Thursday Night Tip for April 10 - Hydrilla Gorillas

Various Tips either written by ourselves, or submitted by the community.
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FBCoach
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Post by FBCoach »

It does keep me busy in the fall. We did pretty well last year - made it to the city semi-finals - and have a lot of returning vets, so we should have another good season ahead.
Spring/summer are my prime fishing times. If I'm not mistaken, the brookies open in Quebec this weekend - it'll be chilly - I hope the ice is off.
Night fishing in the fall is excellent on the Ottawa, too. My brother has a boat upa t Rockland, and we've found one spot where we've caught 9 different species. It's like fish roulette... (is it a muskie, sheephead, lampray, smallie, bucketmouth, pike, perch, walleye, kittenfish....?)
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Post by Fishhawk »

banjo wrote:White spinnerbait with single colorado blade until all the pike have been caught. Then maybe a weedless johnson silver minnow with a bright curly grub tail trailer. The bass luv 'em.
Image
Banjo, this one has caught my imagination. At first I thought the idea would be to surf the spoon over the top of the weeds and bring the fish up. But then I though that if this spoon could be jigged vertically, getting it close to the bottom might be a great idea, and something the big hawgs may not have seen much of.

So my question is this - if you tossed a spoon into a hole or pocket, would it head straight for the bottom (with a whole bunch of shimmering shimmies) or would it glide around at an angle, gliding into the weeds and hanging up. I would have to believe that if you could get it down there on a bright sunny day, this may have a chance of working quite well. Especially in those deep weed areas where smallies hang out in addition to largemouth.

Anyone?
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banjo
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Post by banjo »

Definitely, I would be trying to get the shiny fluttering spoon down to near bottom between the weeds. The good thing about the Johnson spoon is that its weedless (well snagless), so if it does get hung up on a weed on the way down, you can twitch it to help it fall.
If I'm basically pitching this bait to drop, I usually add a fat twister tail to the hook.. it helps slow down the drop, as well as seems to help it drop in more of a vertical line.
I have used this alot with success, usually because I don't feel like changing rods or lures, and this can be jigged, trolled, casted and dropped off lily pads. Its a good to start the day. Plus, if there are walleye in the water, they seem to love the flash from the silver spoon. (I have one in a black finish as well... just as good)

PS
Do people call these weeds "pike weeds" or are they something different?
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Joisey Joe
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Post by Joisey Joe »

FBC, congrats on the good season and good luck on the coming one. I'm big on football, I would love to have a discussion with you, but another time. Trout season started here in New Jersey(Joisey) on the 12th, I've been out a few times with no luck, hope your "spot" is productive for you! I was out on a private dock this afternoon, it was soo windy I had my lure blown about 30 feet with every cast! Still, it was better than being home.
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Fishhawk
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Post by Fishhawk »

Hemmmm Hemmmm (clears throat, tries to interject without being too obtrusive):)

Excuse me gentleman, but you're talking a little too loudly in the classroom. :)

Anything not relevant to pulling huge hawgs out of deep water weeds must be discussed at recess.

Big Joe...as the New Jersey representative of Fish-Hawk.Net International, I am surprised by your recent outbursts. Please try to curb your enthusiasm for meeting new Hawk Talkers while in class. :wink: :wink: :wink:
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M.T. Livewell
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Post by M.T. Livewell »

I love this type of fishing, but it aggravates the heck out of me. That is to say, I spend the better part of day my pulling off large clumps of weeds and usually end up moving elsewhere looking for some lilly pads and easier fishing locations.

My problem is I tend to throw non-weedless types of baits, or at least I try to make them weedless and blow it (poorly run hook through a plastic worm). I am not to lazy to re-tie baits, just to anxious to get in the water, so I usually use swivels. They almost always pick up weeds (will avoid these this summer).

I have also tried swimming minnows in areas like this (fish eat fish!), but invariably, they get burried so deep in the weeds, I usually end up losing them. Minnows are still fish, so like their bigger cousins, they usually head as deep in the cover as they can.

So this year, thanks to fish-hawk, I will try rigging many of the rigging techniques for weedless tubes in hopes that it gets me into some fish. I am also starting a scrap books with tips and tricks from this site and others, and plan to review them before I go out for the hunt.

I really wanna change my handle to Full Livewell this year. :?

M.T. Livewell
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Fishhawk
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IN response to M.T. Livewell

Post by Fishhawk »

I read your previous response to this topic with great interest. Will we be calling you Fullius Livewellius? Perhaps Cassius Releasius? :lol: Ahhhhh I love latin.

Back to the topic. Look at this link if you haven't already learned how to rig a plastic bait weedless. It is essential!!!
http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/wormrig/wormrig.htm

Your worm has to look like this...

Image

No matter what you toss, short tosses are going to be important because you have to check out a lot of pockets. For one, you have to drop it into a pocket. That's easier to do when the pocket isn't 30 yards away. Drop it in there and feed it line to let it sink vertically, not swinging like a pendulum towards you. If nothing has taken your bait after 15 seconds or so, check out another pocket a few feet away.

You will bring in vegetation from time to time. Using a bass jig, you definitely will bring in vegetation from time to time. It is expected. But you minimize aggravation with short, quiet tosses that are frequent and checking out every pocket. SHort tosses, no more than 15 feet, leave you in control. If you are making longer tosses you will be pulling in 90 lbs of weed and there won't be no fish there no more.

And keep at it because this takes patience and practice and good aim and strong line and a heavy rod. THe rewards are big bass.
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spinner
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Post by spinner »

Also,the farther you throw your bait,the less likely it will get to the bottom where the fish are much of the time.
You want fish,get it down......!!!!!
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Joisey Joe
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Post by Joisey Joe »

Sorry Hawk, the guys call me "The Mayor" for my eagerness to meet people! :lol: I'll keep it to the Gorillas here from now on. Question-will Bass go after a jigged Johnson spoon? I've only had Pike hit that lure, jigged or not.
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Fishhawk
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Post by Fishhawk »

I'm positive fish will go after a jigged Johnson, it's getting it to the bottom where the big largemouth hang out that I am concerned about. It has to get straight to the bottom or depending how wide the pockets are, it will have to dive in a tight spiral.
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Joisey Joe
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Post by Joisey Joe »

Wouldn't it have to be at the side of the boat to be able to jig properly? I would think there would also have to be some depth to be able to work. I will try it on Lake Gananoque this May. 8)
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Fishhawk
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Post by Fishhawk »

Good thing you won't be fishing for bass on Ganonoque, right Joe?
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Manny
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Post by Manny »

I am not sure how well a Johnson will do I that situation but I have successfully pitched and jigged rapala minnow spoons in cabbage for walleyes and pike. They sink pretty well, probably cause they are slimer which helps them to fall straight. Never tried it for bass though, and the Hydrilla might be thicker than thick stands of cabbage. Adding a twister or a split-tail trailer is essential.
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Post by Guest »

Hard to beat a brown tube jig in the deep pockets for bass...
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Joisey Joe
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Post by Joisey Joe »

Your right Hawk, they are not targeted by can't be avoided, this year I'm thinking I shouldn't get as many because of my new tacts and stradegy. :wink:
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