breaking down a jungle

Lv2spd · 05-05-11, 03:03 PM

Hi, new member here.

I've been Bass fishing for many years, but have recently gained access to a group of central Alabama private lakes that are absolutely stuffed with monster bass. 6 of the 8 lakes fish normally for me, but 2 of them have given me an interesting challenge.

Both of these lakes are about 30 acres, and are basically just wooded lots that were flooded to a depth of about 7 feet at the west ends and slope slowly up to nothing at the east ends. There are no apparent channels, ledges or drop offs located ANYWHERE in these lakes to concentrate fish, and wood or grass cover is absolutely EVERYWHERE. It is virtually impossible to make a cast from any spot on the lake without dragging your lure through over or into at least one laydown. The lakes have a lovely dark green water and are heavily stocked with threadfin shad, and depending on the year, either tilapia, gizzard shad or golden shiners. This year it's shiners. The lakes also support a truly healthy population of 8 to 13 pound bass. Not that I ever catch the top end of that range, but 10 to 12 pound bass don't raise an eyebrow from anybody else that fishes them.

I have little trouble catching some fish on these lakes. I mean, really, who couldn't, but how on earth would you go about attempting to establish a pattern. No matter what I tell myself when I head out on these lakes, I always just wind up casting wildly at every piece of visible cover in the lake. Hence, unlike the others, I can never form a pattern or fine tune my fishing to let me catch some of the bigger pigs in them.

Where would you start?

AUFred · 05-05-11, 03:32 PM

I had access to a similar pond several years ago. Basically any piece of cover could hold a fish. To find the bigger fish in concentrations you have to establish what is different. A single tree to itself. Biggest tree in the forest. Edges are a good choice..ie moss meet wood...grass meats moss. 7 feet or less it will be hard to establish a line where you fish above or below a certain level. Temperature of the water can help too. Cold days look for warmer water. Hot days fish the line of shadows to sunny. Not sure if this was any help. I am in central Alabama so that sounds like a heavenly set up to me.

AUFred · 05-05-11, 03:34 PM

You might let wind direction help you as well. The wind can push bait fish into an area for killer action.

Lv2spd · 05-05-11, 04:07 PM

These lakes are in you neck of the woods too. Near Marion.

I'll be sure to try those tips. And If I fail, maybe I should just bring you with me to show me how.

keithdog · 05-05-11, 05:59 PM

I'm not sure if your really going to find many patterns to choose from considering it's relativly small size and shallow depth across the pond. I would try to find anything that stands out different from the rest of the lake. Like an isolated weed bed or group of trees. Just a depth change of a foot could make all the difference in the world in a body of water like that. Weather should have a greater impact on a lake that size than anything else. If it were me, I'd concentrate on mainly two things. Working the surface bite and working the bottom. It seems one or the other should work since the whole lake is so shallow.

Bassboss · 05-05-11, 09:20 PM

Pay attention to suttle differences in the logs and grass when and catch a fish. Was that bass on a log that was laying horizontally, or was it a vertical log. Were their big thick branches on the log, or was there log baron of branches, or were the branches thin, and scattered? Did that bass come off the end, of middle of the log. Was it by the roots of the tree? How deep was the water the log was in? Did ya catch fish fish near grass, or was their no grass around at all? What kind of grass?

All these thing can add up to finding a pattern and catching fish, or getting skunked.

Ya might want to toss a big 1/2 willow spinner bait that's you can see well under the water, and matches bait fishes' basic color. Watch the spinnerbait and pay attention to how deep you're running it when it gets hit. Spinnerbaits great for waters like this. It's a search bait, numbers bait, and big fish bait.

Give it a whirl and lemme know how ya do!

AUFred · 05-05-11, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lv2spd

These lakes are in you neck of the woods too. Near Marion.

I'll be sure to try those tips. And If I fail, maybe I should just bring you with me to show me how.

I bet you figure it out. The jungle I fished in South Alabama I could have fished only two baits and filled the boat. A yellow Snagless Sally in 4 1/2 GOLD spinner and a Texas rigged purple worm with a firetail.

05-05-11, 03:03 PM	#1
Lv2spd BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Jemison,AL Posts: 7	breaking down a jungle Hi, new member here. I've been Bass fishing for many years, but have recently gained access to a group of central Alabama private lakes that are absolutely stuffed with monster bass. 6 of the 8 lakes fish normally for me, but 2 of them have given me an interesting challenge. Both of these lakes are about 30 acres, and are basically just wooded lots that were flooded to a depth of about 7 feet at the west ends and slope slowly up to nothing at the east ends. There are no apparent channels, ledges or drop offs located ANYWHERE in these lakes to concentrate fish, and wood or grass cover is absolutely EVERYWHERE. It is virtually impossible to make a cast from any spot on the lake without dragging your lure through over or into at least one laydown. The lakes have a lovely dark green water and are heavily stocked with threadfin shad, and depending on the year, either tilapia, gizzard shad or golden shiners. This year it's shiners. The lakes also support a truly healthy population of 8 to 13 pound bass. Not that I ever catch the top end of that range, but 10 to 12 pound bass don't raise an eyebrow from anybody else that fishes them. I have little trouble catching some fish on these lakes. I mean, really, who couldn't, but how on earth would you go about attempting to establish a pattern. No matter what I tell myself when I head out on these lakes, I always just wind up casting wildly at every piece of visible cover in the lake. Hence, unlike the others, I can never form a pattern or fine tune my fishing to let me catch some of the bigger pigs in them. Where would you start?

05-05-11, 05:59 PM	#5
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	I'm not sure if your really going to find many patterns to choose from considering it's relativly small size and shallow depth across the pond. I would try to find anything that stands out different from the rest of the lake. Like an isolated weed bed or group of trees. Just a depth change of a foot could make all the difference in the world in a body of water like that. Weather should have a greater impact on a lake that size than anything else. If it were me, I'd concentrate on mainly two things. Working the surface bite and working the bottom. It seems one or the other should work since the whole lake is so shallow. __________________ Just one more cast, and then some!

05-05-11, 09:20 PM	#6
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	Pay attention to suttle differences in the logs and grass when and catch a fish. Was that bass on a log that was laying horizontally, or was it a vertical log. Were their big thick branches on the log, or was there log baron of branches, or were the branches thin, and scattered? Did that bass come off the end, of middle of the log. Was it by the roots of the tree? How deep was the water the log was in? Did ya catch fish fish near grass, or was their no grass around at all? What kind of grass? All these thing can add up to finding a pattern and catching fish, or getting skunked. Ya might want to toss a big 1/2 willow spinner bait that's you can see well under the water, and matches bait fishes' basic color. Watch the spinnerbait and pay attention to how deep you're running it when it gets hit. Spinnerbaits great for waters like this. It's a search bait, numbers bait, and big fish bait. Give it a whirl and lemme know how ya do! __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die.

05-05-11, 03:32 PM	#2
AUFred BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Prattville, Alabama Posts: 801	I had access to a similar pond several years ago. Basically any piece of cover could hold a fish. To find the bigger fish in concentrations you have to establish what is different. A single tree to itself. Biggest tree in the forest. Edges are a good choice..ie moss meet wood...grass meats moss. 7 feet or less it will be hard to establish a line where you fish above or below a certain level. Temperature of the water can help too. Cold days look for warmer water. Hot days fish the line of shadows to sunny. Not sure if this was any help. I am in central Alabama so that sounds like a heavenly set up to me.

05-05-11, 03:34 PM	#3
AUFred BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Prattville, Alabama Posts: 801	You might let wind direction help you as well. The wind can push bait fish into an area for killer action.

05-05-11, 04:07 PM	#4
Lv2spd BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Jemison,AL Posts: 7	These lakes are in you neck of the woods too. Near Marion. I'll be sure to try those tips. And If I fail, maybe I should just bring you with me to show me how.

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