The Skunk Buster

[rgasr63]

This time of the year right after all of the spawning we sometimes find a couple days where the fish are very sluggish to bite. My last 2 outings have started out this way. I went thru several different techniques to just get a bite. I found a little curl tail worm and the slow steady retrieve the Charlie Brewer method quickly ended getting skunked that day. So what would be your Skunk Buster?

[BrianMDTX]

5” Senko weightless TR. If I cant get one bite on that, I’m doomed. 

[ghost]

Bass Pro Shops, The Egg shallow Crankbait, either size. Waked or cranked shallow just over the weed beds.

[Deleted account]

A weightless or 1/16 oz t-rigged trick worm.

[the reel ess]

5 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

A weightless or 1/16 oz t-rigged trick worm.

Or the smaller 4" finesse worm. This is actually my go-to when I can't buy a bite. I'll make a very light C-rig using 1/8 to 3/16 oz. bullet weight.

 

I've been avoiding the skunk pretty well with a Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm watermelon/black flake. I got some fish to take it on top, weightless. I've gotten others to take it subsurface with either a 1/16 or 1/8 oz weight. It's just something they haven't seen much of. It doesn't spook them in shallow water like a hardbait or spinnerbait can. It's great in weedy areas. I've also used it on a shaky head. Caught a 6 pounder last summer with that rig, but nothing yet this year.

[TOXIC]

4 inch Senko on a Ned rig.  

[casts_by_fly]

I'm not a finesse guy.  I don't have the patience to dead stick a bait.  So for me, a chatterbait is my de-skunker.  I'll fish it from 45 degree water until the water is 45 degrees again.  Burn it across the top, slow roll it on the bottom, yo-yo it, rip it through grass, or pitch it just like a jig.  You can cover a LOT of water if you have a big area or you can fish it tight in small places.  If there is any kind of grass around you're golden.  Since all of our lakes here are grass lakes its become my go to.

[Darth-Baiter]

gah.  I almost dont even want to say....

 

1/16 or 1/8th bullet worm weight, 1/0 finesse worm hook, and a Z-Man TRD Finesse.  it is crazy what that tiny thing pulls out of the water.  with the 1/8th, I can just cast it with my Shimano 150MGL.  the stickbait adds heft for sure.  

[CM-fisher]

Wacky rigged or TX rigged senko, or maybe a zoom finesse worm on a shakey head

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

Or the smaller 4" finesse worm.

That's break glass territory right there...

[ironbjorn]

If all else fails, if I can't get bit on a 1/4 oz lipless, a Wacky Senko, or a Ned Rig, that's when I know to stay locked inside the house for a week so I don't die because my luck will have fallen to an all time low.

[PhishLI]

Treat it as a dragging bait and slow creep a 5" watermelon seed SK caffeine shad on the bottom or through anything else. Everything in the lake will hit its bulbous tail, and bass will suck it in.

[the reel ess]

4 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Treat it as a dragging bait and slow creep a 5" watermelon seed SK caffeine shad on the bottom or through anything else. Everything in the lake will hit its bulbous tail, and bass will suck it in.

Weightless?

[Darth-Baiter]

2 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Weightless?

I bet weighted.  that is a floating bait if I remember right.  

[rgasr63]

40 minutes ago, MN_Bassin24 said:

Wacky rigged or TX rigged senko, or maybe a zoom finesse worm on a shakey head

I had tried a senko style bait wacky and Texas rig. Before I went to my curl tail slow dragging. I couldn't catch a cold with it then. I used the trick worm it is about 3rd level in my bag of techniques weightless and shaky head. But the wacky rig is my normal go to. A ned rig I can't get going where I was at. There is a lot of algae and grass. I want to thank everyone for sharing it sharpens up my methods for the next go round 

[LrgmouthShad]

Right now, oddly enough, it’s a spinnerbait regardless of conditions. Of course, my confidence with them is already through the roof, but down South they have at times been very “on” or “off” baits. Not so right now. I think the reason is a combination of the lake I am fishing (ton of shad and shallow grass) and because I finally overcame my aversion to willow leaf blades maybe a month ago. Caught four more keepers today while everybody on the way back to the ramp was telling me the bite had been real slow. 

[LrgmouthShad]

5 hours ago, rgasr63 said:

This time of the year right after all of the spawning we sometimes find a couple days where the fish are very sluggish to bite. My last 2 outings have started out this way. I went thru several different techniques to just get a bite. I found a little curl tail worm and the slow steady retrieve the Charlie Brewer method quickly ended getting skunked that day. So what would be your Skunk Buster?

Bottom worm setup… is that a spider head? 

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Right now, oddly enough, it’s a spinnerbait regardless of conditions. Of course, my confidence with them is already through the roof, but down South they have at times been very “on” or “off” baits. Not so right now. I think the reason is a combination of the lake I am fishing (ton of shad and shallow grass) and because I finally overcame my aversion to willow leaf blades maybe a month ago. Caught four more keepers today while everybody on the way back to the ramp was telling me the bite had been real slow. 

I even fish double willow blades in the winter.

 

I also have busted the skunk with a small lizard.

[LrgmouthShad]

Just now, the reel ess said:

I even fish double willow blades in the winter.

Woah… hold on… let’s not get ahead of ourselves here… I’m taking baby steps. TWO willow blades?! My goodness, that will take time ?. I’ve made it to Indiana/willow and colorado/willow. 
 

Willow blades aren’t magical or anything, but I think they suit my conditions well right now. 
 

 

[Bankbeater]

BPS 3" Stik-O.

[MAN]

I go small to bust getting skunked....usually a Road Runner.   

[rgasr63]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Bottom worm setup… is that a spider head? 

Yes it is a the spider head from Charlie Brewer.

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Weightless?

Yes.

3 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I bet weighted.  that is a floating bait if I remember right.  

No. Weightless. It's the opposite of a floating bait. Very dense. You can chuck them a mile on casting gear rigged weightless. Looks great on the fall. Once it hits the bottom you can treat it in a number of ways. It's up to you. Dragged slowly the tail with kick up a bit. Like I said, everything tries to eat it down there. With the hooks shown below its very weedless. Throw them where you'd like and fish them how you'd like. Like a traditional fluke, or whatever. Super versatile bait, and they like it. The Owner Twistlock Light 5/0 and 6/0 are more like a traditional long shank round bend, not an EWG. Helps the bait to come through slop and cover nicely.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_KVD_Perfect_Plastic_Caffeine_Shad_5_8pk/descpage-SKPCS.html

 

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Woah… hold on… let’s not get ahead of ourselves here… I’m taking baby steps. TWO willow blades?! My goodness, that will take time ?. I’ve made it to Indiana/willow and colorado/willow. 
 

Willow blades aren’t magical or anything, but I think they suit my conditions well right now. 
 

 

I like to keep things simple so I don't have to buy 10 of every bait. My favorite is a double gold willow leave 3/8 oz. in gold shiner pattern. It gets bitten even in muddy, cold water. The double willows are like a single Colorado in terms of drag, slowing the bait down. I have a few others, but rarely fish them. 

[FishTank]

5in wacky rigged senko in black with blue flake or green pumpkin black flake.