get a fly vise, jig heads and buy some marabou.

[Glenn]

TON's of information on this site about this topic.  Just TONS:

GO!

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bass_spawn.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/spawn_bass.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/spawning_bass_bed.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot_beds.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/sight-fishing-bass.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/largemouth-bed-fishing.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/largemouth-bed-fishing.html

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/bass-spawn-catch.html

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/catch-bass-spawn.html

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/bed-fishing-tricks.html

[primetime]

I don't target bedding fish on a regular basis, I try to find the flat and then fan cast a Carolina rig with a floating tube or craw, or some type of fluke style soft bait. If I see a perfect spot I know there is going to be a bed, I always have a drop shot rigged up, if you let a bait hang in the nest or off to the side and rig any soft bait that has a floating tail and a nose down posture, but I have done well at times using a popper to mimic the sound of a feeding bluegill, and I seem to do best with the Rapala Skitter pop as it sounds like a bluegill and is easy to keep in one place longer than most poppers. I did well this year simply casting the Sebile Flatt Shad suspending lipless crank which is larger in size similar to a 3/4 oz Red Eye shad, but it is silent and suspends nose down perfectly and is perfect for not spooking fish yet pushing vibrations and it handles weeds really well. only the 77 size suspends, and I do best with the gold color on overcast days, and chartreuse silver glitter is my go to color any other time, or a bass/bluegill pattern.

 

I get annoyed when I fish with someone who spends more than a few minutes trying to get a bass to bite a soft bait over and over, but I usually turn around and start covering water, really any bait works if you bring it by a spawning fish or any fish moving up at the right time, speed etc...

 

key is finding the spawning flat, and then if only catching small males, you need to figure out where the next drop off is from the flat that offers an escape route, cover of some sort either weeds, underwater structure, and a 1' depression could be all you need. I always do best in Spring with crawfish colored cranks or something with chartreuse in it, I stay away from shad patterns, and for soft baits you can't beat a craw, creature, or fluke imo....Shaky heads are great if you find hard bottom and a drop off. Usually early in Spring the critter craw style baits work better with less movement, if active, the speed craw, rage bug style baits are good, but you can never go wrong with a rage craw in green pumpkin rigged any way you want.....That bait has the best look on the fall and when swimming with the Yum Mighty craw a close second.

[martintheduck]

Secret bait? ROBOWORM PITCHIN' CRAW. They discontinued them a few years ago and somehow I dug around the deep internet and found like 40 bags of em'. If you ever find any in the Chartreuse/White pattern, BUY ALL OF THEM