Go To Bait Super Clear Lake, Weedy Bottom No Boat Traffic

[billbies]

just moved into a new house on a private lake, lake is ultra clear and due to it being a no wake lake weedy bottom,

Lake is very consistent ledge from shore out 20-25 feet then quick drop off to 20 foot depth structure is peoples xmas trees tossed into lake

Just curious from some of you what your game plan would be going to this lake

[fishingkidPA]

senkos, flukes, Rat L Trap

[The Bassinator]

First off welcome to the best bass fishing site out there! I would say you want to try cranks (both lipped and lipless), worms of various shapes and sizes like a senko or a ribbontail, flukes, dropshot, carolina rig, t-rig, spinnerbait or anything else you may have a hunch about. All of these baits would need to be natural colors though unless youre looking for a reaction bite which could warrant the use of more flashy colors. Hope this helps

[RyneB]

I fish a lake similar to yours. I have had my best luck with anything that resembles a bluegill. Strike King bluegill swim jig with a grub trailer, Rapala bluegill DT cranks, Mattlures ultimate bluegill swim bait are a few of my favorites. Right now my hot bait is a Northstar spinnerbait in bluegill color with 2 silver willow blades, this thing has been magical ever since i got it.

[Avalonjohn44]

Weightless trick worm, t-rigged or wacky.

[J Francho]

First off, the ledge and drop off are structure, the trees and brush piles are cover.

Clear water, no boat traffic, solid weedline, private.....sounds like paradise. Throw whatever you like to throw. You'll figure out what works and what doesn't. One hint though, jigs work everywhere, every time.

[Hooligan]

What Francho said. Gee, that guy is smart. >

1/2 or 3/4 ounce jig in Green Pumpkin fished on the ledge and in the cover. I'd be crankbaiting the heck out of the ledge and transitions. I would also be throwing a spinnerbait in 3/4 ounce bluegill, or similar. Pulling a Carolina rigged Eeliminator wouldn't get any time at all in that water, either.

[Scorcher214]

I would start out with a spinnerbait either in white or chartreuse and start casting everywhere. If it was you describe, I would think pressure would be pretty low, and that almost anything would work. If white or chartreuse don't work, try a natural blue gill kind of color. And jigs, always good.

[hookset on 3]

I fish a lake similar to yours. I have had my best luck with anything that resembles a bluegill. Strike King bluegill swim jig with a grub trailer, Rapala bluegill DT cranks, Mattlures ultimate bluegill swim bait are a few of my favorites. Right now my hot bait is a Northstar spinnerbait in bluegill color with 2 silver willow blades, this thing has been magical ever since i got it.

I like what RyneB said and I'll tell you why. I fish the exact same lake conditions you describe.

First off, the more stealty the presentation the bigger the bass. The DT Rapalas and now the new silent KVD HC cranks work so much better than all the brands I have with rattles.

For soft plastics, straight tail or do nothing style worms out perform curly tails.

Finally, the subtle nature of swimjigs,which are like spinnerbaits with no flashy blades, has made all the difference in the last few years.

[ww2farmer]

The lakes I regularly fish gets very clear in late April/early May, up to 15' of visability on bright sunny days, and stay that way till the water hits the 70's and then takes on a green stained tint for most of the summer/fall. When it's flat and calm during this clear period, flick shaking, shaky heading, 4" senkos, tubes, finesse jigs, and drop shotting finesse baits fished around the deep weededge, or hard cover out deep (rock piles, boulders, etc...) produce fish. I also fish the same things shallow around docks, and wood cover and catch them but those shallow fish are super spooky and you'll go insane trying to catch all the fish you can see. Cruisers rarely bite (for me) so I target fish that are holding on cover, they can't see you comming if your beeing sneaky, and are more willing to bite. Once they lock on beds those shallow fish get easier to catch in that super clear water. If it's cloudy and calm I'll mix in some top water, or soft jerkbaits, if the winds blowing and braking up the surface, hard jerkbaits, and silent crank baits get the call. Greens and browns for plastics, natural patterns (bluegill/perch/crawfish etc...) or translucent colors for hard baits.

[bilgerat]

Buy the tube, learn the tube, be the tube....

Seriously, it can be rigged 1000 ways. With every color imaginable and all of the rigging options, it's as close to a perfect bait as you can get. It works in clear and stained water, open water, heavy cover, hopped up and down structure, whatever and wherever. And don't believe it's a smallmouth only bait. Tell that to the fatties that I've been crushing them on for several years now.

[K_Mac]

I'm with J Franco on this; it sounds like a great place to work on whatever you want. A shakeyhead/Trickworm combo and that shelf sound like a match made in heaven to me. Good luck, and let us know how you do.

[webertime]

My pond is very similar to yours, the baits we have the best luck with are Senkos, Fat Ikas, Jigs, and 6"+/- Swimbaits. What part of the country are you from? Are you fishing from a boat?

[billbies]

west Michigan area thanks for the tips to gander I go

[RoLo]

Welcome to the forum Billbies

'Location' is key, and although you've gotten several lure suggestions, I'd base my game plan on location.

Clear water is normally tougher to fish than dingy water, but the scenario you descibed really simplifies location.

During spring and fall, most activity will center on the drop-off along the "inner" weed-edge.

During summer and winter though, I'd be more interested in the "outer" weed-edge on the drop,

which in gin clear water might be 12 to 18 ft deep. Even in crystal clear water though, that shallow ledge

will be alive during the spawn and at night, As for lures, it's best you choose your own weapon

Roger