Trying to catch bigger fish

[Griggs]

I'm going to be fishing Minnetonka a bit this summer I think and I'm trying to catch some bigger fish. I can catch 10-15 Bass on any given day when I go out, but seriously if 1 of those 15 is 2 lbs I'm having a very lucky day.

I've tried different presentations, trying to slow down. I've been doing some wackying and sinking worm on a weightless texas rig. I know its still early in the year, and I've only been out Bass once, but I just feel last years happenings about to start all over. And thats a season of small fish.

I'm not even asking for 4-6 lbs fish (which would be sweet) but how about seeing 2-3 lbs fish more often.

I normally fish grubs, mimic minnows or swimming worms in shallow water near docks. And like I've said I've been trying some wacky rigging and some other slower techniques but I still don't catch many big fish.

If someone could help me out with some ideas that would be great, and I'll give it a shot on Tonka tomorrow (tuesday)

Thanks!

Chad

[Deitz Dittrich]

Griggs- if you are catching small fish on a presentation, and continue to catch small fish on that presentation, then its up to you to change what you are doing or you are just going to continue to catch thost same smaller fish.

Try something new... Try new areas, new lures, new presentations! If all you fish is smaller lures...

Quote:

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I normally fish grubs, mimic minnows or swimming worms in shallow water near docks. And like I've said I've been trying some wacky rigging and some other slower techniques but I still don't catch many big fish.

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My suggestion to you is to try some slop, thick nasty stuff, try some deeper weed edges, use a little larger lures(jig-n-pig) Concentrate on the spot on a spot. Use lures that are known to catch larger fish... Jig-n-pig, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits.

Lastly- buck up, have some confidence. If you go out fishing thinking that all your going to catch is little ones.. then thats probably all your going to catch.. before each and every cast, think "this is the cast, I am ready" or dont even cast the lure out!

[ikeslayer]

Griggs i have a buddy who fishes tonka quite regularly and he swears by a 5" banjo minnow. he has never hit the 6 pound mark but 3 4 and 5 are regulars for him. Also go to Capras Sporting goods sometime and see if Ted is working there. He has won more tourneys on tonka then days you have probably fished there. One other tactic i read about was a guy going out at night with a 3/4 ounce jig head and a 7 inch black gulp minnow. He would find rocky bottom and bang that jig on rocks and call them in. Now he quite regularly did catch 6 pounders. Good luck to you. hope this helps. ike

[senkoskipper]

your doing it all wrong. you need to tie on a deep diving crank bait then attack a rapala DT4 behind that, then a spinner bait then use a 5" senko as a trailer then at the end of the senko tie on a frog. All you do after that is just cast it into the weeds and your gonna catch nothing but 5 pounders all day long. Dont tell your buddies about this tho because this technique is so deadly its banned in 47 states because its so deadly. Day in and day out this will catch more fish.

[Griggs]

Well I had a pretty good day yesterday. I stayed away from docks and was trying some fishing away from shores, tryin to stick close to some break lines. I still couldn't find any weed edges.

I ended up catching a 3lbs 8oz bass in about 4 feet of water over rocks and sparse weeds. It was right around the corner from a point. But I did catch him on a slow presentation, sinking minow texas rigged, weightless. I sayed way from my normal swimming plastics in.

I don't really know how to use a jig, I have a few of them but I never had any confidence, and I don't know what the "pig" part of the combo is. I have some yum "chunk" that I've put on.

As far as the really thick stuff, I found a little bit of that yesterday. Are you talking about the areas that have the green dump floating on the surface? And just maybe find some pockets in all of that to flip into?

Thanks again! Better fish on the way?

Chad

[Deitz Dittrich]

The "pig" is just the chunk.. so you have that figgured out. And yes, the slop can be anything nasty...

[Griggs]

alright thanks, I'll keep at it.

As far as the weed edges, is this something you can usually see, or is it something that is basically assumed at any sharp drop off.

And when do the larger bass start using these deeper weed edges vs the shallows that I saw them in the other day?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Griggs- some weedlines you can see, some you cant. Some you will need to use your eletronics to find the actual edge. I would suggest getting a couple of bouys and makring a weed edge so that you can see where it is and go from there. Also remember all weedlines are not created equal, just like all docks and all shorelines are not as good as some.

Some bass will start using the outside edge here now. .but the bigger numbers of fish will move that way in a couple of weeks.

[Griggs]

Thanks for all the help.

One more thing about the weed edge. How deep typically are you fishing on a weed edge. I guess, one would is probably however deep the weeds drop off for that particular lake. But is it typically deeper than 10' or something?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Some lakes that are stained the weed edge may only be in about 6'... other that are clear it may be as deep as almost 25-30 feet.

[Griggs]

What do you recommend for these deeper weed edges? Same as shallow, jig n pig etc?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Griggs, deeper fish can be hard, but very rewarding.. many do not throw a jig and pig out deep, but I do alot and get a lot of fish on them. Carolina rig works well too, as well as a jig worm(probably my #1 choice) Deep cranks are agood choice for finding fish, also a very heavy(ledgebuster) spinnerbiat will work too.

[Griggs]

alright thanks, I'll give it a try

[Granny]

Big baits tend to equal big or bigger fish. Try reed points where there is deeper water near by. If there is a very defined point try casting the very tip of that point first. I have heard, and this is my belief, that the biggest and most hungry fish will be the dominant fish and be located at the best feeding or ambush point. The best feeding or ambush point will be at the tip of that cover.

Get on the water early and stay out late. Fall fishing is the best time to put the pigs in the boat! If the lake gets a lot of pressure many of the bigger fish head deep during the day. When the sun hits the tree tops many of these pressured fish come back up shallow to the feeding areas.

Keep tossing a jig-n-pig until you catch a fish. Once you gain confidence in the lure you won't put it down. You tend to lose less fish on jigs also. Buzzbaits are also at the top of my big fish lures.

I have heard that the fish in the Metro area are post spawn right now. The big girls are probably hanging on deeper drop offs recovering from the spawn. Soon they will be back up and feeding like crazy! Great chance to try out some new techniques.

Good luck!

Granny

[OnTheWater]

Ganny-

How's the bite up there? Didn't you guys just fish minnewawa last weekend?

As granny said, in the metro, it seems like the big girls are sitting off the break right now...and not biting. Once they start moving into the pads and reeds again, rig up a scum frog or jaw breaker. If you have the trolling motor to do it, try to get in the thickest of thick stuff on the lake, throw them babies out there and run them across the top. It may not give you quanity, but it usually gives you quality.

[Griggs]

Thanks guys. I like the idea of the frogs in that thick stuff.

I went to Prior today and in a large bay the weed edge was about 15' according to my lowrance. I moved up and down the wind blown shore at that 15' mark but only caught one small fish on a 3/8 oz max gap and a 8" worm.

I tried some docks since it was mid day and the sun was out for a while, nothing.

Then I hit a small bay, its one where I knew there was a lot of thick weeds. I tried the Jig n Pig, but I swear that thing doesnt work good. Isn't as weedless as I'd like for that nasty stuff. And I'm probably just not using it right. I'd look for pockets in the thick weeds and throw it in there, bob my rod tip a few times then move on. I was reluctant to leave the jig down there for too long because I felt it was just sitting half snagged in weeds. I dunno. I ended up fishing that thick stuff with a tub I still had on a rod from dock fishing. It was texas rigged with a lindy EZ tub weight, again, fishing it in those pockets, no bites.

Ended the day with just a few smaller fish. But I'll keep plugging away at it.

I know my strength is using a jighead and soft plastic of some kind. Do you think my weight was good for that deep of water? And how do you feel about the long 8-10" plastics vs the 4" power grub variety?

[Granny]

OnTheWater,

Nice to meet ya the other day. Minne was great. I will send ya some more info on that.

Griggs,

How heavy was your jig? You don't have to let the jig sit. If you feel it settling in the weeds, give it quick pop and get it up on top of the weeds again. Maybe try a lighter jig. Try tossing that jig on that weed edge in 15'.

Granny

[Deitz Dittrich]

Griggs- you are running into one other not so small problem this time of the year.. The fish are just comming out of "Post Spawn".. many people are having a hard time getting big fish now. Myself included. Wait another week and try again!... It will only get better!

as for the jig gettign hung up. Somedays that is what you want, when you pop the jig free the fish will inhale it!...

Griggs, I hope you dont mind.. I sent you an e-mail.

[OnTheWater]

Griggs- you said you were on prior?

I was out there on Sunday, and had a very tough time getting fish in the boat as well. I'd say to try fishing the same techniques in a few more days, and hopefully the fish will be a bit more cooperative. Otherwise, hop over 35 and try crystal. I was out there last night, and had slightly better luck. Some small fish, and a few in the 17-18.5" range.

[Griggs]

Thanks guys. I've fished crystal quite a few times, seems like that lake has a lot more medium sized fish. I've never caught anything real big, but not many little dinkers like I get a lot on Prior.

I made it out to Tonka today and did ok. First cast of the day I caught a 2 lbs 6 oz. So that was pretty good for my standards.

I stayed away from the jig n pig today. But I'll start working at it here, see what next week brings.

[st.crioxfishin]

Griggs,

I was out on Prior yesterday. Deitz is right, their in the postspawn right now. We caught about 20 bass, but they were all little ones. We tried deep shallow and in between. As we fished some docks we did see some 3-4 1/2lb bass crusin, but they wouldn't bite, some were gaurding their fry that were all around them.

Wait another few days or maybe even a week and those bass on prior and even other lakes should be a little more coorperatve. Stick with it those big ones will come!

[rascalP]

Griggs,

I know what you mean. Been there.

There are different head styles for jigs. J-mac makes a real good jig for weeds. Basically any brand with a cone style head will work good in the weeds. In fact, a LONG time ago, I used to use a bullet sinker that had a skirt on it by Gopher Tackle, then T-rig any ole plastic - pinch off the plastic right at the bend of the hook, put a pork chunk on the hook and bury the hook in the pinched off plastic. Weedless pig and jig, but with 2 pivot points in the rig.

Anyway, try putting a Kalin Mogombo (5" grub with a HUGE tail) on instead off traditional trailers. Slow fall, big bulk. A big bulky trailer can slow the fall of the jig, while adding weight for an easier cast.

rascal

[ocf]

I'd say put a 1 inch grub with a bigger tail and spray down the whole thing with some Yum or something of the sort i know its supposed to be a big rip-off but i got a little on the surface and 30 seconds later tons of sunnies were just attacking the surface. also try a wooly hawgil from YUM and those typs of things

[Deitz Dittrich]

I think we got Griggs on the right path.. I took him out today and made him tie on a Jig-n-Pig... I think the G-man caught 3 of his biggest bass of his life today.. Dude, you made me proud! A VERY quick learner! And a heck of a nice guy to boot!

[Griggs]

Yea that my biggest bass right there. My frustrations with the Jig n Pig has come to an end, I learned a lot of good things today, so now I just have to apply it to my home waters. Thanks again for an unbelieveable time on the water!

PS - You post the pic I just emailed to you, it was some good photography!