Plastic Baits & Techniques to use them

[Don]

Arbiter TS. Will you please move the posts to a new thread discussing Jigs and Rigs or some similar. I'm catching fish on plastic now and I'd like to learn more and also be more precise with the components. Maybe start with post #1381. Do as you see fit but I'd put it in Bait, Lures and Tackle or start a new category called "Techniques"
What say thee?

 

[troutspinner]

I wish I could learn when, where and how to catch bass with jigcrawls but alas no luck. A little advice here????

Don, I quoted you from the other thread. I am hoping all can chime in here as I know many of us will have many approaches and reasons we use X plastic with X technique.

I use crawls all year. A simple answer is that they exist in many bodies of water so it is a natural prey to mimic but it isn't that simple. Crawl appendages will change the fall rate of your technique and in my experience, that is huge in creating a strike. I could write several paragraphs on breaking down size, type, etc. but it would just leave people scratching their head, it is something that you need to experience and find a rhyme and reason to but know that, it will change daily and it will change by body of water.

As I mentioned, hopefully others will chime in and give you a simplistic approach to start. My most simplistic approach is to throw a 3/4 Ounce Football jig with a Rage Crawl but I know it will not get you consistently bit right now as the water temps are still too cold, nor are they in the areas I would recommend throwing that jig right now.

 

[Don]

Hey Thanks TS. That is the conclusion that I came to is that they aren't in the feeding areas where I was fishing. I saw fish on the bottom in 25-30'....nothing. I fish along a rock face that is submerged 12' and nothing. So I took a 3" kieteck shiner on another rod and threw it into the shallow and bang, bang, bang bang. So I guess they're getting ready to spawn. I was amazed at on point. you old Jigsters have often said that you can feel the bottom and all the rocks you go over and sure enough I did as well. And it becomes even more apparent when your finger are touching the rod where you'l feel the vibrations.
I got no hits and no thumps on senko of any style. Wacky, Texas, Ned, Nuttin'.

 

[troutspinner]

Bass are finicky, it's probably why they are so addictive. Every year I get better and better at it but heck, this early season I questioned if I knew anything at all! LOL

An example, Thursday I found a good bite using light, small Neds. Today, I could get not get bit using them. Also today, I watched a Bass on Livescope look at my free falling Senko and not give it a sniff. In my head I am immediately think, ok, he looked at it, I got his attention, how do I make him strike? The answer came quickly as I've been in this situation before so I grabbed a weighted worm and with one cast, it was fish on. There is no way I could have done that 2 years ago but now, it is becoming part of the rhythm / thought process.

 

[Don]

I watched a medium size bass cruising back and forth the top on a large submerged log. He was looking at me. I dropped a live nightcrawler onto the log within inches of his nose. After a minute or so he backed up almost as if he couldn't take the smell. I found it rather hilarious and a good test of character for this fishfellow.

This is the quandary
I know you all well enough to know that there are no rocket scientists among us, at least not when Grem Cat is absent, so I know youre all in need of fish and probably wouldn't waste your time on techniques that don't produce. I know that when I use live bait my hookup ration skyrockets immediately vs plastics. But I also know that the size fish plumnets. It seems that in clear shallow water no fish are interested in artificial plastics. There seems to be more interest in it if they can't see it clearly. If throwing to the banks, as many are right now, where the water is clear and often shallow would it pay better to keep the retrieve more active, give the fish less time to examine, sort of forcing an impulse grab?

Then there is this...I'm so new to fishing off a boat that I have never caught any freshwater species, excepting winter gills, deeper than 6'...man I have allot to learn.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

The thing is when fishing live vs plastic is live moves on its own as for the plastic you have to make it move to look alive.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

Then there is this...I'm so new to fishing off a boat that I have never caught any freshwater species, excepting winter gills, deeper than 6'...man I have allot to learn.

Sounds like me fishing from a boat and I’ve been doing it for a awhile now.

 

[Don]

Sounds like me fishing from a boat and I’ve been doing it for a awhile now.

Then you as well have much to learn, lol...

 

[Solitario Lupo]

If I haven’t learned by now probably never will haha.

 

[truecrimson]

I watched a medium size bass cruising back and forth the top on a large submerged log. He was looking at me. I dropped a live nightcrawler onto the log within inches of his nose. After a minute or so he backed up almost as if he couldn't take the smell. I found it rather hilarious and a good test of character for this fishfellow.

This is the quandary
I know you all well enough to know that there are no rocket scientists among us, at least not when Grem Cat is absent, so I know youre all in need of fish and probably wouldn't waste your time on techniques that don't produce. I know that when I use live bait my hookup ration skyrockets immediately vs plastics. But I also know that the size fish plumnets. It seems that in clear shallow water no fish are interested in artificial plastics. There seems to be more interest in it if they can't see it clearly. If throwing to the banks, as many are right now, where the water is clear and often shallow would it pay better to keep the retrieve more active, give the fish less time to examine, sort of forcing an impulse grab?

Then there is this...I'm so new to fishing off a boat that I have never caught any freshwater species, excepting winter gills, deeper than 6'...man I have allot to learn.

Some years ago at Lakeside Quarry I saw a MONSTER large mouth cruising a short route in the shallows. I threw everything I had at it and it either ignored everything or turned away as if offended. I took some pics of it in the water. I think inposted them on the old forum.

Sometimes they just aren't in the mood.

 

[A-5]

They should call them wife fish not bass

 

[truecrimson]

 

[truecrimson]

They should call them wife fish not bass

Maybe they're upset about an anniversary

 

[Solitario Lupo]

Sorry truecrimson but if I was there I would have had to show you how it’s done and caught it.

Who knows maybe it was caught before you just got there.

 

[Don]

snagger!

 

[Don]

Why use jig heads. When it comes to artificial lures this year so far I’ve not caught anything on a jighead. Spinners or plastic minnows on a bare hook has worked best. I know. They’re gonna hit soon. But so far nuttin on Jigheads.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

I use jigheads on pretty much all my plastics. Just plain or I paint them black.

 

[Don]

I'm gonna try this:

This is an Uncle Melvin If I ever saw one. Sol u ought to try it as well.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

Looks good Don but if I'm fishing something that doesn't matter if it swim both sides the same I'll run a needle down the middle of it and then a small treble to it. The free weight it or a split shot to get it down.

Now seeing he's talking about swim baits, so the swimbait only swims one way. I see why the jighead as it makes sure it swims upright but if I'm running it longer why cut the hook. You can actually tie to the hook bend itself and then run a needle to the bottom with your line and the small treble. There's a bunch of ways to try. Whatever works the best I guess.

 

[Don]

" I see why the jighead as it makes sure it swims upright but if I'm running it longer why cut the hook. You can actually tie to the hook bend itself and then run a needle to the bottom with your line and the small treble. There's a bunch of ways to try. Whatever works the best I guess."

I was wondering myself why cut the hook. Seems to be a waste. But it does look nice. Below is one I just did. How do you tie off to the hook bend without getting too much slack?