I'm always open to new ideas and wanted to see how others would approach this. 

 

The bay is basically a big sand bowl and in this scenario, I'm targeting grass clumps located on open flats from 7'-12' deep. There aren't a lot of depth changes. These grass clumps are anywhere from 50' around to small 5' puffs. Surrounded by either shorter sparse grass or sand bottom.  They are usually located in clusters and I have found and marked off about 100 of them but there are a few hundred around the bay. They hold largemouth, Pike, panfish, and, depending on water temps, smallmouth. 

 

I start off with a chatterbait over the edges then over the top. I'll run a swim jig on the edges as well but pike seem to bit those off too frequently. Then I'll start throwing a T-rig punch craw with either a 3/4 or 1/2 oz pegged weight. First on the edge then right in them. If nothing, I move on to the next clump. 

I do have a mojo rig, a c-rig l, and a wacky rig set up on rods. Don't throw them much. Rock bass and perch get really annoying with a wacky rig. 

 

It's usually too wavey/windy for top water there. Big lake Erie bay so we don't get many calm days. 

After the first paragraph, my thinking was exactly ‘chatter bait to swim jig’ so I’d be right in line with your approach. If that didn’t get bit I’d move to a trap then a wacky rig. I’m not familiar at all with northern waters but it doesn’t seem all that different to the flats I fish in Texas. If those don’t cut it I’m moving to deeper points/ditches/humps or heading back to the ramp. Overall, late summer is a super tough bite so I don’t get too discouraged when it just doesn’t happen.

Faster moving lures like Chatterbaits will attract Pike.

I would pitch a Tokyo type down shot rig into the Coontail clumps. Aquatic plants don’t root into sand, they need some soil, probably why the isolated patches or clumps. Any rock piles?

You may need a micro wire leader using a buzz bait or weedless Johnson Silver minnow spoon w/trailer, another option to consider.

Tom

 

if you're looking to avoid the pike, good luck with that.  you can avoid, or at the least, minimize the bite offs by throwing a spinnerbait. one with a long underwire works best along with a blade with less flash. 

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Faster moving lures like Chatterbaits will attract Pike.

I would pitch a Tokyo type down shot rig into the Coontail clumps. Aquatic plants don’t root into sand, they need some soil, probably why the isolated patches or clumps. Any rock piles?

1 hour ago, papajoe222 said:

if you're looking to avoid the pike, good luck with that.  you can avoid, or at the least, minimize the bite offs by throwing a spinnerbait. one with a long underwire works best along with a blade with less flash. 

 

 

Pike are unavoidable here for sure. I've caught them punching mats. 

 

There are no rock piles out there.  There is miles of shoreline, back bays, marinas with shallow water (2-5') which I fish as well. The deep beds have been better this season. Our summer has been unusually cool and the water temps fluctuate between about 72-78°

I’ve never caught a pike.  
 

they are a nuisance?  Or they just cut your lines?

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I’ve never caught a pike.  
 

they are a nuisance?  Or they just cut your lines?

 

They're fun to catch. But here in the summer they're all the smaller ones with the odd 5-8lb one. When targeting bass they can get annoying. 

In the early spring and late fall is when the big ones come into the bay a we target them. 

A sand bowl? I’m no help 

Instead of a chatterbait. I’d use a 3-4” paddle tail on a T-Rig light enough to skim over the tops or down around the edges. Or maybe right through it if it’s not sticky. I’d do this especially if things that make noise don’t work. For the T-Rig try small lead (if legal), 2-5g and a small plastic bead, 4-6mm. It’ll keep the sound down and get the tail wagging.