Cedar Trees - What do you throw?

[bkohlman]

Hey guys and gals, just wanting some feedback on what you would use to pick apart a lake full of cedar trees. Feel free to be as brief or long winded as you want! 

 

Thanks!

[Choporoz]

I might look for a different lake....:)   I don't know....I got it in my head long ago that bass hate cedar.  Its gotten so I might even pass up a good looking cedar laydown for the next deciduous lone branch.  May be a self-fulfilling prophecy since I don't give cedar proper attention, but I look for something other than cedar when I can

 

[Gundog]

To me trees are trees no matter what kind. Lay down logs I fish with a jig or spinner bait. Sometimes I'll throw a soft plastic texas rigged or a tube. Stand up trees I will start at a distance throwing a crankbait around the tree. Move your boat around the tree, if you can, to get different angles. A square billed crankbait bumped into the tree can get some real big reaction bites. If I don't get anything with the crankbait then I move in closer with a jig or worm to get upclose to the base.

[Fishes in trees]

I fish trees quite a bit.   Some things to consider.   The particular area you're fishing in - would you fish there if there weren't any trees there?

What I mean by this is that is there a drop off? bottom change, creek channel?   Start by taking the trees out of the equation - where would you fish in the lake if there weren't any trees?  All this does is help you sperate low potential areas from good potential areas.

What water color do you have?   With 3 feet or more of visibility, I think that drifting a wacky senko is a great option.  3 feet or more, I'm going with some whale of green pumpkin or watermelon.   Less than 3 feet I'm going red shad or black & blue.  I frequently use a Falcon K-wacky hood for this, the 1/16 oz weighted one on fairly stout fluorocarbon or braid.  If visibility is less than a foot, I'm probably throwing a 3/8 oz jig, maybe a little heavier,  Black & blue -  a jig & trailer or soft plastic like a paca craw, something like that

I pay attention to wind when I'm fishing trees.  First because I don't want to bang into trees and stumps.  That is how you fall out of boats.   Secondly, I think that the wind determines somewhat how the fish are positioned on the tree, i.e. I think that they face into the wind.

At the bottom of every tree, more often than not, is a fairly extensive root wad. Fish often hang out here.  I think that this situation is best fished with the bubba drop shot rig.  I try to get the bait as close to the root wad as I can without getting it stuck and then once it is placed, shake it some.   I fish these kinda slow, each cast takes around a minute or so.  

Trees can be cranked.   The best bait to crank trees with, IMO, is a Timber Tiger.    I prefer the DC 13 or DC 16.   What I am looking for here is lanes between the trees.   What you are really looking for is that major horizontal limb, extending from the trunk that is 5 to 9 feet down.

Timber Tigers can crawl over this and never get hung - well almost never.   Bites happen when the bait is finished crawling over the horizontal limb.

Turman Lake has ALOT of trees.    A common pattern on Truman is throwing a 10" worm or large creature bait down into the trees and swimming it back .   20 lb Fluorocarbon and 5/16 or 3/8 oz weights are common.  Most of your bites happen on the initial drop, less often they happen as you swim it back.

Hope this gives you a place to start.

 

 

[SDoolittle]

Do you mind if I ask what lake you're talking about? I've done quite a bit of fishing on Kansas lakes.

[scaleface]

Cedar trees . I fish them often . The good old 6" Texas rig Jelly Worm is my  #1 bait . I will peg the worm in place but leave the weight unpegged . Buzzbaits are another favorite .

[eyedabassman]

11 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Cedar trees . I fish them often . The good old 6" Texas rig Jelly Worm is my  #1 bait . I will peg the worm in place but leave the weight unpegged . Buzzbaits are another favorite .

I fish cider alot but at times they will want pole timber and not ciders but other times ceders. I fish swim jigs,swimbaits,spinnerbaits,drop shot,cranks,jerk bait early in the spring or late spawn.They love trees and even CIDERS!

[Bluebasser86]

For me it depends on the lake and if I'm fishing standing or laydown cedars. 

Standing cedars like on Table Rock or Truman, they'll hold up higher in the trees it seems and you can get them on spinnerbaits, spooks, jerkbaits, or swimbaits.

Laydown cedars I like to flip a T rig or jig into or crawl a squarebill over. 

[bkohlman]

Great insight everyone, especially when talking about the differences between standing timber and laydowns.

[Dye99]

I fish cedar trees a lot due to where I live. I prefer to pick it apart with a crank/spinner bait from a distance, then move in for weightless senko, or super fluke fished against the base.

[WRB]

Cider is like oak doesn't break down and rote like most other wood under water.

Cider trees are medium size with lots of smaller branches and provide bass prey good sanctuary and bass are attracted to cider for that reason.

How do you fish cider tress; from every possible angle, including straight down.

Tom