I have no idea what to throw

cassidyta · 04-21-09, 11:12 AM

I am fishing in a 1/2 day 3 fish tourney on Saturday and the weather has been going crazy this week. Since Friday, we have been in the upper 90's and broke 100 yesterday. It should stay like that until Wednesday or Thursday when it will drop back to the normal mid 70's. We do have a about a 50% chance of rain to start Saturday evening.

The fish are mostly in a post spawn mode with a few that may still be on the beds by this weekend. Water is up about 8 foot from where it was at the start of the month so the beds are deeper than normal. (Pumps at the dam have been under repair since the 6th so no water has been leaving)

I am probably overthinking it, but there are so many variables. I am considering jerk-baits and suspension baits to start, but past that I have no idea. I would usually pitch into the tullies, but they are submerged now. Maybe a buzz or wake bait over the tops of them?

MississippiBoy · 04-21-09, 11:33 AM

Don't over-analyze...stick with your strengths. If you've had good success in this lake with something before, give it a good shot before you start switching. It's going to be very tempting to switch and switch and switch again because the conditions have changed, and you're going be thinking that there must be something that's got to work, you just haven't found it yet. Stick with what has worked before.
That being said, how deep are the tullies? If it's a couple feet, try a floating jerkbait, like a Shad Rap or similar. Reel down till you're ticking the tops of the tullies, and rip it loose. Keep it active, lots of movement to attract the active fish. If it's deeper than say 2-3 feet, try the same idea, but with a lipless crankbait, like a Rattle Trap. Let it tick the tops of the tullies, and tear it loose. Then hit the holes, if you can see them, with a worm, Senko, etc.
Also, there's got to be flooded brush at the edges of the lake. Flip a brushhog or jig in there and see what's happening.
Oh, and can you use live bait? Wasn't there another tourney you were in that you could, but you didn't know?

cassidyta · 04-21-09, 12:01 PM

Thanks for the tips.
No live bait this time.
The tullies are 1-2 foot down in some places and they barely break the surface in others. There is a lot of other brush and trees that are now submerged. This cries out throw a frog to me.

doc · 04-21-09, 12:40 PM

If the water is coming up, go skinny. I would try a top-water over the tulies ( I live and die by a zara spook, can fish one all day without a bite), spinnerbait thru them, or pitch some kind of soft plastic. Post spawn fish should be hungry.

aikenyounggun · 04-21-09, 01:52 PM

yeah throw a rattle trap around the outside edge and rip it through the tullies..... but yeah topwater sound good to me..... buzzbaits are great for catchin fry guards.....

Bassboss · 04-21-09, 02:03 PM

Hmmmm..... I'd try to find a frog bite! Try to find good shady shallow cover, like skipping a frog under trees, if it's windy, and choppy, use a popping frog or a buzz frog, a rage tail toad would be great, so with a rage shad! Your wake bait idea is a good one! You also might try a lipless crank rippin out of them, you could also get a swim jig and add a chatter blade to it and rip that over the tops.

Make sure to keep the rod moving, twiching, jerking and pumping!

Good luck!

Dominic · 04-21-09, 08:22 PM

Wacky senko type bait, brush hog w/ pegged weight, jig and buzzbait. Fish what you are confident in.

CCbass · 04-22-09, 04:06 AM

Post spawn bass love noise for some reason, most likely a delay of the protect mode of the spawn. Yes big spooks and buzz baits work well during this time. The weather don't worry, the front coming in is weak and the warm trend far outways the difference. The fish should be very stable in a post spawn mode if that is what you have seen up to this piont in the lake.

BassinID · 04-22-09, 04:24 PM

If the bass aren't chasing (since the weather is cooling off, they may be slowing down), you may get a wild hair and try a pearl zoom super fluke weightless over the tops of the tullies. I like to use a slow walk the dog type of cadence, letting it "die" about every two feet.

bamabassman · 04-22-09, 05:37 PM

hey cass, try dynamite or the phone lmao. no seriously though i have to agree with mississippiboys response. use YOUR strengths pal.

04-21-09, 11:12 AM	#1
cassidyta BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 2,928	I have no idea what to throw I am fishing in a 1/2 day 3 fish tourney on Saturday and the weather has been going crazy this week. Since Friday, we have been in the upper 90's and broke 100 yesterday. It should stay like that until Wednesday or Thursday when it will drop back to the normal mid 70's. We do have a about a 50% chance of rain to start Saturday evening. The fish are mostly in a post spawn mode with a few that may still be on the beds by this weekend. Water is up about 8 foot from where it was at the start of the month so the beds are deeper than normal. (Pumps at the dam have been under repair since the 6th so no water has been leaving) I am probably overthinking it, but there are so many variables. I am considering jerk-baits and suspension baits to start, but past that I have no idea. I would usually pitch into the tullies, but they are submerged now. Maybe a buzz or wake bait over the tops of them? __________________ If you have ever wondered if you should retie, the answer is yes.

04-21-09, 11:33 AM	#2
MississippiBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ridgeland MS Posts: 3,923	Don't over-analyze...stick with your strengths. If you've had good success in this lake with something before, give it a good shot before you start switching. It's going to be very tempting to switch and switch and switch again because the conditions have changed, and you're going be thinking that there must be something that's got to work, you just haven't found it yet. Stick with what has worked before. That being said, how deep are the tullies? If it's a couple feet, try a floating jerkbait, like a Shad Rap or similar. Reel down till you're ticking the tops of the tullies, and rip it loose. Keep it active, lots of movement to attract the active fish. If it's deeper than say 2-3 feet, try the same idea, but with a lipless crankbait, like a Rattle Trap. Let it tick the tops of the tullies, and tear it loose. Then hit the holes, if you can see them, with a worm, Senko, etc. Also, there's got to be flooded brush at the edges of the lake. Flip a brushhog or jig in there and see what's happening. Oh, and can you use live bait? Wasn't there another tourney you were in that you could, but you didn't know? __________________ I smell smoke, and I hear sirens. Do you think that's a problem?

04-21-09, 12:01 PM	#3
cassidyta BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 2,928	Thanks for the tips. No live bait this time. The tullies are 1-2 foot down in some places and they barely break the surface in others. There is a lot of other brush and trees that are now submerged. This cries out throw a frog to me. __________________ If you have ever wondered if you should retie, the answer is yes.

04-21-09, 01:52 PM	#5
aikenyounggun BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: aiken, SC Posts: 2,051	yeah throw a rattle trap around the outside edge and rip it through the tullies..... but yeah topwater sound good to me..... buzzbaits are great for catchin fry guards..... __________________ <>< Rather be Fishing ><>

04-21-09, 02:03 PM	#6
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	Hmmmm..... I'd try to find a frog bite! Try to find good shady shallow cover, like skipping a frog under trees, if it's windy, and choppy, use a popping frog or a buzz frog, a rage tail toad would be great, so with a rage shad! Your wake bait idea is a good one! You also might try a lipless crank rippin out of them, you could also get a swim jig and add a chatter blade to it and rip that over the tops. Make sure to keep the rod moving, twiching, jerking and pumping! Good luck! __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die. Last edited by Bassboss; 04-21-09 at 02:10 PM.

04-21-09, 12:40 PM	#4
doc BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,134	If the water is coming up, go skinny. I would try a top-water over the tulies ( I live and die by a zara spook, can fish one all day without a bite), spinnerbait thru them, or pitch some kind of soft plastic. Post spawn fish should be hungry.

04-21-09, 08:22 PM	#7
Dominic BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oceanside Posts: 50	Wacky senko type bait, brush hog w/ pegged weight, jig and buzzbait. Fish what you are confident in.

04-22-09, 04:06 AM	#8
CCbass BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Monterey CA Posts: 253	Post spawn bass love noise for some reason, most likely a delay of the protect mode of the spawn. Yes big spooks and buzz baits work well during this time. The weather don't worry, the front coming in is weak and the warm trend far outways the difference. The fish should be very stable in a post spawn mode if that is what you have seen up to this piont in the lake.

04-22-09, 04:24 PM	#9
BassinID BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Too far from largemouth, Idaho Posts: 672	If the bass aren't chasing (since the weather is cooling off, they may be slowing down), you may get a wild hair and try a pearl zoom super fluke weightless over the tops of the tullies. I like to use a slow walk the dog type of cadence, letting it "die" about every two feet.

04-22-09, 05:37 PM	#10
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	hey cass, try dynamite or the phone lmao. no seriously though i have to agree with mississippiboys response. use YOUR strengths pal. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

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