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Hey everyone. Im new to the world of tourney Bass fishing, began fishing the locals last year. In my area it sounds crazy but a limit will usually put you in the money. so. What would be everyones favorite way to put a limit in the boat quick. these are all oneday tourneys and some are just a few hours long. Thanks in advance.
pre fish!
pick up a flippin stick and dont put it down!!
In my part of the world, it's hard to beat a texas rigged 6" hook-tail worm, 1/8 oz bullet weight, and 3/0 hook. A 6" lizzard usually works about just as good too.
Fish it on 10-12# line, on a MH action rod. It will work pretty much any time, any where in my experience. Back before I got so serious about bass fishing, that's just about all I ever used. Caught just as many fish as I do now. But, it's not famous for catching quality size fish. I do revert back to it when things get tough sometimes, and it will usually catch something. Black/blue, Junebug, & Tequila sunrise are hard to beat too.....JMHO
I can usually do pretty well with some type of shakey head and finesse worm. Gets a lot of bites, therefore a lot of fish. May have to hunt for bigger ones though to upgrade your limit. I always feel better getting a limit before upgrading too. you will get different opinions/strategies on this.
Fishing for a quick limit is wasting your time in my opinion. If you know it's going to take 15lbs. to get in the money or maybe win it, why would you spend the first hour or two catching a small limit? All of the great fishermen I know will tell you to fish for five bites and make them count. Pick up a jig and spend hours and hours flipping it. When you think you have flipped it enough, flip it that much more. You may not boat a fish for an hour or more, but I can promise you, the quality will be better when you do boat one. There are also times when you can boat ALOT of fish on a jig when you get good at it. For example....at Lake Guntersville last year, my partner and myself had a small (12-14lbs.) limit on topwater baits and I think one on a Quitters Rig (carolina rig). With only an hour to go, we hit our last spot, which was thick grass that we let the sun heat up all day. We culled every fish twice I think to end up with 21lbs. It is the best big fish bait you can use IMO.
hell dude. one tourney 2 fish won..lol i had one and just missed third. it was only three hours. another i know 3 teams had. 5-11. i know it sounds crazy. the lakes i fish are a real tough bite at tourney time it seem. i was just wondering if there was something i was missing.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jbakerinc »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hell dude. one tourney 2 fish won..lol i had one and just missed third. it was only three hours. another i know 3 teams had. 5-11. i know it sounds crazy. the lakes i fish are a real tough bite at tourney time it seem. i was just wondering if there was something i was missing.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yeah fishing PA isn't like fishing the South!!!
A trap. Specifically a YoZuri Rattlin Vibe. Chrome, Gold or Red. Maybe a shakey head too if you are just lookin for a limit.
IMO you are close to the money with what you're bringing in already. Examine your efficiency and what you are doing and try to expand on it to get the 5 bites you need.
Here's my thinking: if you try to get 5 quick just keeper bites and it don't happen quickly you have wasted a lot of time before you know it. At that point you might have missed out on the 2-3 bigger bites that you might have had early. If 2-3 good fish are putting you close to the money to begin with then the answer might be in doing what you're already doing, better.
Where are you doing most of your fishing Josh?
If it's tough just to get a limit, two things that never let me down are a small crankbait like the Norman Crappie Cranks and a splitshot rigged 4-6 inch straight tail worm or 4 inch lizard. Fish those 2 baits on 8 or 10lb line in good areas for the seasonal pattern & you'll "weighinalimit" almost every time out. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/glasses.gif
4 inch slim senko on a 1/16 oz slider head!
OOOps did I really let that out of the bag???
If it is just a quick limit you want try something like a Beetle Spin with a hooktailed crappie grub.
i fish Shawnee lake which has alot of problems since a resent dawdown to fix the bridges and that killed off alot if not almost all of the weedbeds. It is very murky with suspended particals of alge or something. pretty much looks like a big mud puddle. i know big fish are in there but just cant seem to figure out what they are looking for.
Meadowgrounds lake which is averynice mountiantop impoundment.
Koon lake otherwise know as the Cumberland dam. its a crystal clear lake which i know i can catch fish at just havent been there enough.
anyone know where to get PA lakr maps??
1-shakyhead w/4 inch yumdinger
2-flick shake with ballhead n weedgruard
3-bitzybug tpye jig
my 2cents
fishon
danny
Do yourself a favor... learn to drop shot. This will catch fish in lakes where lockjaw and pressure turns em off. That along with the flick shake and a shakey head worm and I limit in nearly ever tourney I fish... and I too have some tough lakes in the area.
Jig hands down will catch every size fish and will catch more bigguns than little ones
We have alot of lakes like what you're talking about over here. Alot of jackpot style tournaments, and the fish always shut down on the weekends.
The last couple years I have been doing real good focusing on deeper fish that will school. If you catch one on a deeper diving crankbait or carolina rig, the next 5 casts and you'll have your limit
Shakeyhead has paid off big time for me on the slow days when most are struggling to get a limit. I use a longer 7" zoom trickworm and love it on a day when its tuff to get a limit. I will fish it from 2'-20' of water year round. Just have to find the sweet spot on the depth as to where the fish are. Most important thing I have learned is get somewhere you have confidence in and stay there....do not jump around hoping to pick up one here and one there. I fish a few 3 hour tournys too and you do not have time for the run and gun fishing style. I have become much more consistant in getting to a spot I know and pounding it out for every minute I get to fish in the short tournys.
The 2 clear lakes will fish different than the muddy one.
The muddy one should hold fish very shallow and I mean 0'6"- 3' deep. Square billed cranks, Spinnerbait, buzzbait, jig, t-rig creatures and tubes would be a few suggestions.
The clearer lakes you will need to fish deeper and different tactics.
For the conditions your are describing I would go with
a flat sided crank if the fish are active
Shakey head
Finesse jig (Eakins or bitsy bug)
Drop shot
What do you have for water depth, clarity, fish sizes up there.
Try downsizing your line, weight and bait. Lots of time subltle is better that some with legs and wings and flapper and tails.. Once you get some confidence in the day you tend to fish with a beter attitude throughout the day instead of getting frustrated early.