Been sitting around contemplating a lot about march/april. Depending when winter breaks this year. I’ve never been a real power fisherman to begin with. But I think this year I’m going to try a lot more finesse   
 

im planning to fish light Ned rigs. Fishing TRD and hula sticks. I’ve had success in years past on hula sticks. 
 

finesse jigs or compact jigs. Nothing different from this year. 
 

spinner baits are gonna be in the 1/8 ounce range on spinning gear. 
 

weightless plastics like always. 
 

top  waters will be 1/4 ounce buzzbaits and size 75 choppo. 
 

Neko rig will be a staple as well like last year. This rig really impressed me. 
 

im basically not gonna fish moving sub surface hard baits. 
 

I will mix aim e light Texas rigs in there as well. And some weightless caffeine shads. 
 

really gonna work hard to keep it simple this year. Last year was simple but gonna try harder. And show the pressured areas I fish something a lil different. 
 

In also found two ponds fed by the river by my work I plan to explore. Since my work schedule changed fishing will be after work and evenings anyway. And Saturday or Sunday mornings. 

Good luck

My advice is to not fish meaning not even make a cast until there is a shadow line on your spot.  So close to or after sunst. Just sit quietly and wait.  Decent chance good fish will move in to feed when you're not machine gunning the area to a froth with casts before they arrive.

A-Jay

5 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Good luck

My advice is to not fish meaning not even make a cast until there is a shadow line on your spot.  So close to or after sunst. Just sit quietly and wait.  Decent chance good fish will move in to feed when you're not machine gunning the area to a froth with casts before they arrive.

A-Jay

Thank you. That’s excellent advice. I will say on these pressures areas very early morning or the exact time you are referencing is the best I’ve done 

My “fishing light” is 3/8 oz and below. I gave up 1/2oz and up a while ago. However I have acquired a couple bigger swimbaits I’m going to try next season. Typically fishing large lakes with pressure and rivers bodes well for lighter and smaller.

 

I wouldn’t count out smaller crankbaits, jerkbaits or undrespins as your “subsurface” choices as at times they still shine when dragging baits aren’t working.

 

I think you’ll find success with lighter and smaller presentations but remember big bass like big meals at times too.

When the bass tell me they want "fun size" meals, these are my go-to BFS-ish Texas rigged plastics: 

 

Zoom Tiny Brush Hog or Z-Man 2.5" Crawz / Owner Rig-N-Hook with either 1/16 or 1/8 oz tungsten worm weight and a bobber stopper about 1/16" above the weight. I work the Crawz a lot slower than the brush hog (which has the best action with the tails orientated the "correct" way).

25 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

My “fishing light” is 3/8 oz and below. I gave up 1/2oz and up a while ago. However I have acquired a couple bigger swimbaits I’m going to try next season. Typically fishing large lakes with pressure and rivers bodes well for lighter and smaller.

 

I wouldn’t count out smaller crankbaits, jerkbaits or undrespins as your “subsurface” choices as at times they still shine when dragging baits aren’t working.

 

I think you’ll find success with lighter and smaller presentations but remember big bass like big meals at times too.

Oh absolutely. I won’t hesitate to fish a 5/16-3/8 jig still just a more compact skirt that’s all. And thank you I totally

forgot about underpins. I do well on those as well. Usually a 3/16 with a 3-3.5 swim bait. 
 

as far as cranks and hard jerk baits and lipless cranks and such. The areas I fish are just so shallow and silted and in the spring vegetation grows in I spend more time cleaning treble hooks off than I do fishing lol

My pb was on a full skirt 5/16 ball head jig with a zoom super chunk trailer. So I’m definitely not afraid to throw a meatier looking lure. But the areas I fish see so much pressure. I caught one small fish this year that had a beetle spin, a win hook and a truck worm rigged all stuck in its lip lol

Been doing finesse more and more. Seem to get more bites . I know I have way more spinning rods then I used to 

Don’t give up on shallow cranks such as the Strike King 1.0 square bills or even the Creme tiny lipless crank baits that weigh 1/10th of an ounce. They produce well in my experience on a small retention pond with quite a bit of fishing pressure. 

I seriously doubt no lake has been subjected to more fishing pressure than lake Castiac during the late 80’s to mid 90’s. 
Castiac is only 2 1/2 miles long and height of the Million Dollar reward for new world record bass was being offered. Castiac was producing giant bass during that time period and new swim baits were being created to catch them.

Castiac had 2 launch ramps and parking areas that held about 300 boats with trailer full nearly everyday for the 6 year insane fishing pressure period.

When say my lake is high pressed you don’t know high pressured.

Finesse bass fishing was created at lake Castiac as a technique to catch a limit of tournament bass, 1 big bass doesn’t win tournaments.

I was using 10 to 12 lb line with hair jigs and pork trailers along with maybe a few trophy bass anglers. The majority camped out on known spots using live bait mostly crawdads. Jig fishing allowed me to be mobile, didn’t need to anchor or troll big swim baits. My jigs could be considered finesse but over sized.

Fast forward to today and I still use my hair jigs with pork trailers but the giant bass population doesn’t exist at Castiac. Now I am into BFS finesse bass fishing. BFS allows to to use casting reels and target unlimited number of average size bass that put up a good fight.

Tom 

I too live/fish is grassy waters - so once the grass grows in I have gone to shallow running cranks to get over the top of it - things like Megasbass Griffon (SR-shallow runner, the ZERO is also a shallower runner) - Megabass Blowly IvI (runs about 1 foot deep) - several other smaller, shallow running cranks ------ yet reality is there is a point where many areas are just so thick with grass or silt I have to either go to much deeper water or go with other lures/jigs/pure top waters

 

I like @A-Jay suggestion of getting to the shadow line and staying stealth - right at or after sunset ---- I have not fished past dark but may try that in summer 2026 to take advantage of that suggestion (might have to invest in a spotlight/head lamp for the boat and lights for the back of the truck as the ramp areas are dark and backing in with full dark could be tricky) 

42 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

Don’t give up on shallow cranks such as the Strike King 1.0 square bills or even the Creme tiny lipless crank baits that weigh 1/10th of an ounce. They produce well in my experience on a small retention pond with quite a bit of fishing pressure. 

I never knew about those! Thank you I’m gonna grab a couple of those to try!

34 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

I seriously doubt no lake has been subjected to more fishing pressure than lake Castiac during the late 80’s to mid 90’s. 
Castiac is only 2 1/2 miles long and height of the Million Dollar reward for new world record bass was being offered. Castiac was producing giant bass during that time period and new swim baits were being created to catch them.

Castiac had 2 launch ramps and parking areas that held about 300 boats with trailer full nearly everyday for the 6 year insane fishing pressure period.

When say my lake is high pressed you don’t know high pressured.

Finesse bass fishing was created at lake Castiac as a technique to catch a limit of tournament bass, 1 big bass doesn’t win tournaments.

I was using 10 to 12 lb line with hair jigs and pork trailers along with maybe a few trophy bass anglers. The majority camped out on known spots using live bait mostly crawdads. Jig fishing allowed me to be mobile, didn’t need to anchor or troll big swim baits. My jigs could be considered finesse but over sized.

Fast forward to today and I still use my hair jigs with pork trailers but the giant bass population doesn’t exist at Castiac. Now I am into BFS finesse bass fishing. BFS allows to to use casting reels and target unlimited number of average size bass that put up a good fight.

Tom 

Wow thank you tom! Love the history lessons. And the advice! 

21 minutes ago, WaskaCrank12 said:

I too live/fish is grassy waters - so once the grass grows in I have gone to shallow running cranks to get over the top of it - things like Megasbass Griffon (SR-shallow runner, the ZERO is also a shallower runner) - Megabass Blowly IvI (runs about 1 foot deep) - several other smaller, shallow running cranks ------ yet reality is there is a point where many areas are just so thick with grass or silt I have to either go to much deeper water or go with other lures/jigs/pure top waters

 

I like @A-Jay suggestion of getting to the shadow line and staying stealth - right at or after sunset ---- I have not fished past dark but may try that in summer 2026 to take advantage of that suggestion (might have to invest in a spotlight/head lamp for the boat and lights for the back of the truck as the ramp areas are dark and backing in with full dark could be tricky) 

Your waters sound a lot like mine. I fish sunset a lot. But haven’t night fished for bass. Did saltwater night trips for many years. 

@Joedodge Although the photo is a stock Cabelas/BPS photo I purchased my “kit” at my local Wal-Mart, although that was some time ago and my local store hasn’t restocked them as far as I can tell.

Edited December 21, 2025Dec 21 by Eric 26
Grammar

I mostly fish a finesse worm with a #1/0 worm hook and 1/16th or 1/8th oz slip sinkers and catch my share of bass.  Sometimes a good one.

38 minutes ago, Alex from GA said:

I mostly fish a finesse worm with a #1/0 worm hook and 1/16th or 1/8th oz slip sinkers and catch my share of bass.  Sometimes a good one.

Very nice I’ve never tired the finesse worms 

I have migrated over to finesse techniques more and more over the past couple of years and it's really paid off, especially numbers.

Ned rig was really productive this year.

 

I'll never give up my beloved spinnerbaits and soft jerkbaits but finesse fishing in our clear waters will be a mainstay.

Don't forget about drop-shot.

4 minutes ago, Bird said:

I have migrated over to finesse techniques more and more over the past couple of years and it's really paid off, especially numbers.

Ned rig was really productive this year.

 

I'll never give up my beloved spinnerbaits and soft jerkbaits but finesse fishing in our clear waters will be a mainstay.

Don't forget about drop-shot.

That’s great to hear!! I’ve never fished a drop shot ever lol. I really need to. It would keep the bait out of the silt bottom. I’m not sure why I’ve never tried it honestly. 

Shimano even named a flipping reel after that lake Tom is talking about. 
 

Shimano Castiac 

10 minutes ago, Joedodge said:

I’ve never fished a drop shot ever

 

Don't

Just now, gim said:

 

Don't

Whys that lol 

You must be new here.

@gim has this (unhealthy) aversion to drop-shot fishing despite it being a fish catcher....no idea where he developed it, but treatment IS available as I don't live far from him. 😆

I like your plan, Joe, for expanding your bag of tricks and throwing something new at your local bass. I've said it more than once, but I still think it's worth repeating: I admire your fishing. Like @Pat Brown and others, your bank fishing is much more challenging than boat fishing and fishing city ponds is also much more challenging, but you consistently catch bass, which shows that you have the right stuff. Throwing new lures is the stuff of the right stuff. I'll be throwing hard jerkbaits and chatterbaits this year and continue to throw spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, which I added last year. 

42 minutes ago, gim said:

You must be new here.

Nope been here 10 years nice try tho lol. 

27 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

I like your plan, Joe, for expanding your bag of tricks and throwing something new at your local bass. I've said it more than once, but I still think it's worth repeating: I admire your fishing. Like @Pat Brown and others, your bank fishing is much more challenging than boat fishing and fishing city ponds is also much more challenging, but you consistently catch bass, which shows that you have the right stuff. Throwing new lures is the stuff of the right stuff. I'll be throwing hard jerkbaits and chatterbaits this year and continue to throw spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, which I added last year. 

Thank you. I can’t wait to hear about your success this coming year. One day I’ll be floating on the water again lol 

Finesse is awesome when it’s what they want and sometimes even going to crappie size lures can yield pretty wild bass fishing success.

 

I think you’re on the right track by wanting to use more finesse presentations at a pressured spot - I still consider a lot of big line and big rod and reel presentations to be finesse though.

 

Punching and flipping and pitching and casting jigs and plastics are definitely right at the intersection of power and finesse and then there’s stuff like hollow frogs and floating worms and flukes etc and all of that stuff to me can be very finesse also.

 

To me, finesse is an approach more so than a size or type of bait I think is what I’m grabbing for and you can do finesse with a lot of “power baits” and also you can power fish the snot out of some “finesse baits”.

 

I do both and everything in between depending on what’s working or not working and everything seems to have a time and a place especially for the bigger fish!  

 

2 hours ago, gim said:

 

Don't

Agreed. I come out here for peace and quiet, not to keep catching fish. Very disruptive.