What baits and what technique are you useing right now?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeff Grimes on May 18, 2009 at 6:17pm

I generally like to flip and pitch for LM and reaction baits for SM. Of Course, it depends on where I am, but I am kind of a junk fisherman in the Spring until I figure something out. Then I will focus on a specific technique. ( usually anything but Drop-shotting)

Baits of choice range from tubes, home-made jigs, and grubs.....to spinnerbaits, traps, cranks and jerkbaits. For flipping I like a specific type of creature bait, or jigs. Some guys like Senkos.....but I am not a fan.

By the way......none of them worked at Lake Washington last Saturday.

LOL

Jeff

Permalink Reply by David Parnicky on May 18, 2009 at 6:25pm

Here is what I like to throw.

LM - I like to throw spinnerbaits and pitch jigs to the same type of cover that you described Josh. I also begin to throw a buzzbait early and late in the day this time of the year. For fish that are very shallow and spooky I throw weightless senkos and brushhogs. One of my favorite ways to fish starting around May is to throw weightless brushhogs into the lilly pad fields as they develop. I retrieve them over the tops of the pads a lot like a buzzbait. I try and drop it into as many pockets between the pads as possible for a few seconds too. Every so often you will see the wake of a big largie cruising after your brushhog through the pads and it seems that if you kill it right at this time, you more often then not will get bit.

SM - Lipless cranks, jerkbaits, and flukes can be awesome this time of the year. I also will always have a football head with a hula grub tied on anytime that I am smallmouth fishing. If it gets really tough I will start TRYING to catch them on dropshots with hologram shad or aaron's magic roboworms, sand colored sniper snubs, jackall cross tail shad, or 3 inch senkos in smoke, watermelon, or green pumpkin.

Permalink Reply by Jerry on May 18, 2009 at 6:44pm

I'm in the tube as well (aka fruitcakes as per Lloyd) I'm tossing jigs and spinnerbaits if the conditions warrant them,and the occasional Senko..t-rigged or wacky

Permalink Reply by Troy Pattillo on May 18, 2009 at 7:33pm

Jerkbaits with looooong pauses over deep water and moored boats. Dropshot RI flirt worms near pilings,bridge footings and weeds. Still proving to be a frustrating time of year for smallmouth. This time last year I had over 20 fish in the 4 and 5lb range.

Permalink Reply by Keith Brooks on May 18, 2009 at 7:40pm

I always have a 176 hula grub ready to go for either species. For smallies I am a drop shot addict, I have so much confidence in it that it is hard to put down. I also like to fish jerks and traps. For largies I will usually go Senko, creature, crankbait, and sometimes drop shot.

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on May 18, 2009 at 7:55pm

Right now I have a T-rig grub, Craw colored Trap,, C-r Spinnerbaitig tube, and a weightless senko tied on my rods. Last weekend I caught all my fish on a 4 inch T-rig grub smoke colored. This pre spawn to spawn time I like to flip and sight fish. But if the clouds are out and the breeze is going I have a hard time beating the trap or Spinner.

PJ

Permalink Reply by Jeff Grimes on May 18, 2009 at 9:42pm

I don't know if you are being sarcastic or not, but I thought I was the only one who hated Senkos.......I should have shirts made up with that on it

Jeff
Ronald Hobbs, Jr. said:

Every thing is going to start working, we are looking at the beginning of the spawning cycle in a week there will be post spawn fish prespawn fish and spawning fish. I love sight fishing, not neccasarily bed fish but just the ones I can see cruisers spawners sleepers it doesn't matter, this being said here are my favorite baits:
Largies it is hard to beat a finesse jig with a swim senko trailer, a shakey head with a flirt or smallie beaver, bullywa frog, floating minnow bait (rapala), zoom trick worm, and a dropshot with a color 34 panic minnow. Oh almost forgot about the jig yeah 1/2 oz. bluegill color. Yes that is alot but i will have the rods rigged and will use them all.
Smallies are alot different and alot easier, shakey smallie beaver, drop shot with a panic minnow, and a tube, and a spinnerbait. Thats it they are a hell of alot easier. Its just finding them not catching them.

I hate Senkos

Permalink Reply by Eric DeLay on May 18, 2009 at 9:52pm

Oh jeez,
The list of things I need to try gets even longer.
Every one of them sounds like an awesome idea so I'm going to try them all.

Ronald Hobbs, Jr. said:

Every thing is going to start working, we are looking at the beginning of the spawning cycle in a week there will be post spawn fish prespawn fish and spawning fish. I love sight fishing, not neccasarily bed fish but just the ones I can see cruisers spawners sleepers it doesn't matter, this being said here are my favorite baits:
Largies it is hard to beat a finesse jig with a swim senko trailer, a shakey head with a flirt or smallie beaver, bullywa frog, floating minnow bait (rapala), zoom trick worm, and a dropshot with a color 34 panic minnow. Oh almost forgot about the jig yeah 1/2 oz. bluegill color. Yes that is alot but i will have the rods rigged and will use them all.
Smallies are alot different and alot easier, shakey smallie beaver, drop shot with a panic minnow, and a tube, and a spinnerbait. Thats it they are a hell of alot easier. Its just finding them not catching them.

I hate Senkos

Permalink Reply by Jeff Grimes on May 18, 2009 at 10:03pm

How about " I DREAD the Senko"........I despise them so much, I hate to have to put one on.

Jeff

Ronald Hobbs, Jr. said:

I'll buy one they are boring to fish I hate when that bite is the only one going, actually I fear it. Maybe it should be a I FEAR THE SENKO t-shirt. They are too effective and way to boring for me. I have to use a sinker with them they suck, yet effective I guess thats why I hate them. I use them when I have to.....damn it they are boring!
Jeff Grimes said:

I don't know if you are being sarcastic or not, but I thought I was the only one who hated Senkos.......I should have shirts made up with that on it

Jeff
Ronald Hobbs, Jr. said:

Every thing is going to start working, we are looking at the beginning of the spawning cycle in a week there will be post spawn fish prespawn fish and spawning fish. I love sight fishing, not neccasarily bed fish but just the ones I can see cruisers spawners sleepers it doesn't matter, this being said here are my favorite baits:
Largies it is hard to beat a finesse jig with a swim senko trailer, a shakey head with a flirt or smallie beaver, bullywa frog, floating minnow bait (rapala), zoom trick worm, and a dropshot with a color 34 panic minnow. Oh almost forgot about the jig yeah 1/2 oz. bluegill color. Yes that is alot but i will have the rods rigged and will use them all.
Smallies are alot different and alot easier, shakey smallie beaver, drop shot with a panic minnow, and a tube, and a spinnerbait. Thats it they are a hell of alot easier. Its just finding them not catching them.

I hate Senkos

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on May 18, 2009 at 10:05pm

I have a friend who calls Senkos god's gift to the white man! They catch fish, but they take years to flutter to the bottom. I have caught too many fish on them, but this year I'm branching out its Beaver time! But if I get backed into a corner I'm sure I'll give into my old ways.

Ronald Hobbs, Jr. said:

I'll buy one they are boring to fish I hate when that bite is the only one going, actually I fear it. Maybe it should be a I FEAR THE SENKO t-shirt. They are too effective and way to boring for me. I have to use a sinker with them they suck, yet effective I guess thats why I hate them. I use them when I have to.....damn it they are boring!
Jeff Grimes said:

I don't know if you are being sarcastic or not, but I thought I was the only one who hated Senkos.......I should have shirts made up with that on it

Jeff
Ronald Hobbs, Jr. said:

Every thing is going to start working, we are looking at the beginning of the spawning cycle in a week there will be post spawn fish prespawn fish and spawning fish. I love sight fishing, not neccasarily bed fish but just the ones I can see cruisers spawners sleepers it doesn't matter, this being said here are my favorite baits:
Largies it is hard to beat a finesse jig with a swim senko trailer, a shakey head with a flirt or smallie beaver, bullywa frog, floating minnow bait (rapala), zoom trick worm, and a dropshot with a color 34 panic minnow. Oh almost forgot about the jig yeah 1/2 oz. bluegill color. Yes that is alot but i will have the rods rigged and will use them all.
Smallies are alot different and alot easier, shakey smallie beaver, drop shot with a panic minnow, and a tube, and a spinnerbait. Thats it they are a hell of alot easier. Its just finding them not catching them.

I hate Senkos

Permalink Reply by David Parnicky on May 18, 2009 at 10:10pm

I think P.J. might be onto something for whatever side of this T-Shirt isn't "fearing" or "dreading" the senko!

Permalink Reply by Josh Potter on May 18, 2009 at 10:23pm

The last week or so ( asside from lake Washington ), by the way I vote for renaming it firey lake of hell in satin sheets, bait selection hasn't been super important. The week before Lake firey hell in satin sheets I fished a tournament and we literally caught them on everything in the boat. Had it not been a tournament day I would have tried to see what they wouldn't eat. I was catching SM on tubes and my partner was fishing a trap behind me and pounding LM. I don't have to worry about the drop shot anymore because that rod flew off my deck on Sunday and is now gone. Jeff is actually getting anxiety as he reads this. That rig has bailed me out a lot but I constantly bad mouth it. It's like that friend that just always has to prove you wrong.
I love to crank this time of year for SM and wore them out on it yesterday. I love the tube and a football head w/ the old 176 hula. I also love the trap. For LM I love to flip a beaver, chigger craw, and jig. I have a different opinion of the SENKO. I don't typically fish it blind except for under docks. If the sun is shining I will skip that thing until my arm falls off. I also have a love affair with the buzz bait when the pads are just coming up and after they are all the way up I fish the dog snot out of those stupid looking rage tail shad. That's my two cents

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