Question for all my fellow MD fishermen

[MDbassin]

When you guys are trying to match the hatch what do you guys go to? I guess my question is what baitfish are in your area?

I'm over on the Eastern Shore and we have a lot of bluegill, and yellow perch, and Herring those are the main ones we also have carp that the bass I guess will eat the small ones and some of the lakes stock shiners. 

I haven't seen any type of shad or talked to any DNR guys that have confirmed there are shad in my local fishing areas

[MDBowHunter]

To me it's more about matching the size of the bait fish then trying to get an exact replica. I don't believe a bass knows what all fish are in his or her home waters. I catch bass on a rainbow trout swimbait in waters that I'm pretty sure don't even hold trout. 

[jyu87]

1 hour ago, MDBowHunter said:

To me it's more about matching the size of the bait fish then trying to get an exact replica. 

 

Exactly what he said. When 'matching the hatch' - I always refer to what kind of forage, size of forage, and lastly the color. 

[BrianinMD]

Far down the list of things to think about. location, time of year, etc

[FishingXMD]

Where I fish, in Columbia, we have loads of bluegill. What soft plastics do you guys recommend for bluegill imitators on bass beds

[Snipe Hunter]

On 1/2/2017 at 2:51 PM, FishingXMD said:

Where I fish, in Columbia, we have loads of bluegill. What soft plastics do you guys recommend for bluegill imitators on bass beds

 

You know, Something I've noticed about bluegill on bass beds is that the bass chase them away from the nest but don't necessarily eat them. I've done much better with creature baits, tubes, lizards etc on beds. I also like real light line, long soft "non-spooking" casts and a lot of patience while fishing beds.

 

I do have a favorite set-up for bed fishing. Buy a roll of 1/4" or smaller Foam Backer Rod. Home Depot will have it. It's cheap. Cut little pieces off about 3/4" long. Rig tubes either on a very light jig head or texas rigged with the hook point exposed. I'll peg the sinker up a few inches but not a lot. No more than about 6". Stuff that 3/4" piece of foam rod inside the tube. That will make it float. If it's on a light jig head it will fall slowly. I like a fairy big tube. The tube will stand straight up. Work it like a shaky head in the nest.

 

If it's texas rigged with the weight pegged up about 6" and the hook exposed, the tube will hover just over the nest. Just move it enough to make it interesting. Sometimes just "do nothing". Be patient. I've caught more fish on beds with that rig than all others combined. Again, I use light line like 6lb florocarbon and a spinning rod. The hook point has to be out. I like a light wire hook like a Gamakatsu and a tiny worm weight, bigger if I have to fight wind. The bass isn't eating it, they're only getting it out of the nest so sometimes you only have a quick second to set the hook. that's why I want the point exposed. You might not even feel the hit but you'll see the white of the inside of the fish's mouth when he picks it up or see your line move. 

 

I've done it with floating worms and lizards too but the fish always seem to bite the wrong end of the worm, even when I hooked it in the middle so I pretty much stick with something smaller like a tube where I have a better chance of the hook being inside their mouth.

 

I didn't invent it, I wish I did. I over heard a story about guys putting alka seltzers in tubes and it was banned in tournaments. This was the legal alternative. I started doing it in Ca in the clear water lakes and it works just as well out here in the east.

 

[BrackishBassin]

Two places I fish most often have blue gill or crawfish as the main forage. That being said, I catch most of my fish on soft plastics. None of which really look like/imitate a blue gill except maybe the Zoom lizards in pumpkin with a chartreuse tail.