Any tips for patiently dragging plastics in cold clear water?

[snake95]

I don't have a lot of patience for slow fishing plastics. 

 

But when I have mustered the patience, sometimes I have been rewarded with decent bites.

 

For example, I have "accidentally" let small grubs sit on the bottom, and then when I impart the slightest twitch, the grub gets slammed.

 

I am trying to learn more about fishing plastics in cold clear ponds, where I assume bass will be less prone to strike something unnatural like a plastic lure.

 

Looking for confidence in this method by first hearing that this is a viable method (or maybe I should be sticking with trying for reaction strikes). What is your success ratio slow fishing plastics in cold clear ponds, e.g.:

 

Shakey head with worm

OR

Slow dragging a light Carolina rig

OR

Just slow fishing a drop shot?

 

What baits do you like for this kind of fishing? 

 

Thanks for any encouragement on slowing down and suggestions for baits to try.

 

 

[WRB]

Slip shot rig.

Several detailed replies, see deep C-rig thread on this page.

Tom

[Catt]

4 hours ago, snake95 said:

where I assume bass will be less prone to strike something unnatural like a plastic lure.

 

Where ya learn that?

 

The #1 most productive lure ever invented is the plastic worm.

 

1/8 oz bullet weight, 3/0 straight shank hook, & a 6" hooktail worm like a Mister Twister Phenom Worm.

[snake95]

5 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Where ya learn that?

 

The #1 most productive lure ever invented is the plastic worm.

 

1/8 oz bullet weight, 3/0 straight shank hook, & a 6" hooktail worm like a Mister Twister Phenom Worm.

Catt - I misstated this badly.  That's the internet for you.

Experience, plus you and others on this site have taught me well that plastics are great baits for a reason.  Unnatural is the absolutely wrong choice of words.

I guess what I was trying to say is my confidence with moving plastics is strong.  With slow crawling plastics, not so strong and my natural instinct is that in clear and cold water a plastic needs to at least act alive to be appealing.  I think what you are saying is that plastic worms are the ticket, even for this condition, and since you put it that way I will give 'em a shot.

 

 

[Catt]

@snake95 Our water temperatures are presently in the lower 60s & one of the hottest lure from now until Spawn is lipless crankbaits.

 

Don't be fooled into think ya gotta fish slow in cold water.

[snake95]

1 minute ago, Catt said:

Don't be fooled into think ya gotta fish slow in cold water.

@Catt OK, appreciate it and so noted.  I guess the ponds are in the mid to high 40's here in north GA, and my best success in recent weeks has been on a plain old silver Mepps Aglia or silver buddy.  They've been nailing the Mepps like there is plenty of life left in them.  

[MickD]

Neds in very clear water work well, no action need be imparted.  Talking SMB.

[GreenPig]

snake95 mid to high 40's?  I'm in mid Georgia and we're at 58-60 right now. I'm fishing a short drop drop shot, Ned, shakey head, blade bait, jig, and a jigging spoon. We only got down to 47 degrees surface temp last year here. It's hard to beat a spoon when it's in the 40's.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

You want something suspended IMO.  Something that will sit there in that fish's face for a good minute or 5.  Shakyhead or a Ned rig would be my choice if they are on the bottom because the bait sticks up and literally shaking in the cold will be enough movement.  If they are suspended anything weightless and not salted should work, you want it to be as buoyant as possible.  I would also go for the biggest profile you can go with, like a 7" worm or a larger swimbait.  suspended jerkbaits and cranks work really well because you can twitch it in front of the fish's face.  Bass will tend to go for a bigger meal during these times as it will give them more energy, as long as the meal is easy to get.  Like I said you may have to dangle it in front of the fish for 5 minutes, maybe 10, maybe 15, maybe an hour.  Patience is the key to this door....

[NHBull]

A 10 MG Valium should do the trick ?

[scaleface]

Patience and confidence is needed . That is all . They all work . I like to go small in cold water just to get bites   . One of the largest bass I ever caught was in cold ice-out water while dragging a crappie   jig ,  just trying to catch something .

[primetime]

One of my favorite ways to fish ponds in the winter, without having to fish as slow, is to rig a 4" sluggo or one of the smaller zoom flukes on a 1/16 oz darter head with open hook or use one with a weed guard, although I don't like weed guards. Usually once you find one fish, you will be able to catch more in the same area.  I like to cast it on light spinning tackle, and let it slowly flutter to bottom, then let it soak for a bit, and just slowly lift and drop and then pay attention when you get a strike, either while sitting on bottom, a foot or two off when lifting or dropping etc....

 

If I want to stay mostly on bottom, I will simply throw on a small split shot, or just rig up a small bullet weight with two bobber stops and then just slowly reel or twitch a small 4" stick worm, zoom finesse worm, or a great bait in ponds is the small Zoom critter craws. Of course a Ned rig and small worm or craw will always work. Same with a finesse swimbait.

 

I would also think a light wacky rig would work well, or simply fish a senko slow with or without weight. Casting and slowly reeling a grub on a light jib head or texas rig is never a bad idea. Seems to work all year round. Sometimes pond fish will get more aggressive in the afternoon if sunny, will be able to actually fish a bit faster than you think.....

[Mobasser]

I fish a pond each year untill it finally freezes over. I use 4" plastic worms, and 3" or 4" plastic grubs, and fish them slow near bottom with a slow lift drop retrieve. As has been said, on sunny days, sometimes you can throw smaller spinnerbaits, or lipless baits with good results.

[snake95]

14 hours ago, GreenPig said:

snake95 mid to high 40's?  I'm in mid Georgia and we're at 58-60 right now.

@GreenPig yep I blew it, meant to say mid to high 50's, and maybe I was sandbagging a bit.  Good point.  Thanks for the ideas.

[Mobasser]

I bank fish one pond in winter. I fish from the dam, and the rocks along the dam help warm the water on sunny days. If you can locate the first drop off or shelf within casting distance this can be a good spot. Fan cast the area, and fish slower than you normally would. A SK Bitsy Bug jig is a good cold water jig. Sharpen the hook good, and use a smaller chunk, or other trailer. A 3" piece of plastic worm threaded on can work good. I've had a few fish follow this one in, and hit closer to the bank too. Same with grubs, and smaller light T rigs.

[senile1]

1 hour ago, snake95 said:

@GreenPig yep I blew it, meant to say mid to high 50's, and maybe I was sandbagging a bit.  Good point.  Thanks for the ideas.

If your water temperature is mid to high 50s you have plenty of options available to you - fast moving and slow moving lures - depending on recent weather trends and what the bass are wanting that day.  Lure selection can become a little more limited when water reaches the 30s to 40s, though on any given day the bass can surprise you.  

[snake95]

9 minutes ago, senile1 said:

Lure selection can become a little more limited when water reaches the 30s to 40s

Appreciate the input.  The cooler, late fall weather has me thinking about what I am going to do when the water temps really do dip down into the 30's and 40's, as our air has been lately.  The bass are harder for me to find and catch from the bank in the ponds these days, and I know it will get tougher still.  I am hoping this year to have more success at figuring them out in winter than I have in the past.

[TnRiver46]

Dead sticking a weightless fluke can be very effective as well 

[frogflogger]

On 11/29/2019 at 5:38 PM, MickD said:

Neds in very clear water work well, no action need be imparted.  Talking SMB.

Yep I try to give them little or no movement - the shaky hands of an old man is all the action needed. This has been effective for me into the high 30's. The zman stuff floats up and moves no matter what.

[snake95]

On 11/30/2019 at 10:46 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Dead sticking a weightless fluke can be very effective as well 

Very interesting.  I have had this experience by accident when fishing during hot summer GA weather.  Have had bass pick up flukes sitting on the bottom.  

 

I assume you mean just rig on an EWG, toss in the general area where they might be suspended, and just wait patiently?

 

 

[TnRiver46]

12 minutes ago, snake95 said:

Very interesting.  I have had this experience by accident when fishing during hot summer GA weather.  Have had bass pick up flukes sitting on the bottom.  

 

I assume you mean just rig on an EWG, toss in the general area where they might be suspended, and just wait patiently?

 

I

Indeed! Works for suspended fish summer and winter. And if its shallow it can work on the bottom like you described. I still twitch it but not much 

[DogBone_384]

It’s pretty well said already.

 

Best I can offer is cut your coffee intake.

[lo n slo]

On 11/29/2019 at 8:15 PM, NHBull said:

A 10 MG Valium should do the trick ?

you big dummy ?

[Fishes in trees]

Regarding the suggestion of the 10 mg of Valium - I'd suggest something more herbal.  On the need to go slow, I'd say maybe yes, maybe no.    I remember back in my bank bound meat fishing days, late into the fall and very early spring, right after ice out - speed was often the ticket.

My plan was to be as close to the bottom as possible without getting hung up in the muck & stuff that likely was present.  A Mann's Little George worked sometimes -  take that half ounce chunk of lead with the tail spinner - chuck it as far as you could & bring it back as fast as you could, keeping it as deep as you could without getting hung up.  Sometimes a 1/4 or 3/8 oz ball head jig with a 3" curly tail grub - white or purple or chartreuse worked better.

Or you could try "polishing the bottom" with a Brewer Slider head.

[MN Fisher]

3 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

Regarding the suggestion of the 10 mg of Valium - I'd suggest something more herbal.

Valarian Root Tea.