Thread: Need some ideas....

Vegetation is at best 6 inches from the surface in most areas along the bank where I'm limited to right now. Went out on a dock last night and the anacharis was a good 50 feet out. When my worm or bait wouldn't be caught in it is when I got bites. Tried a jig head with a plastic and all I got was the salad instantly.

Not a single l nibble yesterday but the fish that were jumping every day stoped completely and not even the baitfish were jumping. I have to learn about cold fronts here in Texas cuz in Washington a cold front meant everyone was going fishing.

If a drop shot work in that kind of soup I'll try it but I'd have to learn a lot on keeping the bait clean and not pulling in 5 pounds of salad. I will definitely try it if I go to the dam on Hawkins. Looks like more open water there

Will the drop shot work when I was fishing a 24 to 30 inch leader to get best bites with vegetation lm6 inches below surface? I'll try it if y'all think it is workable. I might try it anyway... lol

Didn't finish my post so here's the whole post. (the other can be deleted).

The following reply is a long one not meant to be read in one sitting, but possibly of use in part or as a whole. In any case, don't shoot the messenger - he means well. So sit back and enjoy the .

1.

have figured out where the fish are

just haven't figured out how to get them. From the bank, there's a lot of vegetation with open spots between mats. I hit the mats and pull off clean
2.

I get hits

but the fish run the bait and hook right back into the weeds.
1. and 2. are always a priority and getting strikes mean fish a being provoked-to-strike by what your using.


3.

What kind of a float presentation could work for the panfish

in a situation like this? Have caught a crappie, bluegill and yellow belly and gotten crushed twice by big fish, (no clue what they were) just using nightcrawlers.
In the situation you're fishing, there are a few more options other than float fishing, but you are on the right track because of the nature of the retrieve: slow. Much of the time, fish just want an easy target to demolish or consume that they don't have to chase too far. (energy conservation?) That said, fish strike a live bait to eat it - not so much with lures that don't send out the same sensory signals. (lateral line detection + mini brain = what the h*** go for it!).

When I say slow, I mean almost dead stop or working a lure near so. Granted, super active fish will slam medium speed retrieves, but that is not the norm regardless of species. That said, float fishing allows one of the longest in-place vertical lure placements - drop shot and bottom jigging the others. Another that is just a bit faster - horizontally speaking, meaning moving horizontally to the bottom and/ or past weed edges.

Too find fish much of the time requires a slow horizontal retrieve with pauses. Fishing for panfish first, bass second, requires smaller lighter lures. No giant poppers, no big Zara Spooks, no fat 3" crankbaits, but small lures such as 1.5" or smaller soft plastics, small poppers, small Floating Rapalas, etc. are intended for slow-presentation use. To quote the Godfather: you gotta make em an offer they can't refuse. When it comes to small soft plastics and light jig heads are the way to go! Even 1/16 oz may be too heavy whereas 1/32 or 1/64oz is what the fish ordered. The heavier the lure, the faster it has to be retrieved.

An important consideration when it comes to jigs is hook size. Too small a hook = missed hook sets; too large a hook = a subdued lure action and fewer hook sets. My preference when casting small plastics is #4 and #6 and at times, #8 (smallest). 1/0 or larger is fine for bass, but not panfish. The hook should come out 1/2 or less of the body length. The hook must always be checked for sharpness. A file is as important a tool as pliers are to pulling hooks out.

Proper lure speed coupled with subtle lure action = pissed-off fish. Sometimes curl tail grubs are a bit too much with all that tail flapping whereas a Crappie Magnet double straight tail grub is perfect 95 % of the time. Even just a 1" grub body with curl tail removed is excellent with its subtle, darting sliding, almost in-place, action. It can even be used under a float using a 1/32 oz jig with #6 hook.

And since I'm a big noob for real panfish fishing, when do I need to set the hook? First slightest nibble or movement of float? Let em take it under?

First of all, LURES FIND FISH! - or at least the ones that give their location away. Once fish are located, fish strike - or not. In your example fish did strike. Great! All the above may have helped hook them but with one caveat: NO HOOK SLAMMING FOR ME!!!
Fine for a 2 lb bass or 3 lb pickerel, but not for smaller mouth panfish averaging 3" - 12". My hooksets follow the rule that: less-is-best and let the panicked fish set the hook for you - initially - and then add pressure with rod tip raised and off to the side for deeper hook penetration.

It's rare that I don't average at least 20 - 30 fish but in spring or over 60 fish using the above all year in water 50 degrees or warmer. It works for me and will always be my preference when it comes to finding & catching. I've posted photo examples on Crappie,com over many years and a search of my username will point you to them.

Luck's got little to do with it (except finding lunkers). It only takes a little skill, but a lot of discipline to consistently find & then catch fish.
Good luck using the above to change the way you fish.