Goal #1 achieved... sort of...

[gspman]

One of my goals this year is to catch a bass on a plastic worm. I used a Texas-style jig worm quite a bit this weekend and though I didn't catch a bass on it, I did catch a 3-4# Northern Pike on it. So now I have some confidence that I can catch fish on it so I'll be fishing the heck out of a jig worm until I really start connecting. Once I get that down pat, I'll move to goal #2: catch a bass on a jig & pig/plastic.

If anyone has any advice/tips to offer on fishing jig worms I'm all ears. Thanks.

gspman

[Juan Grande]

gspman,

Try using weightless Texas rigged stick baits like Senkos or Gulp Sinking Minnows. They're dense enough to cast with no weight and the slow fall drives the fish crazy.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Gsp- I tend to use jig worms more as the summer progresses and fish pull back to the weedlines. I use jig and pig all year long. I think you will have more success on the jig worm latter this summer. There are better ways of catching them now!

[gspman]

Deitz,

Interesting. I caught a couple bass on a spinnerbait in 7'-10' in some relatively sparse curly leaf pondweed so I tried the jigworm in the same area. Are you suggesting to try shallower? I fish Cedar Lake by Faribault if that makes any difference. The slop is so thick right now it's unreal. The lake is infested with both milfoil and curlyleaf pondweed.

I could throw a weightless Super Fluke or a tube real shallow or in the holes in the weeds. I have a few bass jigs and some Yum Chunk jig trailers so I could try those too. I have a limited bass arsenal and want to keep it that way for awhile. Again, any advice is appreciated.

gspman

[fishinkrop]

I fished Cedar Lake by Faribault to on monday and I WILL NEVER GO BACK. But I did see some bass and had a one come up to the baot affer a tobe but no hits cool to see them though

[Deitz Dittrich]

Gsp-I'm going to try and explain something and not sure if its going to come across right.. The fish in the southern part of the state should be spawning. And bass will spawn right in the Curly leaf pond weed. Its hard to see but once you see what I am talking about you will catch on. Look for areas where you can see some curly pond weed on the surface where you can see some stems that have been taken out of the bottom of the lake, its lighter in color. When a bass makes its bed it will fan and litterly tear the weed from its roots, the weed will then float to the surface and cover the bed from being seen. A heavy tube or a jig dropped into this and you have a fish on.

Also, curly leaf pond weed and milfoil will not grow in shallower water than about a foot and a half. which will leave an inside weedline. Fish will often use this, however will be a tad spooky! A fluke would be the best bet for this type area.

I havenot fished the lake you are talking about.. however I have fished lakes similar to what you describe!.. yes its more work, and yes a good weedless t-moter will help!

[gspman]

Deitz,

I've got a good weedless t-motor and the bass are definitely spawning right now. Some are actually bedding on our shoreline and there is one bedding in the slop right next to our dock. I saw her all weekend sitting on her nest. Amazingly all the kids never saw her nor did her nest get disturbed while they were playing in the water. I'll look for what you describe and fish with a jig-n-pig and see what happens. There were a few in shallow inside the weedline and they were spooky as you wrote in your last post. It all makes sense. Now it's time to try and execute properly which is the hard part when there's acres of this stuff to fish. They may be done spawning by the time I get to fish again 2 weeks from now. Water temps are in the mid to upper 60's on the lake right now. Thanks for the help.

gspman

[Deitz Dittrich]

Gsp- as you state, they may be done by then. However, put this in your mental note book for the years to come. The good news with curly pond weed is that it dies off rather quickly in the year. In another month or so, it will start to die.