Heh all!!

I appreciate the advice the other day about fishing in REAL DIRTY water. I tried all of your suggestions and had a few hits, but no fish boated. This pond is very strange!! Here's what I encountered: (maybe you guys/gals can give me some further help!!)

My fihing buddy and I fished as close to structure as physically possible....nothing. What we did discover is that the fish are VERY close to the shoreline (12"-18") in brush, down tree limbs, overhanging trees, normal bass areas, right? WRONG these fish are all in places you just can't get a lure to. Even flippin a lure into these places was hell. Lost alot of tackle. I am no bass pro but I have never seen bass in any pond act(??) like this. All the open places you would think there would be bass...nothing. Let me know what you folks think

Thanks in advance

Alan bassinajr

Feel your pain man.I fish a lot of little ponds with my john boat similar to this.Many are tannic or very stained,little or no offshore structure and overhanging branches and cattail beds with 10-20 feat of water behind them.Even trying to plow a jig through that is hard for me since I dont have a foot powered troll motor.Get a little wind going and forget targeting,gotta have one hand on the g---mn motor!

 If your out on the right days,prime feeding times,overcast conditions,spring spawns etc ypu could catch a lot using soft plastics on the edges and rattle traps,spinners,chatterbait,shallow cranks in bright colors around the middle.When fishing the edges with plastics or jigs you just gotta try to hit the deepest pockets you can.Casting skill comes into play here,and if you do it as much as me you could land a worm with 1/8 weight in a teacup from 20 feet LOL.

  Ive been fishing in that situation and had 30+fish days,then other times not even a single bite when the buggers are stacked up under all that crap.

  The other thing I do(requires considerable work at times)is to take a saw,hedge shears,and a pruning pole along and make my own pathways,caves,holes.Gives you more edges to fish and be able to penetrate some places.If Cattails are the problem use a sickle or heavy duty weed wacker and mow em down to stumps.The bass will still be there but now you can throw all kinds of goodies in and about the shortened stalks.

   Basically if you know the bass are in the water,they can be caught,but you better off to be fishing on the best days when you can catch them roaming around chasing bait and such.

   Honestly,I too was also going to post this same EXACT question here.If anyone can tell me something I dont know about the conditions we are desribing here.

 I live in Rhodey and do a lot of nasty water fishing. The fish are too hard to get, just do one of two things, skip a senko type bait (black/blue laminate) up under the brush, hit the shore, and drag it off a little bit. Go with a 6' medium spinng rod with 20 lb. power pro braid.  Or skip a jig (1/2 oz) straight black. If you cant go under the brush with a jig, GO THROUGH IT! Go to a 3/4 or 1 oz. with heavy heavy brain and a heavy action rod.

Ever thought of using a 10-12ft long old fashioned jigging pole with no reel?  Using one of these may seem ancient, but it will allow you to put your lures where you want them quietly and with pin point accuracy.  They aren't made for casting (most don't even have reels) but I bet you won't lose many lures with 80lb braided line.  Might be worth giving a shot.  You could use weightless soft plastics, t-rigs, and jigs really easily.  I've even used a floating rapala by pulling the lure to the rod-tip then forcing it through the brush.  Set it down gently and give it whatever action you can.  It works.  It's ugly and old, but it does work.

You're looking in the wrong places.  Get away from the bank.  Bankbeating and throwing at "sexy" looking cover is not gonna get it done with water temps where they are here in RI.

You need to go deep.  Find weedlines that break near rock.  The fish are still using the rock in the peak sun time zones but only to chase an unsuspecting bluegill that is using the tock for it's radiant heat. A few weeks ago,...not so much, the bass were all over them but now, they have pulled back off and are hunkered down in the deep grasses that are still alive.  These grasses will be dying soon, letting off a lot of CO2.  

Take advantage now!!  

Where are you fishing?

RWP

RWP

That is indeed some dirty water.

I agree with LBH look for rocks, the deeper the better! For the last 2 weeks or so the bass here in PA have been generating to the rocks and away from weeds. Also if there are any docks or concrete structures, as the sun goes down i would look to cast through there. Try a #11 Jointed Rapala in silver, hope this helps ya

RWP

That is indeed some dirty water.

Aren't the bass ponds in Rhode Island part of the sewer system for Connecticut?  

RWP

That is indeed some dirty water.

Aren't the bass ponds in Rhode Island part of the sewer system for Connecticut?

SIGN IN A RHODE ISLAND BATHROOM: FLUSH TWICE IT'S A LONG WAY TO CONN.  

Spinner bait, spinner bait, spinner bait: big with thumper blades.

I fish a lake with 1-2' visibility regularly.  One of my best baits there is what George mentioned.  Something else to try for that brush and other shoreline cover.... detune a crankbait so that it runs to one side.  Now fish it parallel to the overhanging stuff and let it search for you.  Multiple casts is also a must.

dink

RWP

That is indeed some dirty water.

Aren't the bass ponds in Rhode Island part of the sewer system for Connecticut?  

Wow,...with an arm you aren't willing to swing just yet,....those are some hard words!  Don't make me send my sister to Fla.....

Alan- Yea, RWP sure can be dirty but the only time I fish that place is the ice out fund raiser for our CAST event.  (which I hope to see you at in '08? )

Tin2win knows that place better than anyone I know.  He fishes it at least 30 times a year.  He's your go to guy on this one.  Maybe he could take you out one day.  We will be there Saturday, the PVA (paralyzed Vets) tourny is there.  I'm not fishing it but will be there to lend Stratosdadri a hand.  (tin2wins dad) Stop by and introduce yourself, I'm sure you will pick up plenty of tips.  Do you fish the polo pond?

  Polo pond is off-limits tomorrow  :'(. But there isnt much to fish off-shore, unless you mean the car, lol. That place barely has 6" of visibility except in May and June when the grass comes in, but then they spray it and it looks like some color (dont even know what to call it) inbetween chocolate milk and a green. lol. All I can tell you is power fish, traps, jigs, and big spinnerbaits. It odd though, usually a double willow will out fish a colorado blade most the time. Its one of the many Rhodey ponds that dont go by the rules.

And whats with all this trash talk, even if our lakes our sewers and what not, just makes us better fisherman.