I have been lurking the forum for about 2 weeks picking up tips and also reading the nice trash talking too :)! But really thank you guys for all the info. Went to DVL for the first time 7/29 and got there at 7AM (even though I just realized I only live about 30 min away from it for about a year). I walked to the right of the boat ramp and made quite a trek to the place I just felt was a nice spot (saw a school of 3-4 bass swimmin by the shore). I think it was the third cove, but I could be wrong.
So I tried everything you guys mentioned: Texas Rig Senko (3 different colors), lizard, Jig, swimbaits...and got nothing (using a 6'6 set up with 10 lb flouro). I was even desperate to where I pulled out my little gold Kastmaster. It actually got some bites but I think they were just shad cuz I caught one...that was my first catch of the day.
Well after getting a bit tired I just simply drop shotted a nightcrawler and bingo 15 min later Fish On! This was about 930AM
It was a nice LMB...I am thinking a good 3-4 pounder...but I will post for you guys to make the call. Released it after I ran a bit to ask a guy to take a pic..thanks to him again if he is reading.
One fish was all that was needed to make it a great day.
One questions....When you guys rig your Trig Senko, do you guys do it weightless? bullet weight? Use a bead? Red Hook? Or does it even matter.
There are many ways to rig a Senko, but a T-rig would consist of a weight (bullet). I don't use beads (possibly on a C-rig) or red hooks. Try t-rigging a zoom trick worm. They are inexpensive and productive. Good job out there though. This lake is truly a test.
awesome report and thank you for taking the time to talk about your fishing day.
the first thing you should do is listen to and read everything you can and then after you get done, throw it out. at the same time you need to remember, but then again, dont let it cloud your judgement and make the advice feel you "have" to do what you heard. as one of my mentors said to me one day "it all matters, but then it doesnt matter". after you grasp what that means, it makes perfect sense.
there are a lot of tricks that work well for certain individuals that flat out dont work for others. the feel of the bite, the cadence of the retrieve and specific spots are all unique to the individual utilizing them. nothing is the same but then again its all the same. great job, researching and then just going out there fishing. thats the first part of the struggle. after you get out there and "feel" the lake it will all come easier to you.
the reason you're going to hear people talk about the texas rig senko is due to the fact that on shore, you're constantly pulling your bait into structure and cover. you'll be dealing with soft and hard cover. simply put, softcover = wood, grass, bushes ; hard cover = boulders, gravel, wires, docks yadda yadda yadda. you can break it down even more and call hard wood hard cover and decomposing wood soft cover, or even a shadow line as soft cover but don't confuse yourself. vegetaion or moving cover= soft cover ; rock or fixed objects = hard cover. structure means the bottom contours of the lake and the key features it offers. ledges, humps, rockpiles, points, creek channels....
when dealing with an uphill retrieve you're pulling your bait into the nasty of the nasty. just the way i like it. with a weedless rigged bait its easier to pull through cover without snagging up. a weedless bait with careful presentation can creep up and over cover or structure without having the hook grab. the uphill retrieve is a powerful tool to utilize as the angle of retrieve often times makes the fish feel like their accomplishing their goals in ambushing their prey. if you were a crawdad or bluegill and you had a beast 10 times your size chasing you, would you run for deep open water? or would you head for the bank and try to hit some cover to hide and ditch the beast in? the bass know whats gonna happen a lot of the time. they know that if they corner their prey against an object, thats their best weapon. they have no hands to feed their faces. they use objects to help them. surface of the water, shoreline, boulders, weedlines, tree lines blah blah blah. this is the reason spot on spot structure is so important. its not so much as a spot where a fish is likely to sit. we need to get this out of our heads. a spot on spot is an ambush point in which a bass knows it can corner its prey and we need to capitalize on this by utilizing a one cast concept. bingo there it is. believe me its easier said than done!
depending on the senko size i use and the areas and specific types of cover and structure i fish will depend on how i rig it. neko, wacky, weedless, c rig, dropshit. it all has a purpose. for you, i would focus more on the weedless rig with no weight, or the wacky rig. super easy to fish and works when the bites on. 10# floro is great, but depending on water clarity, adjust if needed.
these are the senkos that get played out most of the time on shore. here are how i break down my senko rods.
5" thin-
15# braid to 4# floro when in slack conditions when you need to regain the hang time
4# floro pre spawn or post spawn
6# floro general use
5" regular
30# braid to 12# floro slack conditions
15# mono in heavy cover off colored lakes around here
10# floro in clear water lakes
hook size and color to me are extremely important. it all depends on the variables. consider fall rate, clarity of water, type of cover and time of year. going from a #1 gamakatsu split shot drop shot hook will change the fall rate from that of a 2/0. heavier the hook the faster it will sink. lighter the hook, the slower it will sink. braid floats, floro sinks and mono is an in between. its important to realize that when altering your line type and size to hook size, you can change the rate of fall with your baits. its pretty rad when you can find some sequence that kills it when others can throw the same color and rig and not get bit. the difference is in the details. again, what works good for one person, may not work well for others. all these details are up to you to figure out. i keep all my hooks masked. i dont like flashy hooks and i dont like colored hooks. at one point in time i went as far as powder coating my hooks the colors of the plastics i wanted to use. lots of time manipulating powder but hey, it works at certain times of the year.
some food for thought...
again, great job out there and dont worry about running the fish to get a picture. we've all done it. i know i have.
if you have anymore questions, dont hesitate to ask or stop by the shop. we're always really busy and im usually running around like a chicken with its head cut off but i'll always stop what im doing to help.
I believe many of us need to thank Matt for his unselfish sharing of his fishing skills. Attached is a 3.12 that i caught last Friday evening. We got to the lake a little after 1pm and did not get a bite for the first 3 hours. I fished the 1/2oz jig with trailer that Matt showed me how to "enhance". I ended the day with 10 quality fish between 2 and 3lbs this one being the largest, and what a bite on the jig. Damn near jerked the rod out of my hands. Thanks again Matt for all of your help.
Wow....thanks for the tips again Matt...always reading your posts.
The only reason I ask about the hooks is because of the several articles I have read about red hooks. Either it imitating an injured bait or whatever they say it may induce more strikes (not in my case)
...The bass I did catch was on a black/silver hook though, so I guess I might put away those red hooks.
And when I fish a T-rig senko I cast out as far as I can, let it sink, tug, tug, let it sink, reel and repeat. Are there others ways to fish it?
On several occasions I saw the bass follow, but it just wouldn't take it. Seemed like the Shad were more interested because they were pecking away.
I was thinking if I tried rigging it up wacky, it would just get snagged to much so I weedless texas rigged it.
I used a 1/0 and 2/0 gamakatsu offshank worm hook. And from what I get from your post It is just playing with the right size hook to see what works best on a certain day. I might try again probably around the middle of the month bu
First Time DVL Lurker Shore Report 7/29
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