How and where and with what to fish my area? Help

[IneedAnewScreenName-98161861]

Hey y'all,

 

I just wanted to jump on here and get some people's opinions on fishing my waters right now. Seems my most favorite style of working a frog any and everywhere isn't producing for me anymore. 

 

So if you look at the picture I live at the first bend of where a pretty big (for this lake) river opens and flows into the main lake. Very rarely does the water push from the main lake into the river. It's nothing but Lily's and cheese now on either side. With submergent weeds everywhere else. It's very shallow water. I'd say 6-10 foot at the deepest middle point of the river channel, and up near shore on either side 1-3 feet. The water is clear but also kinda that tea stained stuff and the bottom is super gunky/silt and soft. Like if the water looks to be 1 foot in depth if you stood in it you'd probably sink another foot or so into the muck. 

 

So far this year I've been smashing them on a frog. Usually my bites are on the weed edge or isolated lily clumps. But now the weeds have really grown in and the only open water is down the middle of the river, what was once open pockets in the Lilly's has now been filled by cheese type of stuff. We also have had insanely hot and humid days of late and little rain in weeks. But just the other day we had a front move in and blow out the humidity so we have had 2 or 3 cooler nights that I'm wondering if it's changed things up? 

 

There used to be tons of bluegill hanging around especially off my dock and the surrounding area. I still see a few but with the weed growth it's hard to tell if they are still about or not. I can still hear some areas of Lilly's "popping" so I think still might have some about. 

 

Anyways I've tried alot of different stuff but the weeds and Lilly's are so abundant that I can't really get much other then a frog or Texas rig in there. What do y'all think?

[txchaser]

Chatterbait and a keitech drug through the channels. Chatterbait often will pull them out of the weeds, sometimes takes a few casts. 

 

If you haven't tried a popping frog, consider that. Or slowing way way down with the regular frog. 

 

And a punch rig if you need it to get through the weeds, otherwise a pegged beaver/bug on a t-rig. 

If you have a mat, moving the bait around just under the mat is sometimes the deal. 

[IneedAnewScreenName-98161861]

On 8/12/2022 at 10:30 PM, txchaser said:

Chatterbait and a keitech drug through the channels. Chatterbait often will pull them out of the weeds, sometimes takes a few casts. 

 

If you haven't tried a popping frog, consider that. Or slowing way way down with the regular frog. 

 

And a punch rig if you need it to get through the weeds, otherwise a pegged beaver/bug on a t-rig. 

If you have a mat, moving the bait around just under the mat is sometimes the deal. 

Thanks for your thoughts. 

Chatterbait hasn't really worked well for me. Plus even in the channel there's big weed clumps so it's not really great. Just get hung up constantly. 

 

Tried every frog you can think of and it was working well but I'd say in the last 2-3 weeks that bite just died off.

 

I only have access to like a 12 foot little tinner, so it's not the easiest to flip or punch with cause I don't have a trolling motor so it's super annoying to drop the anchor and pull the anchor every 5mins. But yea all good suggestions and I'll keep at em I guess!

[CrashVector]

7 minutes ago, IneedAnewScreenName-98161861 said:

Thanks for your thoughts. 

Chatterbait hasn't really worked well for me. Plus even in the channel there's big weed clumps so it's not really great. Just get hung up constantly. 

 

Tried every frog you can think of and it was working well but I'd say in the last 2-3 weeks that bite just died off.

 

I only have access to like a 12 foot little tinner, so it's not the easiest to flip or punch with cause I don't have a trolling motor so it's super annoying to drop the anchor and pull the anchor every 5mins. But yea all good suggestions and I'll keep at em I guess!

 

It's the middle of summer.  The bite is tough everywhere right now.

 

With that much grass, by this time of year, a lot of it is in decline, which eats up the oxygen in the water as well.

 

You have to search out the spots with healthy grass, deeper areas, or areas with current.

 

This time of year, I really like the 4" powerbait pit boss on a 3/0 EWG with a 1/8oz pegged weight.  Bama bug color.

 

Pitch it right along healthy weed edges, or cast it parallel to them and work it back slow in short hops...and hang on to your rod.

[IneedAnewScreenName-98161861]

Thanks for all the help guys. 

 

I try working a TR along the edge maybe that might work. 

 

I just tied a fluke on yesterday so I'll give that a go as well. 

 

I always have a senko on deck even tho I hate fishing like that lol but it always produces!

[Bankbeater]

Back in mid June it started to get hot and humid here.  I would catch maybe one bass a trip on top, but for the most part the bite on top died out.  I'd look for structure on the bottom under the vegetation and punch down to it.  Also look for where different vegetation comes together.  In one lake I have lilypads mixed in with water willows with coontail growing underneath.