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Throw a Scum Frog in heavier cover, following up on missed
strikes with a floating worm
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Cover water using a buzzbait (6 ½ or 7 foot MH rod with
14# line at minimum, 20# preferred). Use a white or chartreuse buzzbait
when skies are clear, black when cloudy. Use a trailer hook, even a treble
hook if cover conditions allow. Use surgical tubing over the eye of the
trailer hook to keep it in place or use a circle punched from a milk carton.
Use a Floyd’s in-line buzzer for heavier cover.
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Throw a Pop-R or Chug Bug near the deep edge of pads.
Look for points in the pads and weeds mixed in. Let the lure sit for a
while before making the first pop.
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Work a Sammy, Yo Zuri Walking Dog, or other cigar bait
in shad or baby bass type colors on inside weedlines.
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For all topwater baits, but especially the Scum Frog,
wait to set the hook until you are sure the fish has the bait. Count 1-2-3
before setting the hook.
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For all topwater baits, make sure hooks are very sharp.
Replace factory trebles with Gamakatsu. Owner makes replacement feather
trebles for Pop-R’s. Upsizing hooks can also help.
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Try to flip a bait like a brush hog or jig in the pads.
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Choose a crankbait that will hit the tops of the deepest
weeds. Best colors are Tennessee shad or light green
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Jig a chrome/blue or chrome/black Rat-L-Trap.
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If you see bait schools on your graph, try a jigging spoon.
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Use a 4" straight tail worm (black/blue, black/chartreuse,
pumpkinseed or watermelonseed) rigged on a 1/8 – ¼ oz mushroom jighead
w/ 1/0 hook.
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Try a drop-shot rig with a 4" worm or Berkeley Power
Minnow.
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Use a Carolina rig with a lizard, french fry, spider grub
or Guido Bug with a rattle in the back end. Use 12# Fireline with 8# fluorocarbon
leader, a 3/8-1/2 oz sinker and 3’ leader.
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Use a football jighead with a spider grub on the hard
bottom areas at the tips of points. Drag it slowly over the bottom and
shake your rod tip with it sticks on a rock to make it sway back and forth.
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Slow roll a spinnerbait with chrome willow blades in subtle
colors like shad or baby bass. Sometimes 3/8 oz worked extremely slowly
can be more effective than heavier baits worked faster.
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Soft bodied weedless frog or rat lures. White or chartreuse
are best on bright days, black is best in lower light conditions. Modify
by inserting rattles into the body or jingle bells. Hooks must be sharp.
Use a 7’ or 7’6" heavy action rod and heavy line, such as 20# P-Line
or 20-30# Fireline or Spiderwire. Count off 2 or 3 seconds before setting
the hook, then fight hard to keep the fish’s head up.
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Look for deeper pads or pads on a point. Concentrate on
holes or points within the pads. Look for other weeds mixed into the pads
or transitions from pads to other cover.
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When fish miss the frog, have a follow-up bait, such as
a tube, Fluke, jig or french fry ready to throw to the spot. Let it drop
slowly in exactly the spot where the fish hit.
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Try a Floyd’s in-line buzzbait.
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Try a weedless spoon, such as a weedwalker, jaw breaker
or PT spoon.
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Try walking the dog with a Mann’s Ghost.
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Try a jig, Fluke, lizard or floating worm.
