Need Some Help. No Bass Tried Everything!

[Clint C.]

Hey everyone!

I've been reading BassResource for a while and decided to join, lots of great info and a nice community.

I'm getting really frustrated with a reservoir I fish about twice a week and rarely ever catch anything.

Right now I know it's summer, so I've slowed down and I am doing some drop shot fishing, but no results (almost no results ever at this place).

I fish from shore and I am in a wheelchair so kind of have limited access to places I can get to on the reservoir. I attached a map of the lake with places I can get (outlined where I can get to with red color) to and was wondering if anyone had any tips for me? Maybe where to try on the map or lures, technique etc?

The reservoir does get a lot of fishing pressure and I would say 70% of the people there keep just about anything they catch (ignoring size limits).

Any help would be appreciated.

P.s. I want to try and stick with artificial baits.

Some additional water info

Lake Temperature: 78 Degrees

Water Clarity: 32 Inches

[tmier]

I would fish under the bridge and the east channel w/o the pads. Try c rigged crawfish or jigs with trailers dragged slow. Also try the neko rig w stickbaits and trick worms.

[Avid Angler FL]

Well, first off, welcome to the site! We're glad to have ya! Also, I know how it is to be bass fishing on a hot day and sometimes I'll catch a whole bunch, and on other days, it'll wield zero results. Keep in mind the T-Rig, or "Texas" Rig. One of the most effective rigs to use ALL year round, provided it is fished at the right speed. Try this: a Zoom U-Tail worm or a Culprit 6-7.5" worm, in your choice of color, fished with a 2/0 or 3/0 offset worm hook. Then, before tying the hook on, slide a 1/8th to 3/16th oz Bullet weight up the line. Cast out parallel to the edge of the lillies. Then let it sink. Slooowwwwllly twitch the bait occasionally, and raise your rod tip a bit, then slowly allow the bait to sink. ALWAYS feel for any slight twitch or jerk in your line because it may be a fish. If you have any questions, feel free to ask em, or message them to me. Thanks, God Bless, and best of luck on the water! -Garrett

[Bluebasser86]

I think if I was to pick a spot off that map that you have marked that you can get to it would be either by the bridge with lily pads on each side or on the rocks between the first two stretches of pads. It looks like there is a fast drop between the first two patches of pads and they could use those rocks to look for crawdads and travel back and forth between the pads for cover. Plus they'd still have close access to deep water. The bridge area is just a good funnel and looks to have a good amount of cover from the pads and maybe some from the bridge if it has any pilings or anything.

As for baits I'd probably try a green pumpkin trick worm on the rocks, around the bridge, and edge of the pads. Switch to a texas rigged worm if you are fishing in the pads. A wacky rigged Senko casts to the edge of the pads will probably catch fish when nothing else will too.

[Clint C.]

Thanks tmier, bluebasser and avid

I've never tried a neko rig (guess I haven't tried everything!) I'll have to give that a shot for sure.

I've kinda stayed away from the wacky rigs by the pads because I get hung up so much, but I'll give that a try too.

Texas rig is hard for me to be patient with haha, but I'll try my hardest.

I think the bass are really well fed at this lake also tons of tiny blue gills and minnows everywhere!

[WRB]

With a spinning reel and limited to wheel chair access you don't have a lot of options. With that in mind don't try too many techniques or presentations, keep it simple and use high percentage rigs that you can use effectively.

If I was teaching you how to bass fish on this small lake I would:

1. Rig you uo with a finesse Carolina rig called a slip shot rig.

You spinning reel would be spooled with 8 or 10 lb premium mono line.

I prefer Top Brass Pro Jo black 1/8 or 3/16 oz weights, 8 mm glass faceted red bead, Peg-It II or Jumbo to peg the glass bead and size 1/0 Owner #5100 or Gamakatsu #11 worm hooks. Peg the weight about 14" above the hook. You can ajust the weight position depending on how you cast; anywhere from 6" to 24" works OK.

2. Use a high floatation worm 4 1/2" to 6" curl or straight tail finesse worm; Roboworms are excellent. Hook the worm like a Texas and skin cover the point. Roboworms Rebard hooks hold the worm onto the hook, but this isn't essentail. Palomar knot is good.

3. This rig is simply cast and slowly drag along the bottom anywhere bass maybe be located. The bite is usually a pressure feel or slight tick because you feel the weight before you feel the bass. Hook setting is; drop the rod tip, reel line up tight, then sweep the rod back.

4. Where; any breaks that you can get to. Rock to soil, weeds to soil any change of bottom contour and any funnel areas that tend to concentrate bass. The end of the rocks before the bridge looks good. The right point on the island is a funnel area and may see less pressure and looks good also for this presentation. Take your time and fan cast the areas.

5. Colors; that is hard to figure without being on the water. High precentage colors like oxblood red flake, MM and Aarons magic should work anywhere.

Good luck.

Tom

[Clint C.]

Thanks Tom,

I have spinning reel with 8lb Berkly Flourocarbon Vanish (gold) and will try some of the things you mentioned. After reading the posts I think the main issue for me is location. I've been trying the techniques everyone has mentioned just not in the spots that everyone has said to go.

I was starting to think maybe the reservoir was cleared out, who knows, it might be. I won't make that decision till I get a few more outings trying everything that has been suggested.

This is the type of place where if you ask 99% of the people, on every day I've been there, "Have any luck?" their answer is always "none at all". Almost everyone uses live bait also, jumbo reds, night crawlers and creek minnows.

I really appreciate all the help guys =)

P.s. I attached a photo from google earth, maybe it can help you guys how to determine anything else that might help!

[Catt]

I kind of like the area on the south side of the island where you have it marked in green, I’m not sure of the distances but that southern point of the island & the point of the main land. These areas have a depths ranging from 4’ to 16’ if there is any cover it should be productive.

My lure of choice would be a Senko type lure Texas rigged un-weighted because the weight of these lures will allow far farther casting distance plus a slow fall.

You mentioned “Texas rig is hard for me to be patient with haha, but I'll try my hardest” but the Texas rig will give you an excellent opportunity to catch high pressured fish.

Welcome aboard!

Tommy T.

[Clint C.]

Hey Tommy, thanks =0)

I've actually never tried a weightless Texas Rig, maybe that might be the key to this place!

[hatrix]

My step father uses berkley electric grape power worms with a split shot about 6-8" above it and ALWAYS catches fish it seems like no matter what. I refuse to use it since it is basically the only thing he will ever use. It might not work for every one but the places we fish it is like something with the purple and the split shot for the fall rate just kills them. He also rigs it on a off set hook but doesn't Texas rig it and just rigs a exposed hook so it is all bent up on the hook and not straight. He SWEARS to me it catches way more fish like that some times I get kinda annoyed at how many fish he catches and how stupid it looks. He has been doing this all year and just kills them with it everytime.

[Lund Explorer]

Welcome to the forum Clint. A couple of random thoughts came to my mind.

What time does this place open up in the mornings? Maybe a trip at the crack of dawn to try out some topwater may help.

What about fishing around those docks? Bass like to hang out in the shade. If they hold under that bridge, then the docks could produce as well.

What about renting one of those boats? Their website says that rowboats and electric motors are availble for rent. Would the folks at the rental concession store your chair while you got out on the water? There may be an ADA lift on their docks to get you into the boat, or you may just have to have somebody hold the boat while you get in or out. That would open up a lot more of the lake to you.

Finally, when these other guys say use soft plastics, take their word for it. A T-Rig worm is the way to go!

[Clint C.]

@hatrix I'm going to have to try some of those Berkley worms.

@lund I could get in one of those boats, but getting out of it would be pretty difficult. They're very tippy and it's a floating dock.

I usually fish around the docks, around spawn time that was a good spot, but nothing is happening there for the last 1+ months. They open up usually around 5:30, I've actually never been fishing at the crack of dawn and have been told by many I'm missing out! About 4 weeks ago the bass were killing the top water frogs (according to reports, I only had one hit on them) right before sunset, but haven't heard of anyone having luck with them since then.

As far as the boats, I have talked to them and they are working on getting an accessible small pontoon boat for disabled people. That won't be ready until next year though. They were willing to give me a launch permit, but for stability reasons I would need a 20ft+ boat and only about a 16 footer can fit down the launch.

[Catt]

Just a little advice on boats, stability does not come from length but from bottom width, a narrow 20 footer is no more stable than a wide bottomed 16 footer.

[WRB]

I know a bass angler that is confined to a wheel chair and has rigged a pontoon boat for bass fishing. Will try to have him contact you via PM to share his knowledge on the subject.

Bass hang around boat docks and launch ramps, it give them shelter and a supply of baitfish and crawdads.

The island with the path to the right over the bridge, as mentioned earlier, should be good; fish it all the way out to point as far as you can.

Good luck to you and be safe around the water.

Tom

[slonezp]

Sent you a PM

[Clint C.]

Hey WRB that would be great! You would be surprised at how hard it is to find info on this!

--------------------

Went to Monee again last night, I didn't have any luck. Though I did see one guy pull about a 15 inch Largemouth out of the lily pads, and my mom caught a little guy about 6 inches just dangling a night crawler off the bridge right at the surface. I'm not positive what the guy was using but it was a soft plastic and kind of looked like a tadpole with a split tail, maybe 4" long. Any ideas on what that might be? He was just slowly dragging it across the pads and hitting open spots in them as he was retrieving. It hit pretty close to sure on the surface.

So after that I tied on a scum frog, but had nothing chase it except other frogs. Also didn't see him having any more luck. Friday I think I'm going to try off the point on the island in the deeper water.

P.S. I did use a 4.5" senko for a while (texas rigged) but had a hard time keeping it up over the eye of the hook. Any tips for that?

Here is a picture of the lily pads by the bridge. They're pretty thick.

[figure8racer]

You could try a trimmed toothpick through the head of the worm and also pass it through the hook eye. This is what I do If my plastics are slipping down the hook past the hook eye. Kind of a hillbilly fix and I'm sure they make a product that would do the same thing but I'm more of a type to take the wrong tool and make it work for what I'm doing rather than go spend extra money on the "right" tool/product as long as my idea works just as well and doesn't hurt the action. Good luck and just keep trying. Eventually you will get something figured out that works best for you and will be slamming em most every trip out. Just gotta go through the trial and error first.

[WRB]

Trying to fish heavy cover like lily pads from shore with spinning tackle and 8 lb line is very difficult for anyone. The bigger bass tend to locate near the deeper water breaks under the pads and you may not be able to reach those spots. If you do get strikes, hooking the bass and getting back to shore may be extremely hard to do. Most common frogs are Zoom Horny Toad and Stanely Ribbits, they are fairly light weight and can be rigged weedless like a Texas worm.

The Top Brass Peg-It that you use for pegging the glass bead on the finesse worm rig can be used very effectively for holding worms/Senko's onto the hook eye.

I use the saved jumbo Peg-It rubber pieces and slide it through the hook eye, pull up snug then cut off about 1/8" each side of the hook, then rig the worm and pull the Peg-It inside the worm head when you cover the hook eye...works good to hold the worm or Senko in place.

Tom

PS; will PM you contact for the pontoon boat info. You can google Don Iovino for illustration on how to use Peg-It's.

[Clint C.]

Hey everyone,

Did some Wacky Rig fishing with a 5" Senko last night.

I had the Senko bit in half, and the one other bite I got was right at shore while I was pulling it out of the water to recast! Unfortunately I didn't get the hook set. So far your tips are helping though and I just want to say thank you to everyone for the help =0)