After reading the following 7 strategies your life as a angler will never be the same. In fact you can use any one of the following tips individually and increase the number of bass that you catch.
1. All weedlines are not created equal. The goal when it comes to weedlines is to avoid those straight-line weed edges because they are the least productive areas on any lake. When surveying the lake you should keep an eye open for something different such as points, inside turns, cuts, alleys and finger-like projections.
According to most professional anglers irregular weedlines indicate changes in depth or changes in bottom composition, which both attract bass. Another great thing to keep in mind about irregular weedlines is that it gives the predator bass an upper hand in ambushing baitfish.
2. Wind direction is extremely important. Ask any bass angler about wind direction and they will tell you to fish the windward side of a reservoir because churned water tends to activate baitfish into feeding and at the same time disorient them slightly. The same principles apply when it comes natural lakes as well.
3. Go early - go deep - most bass anglers who fish natural lakes will advise you to go early and to head straight for the shallow water. WRONG! The second mistake that I hear bass anglers state is to head to the inside weedline first thing in the morning. Again I will have to hit them with a big fat WRONG! Here's the hardcore facts... The bigger bass will be feeding on the deep weed edge in the morning. This same rule of thumb applies as the evening approaches. The bottom line... Head for the deep weed edge.
4. Consider going pass the edge - I use to hit the lake and follow the weedline with the determination of a duck on a june bug. I was like a kid at Christmas every time I landed my cast on the weed edge. Yes it is possible to catch bass using this approach - however you are defiantly not maximizing the area that you are fishing.
While fishing you may want to consider the weed density, prey species, bottom composition, bottom slope and of course the weather, bass may retreat father back into the weed canopy or move off the weedline toward deeper water. In particular, the better smallmouth sites may be only a long cast off the weedline toward deeper water. From my personal experiences, the better smallmouth sites may be only a long cast off the weedline to a hard-bottom rise.
5. Flip The Canopy - when it comes to fishing natural lakes, flipping and pitching to a weed edge is hands down the most popular form of presentation. Most anglers will tell you that the bait should fall very slowly so they favor exceptionally light weights. However, light weights often hang up on foliage. Personally I rather use a 3/8 or ½ ounce weight so the bait gets to the bottom without interference. I have found this technique to be extremely useful on days when bass are not overly aggressive. I know they are waiting for me on the bottom and backed up under the canaopy.
When possible I will fish 10 feet or more into the weedbed, targeting any little opening that allows my bait to enter cleanly and drop straight down. If it hits bottom without a strike, I'll pause for a moment, then lift it a couple of inches and "BAM" drop it again. After it sits for a few seconds, I'll make another pitch. Before you email me or post a lot of comments asking please allow me to volunteer right now and just tell you. Generally when fishing under the above conditions I will flip and pitch a Texas-rigged tube or compact beaver-tailed bait with a pegged tungsten weight on 15-pound fluorocarbon line. Green pumpkin is his usual go-to color. When all else seems to be feeling I will pull out the big guns and switch to baby soft plastics to a finesse-flip-ping jig with a sweet zoom speed craw.
6. Throw that Jigworm - when the bass are totally ignoring everything that I am throwing at them and it would appear that they are totally inactive I will step up my presentation for the weedline to a ¼ ounce Slider Spider Classic Head with a 4-inch worm.
Charlie Brewer's Spider Classic Head features a large size and heavier gauge hook than the standard Spider Head. In my personal opinion I feel that it is the offset hook that allows for the weedless rigging, and the cone-shaped head slips through vegetation stalks. I prefer to right it with a Zoom Centipede in a translucent color like watermelon or ice, but you can use any 4-inch worm. I fish it on spinning tackle with 8-pound test and catch bass of all sizes.
Whenever you cast make sure to cast parallel to the weedline and let your lure sink to the bottom. Then use your rod tip to lift the bait and pull it 2 to 3 feet before letting it settle back to the bottom. Use the 5 to 6 second pause to take up the slack line before pulling the lure again.
7. Crank the hell out of the edges - Shhhh! Do not tell anyone about this next little secret... A deep-diving crankbait is another lure that I have great success with when fishing weedlines.
I'm sure a lot of anglers that you tell this to will cringe at the thought of using a crankbait around weedbeds on natural lakes. I am willing to go up against any of those naysayers any day of the week. I have caught more large bass with this strategy than you can shake a stick at. I'm telling you when those bass are actively feeding, this is the lure that I recommend that you throw.
I like to use a big bodied deep diver that can easily reach bottom at the depth where weeds stop growing. Rather than use a moderate action cranking rod, I prefer a stiff medium heavy rod with a fast action in order to rip the bait free of vegetation. I also use a 12 pound fluorocarbon. Another reason I love the crankbait so much is that it allows me to cover a lot of territory. Remember when cranking the edge do not be afraid of getting caught up on weeds. When you rip them loose it could trigger a strike.
FACT: if you follow the seven rules above you will defiantly improve your fishing experience.
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