Blowdowns

[Mobasser]

On one of the small lakes I fish, we have a new blowdown this spring. This is an old willow tree, which has toppled over and fallen into the water. Not a weeping willow, but what we always called a pond willow. Most all the branches are near the top, the trunk coming out from the bank, I'm guessing 30 ft. Many old bass fishing books would teach to work the outer cover( branches) first, then work inward closer to the bank,and along the trunk itself, so as to not spook any fish on the outside edges of the cover first. In your opinion, is this still the best way? What's your approach for fishing the large trees, which have fallen in the water? This one looks especially good, because the branches are laying over water that is about 10ft deep. What's your preferred method for fishing this scenario?

[Mike L]

The first thing I always do is throw a t rig at the base of the tree a foot or 2 off the bank. 
Then start on the outside working my way in hitting as many limbs that are exposed as I can. 
 

One thing, the shallower the water the longer I’ll stay and really pick it apart. 

The deeper it is I’ll move on sooner. 
 

 

 

 

Mike
 

 

 

 

 

[scbassin]

Yes. I always fish the front to the back. If you catch a fish a fish in the back 1st, The fight getting it to the boat is libel to spook any fish that might be there. Especially if the fish your fighting gets tangled up in a limb on the way out & you need to move to get a better angle to land the one you have hooked.

[Fishes in trees]

I don't think that there is a right or wrong way, just different guys have different ideas on where to start.  You're probably going to fish this lake more than once this summer so try different approaches.  Me - I ask myself the question, "which spot looks best?" and then I'll throw at that spot.   If I get bit I tell myself there might be another fish there and throw back to the same spot.  If I don't I'll probably throw to a slightly different spot.  Throw til it is time to move on - then maybe come back later.

[Black Hawk Basser]

I like to run something like a spinnerbait or chatterbait down the length of the blowdown to see if any aggressive fish come out and smack it.  After doing that a few times, I then start to pick it apart more with a jig or T-Rig from the outside-in.

[Log Catcher]

If it still has a lot of greenery on it I probably wouldn't fish it. Saw a story a long time ago that fresh fallen trees could put out a lot of sap or other chemicals into the water which would run fish away from it.

After it had died out I would fish the outside areas with a crankbait or spinnerbait. Then work my way in with a soft plastic or a jig.

 

[Bird]

I always start outside limbs, weightless Senko or texas.

Any submerged timber gets a spinnerbait. 

[WRB]

This isn't a classic blowdown with a main trunk and big branches it's more like fishing brush. Willow branches are like snagging wire and not easy to get lures through.

I would carefully fish the edges before fishing a good weedless jig or lighter weight punch type rig into the branches. 

Tom

[BigAngus752]

11 hours ago, Mike L said:

One thing, the shallower the water the longer I’ll stay and really pick it apart. 

The deeper it is I’ll move on sooner. 

This is totally seasonal for me.  If the tree starts at the bank and falls all the way to 9ft of water the location of the fish changes with the season and the sun.  

[Catt]

I don't care if it's a blow blowdown, a laydown, a reed patch, or pad field. 

 

I always start at casting distance away, then pitching distance, & then flipping distance.

[scaleface]

I almost always start at the oustside then work my way in .Sometimes though the boat is line up just right to make that perfect presentation    inside , then I'll take advantage of it ..

[Bankbeater]

I will start by casting a t-rig just outside the thickest tangle of branches that I can find.