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My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
#10763761
04/13/15 03:27 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532
LipRipper3325
OP
Pro Angler
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OP
Pro Angler
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532 |
This weekend I will be heading to central Texas to fish a private lake. This lake has been managed for bass fishing and the lake record is just shy of 14 lbs. I was hoping you guys could point me in the right direction to find one of these giants. Here is a google map screen shot of the lake: I have fished this lake before.. about 2 years ago. The majority of the cover is grass lines and rock. There is sparse timber. Max depth is around 20 ft. The northern cove is deeper and seems to hold more fish while the southern cove gets shallow quick. I had good success throwing a drop-shot in the grass but the biggest I caught was only 4 lbs. Now the kicker.. The water was VERY stained when i fished it. It had rained all week leading up to our trip (looks like its going to happen again) but the worst part is that it turned blue-bird for the 3 days that we fished it. It was sunny and HOT for this time of year. Pretty much the worst conditions possible... It doesn't look like it will be hot/sunny this weekend so I am keeping my fingers crossed but I imagine the water will be stained again... So, what would you do? I am use to to fishing in North Texas.. Is there anything specifically different about central Texas bass? How do I defeat the stained water? Where are the big bass this time of year (post-spawn)? Thanks!
Personal Record: 8 pounds 10 ounces Personal Goal: 10 pounds +
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10763795
04/13/15 03:33 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,474
MagFluker
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,474 |
Fish the deeper grass lines and throw t-rig or c-rig magnum fluke in watermelon red. 15-20# flouro. Drag it slow. 3 of my DD's have been caught this way so I'm just going off my experience. They probably don't see the mag fluke often either?
Last edited by MagFluker; 04/13/15 03:34 PM.
Kyle in NC
PB 11.1
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10763804
04/13/15 03:35 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,508
Lil' Louie
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,508 |
Fish your strengths. Use what you have confidence in and just go fishing. If it's meant to be it will happen.
PB 12.88lbs, Lake Fork 3-17-2013 8:45 a.m.
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: Lil' Louie]
#10763820
04/13/15 03:39 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532
LipRipper3325
OP
Pro Angler
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OP
Pro Angler
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532 |
Fish your strengths. Use what you have confidence in and just go fishing. If it's meant to be it will happen. I remember reading in a magazine article or maybe on a thread here where a guy explained the process of catching double-digit fish.. He said it was something like 40% timing, 40% luck, and 20% skill. I appreciate the response.. I plan to fish pretty hard for the time I spend there (rain or shine)
Personal Record: 8 pounds 10 ounces Personal Goal: 10 pounds +
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: MagFluker]
#10763828
04/13/15 03:40 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532
LipRipper3325
OP
Pro Angler
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OP
Pro Angler
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532 |
Fish the deeper grass lines and throw t-rig or c-rig magnum fluke in watermelon red. 15-20# flouro. Drag it slow. 3 of my DD's have been caught this way so I'm just going off my experience. They probably don't see the mag fluke often either? Thanks! I love throwing a weightless fluke up here and planned to do it when I got there. A magnum on a c-rig... I think you are on to something there.
Personal Record: 8 pounds 10 ounces Personal Goal: 10 pounds +
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10763830
04/13/15 03:40 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,508
Lil' Louie
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,508 |
Anytime I try something new I give it up quickly and rarely go back to it for a while. So if you are confident in a couple different things, fish those. And I think a lot of it is luck but some skill is involved. Good luck man!
PB 12.88lbs, Lake Fork 3-17-2013 8:45 a.m.
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10763838
04/13/15 03:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 19,790
Donald Harper
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 19,790 |
I would have to go with you to guarantee a DD. HA.. You are on the right track with the drop shot. I would move up to the heavy drop shot that I pitch in the deepest grass that is on the lake. POST spawn big bass will be moving back into that cover. PICS> are available and how to fish the rig.
I truly believe that the deep water females will be up shallow. All of them have not spawned in Texas. You might get lucky on a WAKE bait in the shallows, if you cannot see the beds. Work every piece of the sparse hard woods you can find looking for one of the huge bass still spawning. I truly think you will be surprised. I would approach these hard woods with a T-Rigged Lizard in as dark of PUMPKIN SEED that you can find. Zoom made the color Costic Choice which was great for this; now discontinued.
I know you will be throwing that drop shot in and around grass so try a pumpkin seed senko with the tail barely tipped Chart..
Each person you work with holds some promise to your future success. Websiite Sponsors: www.eletewater.com - Staying Hydrated www.lakeoviachic.com - Booking Mexico Trips 20 Hot Spot Mapping - GPS Contour Chips - Custom Spinner Baits - Jigs -Spooks Pure Extracts - Minnow-Night Crawler-Crayfish-Craylic
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10763847
04/13/15 03:45 PM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,691
RedRaider3933
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,691 |
If it has big fish and you aren't concerned with catching quantity I would tie on a big swim bait and heave that sucker around all day long.
Go Tech
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10763849
04/13/15 03:45 PM
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,192
Anchorman
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,192 |
Stained water = opportunity
Adapt to the conditions. If I were fishing a small private lake, in stained water, in the spring time, I would rig up 3-4 rods as follows to start:
1- Spinner Bait. If the water is really stained where the visibility is only 1-2 ft, go with a single round Colorado style blade, gold in color. Something with a short arm. This will give you more vibration. I would use a chartreuse and red, or white and red color. I have also used solid red spinner baits with a little gold mixed in the skirt with success (War Eagle makes a good one). If you have 4-5 ft visibility I would go with the standard blades but keep them gold in color. Or a silver on the front and gold on the back.
2- Red Rattle Trap or other red shallow running, high vibration, crankbait that rattles. If there are a lot of weeds I would work the edges of the weeds and rip it through the grass.
3- Texas Rigged worm. I like the Lake Fork Creature in Watermelon Red, and I still like the Berkley Power Worms. Black with red flake would work. Use this rig to pitch to structure, holes, up in the grass (weight pegged), etc. Sometimes if you find the fish with a spinner bait you can slow down with a texas rig and pull out a large one holding next to cover. Or if you get a big hit on a spinner bait you can follow it with the texas rig.
4- A sinko style soft jerk bait. A fluke, sinko, anything you can twitch and work slow. This is my favorite bait if the water is clear enough, and if the wind is calm enough.
Just a personal opinion, but to me SPRING = RED. I always try to throw something with some red mixed in it in the springtime. And MURKY = Chartreuse....usually. In murky water and with the small size of this lake I think I would choose the faster working baits and keep moving. You can always slow down if you find a pocket holding fish.
Good luck. Let us know how you do. I sense a double digit fish coming your way!
If it ain't yours don't mess with it! Need a friendly place to talk hunting? www.talkhunting.com
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: Donald Harper]
#10763875
04/13/15 03:51 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532
LipRipper3325
OP
Pro Angler
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OP
Pro Angler
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532 |
I would have to go with you to guarantee a DD. HA.. You are on the right track with the drop shot. I would move up to the heavy drop shot that I pitch in the deepest grass that is on the lake. POST spawn big bass will be moving back into that cover. PICS> are available and how to fish the rig.
I truly believe that the deep water females will be up shallow. All of them have not spawned in Texas. You might get lucky on a WAKE bait in the shallows, if you cannot see the beds. Work every piece of the sparse hard woods you can find looking for one of the huge bass still spawning. I truly think you will be surprised. I would approach these hard woods with a T-Rigged Lizard in as dark of PUMPKIN SEED that you can find. Zoom made the color Costic Choice which was great for this; now discontinued.
I know you will be throwing that drop shot in and around grass so try a pumpkin seed senko with the tail barely tipped Chart.. You da man! If I catch a DD, i may have to take you to my honey hole in Justin. I caught 5 fish for 27 pounds in March. And I caught a 7 yesterday. hehe.
Personal Record: 8 pounds 10 ounces Personal Goal: 10 pounds +
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: Anchorman]
#10763892
04/13/15 03:55 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532
LipRipper3325
OP
Pro Angler
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OP
Pro Angler
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 532 |
Stained water = opportunity
Adapt to the conditions. If I were fishing a small private lake, in stained water, in the spring time, I would rig up 3-4 rods as follows to start:
1- Spinner Bait. If the water is really stained where the visibility is only 1-2 ft, go with a single round Colorado style blade, gold in color. Something with a short arm. This will give you more vibration. I would use a chartreuse and red, or white and red color. I have also used solid red spinner baits with a little gold mixed in the skirt with success (War Eagle makes a good one). If you have 4-5 ft visibility I would go with the standard blades but keep them gold in color. Or a silver on the front and gold on the back.
2- Red Rattle Trap or other red shallow running, high vibration, crankbait that rattles. If there are a lot of weeds I would work the edges of the weeds and rip it through the grass.
3- Texas Rigged worm. I like the Lake Fork Creature in Watermelon Red, and I still like the Berkley Power Worms. Black with red flake would work. Use this rig to pitch to structure, holes, up in the grass (weight pegged), etc. Sometimes if you find the fish with a spinner bait you can slow down with a texas rig and pull out a large one holding next to cover. Or if you get a big hit on a spinner bait you can follow it with the texas rig.
4- A sinko style soft jerk bait. A fluke, sinko, anything you can twitch and work slow. This is my favorite bait if the water is clear enough, and if the wind is calm enough.
Just a personal opinion, but to me SPRING = RED. I always try to throw something with some red mixed in it in the springtime. And MURKY = Chartreuse....usually. In murky water and with the small size of this lake I think I would choose the faster working baits and keep moving. You can always slow down if you find a pocket holding fish.
Good luck. Let us know how you do. I sense a double digit fish coming your way! Awesome! I really appreciate it. I will definitely throw some red. I caught a few last time on a fire tiger rattle trap. I think the biggest out of the group was caught on a lake fork ring fry in the red bug color. I bought some Kickerfish wacky worms in red shad that I think will be quite effective IF the water is just clear enough.
Personal Record: 8 pounds 10 ounces Personal Goal: 10 pounds +
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10763917
04/13/15 03:59 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 9,474
Jake Shannon(Skeet4Life)
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 9,474 |
Spring time small waters fishing in Texas=frog fishig, senkos weightless shallow, chatter bait shallow around grass, swim bait and sight fishing sounds like u may not be able to sight fish but I would try. Also buzz bait shallow
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10764007
04/13/15 04:18 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,605
James Biggs
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,605 |
Slow roll a 1/2 oz spinnerbait with big Colorado blades, 20lbs line. I caught a 10.32 last week on this setup.
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: Lil' Louie]
#10764121
04/13/15 04:49 PM
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 40,797
CCTX
mapquest
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mapquest
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 40,797 |
Fish your strengths. Use what you have confidence in and just go fishing. If it's meant to be it will happen. Absolutely Personally, I'd rig a rod with 50lb braid with a 3/0 texas rigged craw that floats drop shot to a 1 oz weight and drop it at the outside grass line. I'd try to find where grass meets other good cover/structure grass next to rock, grass next to a drop off or drain. I'd be patient, maybe eat a sandwich while I've got the heavy drop shot out there. I'd also throw big noisy topwaters, frogs, and big swimbaits in and ontop of the grass. PS--need coordinates so I could topo map it for you for more details.
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Re: My fellow TFF'ers.. Help me catch a DD!
[Re: LipRipper3325]
#10764140
04/13/15 04:55 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,181
JacksonBean
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,181 |
Is that San Saba (Waco Creek Ranch)?
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