New Problem -- How Would You Approach This?

[Josh Smith]

Hi All,

 

I went fishing for 1/2, 45mins tonight until sundown.

 

I located the bass just fine.  Problem was, there was no good way to throw the bait to 'em.

 

The way I generally fish this lake is to find heavy cover and throw jigs.  In the case of a downed tree, I roll those jigs right up and over the limbs.

 

However, where the bass were tonight, I just couldn't get to.  We just had a cold front come through, and they're laying tight to the trunk of a downed pine tree.  The needles of said tree are gone, but most of the primary and secondary branches are still there.  A bass attacked the shadow of a jig through as I rolled it up over a limb!

 

I just couldn't get the bait in that pocket where they were holed up!  I'm a decent caster, but there just wasn't a clear enough line of fire to the pocket.

 

Where I was at on the bank was the best approach angle.  A boat would have given other approach angles, but I'm not sure even a canoe could get back where I was at.

 

Thoughts? 

 

Josh

[FinCulture]

id hafta see exactly where you were to be able to say. was the tree between you and the spot you wanted to throw your bait?

[Catch and Grease]

Pitch a jig in there with some braided line and yank em' real good when they bite lol

[Josh Smith]

id hafta see exactly where you were to be able to say. was the tree between you and the spot you wanted to throw your bait?

 

First, imagine a downed pine tree devoid of needles.

 

Now, imagine a bass that thinks it's a woodpecker.

 

That'll give you some idea.

 

Regards,

 

Josh

[Josh Smith]

Pitch a jig in there with some braided line and yank em' real good when they bite lol

 

 

I've broken limbs and line off doing this, using 50lb braid.

 

Josh

[Master Bait'r]

Dynamite sounds like a solid option.  

 

 

Really though, that's tough when they're locked in on cover like that.  I can think of a few downed trees and brush piles I see that are the same way- if you can get it in there and they hit it, it's pretty much gone.  The only way I've been able to capitalize on them is to throw the smallest floating frog-type bait (it's a floating leech, actually- or a cicada) I have and work it in place above them.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but any success rate is better than none.    

 

 

I guess you could also work a slow-sinking t-rig on something nice and whippy like a slug-go SS along the face of it and see if you can coax something out enough to drag them off the tree.     

 

 

Good luck in any case!  At least you've got them located though!  

[FinCulture]

maybe try to work a finnese worm right outside of the branches nice and slow and draw them out.

[Josh Smith]

I was trying that with slow falling jigs last night.

Next time I need to bring the ultralight for weightless worms. I usually do but last night I had frogs I wanted to try.

Today's gear allows me to do more than when I was a teenager when we only had monofilament. I'd have never cast into half the stuff I'm able to today! But there's a new learning curve that goes with it.

Josh

[Senko lover]

Can you skip up underneath it?

[bigbill]

A weedless Rubber mouse. White or grey. Work it off the branches.

[MN_Bassin]

I'm not sure on what to use, but once you get one to bite, you gotta horse the heck out of that fish!

[badhatharry]

If your fish were aggressive enough to attack shadows, I'd be thinking Buzzbait or working a spinnerbait thru the branches and letting it helicopter as it comes off.  Also, as someone else said, skipping a bait...maybe a weedless grub or tube or lizard, as far back as you can get.   Good luck

[Josh Smith]

Way too much matte under and around the limbs to use anything like buzz or spinnerbaits.

There are branches coming UP out of the water, too.

I'll try to remember pics next time I go.

Josh

[ned_riggins]

Im having a little trouble picturing this but when i need something like a buzzbait but weedless I use rage tail shads, You can buzz them topwater, pull them over logs and then let em fall into gaps in cover. I absolutely love these things but dont see many people using them. 

[MIbassyaker]

Im having a little trouble picturing this but when i need something like a buzzbait but weedless I use rage tail shads, You can buzz them topwater, pull them over logs and then let em fall into gaps in cover. I absolutely love these things but dont see many people using the

I've been wondering about this too -- why don't I hear more about the Rage Tail Shad? I've found them to be dynamite in slop that would foul up a buzzbait blade, and they seem to have at least some of the same drawing power. I like the Rage Toad, too

[SirSnookalot]

maybe try to work a finnese worm right outside of the branches nice and slow and draw them out.

Hooked weedless and tossed underhand with a 6' rod.

[Jaderose]

T-Rig something flappy weightless on the end of some relatively light flouro leader, give it a toss, let it flutter down in the branches and say a little prayer.  And be prepared to lose some baits and some fish

[Josh Smith]

Here's a pic, gents.  Sorry for the low resolution -- it was the old Blackberry's camera taking these.

 

Note all the twigs sticking up out of the water.

 

The spots where I've caught bass are marked, and the holes were made by them trying to come up through the mat to get to frogs.

 

 

The 12" - 14" bass on the outside are fun, but the ones that blow through the mat are bigger.  Worms and jigs thrown to the outside are eaten by the smaller fish.

 

There are other areas on this lake like this, and it seems like all the larger bass hang out on the inside of cover with the outside being patrolled by the smaller bass.

 

Thanks!

 

Josh

[MN_Bassin]

I'd stick with a frog. Why change if you know the bigger bass are blowing up on topwater? 

[Master Bait'r]

That looks cool!

I'd downsize to the smallest frog style bait I could, and drop weightless worms or other creature baits on the outskirts of that weed pancake. They *should* get whacked on the slow fall.