Fishingintheweeds

I work any kind of jig in the same ways. The only hard rules that I'm starting to develop for myself are that I absolutely will not throw a football head anything when there is a lot of vegetation. And I won't throw any kind of tapered head where I know the bottom is predominantly rocks - unless I intend to swim/yo-yo it. Then, I don't let it sink to the bottom. Some people call them chatterbaits, some people call them bladed jigs. I will pitch these at targets and work them in any kind of vegetation or rock. If there is rock and the head is tapered, I won't let it sink to the bottom before my retrieve. Same with a lot of vegetation in shallow water. I guess I use the same ideas with "swim jigs" also. I do the same types of retrieves with all of them but the details of how are sometimes different. Depending on the conditions, I may specifically use a vertical line tie. I'm not educated or experienced enough in the ways of the jig fisherman to know when or why to choose a vertical or horizontal line tie. If I tie on a horizontal, cast, reel my jig in, have worked it carefully through and it's still covered in grass, I will switch to a vertical. My only hard rule is no footballs in vegetation...after reading what I just wrote, that may be my only rule for type. All that said, I've caught as many fish on chatterbaits, in all kinds of conditions, as I have on almost everything else combined. So, maybe I'm not the best guy to answer but my feeling is if I can't work the jig without hanging up or bringing in grass, then change. That's how I know...but I've probably lost as many fish as I've caught on regular (no blade) jigs. To second that, weight can be very important.

Thanks to this site...I found Siebert Outdoors (if you haven't looked or noticed, the link is below)...several people in here have posted that they like their jigs. So, I took a look and promptly went on a little spree. They've got a good color selection and have colors that, for me, were just different enough from what "everyone else" was offering. I like chatterbaits and swim jigs and I'd convinced myself that I had plenty until I saw theirs.

I've heard people swear by heavy mono or fc leaders but I'm not sure straight braid is going to do a whole lot to stop something from biting you off. I've had pike go through 50 lb braid easier than the cutters I use.

Will this sink most topwater lures? What kind of leader are you using for topwater, back to debatably "suitable" 20 lb, or more, mono?

A few people have mentioned any of the smaller craw-style baits. I'd never tried a 3" or less, craw-style, trying to specifically good smaller. Comparing to similar conditions, locations and other baits that I've tried for both, these got more bites. I'm going to try to keep throwing these the rest of the year.

I've heard that some of these pits down here around Ann Arbor have some age to them AND fish. There isn't much obvious cover and I've confirmed, if I believe the people I've talked to, that these were pits that filled up before equipment could be gotten out. So, they're BASICALLY just big, fairly deep holes. After a few very short trips and a couple of creative techniques fishing near the bottom...I managed to get one on and lose it. So, I have proof that they hold decent fish. At others, that must be even older, the fish are in the obvious spots that you can locate visually. Has anybody else had any luck in these things around this area, that are the big, deep hole type, or found anything specific to go on?

Right! I highly doubted that anything other than light vs. dark mattered and for this one, I'm not even convinced that would make a difference...I guess I need to use mine before I will know. It makes its money making noise...I was just curious as to whether anybody had any belief about color. And yes! Once I started to see $20+ baits, I realized preeeeetty quickly that these are made to "catch fisherman". But I've bought a couple anyway!

My Jr. is the black bone color...and it seems like anybody whose BOUGHT one only HAS one, so we have limited info here but...not to mention specifically low light conditions, does it SEEM like there's any color that works "better"? I know, generally, I guess I'd assume white for sunny conditions...but from the fish patterns to the yellow and greens, I can't say any one of them seems like it would be better or worse. Does color seem to matter much if you're throwing one of these?

Thanks, everybody. I have to say, when I wanted to find a thread on a topic, I would do an internet search and then just type "bassresource" after it. I knew there would be something. It wasn't until I signed up that I realized just how much information on so many topics are covered. This site is pretty impressive.

What's everybody throwing them on? Which rod, I should say. I've got braid on all of my baitcasters...I've tried leaders but they seemed to not have improved my numbers when I wasn't fishing cover and as they grew shorter, I eventually never tired new ones on. The only baits I have specifically planned to keep a leader on are ones like these. Ha, they're a lot of fun but a hard thing to overlook is the cost! And with all of the pike in these Michigan rivers and lakes, I don't REALLY want to take too many chances. I've looked at the Deps...but have challenged myself to not pick one of those up until I use my Pompadour Jr...I tried the old Heddon Crazy Crawler and, no matter what I did, the thing didn't ever open. Not to bash them...I know some of them do work and imagine mine would be great if it would open... But yeah, I am thinking I will tie this on a 7'3" mh/f to get some longer casts...

Perfect. Thanks!

I'm a couple of years late to this party but I mainly do a lot of running around Livingston (chain or any rec area lakes), Washtenaw (mostly Huron River and all I catch after June is pike) and SW Oakland (mostly rec area/Kensington but used to go to Lake Sixteen a lot way back when) counties. Every now and then, I get up to Clare/Midland counties and hit up any random spot that looks like it may hold fish, mostly any rec area type lakes or river sections. I haven't been in any of the lakes in a long time and haven't fished the Tittabawasee, or others, when I had a good knowledge if what I needed to do. I'd like to give those another go now that I'm hopefully a little wiser. If I'm already in the area, I go to St. Clair. No boat but I still do ok.

I was looking back to try and find the leader material you posted a picture of the other day. Would you mind reposting the pic or name? Thanks!

Yeah, I know. That's what's kept me from using some of them in certain lakes and rivers. I guess I'm going to use thick mono or fluoro leaders in whatever I throw them on. I had just a minute to fish the other day so I decided to take my one rod and the sexy shad SK rage blade chatterbait and 9" GP worm that I had with me and just walk to river and see what I see. I made some casts and decided to put the worm over the hook to make it more weedless. I picked a spot to pitch it and within the third pitch, I had a 5 second fight with a pretty good sized fish, then everything was gone and my fishing for the day was done. Braid is no match. I definitely don't want to lose a $20 lure just for 20-30 minutes of fishing at lunch. I can't get away from these things lately.

Well, there ya go...now, you did it. I'm getting a regular size also...and knowing me, I'll have both tied onto a rod. Ha, ha...it's good to see them produce for people other than just the people you see producing hype content for YouTube or pushing the products. That said, I never doubted it and I do have a slight weakness for topwater fishing.

I'd have to say the best thing I've done with my plastics is stand back, take a good look at them and all of the hooks, weights, split rings, beads, etc. and get creative. I've thrown together a few things lately that have addressed difficulties fishing in tight spots or cover and pretty highly pressured spots. A big thing I've started to let go of is how I thought certain baits were "supposed" to be rigged or fished, etc. Somewhere along the way, probably when I was a lot younger, I got the idea that the "jig worm" deal was a mismatch of techniques. But now, it's probably something that I will be giving another look. Is there any particular way you like to fish it? Do you leave the hook exposed?

Seriously? Crap, I'm probably going to get one now. Early this spring, I bought several more larger topwaters, ha, a little bigger than I thought made sense, because I was having visions of what my fishing would be like this fall (in this fantasy, all of the pike ignored them and I didn't lose any). And part of me was getting caught up in how cool some of them looked. I really wondered if I use them if I bought them or just look at them. So, the full size looks huge! Have you tried it compared to the Jr. or does the full size just get hit? How big is the Mega?

After reading so many threads and articles over the last 3 years, even though I wasn't sure what I'd have to add, I finally decided to sign up. Until a few years ago, I hadn't fished for a good 15 years. I fished every chance I could get, as a kid, in Texas, and some Kentucky farm ponds during a lot of my summers. Those poor fish...I was a kid and I was there every day. I'm in Michigan now. Anyway, I've learned a bit the last few years and polished up some old tricks I had. I've also learned some things I thought I knew were completely wrong. Ha, ha...and I've gotten a pretty good laugh at some of my realizations. I beat the banks now. Luckily, I've got a lot of banks to beat. We mostly fish from Livingston/Washtenaw County on across east to Lake St. Clair, from time to time. Lots of lakes. Too many to count just within 20-30 minutes if my house. Lots of river access spots also, mostly on the Huron River. I also make it up to the mid-Michigan area, from time to time. A lot of the spots are tough, especially from the bank...so I think it helps me get more creative and figure things out that I may never have considered. "And that's why they call it fishing and not catching"... So far, I've made several posts asking a lot of questions. Hopefully, one day I will have something useful to add!

Has anyone ever used these? What did you think of them? I bought one and just looked at it for almost 2 years. Ha, I kinda didn't want to take it out of the box. I'm afraid if I bought another, I may start collecting.

You are correct. I had the same situation. One thing I st for you and more for Brew City, since he is at the most risk of the most drastic lifestyle change...don't think that if there are parts of your free time that you will EVER get back if you begin to concede or give it up. In fact, if you have something that is a regular deal and you say you can skip it "this one time"...ha, ha...that's it! Bye bye, hockey (for instance)! The slippery part of this is that it requires you to have discipline and fish or play hockey or workout or whatever it is, even when you REALLY don't feel like it. Sometimes it's more convenient to just stay home...but that is the sinister side of the trap. It's way harder than it sounds! But in the bright side, if you always remain diligent, it rarely becomes a question of whether you will be losing all your free time or not. In fact, there may be very little argument at all! Good luck!

Just want tosee what's out there, toe the line, and walk the path of temptation...and maybe have a place to commiserate when I stumble.

Me too. They've been extremely useful for me in just about any way you can name.

Great...now, I'm in. ??

Hmmmm...sounds like any of these baits are good if you present them the right way. I guess that's really the lesson. I definitely like the suggestions...I threw together something today, that I found out already exists as a Jika rig...that felt good to throw, open water or into the reeds and pad edges. It seems like a good rig for the smaller craws that some of you have mentioned. I also threw a Christie Critter (or brush hogs, man bear pig, etc.) in it for a bit and that seemed like it has potential also.

Ah, I thought so. They look good...I let mine sink to the bottom at the end of the cast and then start my retrieve. So, a football head might be nice if it really doesn't have any problem coming through any of the vegetation. The price looks extremely reasonable and I like the color options. I may have to pick some of these up after all. I guess which one you want depends on conditions and what you're trying to do. Have you noticed either to SEEM more productive than the other?