lizards

[CSS2011]

Just wondering if you work lizards any diffrently than a plastic worm wny help on using these would appreciated also where to fish them from shore since i dont have a boat Thanks!!

[BigBassin144]

CSS, I work them the same as a plastic worm, but find that worms are much more effective around here than lizards. The only time I use lizards up here is during spawn to imitate a Salamander that's eating bass eggs.

BB

[rrw4258]

ditto what bb144 said...

Ryan

[jooleyen]

You could basically swim it like a speed-worm.

[keithdog]

In the spring I will flip lizards around shallow water cover. From early summer on I mainly use them on carolina rigs, although I will occationally try them around shore when other baits fail to work. especially the larger sized lizards.

[Mac2]

I rig the lizards texposed and weightless...mostly I use watermelon/red zoom lizards in both the 5 and 6 inch size. Cast them out into the lily pads and keep your rod tip up....they will crawl across the pads as long as you keep the tip up........when you come to a small opening, let them fall into it and sink.....pause for a few seconds, 15 to 20, then twitch them gently a couple of times.....if a bass takes it, don't yank right off the bat, but wait until you feelthe pull, then yank. If no bass takes it after twitching and pausing, reel in slowly with the rod tip up again and the lizard will crawl out of the "hole" and continue until you reach another opening. The main thing is not to hurry. If you catch a big one and she tangles in the pads, you may have to wade out to land it. Just be careful..... If this happens and you lose a number of fish, you may have to use a stronger, braided line that can cut through the pads.

This manner of fishing also works well in reeds, but in reeds, just fish weightless and very slowly, most often you won't get hung up, but if you do, the braided line may be necessary to strip the hook off the reed. When you go to occasionally twitch the lizard, especially in reeds, twitch it by simply grabbing the rod handle harder in a sudden manner. You don't try to shake the rod tip when you do this and it shouldn't move more than an inch or so, just quickly tighten your grip for a moment and this will tremor your lizard. Sometimes just a little tremor will trigger.

In weedbeds, try to work your lizard down to the bottom. Cast out and let it sink as far as it will go. It will probably lodge on a weed.....after pausing 10 to 15 seconds, lift your line gently until the lizard moves off the weed and bumps into another weed, then let it fall again...this time it will go a little deeper. This is the bump and fall technique. Simply keep repeating it for 6 or 7 times, pausing each time. Often, if you can work it down near the bottom, you'll pick up some nice bass. What ever you do when fishing these techniques, don't be in any hurry whatsoever. After you have worked an area thoroughly, cast out a few times, reeling in rapidly across the top and sometimes that will trigger strikes, but just in case, I always fish the slow methods first....if they are hitting, you will catch them on the slow methods one right after another. Good fishing, Mac

[Fishnngolfn]

I fish them just like Mac2 does. But I also like to pitch them into tight spots in the morning. The fish usually hit them as soon as they hit the water or a few inches down.

[RandySpear]

Great tips Mac. I've got several different kinds of lizards but have only really used them c-rigging. I've heard of people using them like a topwater bait. Casting them out and retrieving them on the surface in pads and other cover. Anybody use this method?

[rodman rat]

I Love the lizzard. I fish it on pads, in cover, c-rig and I really like to walk it on the logs and let if fall off and climb back on. I caught a nice 5lber with the log method once!

Thanks MAC great ideas I will try next time out!

[Fishnngolfn]

Originally Posted by RandySpear

Great tips Mac. I've got several different kinds of lizards but have only really used them c-rigging. I've heard of people using them like a topwater bait. Casting them out and retrieving them on the surface in pads and other cover. Anybody use this method?

I skimmed them across the surface last week and I had some great topwater hits. I noticed the fish were not taking the lizards when they were 12" to 6' deep so I tried walking them across the surface and wham. I even had some fish leap completely out of the water when they hit the lizard. I don't know if this was the lizard or just a topwater plastic in general. I imagine I would have had the same kind of hits if I skimmed a fluke or worm across the top. I was just doing it with lizards because that was what I had with me at the time.

[Fishnngolfn]

Originally Posted by rodman rat

I Love the lizzard. I fish it on pads, in cover, c-rig and I really like to walk it on the logs and let if fall off and climb back on. I caught a nice 5lber with the log method once!

Thanks MAC great ideas I will try next time out!

Your right. The fish love hitting them right after they come off some cover. That is when I caught the 2lber at my pond.

[Abbeysdad]

Just my $.02 but I don't think these big lizard plastics work at all in the North - just way to big - probably scares the fish even. We need somethin much smaller up here - salamander size. Scaled down I'd bet it would work great for nearly all game fish (Never forget the time my dad caught that nice brook trout outta the steam that still had a salamander in it's mouth!)

Edit: Dad was fishing using a nightcrawler and was surprised 'he took my worm even though he just got a salamander."

If only the lizards they sell were about 1/4 the size, they'd make a great salamander imitation.

[bamabassman]

when using the lizard as top water, no weight, right? i mean it wasn't a floating lizard was it? that sounds interesting , i may try that saturday as well. thanks.

[Fishnngolfn]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

when using the lizard as top water, no weight, right? i mean it wasn't a floating lizard was it? that sounds interesting , i may try that saturday as well. thanks.

It is not a floating lizard. I just either reel it in fast or keep the rod tip up twitching it and reeling it in slowly. It depends on what the fish want. Use a 1/0 or 2/0 hook for the 6 inch lizards and it is even lighter. Just make sure to wait a few seconds after the strike before you set the hook. By the time you reel in the excess slack, you should be ready to set the hook.

[bamabassman]

ok, thanks pal!!