[Guest]

I am going fishing in the morning around 4:30 AM at the mini lake and would like to see what yall would throw at them.

CONDITIONS

1.)  Cloudy
2.)  very light wind
3.)  Lily pads; mats of grass, logs and lay down trees;
4.)  Mid 80's for the high and high 60's for the low

If the conditions were to stay like this what would yall throw and where would you start fishing at?  I am in search for my new PB bass and this is just the place that will produce it.

I will be starting around the edges and about mid way in the lily pads and then focus around the matted grass.  I will end the day around the lay down logs and stumps.  How does this plan sound?  What would yall change if anything?  I am asking for advice so if what I have plan isn't the right thing to do please don't hold back on any suggestions.  Thanks in advance.


PLEASE REMEMBER THAT I AM GOING FOR THE "BIG ONE"

 

[Guest]

Topwaters and spinnerbaits. Start fishing around any likely cover that you can see, especially where 2 or more types of cover come together. If you can find points that have cover around them, go for that as well.

If you fish around the pads, try a plastic frog in a brighter color.

 

[Guest]

Thanks John.  Do topwater baits and spinnerbaits "typically" catch bass in the double digit range?

 

[Guest]

Ask Gerald Swindle and Rick Clunn. Gerald Swindle was pictured on the cover of BASS Master in 2004, with a bass that was 10 lbs., on a popper, and just this year, Rick Clunn caught a 10 lbs. 7 oz. bass on a spinnerbait, while fishing in the Elite Series.

Any lure has the chance of catching a double digit bass. Putting it front of the fish's face at the point and time where it's hungry enough to eat it, or close enough to react to it is the key.

I wouldn't throw anything small. That is, I would go with the small Pop-Rs, the small frogs, and small spinnerbaits. With those conditions, though, the fish should be a "roaming" kind of mood and more active than they normally are when the sun is out with no wind. So, your chances are slightly increased. Just being in the right spot, at the right time, with the right lure is what you have to think about.

 

[Jared]

Considering that big bass are very territorial and will pretty much OWN the nicest piece of cover with the quickest route to deep water that is what I would locate if I were after only a big bass. This could be pads in 6 feet of water that sit next to a drop off into 10+ feet of water. Or it could be the area on a shallow grassy flat that the lake channel swings in and close to or it could be laydown timber on a steep bank. Whatever it is, I would do a good survey of the cover the mini lake/pond has to offer and their relative depths, pick out the best combo of both and then fish the chosen area(s) very slow and methadocially from about 10am on. The reason I specify a time is because big bass are also pretty lazy (more like proficient) and will feed heavier during broad day light when they can best see their food.

Once I have the spot picked out that I feel their is most likely going to be a huge bass occupying, I would use quiet natural baits and I would work them a multitude of ways. I would fish a soft jerkbait very very slowly, letting it die and slowly settle in and around all key areas of the cover and structure. I'd also fish 6 to 8 worm very slowly and methodically. I may use weight, I may not. I'd do a lot of dead stickin. I'd also do a lot of bottom crawling with it. A jig would be another option Id bring into play as well.

What bait you use I think is somewhat a matter of confidence. I do believe the more natural and silent the bait, the better, but that still leaves you a myriad of choices. The most crucial part of targeting big bass though is location, like mentioned above, and then having the confidence and determination to spend an hour or 2 (if not more) on that ONE spot trying to convince the biggest smartest fish in the lake to bite your offering.

 

[Guest]

This morning wasn't so bad.  I started late, 6:30 am, and finished early, 7:41 am.  I was and still am on call for my new job and the old pager went off.  I had to leave the pond but I did end up boating 8 bass.  Nothing to brag about but sure had a good time.  The fish were hitting pretty good this morning but when I went this afternoon I only boated 2.  AAAHHHHHHH  :-\.

But all in all it was a good day.  I will try to post some pictures of the pond that I was fishing at.

I didn't get a chance to go to the mini lake. This pond just had to work.

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

That looks a lot like the Rocky Mountain Project that I fish. This fall, I would try some shallow running cranks. We always have good luck in the fall with cranks on RM.

 

[Guest]

To be honest with you I just don't have confidence in fishing with crank baits. I don't know where to start or what types to choose. I would love to fine tune on this approach.

Shallow running???

Mid depth???

Deep diving???? Which I usually don't fish in waters deeper than 20 feet.

I like the Rapala Jointed Minnow but haven't had much luck with it this year. Don't know why.

 

[fish4funinfl]

8 fish in 1 hour sounds pretty good to me. What lure did you catch them on ?

 

[Guest]

8 fish in 1 hour sounds pretty good to me. What lure did you catch them on ?

Zoom Baby Brush Hog and the GYCB Fat Ika. I pegged the bullet weight like yall said, with a rubber band. It worked perfectly. Thanks guys.

 

[Jared]

I think a good general rule of thumb with crankbaits is to determine how deep the water you are fishing in is and then choose a crankbait that will diver 2 feet deeper than that so  that you can bang into the bottom, and the cover down there, as often as possible. However, generally when big fish hunting, a crankbait is the last lure I will reach for. Sure, big fish get caught on it but it's by far the best lure for the job.

I love the look of that pond. Do you have a depth finder? If you do, Id ride around that pond zig zaggin all over until I completely understood the bottom contour (assuming you have no map). Up north most of the ponds and small lakes I fished in were not mapped and I did my best to map them all myself by zig zagging. My buddy Tim (tighe - the bassholes co-owner) use to go nuts and get so embarassed when I did that lol He always worried about what people on  the lakes or shores thought about us for driving in circles and zig zags and in all crazy directions LOL I didnt care though, when I was done and had a better understanding of the bodies of waters, the bigguns started being boated. Im sure your pond must have a ditch or two or perhaps a deep stump or even deep stump field.