Kicker Fish

[Irish]

Hey guys, I just started tournament fishing last year and I have lots of questions. One of my biggest ones was what are some of your favorite techniques and types of areas to catch a big kicker fish or two? For example if you caught a smallish limit on a weedline with a drop-shot what would you do to catch a bigger fish or two? Would you just up size your bait and keeping fishing the area where you caught a limit of small fish or would you go to a whole new are/type of structure? Any and all help would be appreciated!

[Deitz Dittrich]

fish will often school in relation to size. Thats not always the case, but it can be. So if catching a lot of smaller fish, it may be time to try something else. One of the hardest thing in a tournament is to leave fish, to find fish.

When looking for a kicker fish, I will often go to Slop or Docks.

[RumRiverRat]

Good article in the latest Infishermen about this subject.

Docks and Slop seem to always hold big fish.

[photocycle]

Can never go wrong with using bigger bait for bigger fish. It's true that sometimes finesse fishing will do the trick to catch bigger fish when it's slow, but 7 times out of 10, throwing a bigger bait/presentation will produce size quality. Talk to musky fishermen and ask them how big of bass they catch on average when they do land one.

[grab the net]

+1 Shallow - Nasty cover - put away your spinning rod, break out the big sticks.

[Timmy D]

That's the million dollar question - - to stay or to leave - - I wish I had the answer!

There are so many variables it is impossible to say what is the right thing to do. Yes there are big fish on docks, yes there are big fish in the slop and yes there are big fish on the weed lines and off shore structure. Big bait could help catch bigger fish, but I've also caught a big fish on tiny drop shot rigs.

Especially in a tourney, when you are under the gun and limited on time, I think it's important to fish your strengths. Confidence is a huge factor in fishing success and your confidence will grow with experience and time on the water. The more you fish, the more you will catch.

[Irish]

Thanks for all feedback guys! What kind of baits do you like to throw in the slop and around docks when you're looking for big fish? Frogs? Jigs? Pegged T-rigs?

[Deitz Dittrich]

As of late.. punch skirt or a jig..

[RumRiverRat]

Docks

Weightless Texas Rigged Ring Fry

Texas Rigged Tube or Tube with internal 3/16oz jighead.

Pegged Texas Rigged Brush Hog

Slop

Money Frog

Weightless Texas rigged 10" worm

Weightless Texas rigged Ring Fry dropped into holes and along edges

Pegged Texas Rigged Brush Hog

[slopmaster]

for docks I like a Jig and for the slop either a frog, punch skirt, pegged creature, or weightless super fluke

[JP Z]

Slop for me is a Frog or a Jawbreaker. Or I will pitch a Senko on the edge.

Docks it is either a jigworm Senko or T-Rig senko. Yeah I like Stickworms. This year I'm going to shakey things up a bit with Squirrel Tails.