Bottom Contact Confidence? 2024
Quarry Man reply :
I never really fish a true jig or texas rig much. A lot of the ponds and lakes around me have weeds on the bottom. This makes dragging stuff on the bottom difficult. In order for me to really up my game, I need to make this a strength of mine. I always fall back to catching them on the drop shot. I guess its because the bait stays out of the weeds. Being a visual person most of the time, I guess it also makes me feel like a suspended bait is more appealing than one on the bottom being picked up by a bass. I would like some advice on how to fish these lures. Im also terrible at the hook set. I know the best thing to do is only use that until I'm good at it, but i do t see that happening any time soon. I use mostly 3/8 and 1/2 oz jigs and 3/8 oz tungsten worm weights. thanks.
NiX reply :
Try hopping your baits instead of dragging them through the weeds. One pop, maybe two pops, sometimes three pops. It all really depends on what they want. Personally I like to do two pops to start. If I don't get bit I start to switch it up.
CroakHunter reply :
Use as light of weights as possible so it doesn't bury down in the weeds.
Quarry Man reply :
On 9/18/2017 at 8:28 AM, NiX said:Try hopping your baits instead of dragging them through the weeds. One pop, maybe two pops, sometimes three pops. It all really depends on what they want. Personally I like to do two pops to start. If I don't get bit I start to switch it up.
I did that this spring with hair jigs and last night with a finesse texas rig. maybe thats a key! thanks!
Catt reply :
Most anglers try forcing a jig/t-rig through grass which is all wrong, you gotta finesse the jig/t-rig through grass!
When you feel it starting to load up in the grass...stop. Release pressure, pull up until you feel heaviness again but apply slightly more pressure, then release, continue until it breaks free.
You want the motion to be similar to & as fast as working a shaky head, you're just applying more pressure.
Quarry Man reply :
On 9/18/2017 at 9:37 AM, Catt said:Most anglers try forcing a jig/t-rig through grass which is all wrong, you gotta finesse the jig/t-rig through grass!
When you feel it starting to load up in the grass...stop. Release pressure, pull up until you feel heaviness again but apply slightly more pressure, then release, continue until it breaks free.
You want the motion to be similar to & as fast as working a shaky head, you're just applying more pressure.
Will bass eat a jig even if it has some grass on it? Also, speaking of shakey heads, i can't get them to stand upright when I'm dragging them, only when I'm hopping it.
Sword of the Lord reply :
I never drag a Texas Rig. I always pop and twitch it; not because I have to, but because that has always produced more strikes for me.
MichaelCopeland reply :
Go weightless with your Texas rigs. There's lots of grass amongst other stuff to get hung up on in the ponds I fish too. The weightless Texas rigged worms go through it or over the top of it very well and hardly ever have to pull any grass or moss or whatever else off of my bait. Instead of dragging or hopping them, I slowly reel them in giving them a swimming type presentation to the bass. I mainly Texas rig u tail worms, speed worms and Ol' Monsters so the slow reeling of them is pretty effective. I do Texas rig Senko type worms too. Those I drag the bottom or twitch or jerk them pause reel slack and repeat varying the twitch/jerk/pause retrieve as needed. Hope this helps. Good luck and tight lines! ?
Catt reply :
On 9/18/2017 at 9:46 AM, Quarry Man said:
Will bass eat a jig even if it has some grass on it?
Can't tell ya!
But I've many times reeled in grass-n-bass!
Depending on how tall the grass is weightless is an option but there will be times ya gotta got to the bottom to get bit!
TOXIC reply :
Spinnerbait, Chatterbait, Crankbait can all be worked in the area just above the weeds by varying your retrieve speed. Cranks you will have to get an idea how deep you can run them and match the depth of the crank to the water column you have to work with.
Weightless Texas rigged Senko will tear them up!! Slow fall through the strike zone and weedless.
Quarry Man reply :
How do I. Fish a senko
moguy1973 reply :
On 9/18/2017 at 11:45 PM, Quarry Man said:How do I. Fish a senko
I don't think there is a wrong way to fish a senko.
Troy85 reply :
Its interesting that you don't have any confidence in TX rig but full confidence in drop shotting. I am the complete opposite, I love TX rig but I have no confidence in my ability to drop shot......I need to start practicing I guess.
I'll fish a TX rig in heavy grass, I just use the lightest weight I need to get to the bottom. I tend to bounce it slow and gentle thru the grass, and I don't usually have trouble with it getting hung up in the grass. If it does, a little finesse will usually get it free without having to yank it out of the area.
TOXIC reply :
On 9/18/2017 at 11:45 PM, Quarry Man said:How do I. Fish a senko
There is a pinned thread on it. If you have any questions after reading, come back and ask. 
Quarry Man reply :
On 9/19/2017 at 1:15 AM, TOXIC said:There is a pinned thread on it. If you have any questions after reading, come back and ask.
Its how i learned to fish, now i can't use it to save my life...
On 9/19/2017 at 12:44 AM, Troy1985s said:Its interesting that you don't have any confidence in TX rig but full confidence in drop shotting. I am the complete opposite, I love TX rig but I have no confidence in my ability to drop shot......I need to start practicing I guess.
I'll fish a TX rig in heavy grass, I just use the lightest weight I need to get to the bottom. I tend to bounce it slow and gentle thru the grass, and I don't usually have trouble with it getting hung up in the grass. If it does, a little finesse will usually get it free without having to yank it out of the area.
You live in LA, and likely don't fish gin clear rock quarries, highland reservoirs, the great lakes, and crystal clear lakes with 30' of visibility and all rock. That is what works up here. just a location thing i guess. I don't have the type of lakes like you do. Its amazing how different fishing in certain regions can be.
Troy85 reply :
On 9/19/2017 at 8:12 AM, Quarry Man said:Its how i learned to fish, now i can't use it to save my life...
You live in LA, and likely don't fish gin clear rock quarries, highland reservoirs, the great lakes, and crystal clear lakes with 30' of visibility and all rock. That is what works up here. just a location thing i guess. I don't have the type of lakes like you do. Its amazing how different fishing in certain regions can be.
Yeah, I don't, for me clear water is 1-1.5' visibility, crystal clear water is anything more than that. I wish I could fish some lakes like that at some point. I did some research after reading this topic, I think I'm going to rig up a drop shot on my spinning rod and give it a go.
Catt reply :
Wouldn't a drop shot weight still be in the grass?
WRB reply :
You need to learn how to fish where the bass are located to consistantly catch them.
If you only use lures you are comfortable with and those lure are inafective where the bass are located then you will not catch those bass.
Tom
Fishin' Fool reply :
On 9/18/2017 at 7:52 AM, Quarry Man said:I never really fish a true jig or texas rig much. A lot of the ponds and lakes around me have weeds on the bottom. This makes dragging stuff on the bottom difficult. In order for me to really up my game, I need to make this a strength of mine. I always fall back to catching them on the drop shot. I guess its because the bait stays out of the weeds. Being a visual person most of the time, I guess it also makes me feel like a suspended bait is more appealing than one on the bottom being picked up by a bass. I would like some advice on how to fish these lures. Im also terrible at the hook set. I know the best thing to do is only use that until I'm good at it, but i do t see that happening any time soon. I use mostly 3/8 and 1/2 oz jigs and 3/8 oz tungsten worm weights. thanks.
I drop shot a ton too but try this rig. Tie up a drop shot but instead of using a weight on the bottom put a TRD worm or a Zman tube. I've caught a lot of fish on this rig lately.
Tw3ak reply :
I found that often in weedy lakes that i find myself fishing more vertical hop a time or two. Then retrieve and short pitch again. Taking care to line watch and countdown to the bottom. This works from the deep lakes of the north to the shallow weed choked lakes of the south. Smallmouth, largemouth or spot.
Quarry Man reply :
On 9/19/2017 at 10:39 PM, Catt said:Wouldn't a drop shot weight still be in the grass?
yes, but the worm isn't.
On 9/20/2017 at 1:28 AM, Fishin' Fool said:
I drop shot a ton too but try this rig. Tie up a drop shot but instead of using a weight on the bottom put a TRD worm or a Zman tube. I've caught a lot of fish on this rig lately.
Innovative, i like it. ever try the vmc spinshot hooks? tie two or three for better chances.
papajoe222 reply :
Two quick suggestions for the baits you mentioned. First; Peg the sinker on your T-Rig and second; Go lighter with the bullet/jig weight. The pegged sinker won't separate from your plastic bait and catch the weeds between and a lighter weight won't bog down as you drag it along a soft bottom. Opt for a straight or paddle tail vs. a ribbon or G-tail worm and a swim jig works much better through vegetation than a football or Arkie head does. Oh yea, adding an oil based 'attractant' to the bait will help it slide through the grass.
Catt reply :
@Quarry Man everything I fish down here has some type of vegetation, either on the bottom a few inches tall, matted to the surface, or floating on the surface.
Even with a drop shot having only the weight in the grass ya still gonna have to finesse it through.
Pick your plastics wisely, a ribbon tail is fine for fishing over grass, not so much for fishing through it.
Even weightless plastics are gonna hang something & that weedless wonder called a Texas Rig aint so weedless.
Ya gonna hung up, ya gonna pull in snot balled up on you weight/jig, ya gonna get ticked off, but ya gonna catch Hawgs!
It's a mindset...grass = bass ?
Quarry Man reply :
On 9/20/2017 at 5:41 PM, Catt said:@Quarry Man everything I fish down here has some type of vegetation, either on the bottom a few inches tall, matted to the surface, or floating on the surface.
Even with a drop shot having only the weight in the grass ya still gonna have to finesse it through.
Pick your plastics wisely, a ribbon tail is fine for fishing over grass, not so much for fishing through it.
Even weightless plastics are gonna hang something & that weedless wonder called a Texas Rig aint so weedless.
Ya gonna hung up, ya gonna pull in snot balled up on you weight/jig, ya gonna get ticked off, but ya gonna catch Hawgs!
It's a mindset...grass = bass ?
So it's worth the frustration and getting a lot of weeds?
Catt reply :
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Dorado reply :
I used to dread fishing weeds until I tried a weightless Zoom Trick Worm (candy bug). I like slowly dragging it along the bottom and discovered that it hovers effortlessly above vegetation. When dragging along sometimes, often you encounter a vertical patch of grass; you just finesse tug it through and that's when you also get a lot of bites too.
I fished a swimjig with a paddle tail trailer for the very first time last Sunday and caught a nice bass within 15 minutes. I was surprised how well that cut thru vegetation and will use that more as a search bait for weedy Ponds
ditch the weight on your TX rigged worms and see if you get similar results. Bonus feature of the weightless trick worm is the initial deadly fall too!
Quarry Man reply :
What rod do you use for this? I also like a finesse texas rigged qzoom trick worm with a 1/0 hook and 1/8 oz bullet weight. I also love swim jig.
On 9/21/2017 at 2:29 PM, Dorado said:I used to dread fishing weeds until I tried a weightless Zoom Trick Worm (candy bug). I like slowly dragging it along the bottom and discovered that it hovers effortlessly above vegetation. When dragging along sometimes, often you encounter a vertical patch of grass; you just finesse tug it through and that's when you also get a lot of bites too.
I fished a swimjig with a paddle tail trailer for the very first time last Sunday and caught a nice bass within 15 minutes. I was surprised how well that cut thru vegetation and will use that more as a search bait for weedy Ponds
ditch the weight on your TX rigged worms and see if you get similar results. Bonus feature of the weightless trick worm is the initial deadly fall too!
WRB reply :
One of the better paddle tail swimbaits for bottom contact and excellent weedless lure is 3:16 Mission Fish available in sizes 4" to 9".
Tom
Turkey sandwich reply :
You have a lot of options. There are some good ideas here that definitely work. For dense grass, slop, or mud with a T-rig, I'm a big fan of using the lightest weight possible. If I need to slowly drag the bottom in these types of ponds/lakes, I'll also use a light or "finesse" Carolina rig with a floating worm and allow the floating worm to do provide the action. A finesse C-Rig doesn't require a small worm, either. My go-to is typically a 7-8" worm. With this presentation, I want the weight to get the worm down, but not really to sink all the way through the muck on the bottom, so light bullet or barrel weights are important.
Dorado reply :
On 9/22/2017 at 2:42 AM, Quarry Man said:What rod do you use for this? I also like a finesse texas rigged qzoom trick worm with a 1/0 hook and 1/8 oz bullet weight. I also love swim jig.
I have a 7'0" Abu Garcia Vendetta Medium Spinning rod. It has a stiff backbone and feels more like a medium-heavy. I'm trying my 7'0" Medium-Light Fenwick HMG next time I go weightless because it has a faster tip so I can fling it further. It's great for drop shotting too with #10 PP braid and #8 copolyer leader
I really like the 3/0 Gama G-Lock on the trick worm weightless. I fish at night mostly so I'm a little late on my hooksets since I can't be a line watcher. I always have my headlamp off.
Catt reply :
On 9/22/2017 at 3:16 AM, Turkey sandwich said:You have a lot of options. There are some good ideas here that definitely work. For dense grass, slop, or mud with a T-rig, I'm a big fan of using the lightest weight possible. If I need to slowly drag the bottom in these types of ponds/lakes, I'll also use a light or "finesse" Carolina rig with a floating worm and allow the floating worm to do provide the action. A finesse C-Rig doesn't require a small worm, either. My go-to is typically a 7-8" worm. With this presentation, I want the weight to get the worm down, but not really to sink all the way through the muck on the bottom, so light bullet or barrel weights are important.
MichaelCopeland reply :
On 9/22/2017 at 6:39 PM, Catt said:
I've thought about trying a weightless C-rig before, but didn't know how much sense it made. After seeing this pic it makes a lot of sense, considering I know you know what you're doing. Think I'm gonna give it a shot. Is that a wacky rigged Swamp Crawler or just a finesse worm?
Catt reply :
@MichaelCopeland I like using a Trick Worm for additional weight, another option is Bass Assassin's Tapout Worm.
I know the picture doesn't look like a Trick Worm but it is, don't know why the ends curled.
With everyone going gaga over Wacky Rigging Senkos they're overlooking other deadly worms.
I like this setup when bottom grass is not that tall or around brush & timber.
CroakHunter reply :
@Catt Why a swivel and not a very small split shot? To minimize line twist?
Catt reply :
On 9/22/2017 at 8:55 PM, CroakHunter said:@Catt Why a swivel and not a very small split shot? To minimize line twist?
Added weight & eliminates line twist ?
CroakHunter reply :
2 birds, 1 stone. Nice!
Catt reply :
Y'all really want confidence with bottom contact lures?
Learn ROF; Rate Of Fall & how it effects each style of plastic
Find a swimming pool, pond or lake with clear water & a clean bottom. You'll want at least 8-10' of depth.
Throw a weightless, 1/8 oz, & 1/4 oz Texas Rig unpegged with a straight tail worm, curl tail (hook tail) worm, ribbon tail worm, lizards, & creatures.
Pay close attention to the speed at which they fall & the action created by each weight.
Ya wanna talk "reaction" lures!
MichaelCopeland reply :
On 9/22/2017 at 8:19 PM, Catt said:@MichaelCopeland I like using a Trick Worm for additional weight, another option is Bass Assassin's Tapout Worm.
I know the picture doesn't look like a Trick Worm but it is, don't know why the ends curled.
With everyone going gaga over Wacky Rigging Senkos they're overlooking other deadly worms.
I like this setup when bottom grass is not that tall or around brush & timber.
Gotta get me some trick worms. What kind and size hook do you recommend?
Catt reply :
On 9/23/2017 at 6:03 AM, MichaelCopeland said:Gotta get me some trick worms. What kind and size hook do you recommend?
Personally I use 2/0 straight round bend for Wacky Rigging & Texas Rigging Finesse & Trick Worms.
ClackerBuzz reply :
On 9/21/2017 at 2:29 PM, Dorado said:I used to dread fishing weeds until I tried a weightless Zoom Trick Worm (candy bug).
I used to dread dragging senkos in weeds b/c the flat head hangs up so much. yes they like the popping free but sometimes it definitely not what they want. then i saw the tip to put a glass/plastic bead on the line. ur senko will slip thru weeds like butter.
MichaelCopeland reply :
On 9/23/2017 at 6:51 AM, Catt said:
Personally I use 2/0 straight round bend for Wacky Rigging & Texas Rigging Finesse & Trick Worms.
Picked up some junebug Zoom Trick Worms a little while ago. Don't think I have any 2/O straight shank round bends, I've got some in offset for sure. Would those work?
Catt reply :
On 9/23/2017 at 8:02 AM, ClackerBuzz said:I used to dread dragging senkos in weeds b/c the flat head hangs up so much. yes they like the popping free but sometimes it definitely not what they want. then i saw the tip to put a glass/plastic bead on the line. ur senko will slip thru weeds like butter.
Turn em around backwards ?
On 9/23/2017 at 8:48 AM, MichaelCopeland said:Picked up some junebug Zoom Trick Worms a little while ago. Don't think I have any 2/O straight shank round bends, I've got some in offset for sure. Would those work?
Yes, I just prefer straight shank over EWG or offset for everything up to the size of a Senkos.
MichaelCopeland reply :
On 9/23/2017 at 10:35 AM, Catt said:Turn em around backwards ?
Yes, I just prefer straight shank over EWG or offset for everything up to the size of a Senkos.
I've got some Eagle Claw weedless 2/O bait holders. That's the closest thing I have to a straight shank round bend, more of an oval bend I guess...lol. Think I'll give them a try and see what happens.
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