Hey guys, what have you found to be your best baits for fishing wood, mainly lay downs?

Water depth ranges from 2’ to 6-8’. There is current as well that changes velocity. Dark clear water, tannin stained mostly. 
I've tried square-bills with very limited success and don’t dare throw a jackhammer ?

6th Sense Movement 80X 

Texas Rigged plastics 

Jig-n-Craw 

Spinnerbaits 

Rapala Skitter-prop

Rapala Flat Rap

spinnerbait

jig-n-pig

Yea I thought the jig/craw would be the ticket too but just hasn’t panned out for me. My wife fishes a plastic worm 90% of the time out of the back of the boat and typically catches the majority of them so I know worms work. Just looking for other options. 
Catt, any particular color of the x80 that stands out?

Bone Reactor, Wild Shad, or Lava Treuse

Rage Bug

I'll toss a squarebill depending on how fresh the tree is . A  new tree with lots of spindly branches  , I will most likely hang the crankbait first cast but on an old tree  a squarebill will navigate through it fairly well . Texas rigs , jigs , spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are my usual choices . Another thing  ,new wood with  lots of small limbs  also draw smaller bass , crappie and bluegill . They like to nip at any appendages or bright colored tails .On those places  a Texas rigged stick worm is what I like to throw  . 

Pegged T-rigged plastic

Brush Jigs

Spinnerbait

 

Spinnerbait is probably my #1 choice up until the dead of summer.

2 hours ago, SC53 said:

Hey guys, what have you found to be your best baits for fishing wood, mainly lay downs?

Water depth ranges from 2’ to 6-8’. There is current as well that changes velocity. Dark clear water, tannin stained mostly. 
I've tried square-bills with very limited success and don’t dare throw a jackhammer ?

 

I'd throw a jackhammer ?‍♂️

AJ, the jackhammer comment was reference to another recent post about loosing them around wood. 

3 hours ago, scaleface said:

I'll toss a squarebill depending on how fresh the tree is . A  new tree with lots of spindly branches  , I will most likely hang the crankbait first cast but on an old tree  a squarebill will navigate through it fairly well . Texas rigs , jigs , spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are my usual choices . Another thing  ,new wood with  lots of small limbs  also draw smaller bass , crappie and bluegill . They like to nip at any appendages or bright colored tails .On those places  a Texas rigged stick worm is what I like to throw  . 

Scaleface, majority of these trees are old and been in the water for years. A lot of them you can’t even see or know they are there as they are under water. 

I hated dropshot for many many years.  But nowadays, if wind and current allow, and after I've throw some stuff at a tree from a distance, I'll sit around the crown and dropshot for a few minutes.  Or longer.  

Spinnerbait, squarebill, jig, creature. 

KVD 1.5 or 1.0 is what I throw the most around laydowns, rarely have an issue hanging them up.

Over all the years for river smallies I never pass up the wood lay downs. Always the possibility of Mr. Greenjeans in there also. Worms, craws, creatures, spinnerbaits (I don’t fish huge spinnerbaits), Shad Raps, DT’s, Rat-L-Traps (favorite), Bombers, sometimes the lay downs look scary but start out in the outside and take your time and work your was into it. I love it when you catch a brown and green bass in the same lay down. Another crazy scenario is you’re fishing the heck out and around of this lay down and not much is happening, then on your last few casts at the base of it on the bank in foot water and you nail a nice one. 

6 hours ago, SC53 said:

Hey guys, what have you found to be your best baits for fishing wood, mainly lay downs?

Water depth ranges from 2’ to 6-8’. There is current as well that changes velocity. Dark clear water, tannin stained mostly. 
I've tried square-bills with very limited success and don’t dare throw a jackhammer ?

Since you are in Florida, why not try what your fellow Floridian swears by.  JT Kenny (who has won a ton of $ in Florida) suggests throwing darker colored spinnerbaits in tannic Florida waters.  I have seen him throw Junebug skirted and bladed spinnerbaits with great success.  In Florida, blacks and blues, Junebug, etc. are staples in tannic water for dragging baits presentations.

 

Also add to the list above Florida staples like swim jigs and swimming worms.

Bass love to hang around wood....you can just pick your favorite moving bait and pitchin' bait.  For me it's a square bill (b1/b2 style) and a jig.

I love bumping a spinnerbait off of wood. Bump it, pull it over, let it die/fall for a second then restart. 

FM

1 hour ago, SC53 said:

AJ, the jackhammer comment was reference to another recent post about loosing them around wood. 

Scaleface, majority of these trees are old and been in the water for years. A lot of them you can’t even see or know they are there as they are under water. 

 

Lol it was probably a comment by me!  I lose them there, but I'll still throw them.... that's where the fish are!!

1 hour ago, RDB said:

Since you are in Florida, why not try what your fellow Floridian swears by.  JT Kenny (who has won a ton of $ in Florida) suggests throwing darker colored spinnerbaits in tannic Florida waters.  I have seen him throw Junebug skirted and bladed spinnerbaits with great success.  In Florida, blacks and blues, Junebug, etc. are staples in tannic water for dragging baits presentations.

 

Also add to the list above Florida staples like swim jigs and swimming worms.

Junebug has been our best worm and claw colors. I’ll try the dark spinnerbaits?
 

Just to clarify about the lay downs. I’m not talking about a single one by itself along a bank. There are sections where there will be one or multiples every 20’ for almost a 100 yards. Then maybe a stretch of pads for 100’ then more wood. 

Texas rigged worm, craw, or creature bait. Might even try a weightless worm if it will sink.

#1. Spinnerbaits 

#2  Craw imitations - jigs/Zoom craws/Brush hogs

#3  Senko's

 

Submerged wood is my preferred cover where I fish.

texas rigged sweet beaver with atleast 20lb test for me. dang zebra mussels always trying to ruin the fun

Some of those fancy jdm baits might do it for me. Wait. What?  

20 minutes ago, Bankbeater said:

Texas rigged worm, craw, or creature bait. Might even try a weightless worm if it will sink.

Know what you mean. 

When they start loosing salt, I add a nail weight or pinch weight. 

Squarebills

Flat sided Cranks

Lipless Cranks

Spinnerbaits

T-rigs

Jig n Craw