Swamp Johnny

Years ago, (early 90's) I was deciding which Club I was going to enter in Florida. (There are numerous clubs in Fla.) Typical to most clubs (at the time), you had to fish with a member in a tourney as a non-boater before being able to join. The guy I was fishing with snagged a Rattle Trap on a dock along a shoreline- with no way to retreive it without getting out of the boat. Sure enough, without any fanfair, he jumped out of his boat and walked the length of the dock to retreive that Rattle Trap. He got back into the boat aked me if I was "Cool" with what he did- I said "Sure". He did that twice during the tourney. Needless to say, I didn't join that club. SO, I ended up joining a different club. During the first year of joining my (2nd choice) club, the guy that was the leader (in points and club wins) got caught getting out of his boat and walking to a nearby oxbow pond to catch his fish. It was amazing......there was a fight.....the guy was in tears swearing he didn't know that was illegal....what a fiasco! That put a bad taste in my mouth for tournament fishing for close to 10 years. Thank god most tourneys are better managed in this day and age.

There has been many studies on the adverse affect Snakeheads have on native (AND Non-native) fish populations. Why??? Snakehead are (generally) more aggressive than Bluegill, Bass, Catfish, Etc. They take care of their young better than any other (native) fish species, which will allow them to proliferate quickly. And like BP10 mentions, they will eat everything and anything- which will indirectly affect your native fish populations in your canal. Might take a couple years- but, eventually, you'll want to catch something besides a Snakehead in your canal and you won't be able to. I thought Snakehead infestation was well documented and thoroughly well-known as bad ju ju???

If the Snakehead population goes through the roof, there won't be anything left in the canal but Snakehead. Think about contacting the Game & Freshwater Fish commission. They'd probably be VERY interested in eliminating that brood of Snakehead. (Personally, if I saw a ball of baby Snakehead, I'd catch as many in a cast net I could and then put them in a bucket with some clorox. Snakehead are bad Ju Ju for most native (and even non-native) fish.)

I notice that a majority of posts in regards to this subject are from Northern or Western States. Hydrilla in Florida/GA is exceptionally thick, (a raccoon can easily walk across them without swimming). Is your "hydrilla" that thick? When I think "hydrilla", I think that thick. Something a full-sized 'coon can walk across without getting wet. In many lakes down South, guys carry a long pole with them to open holes in the weeds as best they can, leave for 30 minutes, and then come back and fish them. That is where a 1 1/2 OZ Jig/Worm comes in mighty handy. The exposed hook is kinda important sometimes.... I live in MN now, (13 years) and I've never come across anything that thick in MN, WI, ILL, MI, Etc. Even the thickest cabbage can't compare. Still, I love the head design on the AT Tackle Grassmaster.....it works. Maybe this topic is subjective as well as regional.....??? Well, whatever rig or jig your using- I wish everyone tight lines and fat sacks!

I stand by my statement. BUT, yes, anything you throw in Hydrilla will come back occasionally with weeds. However, check Tackle Warehouse's reviews on the jigs I've suggested- I'm not the only one that's had good results with AT Tackle and the Hack Attack Jig. Texas Rigged presentations can work, but for speed and ease, a good Jig beats them all. (When flipping, I can continually cast a jig without interruption, while a guy with a Texas-rigged worm/creature has to adjust and possibly put another plastic on- which is a time waster. Jigs are also more compact and have a bulky yet shorter profile- which equals a better hook-up percentage. Even in thick weeds you must hesitate 1-2 seconds when using Soft Plastic's- with a Jig/Pig you can swing for the fences immed.) All Jigs are not created equal. For the ultimate Jigs- there are a variety of guys making handmade Jigs on Ebay and on this website. Those jigs will be (for lack of a better word) perfect. I use those religiously too........

I am also a Jig fan. I've tried (probably) 15 different head designs and finally found the brands I use regularly- AT Tackle Grass Jig- http://www.***.com/All_Terrain_Tackle_Grassmaster_Jig/descpage-ATTGJ.html Hack Attack Jig- http://www.***.com/Strike_King_Greg_Hackney_Hack_Attack_Jig/descpage-GHHAJ.html#product-feedback Those are the only Jigs I buy. Some advice? If you really want to be an outstanding jig fisherman, buy the correct rod/reel, line, and Jig to do the job. For thick Hydrilla, (at least) 10/40 Power Pro, (at least) a 7' 6" Flippin stick, (at least) a 6:4:1 ratioed reel, and the Jigs I mentioned above. Hope this helps?

Tom is right. If you are carelessly working shoreline structure only- and thats the extent of your fishing method all year, for all seasons- you are missing everything. If you are going to hunt for Bass (or any quarry) you need to learn their habitat and seasonal patterns. There are so many variables to finding GOOD fish (in the 3-4LB PLUS size)- wind direction, how many days that wind has been blowing and in what direction, temperature of water, forage base and where it typically lives/holds, fishing pressure, ETC, ETC, ETC- that answering this question with any amount of authority would fill up this forum.......and those variables can change (dramatically) in 10 minutes! Please go read some of the articles posted on this website- they are very informative!

I agree. Tubes are probably the most productive Smally lure ever made. HOW-ever, I'd say a Flicker Jig with a 4-5" Senko to be a close second.

MN has some silly-@ss rules and regs too, (ever pick up a MN Fishing Regs booklet? IT's like reading "War & Peace"- lol)- BUT, I'd consider the MN/WI/MI/SD fisheries to be nothing short of astounding for LMB and SMB! And this is coming from someone who spent most of their life in Florida, fishing nearby States like AL, GA, LA, Etc. (I love the South!) But, I know of NO other place in the US where you can consistently catch and put together 25 LB (plus) bags so easily. (Go look what it takes to win a basic Club tourney!) SO, putting up with culling rules and bizarre restrictions don't bother me as much. What bothers me about MN/WI is the 6 months of "hard water" that keeps me from fishing at all! (lol)

Tips for BW lakes??? Topwaters- (Spook Jr's and Spooks)- Rarely do fish ever SEE a Topwater lure on the BW- esp "Walk the dog" type. I have stayed ON Gunflint Lake and Topwater lures have saved the day for us many times. Use the Topwaters to "find" concetrations of fish. Then slow down and thoroughly work the area with other lures. The Topwaters work esp well the last 3 hours of the day. Suspending Stick baits- (Rapala Husky Jerk HJ10, Etc)- For Pike and Sm Bass a suspending lure can be absolutely devastating. Again, most fish rarely see that presentation. Berkely Gulp Grubs on a 1/4 - 1/2 OZ Jighead ( Black)- Instead of live leeches, you can't beat a 4" (black) Berkely Grub- they catch everything. Bring 20 bags PLUS- you'll need them. (If the conventional way of rigging them doesn't work, try fishing them in conjunction with a Slip-Bobber rig. The Slip-Bobber/Jig method can be deadly- esp in deeper water.) BRING Fluorocarbon leader material (15 LB and 10LB). The water clarity can be extremely clear on some lakes. Having Fluro available will help in those conditions.

I'm a dedicated tournament bass angler. Pokegama, Leech, Vermillion, Whitefish Chain, Island (near Duluth), Pokegama/Cross (near Pine City), Mille Lacs, ETC, ETC, ETC. Mn has some great Bass fishing. (And thats coming from a guy who spent most of his life in Florida!) Why is MN so good? Nobody really targets Bass here. In Florida (and all around the South/North East) Bass are the #1 fish species targeted. In MN, Bass are considered "by-catch" for most- most guys are targeting Crappie, Walleye, and Pike before concentrating on Bass. That leaves many of our "10,000 Lakes" with unmolested bass who've never seen many real bass fishing techniques and lures. My company sponsors a team- they won the MN Pro-Team Tourney last Sunday with (a one day weight) of 30.07 LBS on Lake Vermillion. Check out my blog on my website for further info. As much as I love Florida and the surrounding waters in the South East, because Bass are "ignored" here, I find the fishing in MN to be some of the best in the country.

TODAY in THE NEWS: At a local Bass fishing tournament, a babys head and 3 license plates were found inside the body of a giant Smallmouth Bass. Apparently, the angler who caught the fish got a hernia on the hook-set.......(LOL)

Yeah, I agree. That is a pig. Just......well......yeah.....

Go to the store and speak to the manager. Tell him you'll buy all of them for $60-$100, (depending on how many is there). Make sure your getting them for around $1.00 - $1.50 a piece, (which is usually the cost on those) WHY? Why would you want them all? You can easily tie some 10LB diameter Power Pro around the skirts, (which will permanently secure the skirt) and then have a BUNCH of excellent Spinnerbait's. OR you can buy replacement Skirts. I was a manager at a Sports Authority years ago and you'd be surprised how badly they want to get rid of "defective" tackle. (Esp tackle that became defective because of the STORES fault not the distributor or manaufacter) One mans trash is another mans treasure.....a little elbow grease and ingenuity and VIOLA! You got something booyah for cheap! (If they were Titanium-wired or Super Stainless I might drive there myself and pick them up!!!! lol) Hope this helps ya?

4 tourneys the same day, on the same water? Holy Moly! That changes everything! Fish at the ramp or go as far away as you can possibly go! (LMAO- joking-kinda) No, honestly, just stay away from the bank as much as possible and go to the WORST possible shoreline with BARREN structure and fish 20 yards from the bank.. With that many boats on the water your going to have to downsize and go split shot rig/ drop shot.Although, it depends on water clarity. I'd still fish the wind no matter what. Windy shorelines hide you (and everybody else), you might be able to scare a few up...............?????????? I wish you the best of luck!

I agree! One of the best techniques of all time for Spooky clear water fish is a Floating Rap. BUT, Rapala designed that quite a while back. In my honest opinion, the 2 best things Rapala has come out with latlety (for Bass) is the Husky Jerk and the Skitter Pop. Why??? Why would I diss Rapala??? I'm not. I have and use (choice modified) Rapala's. But, to be honest, I rarely use a Rapala lure on tourney day. Why? #1 Because every single person (whether they be a sponsored Torunament fisherman to an 8 yr old bank fishing) uses a Rapala. Even people who don't fish know Rapala. Needless to say, the (older/larger) Bass have ugh seen a Rapala a couple times....up close....(wink). #2. There are many more options than a Rapala now-a-days. Twenty-five years ago Rapala was (really) the only game in town.....and of course, there are ways to modify lures to make them unusual enough to make them less "ordinary"... ALL those Pros we watch on TV- they are using modified lures- plain and simple.

And like James just mentioned- fish the wind. (If you can) The wind is usually your friend- turns fish on, concentrates bait, and hides your presence. The only time the wind can play against you is if a cold front happens to come through.........

Sam is on point on this. I have never heard a Pro say,"I always do better when I don't pre-fish". ALL Pro's Pre-fish. They just aren't exactly "fishing". People that wear out a fishing spot the day before the tourney aren't Pre-fishing correctly. If I only had one day, I'd travel around the lake looking at as much structure as I could. Get a feel for the basic structure and break lines. FIND emerging weed growth, which you can also do using Google Maps!! Check water clarity and color changes! Spring usually means HIGH water and definite color changes in the mouth of feeder creeks or bays. Color changes are awesome to fish..... You can look at topo, but realize, so can everybody else. Those places you notice as hot spots are probably on someone else's graph (with EXACT measurements as to where the sweet spot is). When you are looking on your topo map find areas that are in the N/North West corner of bays or cuts leading to shallow flats in 2-4 FT of water- Perfect spawning grounds. THEN, move out to the edge to see if you can find a move up ledge or point. If you can find one spawning ground or move up point you can usually find more..... Like Sam mentions- USE a 1/2 - 5/8 OZ size Jig that has the hook bent to prevent hooking any fish. A heavy Jig is one of the best tools to find out bottom composition and emerging weed growth. Lastly, look around and notice where other guys might be fishing- many ignorant tournament fisherman will beat up their fish pre-fishing,"Just to make sure they are still there." Try to see what they are using and show them something completey different. (In the past, I've come behind guys with something different and cleaned up. Make sure to TURN OFF your electronics when using this approach. It can help....) Hope this extra info helps?

This is an amazingly accurate representation of what sponsors want and look for. I have a small Crank painting business and these points Sam has given you are spot on. I sponsor 2 semi-pro's- (who should be winning some money this weekend- cross your fingers- check my website for further info)- and I esp look for : A. People that win or come in the money B. People that have a good attitude and are willing to work (not just walk around with your hat or jersey on and think thats all they must do) C. People that ........ Just read Sams!(LOL) He nailed it!

I agree with a black, black/red, black/brown Spinnerbait. Single Colorado. For extra vibration push a double-tailed Grub on the trailer hook. (You should always use a trailer hook, esp in muddy/stained water). Another option?? Try a Berkley Havoc Grass Pig in Black/Blue Silver or Black. Use an Owner weighted (1/8 OZ) Twistlock 5/0. Swim baits can work esp well in muddy/stained water because you never "really" know whats in the water- causing less problems with snags (even less than with a Spinnerbait) allowing you to fish thick weeds and open water equally. Hope this helps?

I totally agree. Many times you can find and catch a couple on a Crank, mark the area, move off and fish something else for a while, then return with a small Soft Plastic Swimbait, Jig, or Pumpkin Ed Jig/10" Worm, Drop shot, Etc. This is a common practice for Smallmouth fishing in MN, (and the surrounding region). Also, (I havn't checked if anybody mentioned this)- the bigger the fish, the more apt your not going to FIND another fish. BIG fish are (typically) loners. As you move up in size, the bigger fish will have the best " ambush spot" nearest the structure and push smaller fish to the sides of the structure. (I've seen this happen A LOT on deep structure) Also, If you catch a 4LBer and then get zero bites afterward you may have caught the only ACTIVE fish in the vicinity, OR the other fish you are seeing on your graph are spooky. When fish get spooky, leave the area for 30-40 minutes, then return with your electronics turned OFF. (Have you ever gone under water and heard what electronics sound like?? They are so loud it hurts your head! Pro's don't run their electronics all the time.) Use a point of reference along the shore, to remember where the general vicnity of structure is, approach the structure slowly ( from 40-50 yrds), NEVER stopping the trolling motor, and start fishing with something quiet and natural- 6" Wacky Rig fished on a Flick Jig, barely weighted Fluke, Short Carolina, Etc. You'd be surprised how many more fish you'll catch if you use your electronics sparingly in a heavily pressured lake. This Summer go take a swim under your boat and listen to what your electronics sound (and feel) like! Add in the supposed "quiet" trolling motor and big fish can feel and hear you from a great distance. (And aren't we all after the bigger guys? Dinks under 2 1/2 LBs havn't been around long enough to know the difference.) If you must have your elctronics on at all times don't dally! Keep your trolling motor on high and move through the area quickly, (like 8 miles an hour fast). Believe it or not, moving through fast looks (and feels) more natural to a fish than those guys who stop and start their trolling motor 50 times from the offshore structure. Hope this trick helps ya?

I agree with the Manns 1- (Baby and regular Manns 1-). The Egg is probably my second favorite. (The ones I modify to run deeper than 6" are amazing!) And you can't beat 1.5's and 2.5's Lucky Craft KO's. (I've painted quit a few of these- they work extremely well (for a plastic Crank). Old school lure that kicks amazing arse? Rapala (wood) Shallow Fat Rap SFR-7 1/2 OZ- They are discontinued and extremely expensive now-a-days. As these discontinued lures become harder to get and MUCH, MUCH, harder to manufacter, the guys that held on to those old Bagley's, Luh Jensen, and (ugh) "other ones" are gonna have some really nice baits that this new generation of 4-5 LBers have never "felt" or seen. With a bit of modification the River 2 Sea Cha Cha is another "sleeper" shallow Crank most fish have never seen/felt. (I paint mine in Frog colors and tweak it- works WELL!) Ironic that nobody on this forum has mentioned Rapala.......is it me or has Rapala made one too many "duds" here in the last 10 years??? Compared to a company like Manns (which typically has solid, well-designed, lures) Rapala is batting (like) 250 lately. (lol) The Rapala Scatter Shad is new technology???? Really?? Anybody tried the Molix Vario (back in 2011)? (LOL) Hey, no offense to the Rapala company (or the people/customers who fish them religiously)- they made the best lures for many years......they are the Mcdonalds of lures! 1 billion served! (lol)

Nice job Bro! Make 3-4 more and your buddys will start buying them from you! (lol) Thats what happened to me. (I've got some posted here- if you get a chance, check them out- Let me know what you think?) What happened to me was- I (finally) started making decent looking baits and wanted my clear coat to be as awesome, (so the Pike, Mudfish and rocks didn't mess up the paint job immed). As you progress and get better at painting, you will start fooling with a variety of clear coats. Currently, I've tried Epoxy resin, Dick Knight, Solerez and Automotive Clear. Each one has a (def) "leanring curve". (wry grin) The best clear coat (so far) that I've found is a 2 layer epoxy resin/2 (light) layers Auto Clear combo. Although, there is a lot to be said for a simple 2 layer epoxy finish. Solarez is very simple to use- but leaves the baits with a duller finish (which can be a good thing depending on what your going for). Auto Clear is awesome- but (really) requires an appropriate area/space to spray, (it's fairly toxic). DK is nice but is "finicky"- storage and application. If you need any tips let me know.....I'll try to help as much as I can.

I was thinking about using them as a trailer on a 5/8OZ Jig- to slow the fall and bulk-up the size. I'm gonna add a Yamamoto skirt to them.......modified them a bit. You know....