FMers University: "I know what I learned last summer."

[RandyFish]

I thought I would try this thread for fun (and to gain knowledge) -- see if guys can explain any new technique or bassin' skill they finally learned last summer.

I guess the key is being able to explain the one part -- the "holy grail," of sorts -- that helped you get a handle on the method.

For example...here was my big question last year:

Technique: Fishing a Jig and Pig Effectively.

What I needed to learn to make this common method finally work for me: Patience to leave the jig sit after casting it into cover.

I would cast the jig into cover (dock posts, rock pile edges, etc.) reel in enough line to take out slack, but keep the jig where it was....

And then count to 30 (I'd keep my finger and eyes on the line). I would then jiggle the jig a bit, maybe give it a sharp hop...and count to 20...then slowly hop it or drag a few feet, then reel back.

Repeat the whole process at another "bassy" looking piece of cover.

The whole process seemed very tedious (for a guy who likes to throw spinners and cranks), and when I did not catch fish right away, I wanted to go faster -- but I eventually learned that by leaving the jig sit a bit, you eventually will get bass to pick it up. (Watch your line for sideways movement.)

Well worth the wait, since a jig bite will literally explode when you set the hook.

A guy can figure out the jigging gear pretty easily:

Use a rod with good backbone, use black/blue jigs (1/4 oz. or so is a good gen. size)in dark water, use tan/green in lighter water (many good jig brands available, just make sure the hook will "stand up" off the bottom).

A guy can buy some Yum chuncks (buy dark blue and green) for effective trailers, or use some plastic craws if you have them. Heck, twister tails will work. You basically want something that floats up off the jig, so it waves at the bass.

Use low-strech line (braid, flourocarbon, mono with the low-stretch label). I dedicated one rod and reel combo to jigging last spring -- and I never used it for anything else because I had so much fun jigging.

The key: Learn to leave the jig sit after you cast it into cover. It's more like sitting a tree stand for deer than it is fishing...at least to me.

Now what the heck did everyone else learn last year?

RandyFrahm

[Deitz Dittrich]

Awesome post RF!... Cant wait to read more from out other readers!...

Come on FM team... add on to this one.. this could be a lot of fun and a lot of information.

[Ray Esboldt]

RF,

The letting the jig sit concept is a great point. I often just pitch jigs under a dock and let them sit. Sometimes a fish will pick it up off the bottom, but many times they smash it when I pick it up for the first hop.

I don't think I had any breakthroughs or discoveries last summer, but I did concentrate more on rediscovering some techniques that had fallen out of my game plan. One being finding fish away from the weedline. I spent more time probing the rocky ends of points like I use to. With that being said, my biggest fish of the year came off a grassy bank on a river pitching a jig.

[carlcmc]

new pic deitz?

[carlcmc]

Skipping docks: I spent a bunch of days fishing docks with soft plastic this summer (senkos). I used a spinning reel. The key really is to get some good momentum and speed when you cast it in. The physics of skipping say that there has to be enough energy in the cast for it to bounce up. So you not only have to get a medium to low angle on the cast, it also has to be with quite a bit of force if you want it bounce 10-15 foot in underneath. I managed skipping under some docks that has less a couple inches of clearance. A few times i sippedthrough a hole in the dock and decided to fish it anyway. I didn't catch anything but was able to jimmy my senko out from a distance without coming close and spooking them. Another big point I learned very late in the game, FISH THE OUTSIDE first. Too many times i rushed right up to cast underneath. It was those few times when I cast at the dock as I was approaching and my cast fell short and I caught some 10-15 foot out along the perimeter that woke me up to the idea that you can catch some on the outside first.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Quote:

---

new pic deitz?

---

Wow, you noticed in a hurry.. Yep, that was yesterday at the FishingMinnesota.com Cool Cats event.. what a blast.. I'll put a bass pict back up when its time..LOL

[RandyFish]

CM...

Great dock skip post...I learned using flukes, and they work better than senkos.

Flukes have flat sides, so they look like you are skipping stone sometimes....Yum makes a dandy fluke with flat tail, so literally swims its way to the bottom. (I also uses Powerbait and Zoom makes a good early season smaller size)

Your spinning gear is about the same as what I use...but I always use a braided line and have a snap swivel on.

Snap that fluke way back underneath a dock, let it fall...and then twich the line and pop your rod tip up...let it fall...reel back in slowly.

It's almost like fly fishing.

[carlcmc]

caught my Minnesota '05 bass under a dock. Skipped a translucent white/smoke senko underneath. twitched it out and about peed my pant when i went to wind up and a 4 1/2 lb bass darted out of inches of weeds under the dock to nail it. Happy i was. i always use braided line anymore. powerpro 20-30lb last year. this year i'm thinking of upping to 50 lb so i can run it on a a new baitcaster and have the same stuff on my spinning gear.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

As far jig fishing, lots of the information above is great but when I started learning to fish them last year this is what worked for me...

Take a trip and fish it from first cast to last cast. The spring is a great time to do this the large numbers of bass hanging around shallow cover. Eventually you'll catch fish and after those first few fish your confidence in it, and ability to fish it should sky rocket.

I started the year out always throwing a jig because it was my goal to catch a few fish on them. By the end of the year I was always throwing a jig because it had become one of my 'go to' baits.

[riverrat56]

I don't bass fish much, but I learned a few new techniques, mostly for the early season, the first one was throwing a crankbait. Like I said I don't bass fish much but am starting to, before last year all I'd ever fished with was a buzz bait. Week that bass season opened I was fishing on a small puddle of a lake by town for northerns on a floating rapala, started to catch bass, found out that a key to the presentation was to keep it on top of the weeds or just out side the weed line, parallel to it. Also varying the retrieve helped to produce strikes, sometimes even completly stopping the retrieve for a moment.

Fishing a spinner also proved to be productive for me, againt varying the retrieve with slight rod direction movements and also by quickly stopping and starting the reel handle to give an ertic movement to the bait helped to produce strikes.

This year I'm hoping to learn to fish soft plastics more, any tips?

[RandyFish]

RiverRat,

On learning pastics for the new bass fisherman....review the posts above on skipping senkos and flukes (minnow type, soft jerk baits) around docks.

Dock skipping is one of the easiest, least expensive way to figure out plastics -- plus you will catch fish. It is also versatile.

I'll assume that as a new bass fisherman you have more spinning tackle than baitcasting gear, so....put some braided line one on low stretch mono (at least 10#) on your spinning outfits (choose a fairly stiff spinning rod).

Buy a few bags of flukes or Senkos (these don't have to Senko Brand, but look for stick type plastics.) Color choices: A bag of purple, dark red or black for dark water, and then some lighter colors (watermelon, baby bass, shad) or light water. Toad type plastics baits also work great.

The rig: tie a swivel at the end of line (this method will twist line), and hook (No. 3 or 4). Use no weight, and hook the fluke/senko Texas style). Teach yourself how "Skip" them like stone...same basic arm motion as skipping a stone. Make a few pratice skips in open water to see how this will work.

Then simply learn to skip the lures beneath docks (or swimming platforms, or across the top of lily pads). Make your cast, close your bail, let the lure fall on its own, then simply pop the lure up now and then -- then let it fall -- as you slowly make a retrieve.

My kids (7 and 14) do this all summer and they catch their share of fish. It is easy to learn, not a lot of hassle, and works great in nearly all shallow water situations. Very weedless.

Plus it is a blast. (oh yeah, amke sure your drag is set)

[carlcmc]

here are some links to read

me on senkos from shore

another blurb on them a bit on spinner baits

caught one on a senko