1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

But isn't that structure, Kent?

Yes.

I like the structure with bushes, vegetation or stumps for cover. 

24 minutes ago, scaleface said:

One of my least favorite are docks . simply because I do not feel comfortable   skipping a lead head jig  around other peoples property .  I really need to learn that skill better . I'll fish   around the edges and in open slots but I dont like taking the  chance of  banging a lure  off someones boat .

Never leave a pontoon unfished. Never. Use a senko on a weedless hook if you don't want to make noise. 

12 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Never leave a pontoon unfished. Never. Use a senko on a weedless hook if you don't want to make noise. 

You bring up a good point. So what else would you consider never leaving unfished, other than pontoons?

 

I actually do use a weedless Senko for pontoons for that very reason. Not so much the noise, but I'm not trying to damage someone else's property (as much as a jighead can damage a pontoon).

14 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Never leave a pontoon unfished. Never. Use a senko on a weedless hook if you don't want to make noise. 

Agreed.  A texposed senko on a spinning rod is a great starter skipping set.  Fairly low risk of damage, noise or snagging ropes

Downed trees, docks, riprap or grass here

1 hour ago, KSanford33 said:

So what else would you consider never leaving unfished, other than pontoons?

A boat on a hoist or an open boat house.

on the California Delta I have the most anticipation for a bite where I find RipRap with a growth of Tule coming out of it.  if there is current, I feel pretty positive about my chances.

On 9/14/2022 at 8:43 PM, KSanford33 said:

Just out of curiosity, why no standing timber?

 

The reason I ask is the place I’m fishing this weekend is one of the few local reservoirs around here which has a lot of standing timber. I’m sure @Jar11591 knows exactly which one I’m talking about. 

Standing timber is going to be my "favorite" because it's largely all there is around here.  

 

Why it's not a true favorite?  It's tough to fish.  Usually, it occurs in bunches, and the fish will be ignoring most of them.  So it's really easy to waste time picking apart empty trees.  You have to find the ones that sticks out in some way, as they're the ones likely to hold fish.  And then, when you've located them, you have to figure out how to work around all of those horizontal branches.  

 

In a perfect world, bridge pylons would be my choice.  You've got a choke point, structure, cover, your choice of depth, shade for yourself, and noise from traffic to mask whatever noise you make.  But they're pretty few and far between around here.  

I like grass, any type, expect yucky slime that clogs up my equiptment. I just like that style of fishing most.

6 hours ago, J Francho said:

Use a senko on a weedless hook if you don't want to make noise. 

 

This is almost exclusively what I use when I'm skipping around docks, boats, lifts, etc.  I know some people still use jigs and other hard lures, but as a property owner the last thing I want to hear is that "ping" of a lead head banging off my stuff down by the dock.  When a piece if plastic bangs off a dock or post or pontoon, it makes no noise.

 

I did start using some tubes this season too with a bit of success.  They skip exceptionally well too.

Grass ( Here it’s eel grass 

, maiden cane and hydrilla, also Niad.)

Pontoons, docks , laydowns, esp. whatever end the trash has gotten blown into, or the end the wind is blowing into…

Pontoons are usually #1. I think it should be a law that every water front must have one!! ?

Pads or Hydrilla that drop of quickly. Rock banks the drop off steep. 
 

Don’t have a lot of wood laydowns at the lake. There is underwater structure there. Bridge piling. They’ll bust your stones if you fish the Marina and docks. Sort of off limits. 
 

 

On 9/16/2022 at 10:27 AM, J Francho said:

Never leave a pontoon unfished. Never. Use a senko on a weedless hook if you don't want to make noise. 

 

For this it depends on who is with me? So many new coanglers joined our club I had to be comfortable with their casting ability before I took them around other people's property.  Had one guy hook a crankbait on someones boat cover. Another lassoed a senko around a steering wheel.  Learned just to keep them out of casting distance. 

 

Allen 

Stuff just like this. The tip of the main laydown sits in about 14’ of water, on a steep bank that drops to 30’ with moderately sparse Elodea, and a small patch of lily pads. 

12 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

Stuff just like this. The tip of the main laydown sits in about 14’ of water, on a steep bank that drops to 30’ with moderately sparse Elodea, and a small patch of lily pads. 

 

Yep.  that would work for me!

All depends on the body of water I am fishing.  I am always searching out the locations that provide easy access to protection from predators and food.  Those areas could be grass lines, lilly pads, laydowns, ledges, rocks....whatever really.  Put a laydown in some lilly pads or some grass and I will undoubtedly fish it and if it has easy access to deeper water I will make sure I fish it thoroughly.  
 

 

Docks 100%. 

 

Second would be downed timber. 

Lily pads and docks are my go to since I suck at fishing anything standing timber related. Anything shallow that looks juicy will get a cast or two or 17 thrown at it just for the heck of it.

 

Cypress trees and laydowns. Throw in some type of vegetation and I'm in heaven.

7 hours ago, riverat said:

 

Cypress trees and laydowns. Throw in some type of vegetation and I'm in heaven.

 

What he said ?

Timber, standing or fallen.

Any edge with water flowing past it creating a back eddy dead pool (typically a point, creek, river or cove arm). Just like in a stream or smaller river, a great ambush point for bait moving by.

 

Small non moving water lakes or ponds,,,,structure.

 

 

On 9/16/2022 at 9:31 AM, scaleface said:

One of my least favorite are docks . simply because I do not feel comfortable   skipping a lead head jig  around other peoples property .  I really need to learn that skill better . I'll fish   around the edges and in open slots but I dont like taking the  chance of  banging a lure  off someones boat .

Skip a toad.

Excellent around docks especially when everyone and their brother is throwing a jig or senko at em

 

Just now, BassNJake said:

Skip a toad.

Excellent around docks especially when everyone and their brother is throwing a jig or senko at em

 

A tube works well too.  I used a white one rigged on a phantom menace hook last month with pretty good success.