Shakey Heads and Finesse from a Boat

[Shillelagh3]

OK, y'all be gentle because I'm a little slow because I overthink everything.

So, here goes:  Over the weekend I went bass fishing on a boat for the first time.  I always use a spinning rod and I only fish finesse--shakey head, Ned Rig, Drop shot, Senko, and wacky rig.  I also fish Texas rigs a bit.  I'm used to fishing from a bank, so while we were fishing on the boat, my buddy who owned and piloted it kept the trolling motor going constantly and we never stopped anywhere.  I was on the back deck and I'd cast out my shakey head and let it sink, but the moving boat kept taking out the slack on my line and my presentations were not subtle at all.  When I'd twitch it, it'd bound from place to place and I didn't know if I just didn't know what I was doing or if there's a better way to fish finesse on a moving boat.  He and my son were fishing spinner baits and other appropriate lures for a baitcaster, so it had no effect on their game.  Am I being ridiculous or am I right in thinking I was trying to do the impossible?  Thanks!

[Alex from GA]

You are right.  I fish a Texas rigged finesse worm a lot and move the boat really slowly.  If I'm with someone that is fishing a moving bait and moving the boat constantly I'll also fish with a moving bait.  

[Deephaven]

If you want to fish clean up in the back behind some moving lures I would change to a jig/tube or other fast falling presentation and solely pitch/cast to spots where you hope to get a reaction strike.  Great target practice and a lot of fun, but no time to "retrieve" a slow lure behind a couple burners. Plenty of time to cast and drop to targets though.

[biggin]

Drop shot with shad or billed crank or glide bait. 

[GRiver]

Yep I agree with @Alex from GA , switch to a different style of fishing. You gotta match the way the boat being run. I like a wobble head jig with a creature bait, it’s more kinda of a swim bait kinda thing, you can still bounce off the bottom, just faster paced.

[TOXIC]

I am doing a series of 3 articles for Yamamoto’s Inside Line online blog called “From The Back Deck” that goes into a lot of the different adjustments you have to make fishing on the back deck.  With a guide/In a tournament/Fun fishing.  You fish the same baits as me and if your front ended won’t pause long enough to allow you to work your baits as intended (common courtesy) then you have no choice but to switch to moving baits.  Your only other option is to cast ahead of the boat to give your bait time to work but with 3 in the boat that’s not possible. 

[casts_by_fly]

4 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I am doing a series of 3 articles for Yamamoto’s Inside Line online blog called “From The Back Deck” that goes into a lot of the different adjustments you have to make fishing on the back deck.  With a guide/In a tournament/Fun fishing.  You fish the same baits as me and if your front ended won’t pause long enough to allow you to work your baits as intended (common courtesy) then you have no choice but to switch to moving baits.  Your only other option is to cast ahead of the boat to give your bait time to work but with 3 in the boat that’s not possible. 

 

Will you be able to post those here when they are published?  

[Bankc]

Fishing from a moving boat is a lot like fishing in the wind, in that you have to adjust your presentation to the conditions.  It may not be ideal and may not be the conditions your most comfortable with, but it's the better angler that adapts to what they're given, rather than forces what they want.  

[TOXIC]

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

Will you be able to post those here when they are published?  

I will comment when they are put up but won’t link to them in order to comply with the no promotion rule. 
 

Here’s another example where even if you are all fishing the same baits, multiple anglers in a single boat can be a challenge.  On my last trip to Headwaters Lake in Florida, we had 3 anglers in a 20 foot Ranger.  We were fishing grass lines  and scattered grass clumps.  With 2 good anglers who were friends in front of me, I had very limited fishing angles and targets that weren’t already fished thoroughly.  My solution…..I threw a weightless Senko behind the boat and in open areas the other two were not hitting.  I was catching some quality fish. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Early in the year before theres a whole lot of grass, a SH is a good choice IMO.  As lily pads come in and vegetation starts to fill in I go with a T rig or mojo rig.  A T rig gives has similar look to a SH, its just more weedless.

Using the lightest weight possible is important.  Local water is shallow so I get away with 1/16 or 3/32 90% of the time with a SH.  With a T rig I go a little heavier, an unpegged 1/8-3/16 most of the time.  Most of the time a bite comes on the fall or as the SH starts to pendulum back when you fish from the bank anyway IME.  Ill throw it to the best peice of cover slightly ahead of me and either let it sink or take up enough line to get tension and let the bait pendulum, al,most like im swimming it.  In either case I shake it once or twice (depending on how much time I have) and if I dont get bit I do it all over again.  Theres a seam or transition under the boat or no good targets for a distance ill let it drag behind the boat a little bit.  A ned rig is ideal for this too, although I feel can fish a SH or T rig more efficiently then a ned rig when the boat is moving faster.  Ive had a lot of days where Ive caught a limit and my buddy up front has struggled to get bit at all.  

There is a cutoff though.  Ideally you want to be under 3kts for it to work the best and 2kts seem to be perfect.  Once you get over 3.5kts it becomes inefficient, you can still catch fish, theres just a whole lot of space that you're missing between casts.  

[paulmandude]

A small Swimbait is finesse ?

[thediscochef]

I had the same experience my first time on a boat fishing for black bass. Me, in the back, with my spinning gear. That was the day I was sold on the baitcaster and my first time using one. Wound up tossing a c rig all day and then getting the boat's big fish at the very end. When you're used to fishing downsized baits on the shore it's a totally different experience with different habits. Basically forces you to either speak up or try something new

[TnRiver46]

It all depends on how well you know the man running the trolling motor………

 

 

if he’s your pal for 30 years tell him to slow the heck down. If you just met him, take your medicine and see if you can catch ‘em however possible 

[Catt]

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

if he’s your pal for 30 years tell him to slow the heck down.

 

Or 

 

 

[casts_by_fly]

Target casting behind two guys who are target casting isn't going to be a fun day, especially if the guys in the front are actually good at what they are doing.  Going down the bank casting to logs, docks, rocks, etc has a specific set of targets that everyone is going to cast to.  If the trolling motor is on constant, fishing something slow behind them is going to be a tough day like you found.  Options:

 

1- if you're friends, ask them to slow down.  Its not easy to fish a fast moving bait in the front and a slow bait in the back.  The guy fishing the fast bait will make 4x the number of casts on the same targets as you will.  But you can do it.  Or if you're just casually fishing he might make half that and just slow himself down and take breaks. 

2- fish faster.  A heavy jig or texas rig throw into the same spot a spinnerbait gets thrown into is a very different look for the fish.  Cast it in, two hops on the bottom, reel and cast.  Heavy doesn't necessarily mean big.  A 1/2 oz jig that's been trimmed way back and a small trailer will fish fast, but still be finesse.  A paddle tail like a 3.8" Keitech SIF on a 3/8 texas rig would be another good shout.

[TOXIC]

When it’s just me and my buddy and he is throwing a crankbait and I am throwing a Senko, I have a non-verbal way to signal him to slow down……my Senko whizzing 2 inches from his ear heading out the front of the boat.?

[KP Duty]

You need to add the slider worm to your finesse arsenal.  It's a 'moving bait finesse worm' that glides through the strike zone.  

 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

i fish in the back.  and my buddy, think electricity is free, and is always moving way too fast.

 

i do two things if i want to fish my way.  i adjust.  first, i use a heavier weight to get it down quicker.  then i cast way out in the direction the fool is throttling towards.  as the boat moves towards my bait, i have more time to work it slow.    if he is really fast, i just stand next to him.  hahaha..

@TOXIC i'm not a boat expert by any means, but those pics.  they kinda look like the front of the boat to me

[softwateronly]

49 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

i fish in the back.  and my buddy, think electricity is free, and is always moving way too fast.

 

i do two things if i want to fish my way.  i adjust.  first, i use a heavier weight to get it down quicker.  then i cast way out in the direction the fool is throttling towards.  as the boat moves towards my bait, i have more time to work it slow.    if he is really fast, i just stand next to him.  hahaha..

@TOXIC i'm not a boat expert by any means, but those pics.  they kinda look like the front of the boat to me

@TOXICneeded the front of the boat to land those pigs. And maybe show up his buddies just a bit!

 

scott

[TOXIC]

8 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

i'm not a boat expert by any means, but those pics.  they kinda look like the front of the boat to me

Haha.  One of the pics I stepped up front the other was from the back.  Here are a couple of pics with me n the back and one with the other 2 who were in front of me.?

[FishTax]

I’ve also experienced this a lot. Great tips here, I’ll be trying the jig next time out instead of SH. Thanks to everyone who chimed in, I learn so much on this forum! 

[scaleface]

When I'm running my boat the guy in back needs to adjust to my speed not vice versa. When I'm in the back I tell the man running the motor to pay no attention to me, I'll make do.  

[Bankbeater]

What was the strike zone like?  Were the bass hitting all the way back to the boat, or were the bass just hitting around the cover?  If the bass were tight to cover I would be making quick pitches.  If I didn't get any bites right away I would reel back in and make another cast.  If the bass were hitting all the way back to the boat I would ask what his thoughts were about slowing the boat down a little.

[king fisher]

Try a #3 inline spinner fished just under the surface, with your spinning rod. If that doesn't work cast a floating Rapala at as many targets as you can.  Twitch it a couple times then real in and cast to next target.  Both lures cast well with spinning gear, can be fished quickly, and will catch bass that the guy in the front power fishing with larger baits will miss.  He may have to slow down to help you land your trophy bass. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SproDD79]

13 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Try a #3 inline spinner fished just under the surface, with your spinning rod. If that doesn't work cast a floating Rapala at as many targets as you can.  Twitch it a couple times then real in and cast to next target.  Both lures cast well with spinning gear, can be fished quickly, and will catch bass that the guy in the front power fishing with larger baits will miss.  

I was going to say try Vibrax Foxtail #3 or #4,another option to consider could be a Shad Rap RS, both lures should be able to perform optimally with the boat constantly moving.