|
|
Posts: 129
Location: Glenmoore PA | I like to fish a lake with high density musky population, however the fish are on the smaller side. The lake is very weedy and slightly murky, its basically a giant weed bed. Its man made lake with a river channel running through it and very shallow. Most spots around the lake are 3-5ft deep, except the river channel section which is deeper, about 10-15 ft maximum. I have had most of my luck trolling (with a short line) spinner baits and shallow running crank baits. Any advice on fishing a lake of this type? I would like to get more action casting. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 574
| Throw Big Joes, Dawgs, Curly Sues, DDDs, kickin minnows in the deeper water, run topwaters accross and parralell to the channel edge. Throw topwaters deep in to the slop as soon as it starts dying off or if theres holes in the weeds.
I'd spend most of my time in and around the channel if its really that shallow everywhere else.
Fish where the river comes in and leaves as well. you cant get topwaters through it, try a buzzbait of some sort.
Good luck
Jason
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 431
| I'd pick apart the holes in the weeds with spinnerbaits as my first choice. Depending on how thick the weeds are, throw a bouyant jerkbait or twitchbait around the pockets and guide them through the weeds. You can also rip them through pretty good. You can also try ripping a heavy jig through the weeds if they're not super thick. |
|
| |
|
Location: SE Wisconsin | I would take the perspective of a bass angler and toss smaller killer eals and flying witches in the weed pockets, maybe drop-shotting jumbo sluggos too. Is the veg emergent or sub? Find top waters with the hooks on top, like moss bosses or giant Jitterbugs. If you're going to rip jerkbaits or throw bucks, make sure your hooks are always razor sharp so you can cut the weeds. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I would think the river channel and it's edges would be key. You could cast any bait you wanted parallel to the edge of the weeds/channel. If it drops off fast, you can obviously throw deeper running baits. If the fish are up into the weeds, spinnerbaits do a great job of picking through weeds. I can't believe some of the stuff that single blade Rad Dogs go through. Keep your rod tip pointed at the bait and reel sleadily. When the spinner hits a weed, don't jerk it free, just keep cranking and it will almost always work its way through the weeds.
Depending on the weeds, Suicks do a pretty good job of working through the stuff too with a little practice since they back "up and out" of stuff on the pause. Like has also been said, topwater can be great over weeds if they aren't up too high.
curleytail |
|
| |
|
| momuskies - 4/23/2009 10:24 AM
I'd pick apart the holes in the weeds with spinnerbaits as my first choice. Depending on how thick the weeds are, throw a bouyant jerkbait or twitchbait around the pockets and guide them through the weeds. You can also rip them through pretty good. You can also try ripping a heavy jig through the weeds if they're not super thick.
same area another technique ... get a baby depth raider and either site fish the pockets in the weeds or rip and twitch it through holding your rod high and working the bait aggressively. it works really well under the conditions you describe.
if two in the boat ... 1 with the spinner bait and the other with the baby raider |
|
| |
|
Posts: 462
Location: Madison Wi. Chain | What kinds of weeds does the lake have. If it has cabbage, I would be inclined to try and find the best cabbage beds and spend some time there. If it is milfoil fish over the top early and late and the edges the rest of the time. BG |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | When all structure looks similar, find any little distinction. Is there a small rock pile? A tree that fell in the lake? Also, if you can find some weeds that are more isolated, in other words less weedy. Also, try to find the deepest weeds possible. Sometimes that makes the difference. |
|
| |
|
Location: Oswego, IL | I would throw some Creepers, Top H20's, any glide baits that can stay up right above the weeds. Try to use something that makes a ruckus because if its to think they may not see it unless you pull it right over thier nose. That channel your talking about has got to be fish highway. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 129
Location: Glenmoore PA | The weeds are really thick lots of milfoil and some Cabbage right to the surface of the lake. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | SlopMasters and Grinders around the cabbage should do the job. |
|
| |
|
| renegade frogs the bullfrog
(old sloppee pig} modified is king in the slop off the river channel |
|
| |
|
| i would throw weedles baits by ducktail lures.
www.ducktaillures.com
i have fished several slop lakes and "fear no weed" with the ducktails.
the lures were desinged for a lake similair to what your are suggesting with no river channel.
he has a warrior jerkbait with weedless hooks and a spinner bait made weedless with a twister tail and rubber band.
also some weedless bucktasils.
also in the river channel i'd throw "rubber dubbers" onto the edge and rip them out.
another great weed technique.
dannyboy
www.dannyboysguideservice.com
[email protected] |
|
| |
|
Posts: 386
| Wisher weedless bucktails are awesome! I've done really well with those, although they are difficult to find as they are no longer making them, I believe -- if I'm wrong on this, please let me know! |
|
| |
|
| I'm afraid you are right about Wisher no longer making the weedless bucktail, or any lure. They went out of business as of January 1. Larry Ramsell may have some left that he'd sell, as he used to carry quite a few, being on staff with them. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | Depending on the time of the season, I would focus on any changes in the river channel. Is there a point that comes out in the channel, or another smaller creek channel that intersects the river channel? These areas would be good places to start. If they have deeper structure such as stumps or rocks, all the better. If you've trolled the channel, you should have a couple of turns or points to focus onn. If not, troll the channel and mark any turns, points, fingers, rockpiles etc, then go back and cast them. If the weeds are thick and shallow, I'm not sure how much they would get used in the summer period during warmer water and later in the year. So finding the changes in the river channel will help you find locations to focus on. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 264
| spinnerbaits would be a good choice because of their relative weedlessness. If you can topwaters would be another option over those shallow weedbeds. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 692
Location: Pelican Rapids, MN | Aside from the Johnson's silver spoon and a handful of others, weedless usually means crap - What I would do is burn blades over the weed tops - the bigger the blades the more they move weed tops out of the way. Unless of course the weeds are matted on the surface. Even if weed tips are popping out burning through them is still very effective. I also use tail bait top waters. If the belly hook is picking up an excess of weeds, I will use a small rubber band to hold the hook close to the body and free from swinging. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | Slopmasters go through anything, and catch big fish!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1185
Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | My aproach is pretty much covered already by others but I will restate it.
Until the weeds hit the surface I would cash in on 9 and 10" unweighted Suicks and burning bucktails and top water baits. Then when the weeds get up on the surface, switch to Rad Dogs like Curly said, they are amazing and the original slop spinnerbait (throw one deep into the reeds and watch it come through most times). Your other obvious spot would be the weed lines, I do like to keep the boat up in the weeds and cast out and parrallel. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 692
Location: Pelican Rapids, MN | 5th lake Brad - 5/11/2009 5:02 PM
Slopmasters go through anything, and catch big fish!!
They are a phenomenal trolled spinnerbait as well as long as you can bend them so they don't spin at higher speeds - A lot of thump though!
The Shrivers spinnerbaits are awesome for heavy weeds as well! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1536
Location: God's Country......USA..... Western Wisconsin | Try a 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce jig and lizard pitched or flipped into the heavy stuff. Nothing like hand to hand combat with a toothy critter. I would love to be there and give you a hand.
Edited by muskyone 5/12/2009 1:03 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 2037
Location: lansing, il | the weed warrior jerkbaits by ducktail lures work well in heavy weeds, and jason longs, longtales spinner baits work very well in heavy weed cover as well. |
|
| |
|
Location: Chicago, IL | Ditto on the Slop Masters and Grinders
Remember to point your rod directly at the bait and crank straight in.
You will feel the bait pulling through the weeds, keep a steady retrieve going.
Bobbie Baits worked slowly, pop and pause, let it come back to the surface.
Try a Sluggo too.....can't get more weedless than one of them.
Definitely some great advice given here. |
|
| |
