Bumping baits in cover

[Mobasser]

I fish a lake weekly with a big hydrilla growth. It's been coming on for a few years now, and this season it's the thickest I've seen it. I use plastic worm much of the time here. I almost always chose a straight tail worm, usually a Zoom Trick Worm, Roboworm, or Mann's Jelly worm, because I figured they would always come through this cover better than other styles. Recently I put on a Zoom U Tail worm, Texas rigged, and fished it in the thick weeds. As I retrieved slowly along the bottom, it was obvious the tail of this bait was hooking around weed stalks. I caught 3 bass on 3 consecutive cast when the tail became hooked on the weeds, lightly jiggling the worm to free the bait. These 3 strikes were solid, a much harder " tap" than the usual very light hits I normally get on this lake. I'm not sure if the shaking of my rod to free the worm caused these harder hits, or the action of this worm? Either way it worked. I know many folks like to bump hard baits, lipped crankbaits, and lipless baits into wood cover also. I have caught a few bass doing this too. Of course I've snagged and lost baits also. Do you normally fish curly tails in the weed cover, or opt for a straight tail worm, especially in hydrilla? What's your choice? It goes to show that even after all these years at bass fishing, you can always learn something. It was an eye opener for me.

 

 

 

 

[J Francho]

I've noticed this too.  It happens on a drop shot - I've actually seen it - where the sinker gets caught and you pull the line taught and jiggle it free.  Once it snaps free, the bait shooting triggers a strike.  Some guy take advantage of this by "stroking" a jig, which is adding short, hard jerks, straight up with the rod to get the same reaction.

[Choporoz]

Seven inch SKRT Thumper is generally my first choice for getting down in the weeds.  Even though it's 7", it's very slender and pretty finesse-y.  Typically, with 1/16 mojo -style weight, or a 1/16 (sometimes 1/8) Slider Snagless Pro.

[WRB]

Shaking the rod tip into slightly slack line is a trigger for both worms and jigs.

Tom

[fishballer06]

32 minutes ago, WRB said:

Shaking the rod tip into slightly slack line is a trigger for both worms and jigs.

Tom

Works great for making your jig trailer dance around without really moving the jig too

[Catt]

Sometimes ya gotta raise a little commotion!

 

99.95% of the time I'm fishing some kind of vegetation. 

 

Many anglers work extremely hard trying to make "silent" entry with their cast/flip/pitch/punch, I on the other hard find a certain amount of "noise" is acceptable within reason.

 

Many anglers work extremely hard trying work the T-rig cleanly through vegetation by pegging it. I fish un-pegged Texas Rigs in vegetation because it kinda tangles in the sparse outer weed line that I'm targeting. I simply shake the rod tip while applying a certain amount of pressure till my T-rig works free.

 

I throw a ribbon tail worms in grass because i want the commotion it creates. I throw Zoom's Mag II or Ragetail's Anaconda.

 

[Mobasser]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

Sometimes ya gotta raise a little commotion!

 

99.95% of the time I'm fishing some kind of vegetation. 

 

Many anglers work extremely hard trying to make "silent" entry with their cast/flip/pitch/punch, I on the other hard find a certain amount of "noise" is acceptable within reason.

 

Many anglers work extremely hard trying work the T-rig cleanly through vegetation by pegging it. I fish un-pegged Texas Rigs in vegetation because it kinda tangles in the sparse outer weed line that I'm targeting. I simply shake the rod tip while applying a certain amount of pressure till my T-rig works free.

 

I throw a ribbon tail worms in grass because i want the commotion it creates. I throw Zoom's Mag II or Ragetail's Anaconda.

 

Catt, this is exactly what I was doing. I kept thinking get this bait smoothly through the weeds, with no tangles. The hook tail worm was catching on these weed stems- I could feel it. When I shook the rod tip to free the bait, the bass hit. One of these three fish really popped it, much harder than I expected. I'm glad I tried the hook tail worm in this cover now.

[Catt]

Baitfish like the bass live in grass & are usually quite until something spooks them. 

 

That worm popping free gives the impression something is fleeing & to a bass the only thing that flees is food.

 

And I do the same with a jig in grass ?

Edited October 16, 2019 by Catt
Operator Error

[Harold Scoggins]

3 hours ago, Catt said:

Sometimes ya gotta raise a little commotion!

Especially when you want attention. Well said @Catt.

[lo n slo]

8 hours ago, J Francho said:

I've noticed this too.  It happens on a drop shot - I've actually seen it - where the sinker gets caught and you pull the line taught and jiggle it free.  Once it snaps free, the bait shooting triggers a strike.  Some guy take advantage of this by "stroking" a jig, which is adding short, hard jerks, straight up with the rod to get the same reaction.

sometimes i like to really rip a worm up off the bottom when i‘m working down a deeper slope, or dock poles for example. i always have to remind myself to give a slight lift before ripping it up just in case a fish has taken it in. it’s easy to get lazy when the bite is slow and rip the worm away from a fish that has finally taken it.

[Derek1]

Yup, good things happen wiggling through the weeds. I think your line also moves the weeds around a bit in front of the bait drawing attention to the area your bait is about to pop into.