# Anyone else having trouble?



## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

I cant seem to get them to bite anything. I tried it all. Jigs in a ton of colors. Deep divers. Topwater. Spinnerbaits i got 2 on but man i worked for those guys. Lipless. Flukes. Swimbaits. All diff colored platics weightless wacky and texas. The ones i got were on the edge of flats right by weeds. I saw a ton on beds. So hopefully the majority are just on beds. Or staging to go deep.

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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

If you're seeing a lot of beds you may want to throw something that looks like a bluegill. For Texas rigged plastics, a 6" or 8" Zoom lizard, in either Junebug, or black with red flake. One other thing that works good around the spawn is a bubble gum pink floating worm. Rig it Texas style, but insert the hook about an inch from the nose of the worm and then use normal Texas rigging. When you twitch the worm with it rigged like that, the nose of the worm folds back so the worm doesn't move very much. You can pretty much make it stay in place.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks for the tips. I got zoom lizards. So ill just stick to that and shakeyheads and bluegill cranks.

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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

I had decent luck on a KVD squarebill crankbait in Natural Pumpkin yesterday. The othe good one was a wacky Senko in watermelon with red flake but then the wacky Senko always works.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

I had descent luck the other night with a 7" Berkley power worm in blue fleck color, flipped it along the banks and just sorta hopped it slowly back. The fish I caught though all seemed to be in the 10-11" range, males guarding the nest possibly??


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## mo65 (Aug 5, 2011)

Rasper said:


> Spinnerbaits i got 2 on but man i worked for those guys. The ones i got were on the edge of flats right by weeds.


I think you have your answer right there...in your own words. Spinnerbaits are a great way to work a weeded flat. Now just expand on what you've learned. Try some different spinnerbaits...experiment with colors/blade combinations. If that gets you nowhere, then try switching to cranks or chatterbaits that you can keep right above those weeds. :G


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

mo65 said:


> I think you have your answer right there...in your own words. Spinnerbaits are a great way to work a weeded flat. Now just expand on what you've learned. Try some different spinnerbaits...experiment with colors/blade combinations. If that gets you nowhere, then try switching to cranks or chatterbaits that you can keep right above those weeds. :G


I only got two spinnerbaits :/ 1/2 oz terminator white and 3/8 oz char/lime green strike king. Both are tandem willow. I need my brown one with a big colotado i broke it last year. I had amazing luck with it last year.

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## JohnPD (Jun 12, 2012)

Rasper said:


> I cant seem to get them to bite anything. I tried it all. Jigs in a ton of colors. Deep divers. Topwater. Spinnerbaits i got 2 on but man i worked for those guys. Lipless. Flukes. Swimbaits. All diff colored platics weightless wacky and texas. The ones i got were on the edge of flats right by weeds. I saw a ton on beds. So hopefully the majority are just on beds. Or staging to go deep.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


The only thing I've had any luck on so far is the Red Eyed Shad in bluegill color. From the looks of your fish count, you've had way more luck than the 3 bucket mouths I've caught so far this year.


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## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

Rasper said:


> I cant seem to get them to bite anything. I tried it all. I saw a ton on beds. posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Sometimes during the spawn they won't chase bait much. So a slow moving lizard or Sweet Dream with a light slip sinker slow dragged in the general area of a spawning flat will get you bit.
If they've already spawned and you're having trouble... Try a floating jerk-bait like the original Rapala. This will sometimes get a reaction strike while they're immediately post-spawn.


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## mo65 (Aug 5, 2011)

Rasper said:


> I need my brown one with a big Colorado. I broke it last year. I had amazing luck with it last year.


I do well with Colorado blades too...they are my choice for stained water. They also are easier to hold high in skinny water. The willows will work better in deeper/clearer water. Check Walmart for those cheap $1 spinnerbaits. You get a sackful for 10 bucks...and althought they are not built like a Booyah or Strike King...they will get the job done if you're on a budget. :F


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

mo65 said:


> I do well with Colorado blades too...they are my choice for stained water. They also are easier to hold high in skinny water. The willows will work better in deeper/clearer water. Check Walmart for those cheap $1 spinnerbaits. You get a sackful for 10 bucks...and althought they are not built like a Booyah or Strike King...they will get the job done if you're on a budget. :F


Personally i cant stand the walmart ones. The skirts last maybe 4 fish. But i loved my brown one :/ i gotta find it again. Smalles and Buckets loved them. But Anyway i just got back from Mosquito Lake today... yesterday i pegged a pretty nice one considering the weather with a 1/4oz black and blue...trailer was tiny paca craw in solid blue, I was flipping some high grass in about 2 foot water. Couldnt feel the hit at all. JUst saw my line twitch a little funny. Then i caught that weird looking blue gill something. And the walleye i caught on my char/lime spinnerbait. Got a bunch of perch kittens and carp too but those were on nightcrawlers while i messed around the grass. It was a wacky weekend with the weather.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

mo65 said:


> I do well with Colorado blades too...they are my choice for stained water. They also are easier to hold high in skinny water. The willows will work better in deeper/clearer water. Check Walmart for those cheap $1 spinnerbaits. You get a sackful for 10 bucks...and althought they are not built like a Booyah or Strike King...they will get the job done if you're on a budget. :F


Question.... Which size colorado blade should i get for 1/2 oz spinnerbaits and 3/8oz... i got a bunch of old spinnerbaits with no skirts or blades... So since i cant seem to find a good one... ill make it!


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Not to try and hijack your question but .... I make my own spinner baits. I use a #4 Colorado on 3/8 oz. baits, and a #5 on 1/2 oz. Like Mo said, Colorado blades make it easier to keep a bait higher in the water column, but they also apply more torque to the wire and the body of the bait. You'll want to watch how big of a blade you use. A big Colorado on a light wire frame is going to make the wire wear out faster. Also a big Colorado on a lighter weight head is going to have a tendency to want to roll on anything but a slow retrieve.

You could probably use a #6 Colorado on a 1/2 oz. head and get away with a moderately fast retrieve, but that same blade on a 3/8 oz. head would require a slow retrieve to avoid rolling. There are a lot of things you can do with spinner baits to tweak their performance. For instance ..... if you're using a spinner bait with a stainless steel wire frame, you can bend the frame open a little which gives the bait more vibration. You can also bend the frame closed which helps the bait run deeper. Bending the frame closer together also helps If you have a bait that wants to roll in the water on a faster retrieve.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Bassbme said:


> Not to try and hijack your question but .... I make my own spinner baits. I use a #4 Colorado on 3/8 oz. baits, and a #5 on 1/2 oz. Like Mo said, Colorado blades make it easier to keep a bait higher in the water column, but they also apply more torque to the wire and the body of the bait. You'll want to watch how big of a blade you use. A big Colorado on a light wire frame is going to make the wire wear out faster. Also a big Colorado on a lighter weight head is going to have a tendency to want to roll on anything but a slow retrieve.
> 
> You could probably use a #6 Colorado on a 1/2 oz. head and get away with a moderately fast retrieve, but that same blade on a 3/8 oz. head would require a slow retrieve to avoid rolling. There are a lot of things you can do with spinner baits to tweak their performance. For instance ..... if you're using a spinner bait with a stainless steel wire frame, you can bend the frame open a little which gives the bait more vibration. You can also bend the frame closed which helps the bait run deeper. Bending the frame closer together also helps If you have a bait that wants to roll in the water on a faster retrieve.


Well im fishing Mosquito Lake, which has a tendency to stay muddy in most coves. And I love a big bronze colorados with dark colored skirts. And i love my 1/2oz tandem willowleaf white terminator for stained/clear. Put it this way, i flip and pitch alot of grass/wood. And Run spinnerbaits over through both. And Square bills which is something different. But WEEDLESS is the key here. But i have all stainless steel wire for all my old spinnerbaits. I just need blades and skirts.... Im going to buy the 10 packs of #4s and #5s....now do you know a skirt to buy that is DURABLE cause of the structure im dealing with?


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## mo65 (Aug 5, 2011)

Rasper said:


> Personally i cant stand the walmart ones. The skirts last maybe 4 fish. Then i caught that weird looking blue gill something.


I have a buddy who says the same thing. he leaves his out in the sunlight...dries those cheap skirts out quick. I have $1 Wally specials I've fished for years...probably 'cause I keep them stored away right beside the $5 and $6 spinnerbaits. Also, that "weird looking" bluegill you caught looks like a warmouth. Good luck with your spinnerbait building.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Rasper said:


> Well im fishing Mosquito Lake, which has a tendency to stay muddy in most coves. And I love a big bronze colorados with dark colored skirts. And i love my 1/2oz tandem willowleaf white terminator for stained/clear. Put it this way, i flip and pitch alot of grass/wood. And Run spinnerbaits over through both. And Square bills which is something different. But WEEDLESS is the key here. But i have all stainless steel wire for all my old spinnerbaits. I just need blades and skirts.... Im going to buy the 10 packs of #4s and #5s....now do you know a skirt to buy that is DURABLE cause of the structure im dealing with?


If weedless is the key, (and I know Mosquito quite well) then willow leaf blades are your best bet. The fact that they spin in a tighter arc, coupled with their tapered shape, make them the most weedless type of blade. Like Mo said in a previous post ..... willow leafs have the least amount of lift per size than other type of blade so if you want to keep it high in the water column you'll need to use a lighter weight head, a bigger blade, or a faster retrieve. As far as single spin Colorado blade baits go ... I like them at Mosquito in Spring and Fall, when the water is below 60 degrees. For me, once the weeds get up good and the water temp hits 65 and over, then it's double willow leaf time. A 1/2 oz. shad colored double willow leaf with two #4 willow leaf blades is money at Mosquito once summer rolls around. 

Another bait I've done well with at Mosquito is a 3/8 oz. tandem blade in chartreuse & white. The blades I put on it are a #2 Colorado in front of a #7 Indiana. Both blades in gold. It's easy to keep up in the water column, it has plenty of flash, and good vibration. It's also easy to bulge the surface with. I use it if, as you mentioned, the backs of the coves are dirty, or if it's a really heavily overcast sky. As far as skirts go, they're all pretty much the same unless they're rubber. Those cheap spinner baits you and Mo have been talking about may have skirts that are made of rubber. I will say this..... a rubber skirt has a lot more action than a silicone skirt, but they require a LOT more care to keep them in good shape. Plus they don't have anywhere near the colors that are available in skirts made of silicone. The only problem I have with skirts is the rubber collar going weak or breaking after a couple of years. It's like Mo said....... if you keep them out of the sun they'll last a whole lot longer.

My apologies to you and Mo if I ended up high jacking your spinner bait discussion. Just trying to help.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Serious guys thanks for the tips. I got my spinnerbaits all in order. I just got done making my darker ones with colorado blades. I picked up a couple blue gill and brownish skirts and char/white skirts. They are silicone which is great for me. Everything looks good though. Im heading back out to the camper at mosquito tomorrow till thursday. Thanks again guys ill have pics for sure. 

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## mo65 (Aug 5, 2011)

Bassbme said:


> Those cheap spinner baits you and Mo have been talking about may have skirts that are made of rubber. I will say this..... a rubber skirt has a lot more action than a silicone skirt, but they require a LOT more care to keep them in good shape. Plus they don't have anywhere near the colors that are available in skirts made of silicone. The only problem I have with skirts is the rubber collar going weak or breaking after a couple of years. It's like Mo said....... if you keep them out of the sun they'll last a whole lot longer.


Yes...those Wally's specials are a rubber skirt...and the sun just destroys them. And the little rubber collar is also quick to dry out. When Rasper said he only had two spinnerbaits...I was thinking maybe he was on a tight budget...that was why I suggested the Wally specials. LOL...a few years ago I was on tight times...those were all I could buy...they will do when you have no options. Hey fellas...where is this Mosquito lake you're speaking of?


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Mo ....... Mosquito is in Trumbull county (northeast corner of the state) Warren would be the biggest town close to it. It's an excellent lake for bass. Milfoil beds galore (except for the last couple of years) tons of shoreline cover to flip and pitch. It's a flatland lake with a lot of shallow flats. You can find some good drops and humps in the lower 1/3 of the lake. 

I always say that if you go bass fishing at Mosquito and don't get a limit, then you may want to take up golf, cuz you ain't no bass fisherman. I say that after having fished a tournament there on April 7th of this year, and I didn't get a bite. LOL Seriously though. It's a great bass lake. Lots and lots of 12 to 15 inch bass. Actually probably too many. There are plenty of big girls in there, but there would be more if there were less of the smaller ones. It gets pounded with bass tournaments. Normally when fishing tournaments out there, if you have to measure the fish to make sure it's a keeper, you may as well just throw it back in the water, because it's not going to win you any money. You need at least a 2 lb. average to even have a chance at sniffing the money.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Just got back like 2 mins ago.... the bite was super tough. Windy as hell, and every bed i saw was empty. I Caught 3 bass in two days... and a northern. The forage that was there last week is almost completely gone on the shore line. Just little schools of bait fish, with maybe one or two bass popping out to feed. But yesterday evening like 730ish is when the forage came in and all the fished followed. From 730 to like 830 my brother was pulling crappie off a downed tree with a shallow shadrap... but i pick 2 bass up with a 1/2 terminator white, and one with a bluegill colored 3/8 oz jig with a berkley rocket craw, he grabbed it on the fall and he was 3 feet off the shore. Tough weekend. I think most of the bass spawned though and are now in postspawn mode. but either way good weekend


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## GARNERMAN357 (Jan 22, 2010)

bassbme is right on the money. fished a turny there couple yrs back and had 14 lbs and some odd ounces and i thought we won no problem. first turny i ever fished too. well we came in17th place with that and it took almost 19 lbs to win. the lake is an awsome lake but can get tricky when trying to find the size.


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