weeds and fish

3geese4me

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Was out fishing last night and I was marking a ton of fish that were in the weeds. I was casting along the weed line and catching some fish. However, I’m curious about how to target the fish that are in the middle of the weeds and aren’t set up along the weed lines. The weeds were 3 feet off the bottom and the total water depth was somewhere around 5 feet. Would casting a lipless bait over the top be enough to lure them out? Or, would casting a crankbait that dives shallow be the ticket?
 


KDM

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Spinnerbait walleyes. It really works!!! Take a smaller colorado or indiana bladed spinnerbait, cut the skirt off, and replace with a 4.5 inch paddle tail of your choice. Run that sucker over and through the tops of the weeds and get ready. The eyes just about yank the rod out of your hands. I've done it several times in the exact situation you are describing. Good Luck and you're welcome.
 

Wags2.0

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Pretty much everything you described can and will work
 

Wallike

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Spinnerbait walleyes. It really works!!! Take a smaller colorado or indiana bladed spinnerbait, cut the skirt off, and replace with a 4.5 inch paddle tail of your choice. Run that sucker over and through the tops of the weeds and get ready. The eyes just about yank the rod out of your hands. I've done it several times in the exact situation you are describing. Good Luck and you're welcome.

Like a Beetle Spin?
 


KDM

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Kind of, but only bigger. Speed is the key. If you need fast, go with a 3/8th oz or bigger spinnerbait. If slow and steady is the ticket, 1/8th oz spinnerbaits. Beetle spins tend to get weeds in that clippy thing down by the jighead and is a PAIN IN THE BUTT to get out every time you cast. I run a smooth wire spinnerbait. You can also run a willow leaf blade, but I find they tend to foul with weeds more than the others do.
 

NDSportsman

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Anything you can keep above the weeds will work. A floating rap retrieved slowly would be a killer in that situation too.
 

SDMF

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Sometime this summer I’m going to try a whackey whorm in that situation.
 


sierra1995

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never done it, but i've heard of guys flipping bass-style weedless jigs into the weeds, then popping them a few times, reel up and repeat. Boat position is pretty close to the weed edge.
 

guywhofishes

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most weeds in ND are simply horrific to fish in

either than long grassy stringy stuff - or if they are decent they’re covered in hair algae
 

espringers

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not sure on the weed type you are dealing with but, there was a short couple of years in the early 90s where the lake was just coming up. the little storm sewer outlet into east bay was a hot spot. my brother and i would fish the banks of that channel and toss these little one hook weedless spoons into some of the heaviest cat tail cover you could imagine. the fish we caught doing that were consistently large and in charge! good times.
 

KDM

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Once the skirt is off, KDM likes anything...

:D

You guys are gonna make me blush with talk like that.

- - - Updated - - -

^Almost like a rooster tail set up KDM...only without the skirt?

This baby with the skirt replaced with a paddle tail is pretty close to what I like to run in the weeds. I like the short arm so the blade is less visible from below. I feel the fish will target the paddle tail more instead of the blade with a short arm style bait. It might not make a difference, but this is just how I look at it.

images
 


guywhofishes

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they make a shallow flicker now

I caught a dandy on devils with it early june

also

- - - Updated - - -

#5 over weeds
 

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raider

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i'm quickly falling in love with swim baits for situations like that... you can really cover some water casting...
 

3geese4me

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Probably going to head over to the outfitters on Friday to look at the spinner bait selection that they have. I know there are fish in the weeds and their days are numbered.
 


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