Honey Hole Problems---What Would You Toss?

[ReggieT]

Here is one of my favorite spots right behind a condo complex in North Alabama. 

Used to be a huge Pay Lake when I was a kid.

Contractors later filled it in and left about 7 acres of water.

One side is a crazy swamp area 4 ft deep..full of bowfin, frogs, logs, vegetation, cottonmouths, beavers, and the occasional swine carcass...BUT some huge bass!

I have witnessed a few brave or insane souls actually wade it, only to later rue the day of their birth! ?☠️

 

Yet, it is a great spot to tangle with some toads...my most productive lures have been spinner-baits/buzz-baits and frogs.

Thinking about upgrading to 30 plus lb braid and slinging some flukes, lizards, and swimming some big floating worms.

 

Chime in and let me know what your approach would be to this watery jungle?

Thanks,

Reg

 

 

 

[Catt]

Flipping-n-pitching  ?

 

I wouldn't go light, I would go heavy

[fishballer06]

Without a kayak or wading, frogging and fluking sounds like a good approach. But I'm with @Catt, flipping/punching.

[Catt]

@ReggieT you in a boat or bank?

[Mr. Aquarium]

punch it, flip and pitch it and swimbaits!!!!!!!

 

[Deleted account]

I have a puddle like that. Frogs, buzz baits, t-rigs.

[Mobasser]

Looks like good t- rig worm fishing to me

[scaleface]

Several lures would fish that effectively .  You mentioned several . A weightless worm  fished on top of that duck-weed is my favorite way to  fish  that stuff. I use a big heavy offset flipping hook to add casting weight .

[RHuff]

I'd throw a double willow spinnerbait with a big swimbait as a trailer as a search option and then hit the cover hard by flipping a 3/8 oz jig/craw. If the grass was too thick to get the jig through I would go heavy weighted texas rig craw. If neither of those produced I'd throw a walking bait such as a BD Topwater or Strike King Sexy Dawg. If nothing then I'd slow down for a popper such as the Storm Cover Pop. 

 

Last resort I'd throw a weedless fluke or a weedless texas rigged worm dragged along the bottom. 

 

If there are active fish in there then it will hit one of those. If nothing bites I'd probably go eat a sandwich. 

[river-rat]

All of the options listed would be good choices and I wouldn't have a problem with using them.

 

Some of you may laugh at me but I can assure you I would have a 1/2 oz. Johnson Silver Minnow with some type of trailer to attack what I see in the pictures, especially if there chance at a really big fish. I've caught too many bass over the past 50+ years in such places on that bait to rule it out.

[Mike L]

8 hours ago, Catt said:

Flipping-n-pitching  ?

 

I wouldn't go light, I would go heavy

Ditto 

 

Also, I'd absolutely throw a weightless magnum speed worm across that stuff. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[RHuff]

I'm giving away my secrets now. Throw a floating stickbait similiar to a Bagley Bang-O-Lure and almost dead stick it on top. Make it flutter just a fraction, I'm talking only enough to produce rings and nothing more. Make it look like a stunned baitfish that is trying to move but cannot. Big bass will absolutely crush that thing, thinking it is a good sized meal with no effort to chase. 

[ReggieT]

7 hours ago, Catt said:

@ReggieT you in a boat or bank?

All bank...boats & all flotation devices are banned.

Wading is allowed, but there is the possibility of stepping into some 7-35 ft holes...which are supposedly sprinkled about..."where abouts UNKNOWN!"

An old codger ?told me yrs ago that his Pa had several wells on this property when he was a lad...they tried to fill them in before the buy out, but invariably left a few open!?? 

He said son, "You mess around and fall in one them, you'll wake up in eternity?, and yer folks'll never find ya, but you're grown---do what the hell you wanna do...but, I done told cha!"? LOL

A word to wise was sufficient for me...in this case!!! hahahahaha

Creepy thing was...I turned around after a few cast to ask him a question and he was GONE!!

Disappeared like a fart in the wind ?...that was the end of my fishing for the day!

2 hours ago, riverat said:

All of the options listed would be good choices and I wouldn't have a problem with using them.

 

Some of you may laugh at me but I can assure you I would have a 1/2 oz. Johnson Silver Minnow with some type of trailer to attack what I see in the pictures, especially if there chance at a really big fish. I've caught too many bass over the past 50+ years in such places on that bait to rule it out.

Hmm...a got a few ole big Johnson Silver Minnows gathering dust somewhere...hmm...THANKS!

[BassKicker619]

i'd love to get my kayak with depth finder in that place and locate those major contour changes and structure. Those holes could be a game changer.

 

In addition to a lot of the suggestions above, i'd throw a Spro Rat at dusk / dawn.

[ReggieT]

2 hours ago, BassKicker619 said:

i'd love to get my kayak with depth finder in that place and locate those major contour changes and structure. Those holes could be a game changer.

 

In addition to a lot of the suggestions above, i'd throw a Spro Rat at dusk / dawn.

I have no doubt those holes are "full of something"....??

That Spro Rat sounds like a winner!!

[Bankbeater]

Fishing from the bank I would go weightless with a senko, or a fluke.

[Catt]

Any approach rather from boat or bank should include topwater, mid-depth, & bottom techniques.

 

Difficulties with bank fishing includes

 

Access, how close the bank can you get?

 

How dense is the cover when you gain access?

 

How difficult will it be to get the bass out once hooked?

 

Those are just a starting point ?

[ReggieT]

11 hours ago, Catt said:

Any approach rather from boat or bank should include topwater, mid-depth, & bottom techniques.

 

Difficulties with bank fishing includes

 

Access, how close the bank can you get?

 

How dense is the cover when you gain access?

 

How difficult will it be to get the bass out once hooked?

 

Those are just a starting point ?

I concur...

[Catt]

@ReggieT while you have some beautiful pictures of your lake what's it look like at your feet & where ya gonna be casting.

[ReggieT]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

@ReggieT while you have some beautiful pictures of your lake what's it look like at your feet & where ya gonna be casting.

Thanks Catt,

If you'll look @ the 1st pic to right there is a place about 10 by 10 that is a great spot.

Right across the water on the other side is a spot about the same size, maybe a tad smaller.

You can also cast from the overpass where the water is spouting out from. 

It's really kinda limited...there are some other super tight spots, but the local water moccasins are kind of partial to em! ?

[Catt]

This picture?

 

There appears to be running water like a small spillway?

 

If that's so get your flipping-n-pitching stick out ?

[ReggieT]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

This picture?

 

There appears to be running water like a small spillway?

 

If that's so get your flipping-n-pitching stick out ?

Yep...the water around that area despite it's looks is about a ft deep and pretty clear...plenty of bream hanging round.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, ReggieT said:

Yep...the water around that area despite it's looks is about a ft deep and pretty clear...plenty of bream hanging round.

 

I would be flipping-n-pitching a bream colored jig or a Texas Rig with some type of bream imitation.

 

When bank fishing with limited areas to move I target everything within pitching distance & a few longer cast.

 

 

[jrwerner310]

6 minutes ago, Catt said:

when you pitch from the bank in clear water, what size weight on your texas rig do you use? 1/8?

 

 

 

[Catt]

@jrwerner310 depends of type of cover & density 

 

In the picture above I targeting holes in grass with 1/8-1/4 oz, if that's not producing I'll start punching the thicker stuff with a 3/4-1 oz.

 

I would do the same in @ReggieT lake ?