How would you fish this lake(?)

[DaubsNU1]

Wanahoo and Flanigan lakes in Eastern Nebraska are kinda similar. I am drawn to the standing timber straddling the creek channels. I have had my best luck fishing edge of creek channel near vegetation/weed bed edges. Weed beds are in 3-4 feet of water...creek channels drop to 12-16 feet. Water clarity is 1-2 feet, temps 72-77 degrees the past few weeks. 

 

At first light I'm throwing buzz-bait and spinner bait. Simple lead-head jig with white 3" twister tail has been good producer. Have caught a few on Slug-Go, Houdini shad, senko, and t-rigged 7" ribbon tail worm. Jig-n-craw hasn't produced. Tossed a frog but nothing.

 

Here are a few pics of Flanigan.  

 

Thoughts, suggestions?

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

Right now, while the water is still warm, the timber along the edges of the creek channel should still be good. A 10" worm or jig would be worth trying. Any good cover on the flats near the creek channel should hold fish also. Looks like a smaller lake so you should be able to cover a lot of it in a day and try several different types of baits in different areas.

[Teal]

I'm with Blue, 

[DaubsNU1]

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Right now, while the water is still warm, the timber along the edges of the creek channel should still be good. A 10" worm or jig would be worth trying. Any good cover on the flats near the creek channel should hold fish also. Looks like a smaller lake so you should be able to cover a lot of it in a day and try several different types of baits in different areas.

 

Thanks! I've tried a smaller 7" worm t-rigged, and pitched a jig-n-craw as near the trees as I can get...lots of moss and crap that keep hanging me up. No luck with either presentation. 

 

How close to the trees should I be getting?

 

Pitch in and let sink...twitch a few times...let sit...twitch a few more...then pull? 

 

Lake is 220 acres, opened in 2018. Last Saturday I worked the vegetation near the creek channels and boated 66 small bass between 9-13". They were hammering the white power grub on small lead head.

 

 

[Born 2 fish]

First thing I would do is crank a G2 shellcracker and bounce it off some of that timber. 

[scaleface]

I just looked that lake up on Google earth . Its loaded with cover . I would throw some spinnerbaits or buzzbaits and cover water . Try the banks and the timber . I like squarebills in timber but these trees still have all the little branches and cranks would be more trouble than they are worth .

[Big Rick]

A swim jig with a paddle tail trailer. It's less likely to hang up and be fished fast or slow. It's a great bait to cover water when you're fishing trees that are loaded with little limbs close to the water like your lake. They skip good as well, which can put your bait right in the basses face. Fish it as you wold a spinner bait with twitches that cause the skirt to flare out at times. Don't fish it like a jig and craw. You're representing a bait fish, not a crawdad.  Give them something they're not likely to see everyday. You didn't say how much fishing pressure this lake gets, but you gotta stand apart and that means doing things a bit differently. 

 

A weedless fluke is a good option as well, especially along that grass. 

[DaubsNU1]

16 minutes ago, Big Rick said:

A swim jig with a paddle tail trailer. It's less likely to hang up and be fished fast or slow. It's a great bait to cover water when you're fishing trees that are loaded with little limbs close to the water like your lake. They skip good as well, which can put your bait right in the basses face. Fish it as you wold a spinner bait with twitches that cause the skirt to flare out at times. Don't fish it like a jig and craw. You're representing a bait fish, not a crawdad.  Give them something they're not likely to see everyday. You didn't say how much fishing pressure this lake gets, but you gotta stand apart and that means doing things a bit differently. 

 

A weedless fluke is a good option as well, especially along that grass. 

 

Thanks Rick. I like the idea of a swimming jig with paddle tail.  I have caught a few on weedless fluke/houdini shad, unweighted with just a hook. Pitch it close to the trees and dead-stick it...then slight twitch.  

Lake is on outskirts of the metro area...tons of people and families walking the paved trail that goes around the entire lake. A small company rents stand up paddle boards and kayaks...lots of people on the lake...I counted 15+ paddle boarding on Saturday.

 

There is 5 MPH limit for outboard motors. I see between one and four boats fishing for bass when I'm there (lake also has crappie, bluegill and pike). They tend to work the weed beds, or the outside of the trees / shallow side of the tree lines, away from the deep channel. Most guys are throwing spinner baits and t-rigged plastics. They are covering lots of water...but don't seem to be catching much. I don't see anyone working the creek channels -- that's why I'm concentrating my efforts there. 

 

I also see between 4-5 guy fishing from kayaks every time. I've talked to a few of the kayak guys...very inexperienced, just got kayaks, trying to get out of the house due to COVID stuff.  They are throwing small crappie jigs. I've suggested worms, spinner baits and such. They are friendly and I'm willing to help a new fisherman get going.  

[Bankbeater]

I’d try a jig and craw, t-rigged plastic, or a crankbait. 

[Boomstick]

Since I see all that wood, I would try a spinnerbait, crankbait, and swim jig (or how many you can rig up at once) and then mop em up with a jig or a T-rig once you find where they're holed up (I usually go with an arky head jig around timber). With all that wood, I can't imagine you won't catch fish

[Sphynx]

Spinnerbait, jig or a T rig, that wood would be awfully hard to pass up, but dropping a t rigged craw/creature along the grass edge ought to produce too, plenty of good choices in water that good looking.

[lunkerboss923]

Squarebill in and around the flooded timber. I might use some flippin jig intermittently, as well. I would probably use some sort of topwater (hollow belly frog) by the vegetation. Those come to mind. 

[txchaser]

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Northland_Tackle_Weed-Wedge_Jig_2pk/descpage-NTWW.html

 

These might help with soft plastics in the weeds. 

There's enough forward weight to get a nose-down fall vs a swimbait hook. But enough of the weight distributed on the hook shank that it won't nose-in to the weeds. 
 

[Bluebasser86]

15 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

 

Thanks! I've tried a smaller 7" worm t-rigged, and pitched a jig-n-craw as near the trees as I can get...lots of moss and crap that keep hanging me up. No luck with either presentation. 

 

How close to the trees should I be getting?

 

Pitch in and let sink...twitch a few times...let sit...twitch a few more...then pull? 

 

Lake is 220 acres, opened in 2018. Last Saturday I worked the vegetation near the creek channels and boated 66 small bass between 9-13". They were hammering the white power grub on small lead head.

 

 

It just opened a couple years ago, does it have any larger fish in it or are they all small? If you're dealing with mostly smaller than 13" fish, then a 7" worm is probably a better option.

 

For standing, pole timber, I try to pitch right up against the trunk of the tree. With laydowns or bushier trees, I'll hit the outside edges first before pitching into the center of the tree.

[DaubsNU1]

13 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It just opened a couple years ago, does it have any larger fish in it or are they all small? If you're dealing with mostly smaller than 13" fish, then a 7" worm is probably a better option.

 

For standing, pole timber, I try to pitch right up against the trunk of the tree. With laydowns or bushier trees, I'll hit the outside edges first before pitching into the center of the tree.

Talked to a couple of guys who have landed 3-4 lb bass from this lake.

 

Appreciate advice on pitching to timber. 

13 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It just opened a couple years ago, does it have any larger fish in it or are they all small? If you're dealing with mostly smaller than 13" fish, then a 7" worm is probably a better option.

 

For standing, pole timber, I try to pitch right up against the trunk of the tree. With laydowns or bushier trees, I'll hit the outside edges first before pitching into the center of the tree.

Talked to a couple of guys who have landed 3-4 lb bass from this lake.

 

Appreciate advice on pitching to timber. 

[Phishtank]

Wanahoo. Park at the public access area on the east side.  Walk to the wood bridge and throw frogs in the evening.  Throwing out to to rocks is your best bet.   When the moss is present, punching straight down has caught me many bass from the bridge.    Just be aware of the huge frogs wanting to eat your bait!  

[Luke Barnes]

Just a thought, you could deep crank the channel and work the drop from the timer flats to the channel. Squarebill for shallower then deeper cranks to get down. Another idea ive heard is fish a whopper plopper right around the edges of the wood and try to call up bass that are holding on them. 

[the reel ess]

I know you said you got no bites on the jig. But I'm stubborn. I'd stick with the jig. I'd also go early or late and try topwaters.

[DaubsNU1]

I've been having some success fishing this lake...finally!  

 

Didn't fish this spring, as my boat was getting torn down and re-built. 

 

I switched to 10lb braid to 10lb Fluro leader on my spinning rods...and started throwing NED and weightless Senkos...and have been having good success.  

 

T-rigged worms and jigs are difficult to fish in this lake, as there is lots of grass and moss, especially around the trees. 

 

Caught a few on chrome crank bait, mainly near the dam and rip-rap. Spinnerbaits have yielded a big fat zero so far. 

 

NED in green-pumpkin has been the go-to. Green pumpkin weightless Senko with 3/0 hook does well pitched close to trees, or even skipped under branches. Even caught a few Pike on this set up...and probably lost a few to the toothy predators. I'm positioning my boat in 9-10 feet of water, working the edges of weed beds, or edge of trees. I have moved down the creek channels (12-18ft deep) and pitched towards the trees (8-10ft deep), and had good success that way. 

 

Pretty new lake, so most bass are under 12".  I have landed a few 2 and 3 lb bass.

 

My brother boated a 9 lb Pike in June.