Super User clayton86 Posted June 7, 2011 Super User Posted June 7, 2011 That stupid cotton crap blowing off the trees into the water. I hit the pond behind my apt after looking down the hill at it and seeing some 5+ bass cruising the lilly pads I grabed my poles and headed down there but a few casts into it my line had little cotton balls in it. Robbed my casting distance like crazy on my spinning gear and the BC just back lashed like crazy because it got stuck in the eyes of the rod or level wind. This stuff is such a PITA is there any way to combat it or no. I did notice braid seemed to gather it the worst where flouro wasn't to bad maybe because it sinks and that crap floats on the surface. Quote
Super User clayton86 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Super User Posted June 7, 2011 Well they all need to be choped down and burned lol Quote
Super User Crestliner2008 Posted June 7, 2011 Super User Posted June 7, 2011 Cottonwood and milk weed. Will continue until about the middle of June. I always target larger lakes during this time; much more cotton free water. Quote
Sfritr Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 Depending on the region you live which appears to be northern I would guess this is the cottonwood blooms. They appear like small cotton balls floating everywhere. It is always a good time if you have these by your home to check and spray off your AC as these are notorius for clogging filters, especially on commercial rooftop units. Quote
tholmes Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 Yep^^ It's the seeds of cottonwood and/or poplar trees. Cottonwoods, being the official State Tree of Kansas (what were they thinking?) grow in abundance around here. They line the shores of every body of water around. That crap is the bane of my existence from mid-May 'til mid-June. I spend as much time picking the stuff off of my line and out of my reels as I do fishing. Crestliner2008's got the right idea, there is more clear water on larger lakes. Tom Quote
Super User J Francho Posted June 7, 2011 Super User Posted June 7, 2011 Cottonwood = poplar. Same difference Quote
Blue Streak Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 It sure is not a good time to be eating on an outdoor balcony of your favorite resturant along the Ohio River when they are blowing around.Can't drink beer from a glass, they really screw up a cold glass of brew, gotta stay with the bottle until there season is over. Bad for fishin too 1 Quote
Super User clayton86 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Super User Posted June 7, 2011 So mid june seems to be the majority of when it stops but something tells me its gonna last longer everything is messed up this year. My normal spots for lilly pads and thick grass mats are completly bare water right now with not a green plant or fish for that mater in sight. Lots of cotton crap though Quote
Shad_Master Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 Actually, there are a couple of things you can do. Last year I was fishing a tournament in a section of a lake where it looked like it had snowed in June the "cotton" was so heavy. The fish were hitting frogs like crazy and I found that if I hold my rod high so that only the lure was in the water, I had less problem with getting my line fowled. If you do get "cotton" on your line, try pulling your line tight and plinking it like a guitar string, make it vibrate, this will dry out the cotton and makes it easier to remove. Quote
Super User clayton86 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Super User Posted June 7, 2011 Shad master that's usualy how I get the crap off is plucking it but I try the rod high technique but I miss almost ever strike because I have a hard time setting the hook with rod tip high and this on spot I was at there's a big bush directly to my right so I can't sweep the rod to the side. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted June 7, 2011 Super User Posted June 7, 2011 It's money falling from the sky. You see, I am a HVAC/R tech and all I see is $$$ The only rods it doesn't affect are those with a small eyelet at the tip. The cottonwood will bunch up at the tip and not make it further down into the reel. You're SOL with a spinning combo, but it shouldn't be too bad with a casting combo. Also, I believe I read here in the past that some of the pros carry a spray bottle with a diluted soap and water mix. When you spray it on the surface of the water it repels the pollen. I never tried it but maybe someone here can confirm it. Quote
Shad_Master Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 1) Not disagreeing with you, but it would take an awfully small eye to let the line through and not the cotton - I have had experience with having a fish on the line and can't reel it in because the cotton had jammed up the tip eye. 2) I think that spray soap trick is more for algae when sight fishing than cotton - could be wrong. Quote
Senkoman12 Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 its cottonwood. i fee your pain though. its gets bad here in some spots and its quite annoying. when i see it i tend not to even use my BCs Quote
Super User slonezp Posted June 7, 2011 Super User Posted June 7, 2011 1) Not disagreeing with you, but it would take an awfully small eye to let the line through and not the cotton - I have had experience with having a fish on the line and can't reel it in because the cotton had jammed up the tip eye. 2) I think that spray soap trick is more for algae when sight fishing than cotton - could be wrong. The problem I have is not when reeling in but when casting after the cottonwood seeds have gotten caught in the eyes below the tip as well as the reel. My flipping stick has a very small eyelet at the tip. I had no issues this past weekend with that set up. Another casting setup with a slightly larger eyelet had minimal issues. My spinning gear was worthless. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted June 8, 2011 Super User Posted June 8, 2011 1) Not disagreeing with you, but it would take an awfully small eye to let the line through and not the cotton - I have had experience with having a fish on the line and can't reel it in because the cotton had jammed up the tip eye. Sorry bro, you have never fished here, and experienced this. It's that bad. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted June 8, 2011 Super User Posted June 8, 2011 Better? It totally gums up baitcasters. It'll even tangle up a spinning reel to the point that you break off on a cast due the shock of a glob getting hung up. Quote
Shad_Master Posted June 8, 2011 Posted June 8, 2011 Oh, I know it is a pain in the posterior but if you have to fish around it, it can be done. During the tournament last year, my partner and I were the only one's fishing in this particular area becuase of all the cotton - we stuck it out and took 3rd and 4th in the tournament and only missed 1st and 2nd by a small margin. This year there was absolutely no cotton on the lake anywhere, but the bugs were horrible - is there a rod guide that will help with that (LOL)? Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted June 9, 2011 Global Moderator Posted June 9, 2011 Along with the cottonwoods dropping cotton the willow trees around here are dropping stuff that looks the exact same. I can't ever remember seeing willows dropping anything other than leaves and tons of thin branches but they were really bad on a couple lakes I fish. It is a really PITA and you pretty much have to deal with it or go somewhere else, I don't think there is any real way to repel it if you're fishing where it's on the surface. Quote
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