[Stuart]

Man what a pain. I would bet there were some reds where my son and I were at last night, but the floating and half submerged grass was a real pain. I guess it's time to start throwing some assasins rigged weedless. Even a weedless spoon isn't weedless in this stuff. Is there anything more like a worm type style that I can rig Texas style? What do you guys that fish in this stuff all the time use?

 

[Fishin-Inc]

Grass

Super spook Jr's
SS jrs rigged with single hooks.
weedless spoons with trailers and work it slowly
small corks with a tail under it. (smaller than a thunder) Little 2-3" skinny corks.

All these need to be slowed down and can be worked slowly and effectively.

 

[Leemo]

I like to use the GIANT bass assasins, take a big worm hook and rig it like a freshwater worm, do not use any weight, the big assasin is big enough to sink or fish suspended if you don't work it to fast, or take a red comal cork and cut it in half( the little red cork with the black stops), about 16" of mono leader, tie your worm, artificial or whatever to it, fish it suspended, most of the grass is either on top or on the bottom, maybe this will help.

 

[Stuart]

Good suggestions, keep them coming. I mean, I even trim my knots real close and the grass still catches on them also. Maybe I'll use some super glue on the knots to smooth them out.

 

[Brine Jake]

I haven't used them yet, but the new Corkies with the hook on
the back, worked top or shallow--heck maybe even down into the grass--might do pretty well.

I was using some old freshwater floater worms with a double hook inverted around a bubble (they actually sold them like that) when I had them (reds pretty much destroyed these); also rigged some old corkies with inverted double hooks--missed a lot of trout because they don't collapse like the old bubble worms, so it was hard to hook 'em.

Shad tails flipped to hide the hook ain't bad, either.

These are all effective for grass beds--almost nothing works well on top in floating grass. Let's hear it once again for the shallow-running, grass-cutting shoreline burners.

JM$.02.

 

[Te.jas.on]

Being a bass fisherman, I just resort to my old flippin' methods. I use a heavy weight (usually 1/2 oz. or more). My favorite is the "Denny Brauer flippin' weight" that tru-tungsten makes. Peg it with a toothpick or whatever you like to a 3/0 or 4/0 red Gamaktsu EWG superline worm hook. The plastic is up to you.

I've used this rig with everything from Gulps to tubes to plain old bass worms and caught fish on all of 'em. However, my favorite bait to use for reds is the TTF killer flats minnow. It's small, durable, comes through the grass well and texas rigs perfecetly. Lately mumpy glo has been the ticket for me.

Your old trout rod won't work for this method though. I prefer a 7' med. heavy or heavy flippin' rod. That grass can really take the power out of a hookset so you'll need something with some backbone to drive it home. You're much better off making shorter casts. You'll never be able to fish a long cast all the way back to the boat anyway because of all the grass.

I have also had good success on the frogs that are really popular right now. My favorite is the SPRO frog but there are a ton to choose from.

One other thing, and I used to do this a lot fishing heavy grass beds for bass, is to throw a texas rigged, weightless senko on top of the mats and just drag it across. I like the Senko because as far as plastics go, it's one of the heaviest. So, if I'm going to rig weightless, I like to have the heaviest plastic I can find for making long casts. The Senko just sort of slivers over the top and if there are fish under it they'll eat it. I've only done this a few times in the salt but I don't see why it wouldn't work just as well as it does for bass.

 

[Brine Jake]

Maybe I'll use some super glue on the knots to smooth them out.

Hadn't thought about the glue-it-smooth idea. Worth a try.
Also, remember the loop knot that finishes with the tag end swept back toward the lure, making it more weedodynamic.

BTW even the single-hook dogwalkers get their action disabled by the smallest
weed trailiing.

 

[Brine Jake]

Being a bass fisherman, ...... weightless senko on top of the mats and just drag it across. I like the Senko because as far as plastics go, it's one of the heaviest. ...just sort of slivers over the top and if there are fish under it they'll eat it. I've only done this a few times in the salt but I don't see why it wouldn't work just as well as it does for bass.

Good ideas; hey, being a bass fisherman, do you ever see those bubble-worm
floaters anywhere? Got a double hook that cradles the bubble, making it weedless as anything can be, worked on top, similar to your descrip of the Senko--slithers over pads and weeds.

 

[Te.jas.on]

Those bubble worm floaters you're talking about are called ghosts. You're talking about the baits that are essentially like a spook but plastic and weedless right?

Like this?

Yes, I've used those, but the frogs are much better. They are essentially the same thing, plastic with upturned hooks but they have better action and appeal if you ask me.

This is what I'm talking about. My favorite color isn't actually on here. They have one that is pure white with red eyes.

 

[Stuart]

So how do you work that frog Jason?

 

[Te.jas.on]

I will say one thing about fishing any of these soft plastic topwater baits though.

The first thing is to let the fish really have it. Make sure they've eaten it good before you even think about setting the hook.

The next thing is again, use a stout rod and set the hook hard. The truth is, you're going to have a poor hook up ratio with these baits anyway. They're notorious that, but, when the grass is thick like Stu is describing, sometimes this is all that will get you bit.

I would suggest using braid with a pretty tight drag in this situation too.

 

[Te.jas.on]

Just like you were walking the dog. The frog doesn't really walk, instead it sort of dips and hops on the surface. It really creates a pretty good size disturbance on the surface which is why I like it. Another thing about it is that you can actually make it jump. I live on a little sandpit and I've gotten to where I'll throw this bait over a laydown, walk it up to the laydown, then hop it over. It's pretty cool.

So how do you work that frog Jason?

 

[Stuart]

What the heck is a Texas redfish doing eating a frog anyway LOL. Does it think its in one of the brackish Louisiana marshes or something?

 

[Te.jas.on]

They don't seem to be too picky. If it moves, they eat it. :smile:

 

[Brine Jake]

Those bubble worm floaters you're talking about are called ghosts. You're talking about the baits that are essentially like a spook but plastic and weedless right?

Like this?

Yes, I've used those, but the frogs are much better.

"

No, a 5-6" nightcrawler copy with the bubble and hook about 1/4 way down the body and the long tail trailing.

I sure like the design of this one, though--is it hollow, air filled, or solid like a Corky? available commercially? Looks like a weedless troutmangler to me.

Got frogs, too--I'd forgotten those--same principle. Pretty good crab fax for the reds; they really do a job on 'em. The rubber skirts seemed to deteriorate pretty fast in the salt (or maybe the heat).

Does the experience you cite include salt or mostly fresh fishing?

Thanx for the info/pix.

 

[Te.jas.on]

Never used the night crawler type bait you're talking about. I'll have to see if I can find a picture of one to see exactly what you're talking about.

And all the stuff I'm mentioning here is my saltwater experience. I grew up bass fishing, mostly on Sam Rayburn but I fish the salt almost exclusively now. All of my tournament fishing is done in the salt.

I've found that reds and bass are very similar in a lot of ways though. In fact, most of the techniques I use for reds I learned by bass fishing.

 

[Brine Jake]

Thanks--Hey, does FTU sell that "ghost" in your picture, or you make that?

 

[Te.jas.on]

That bait is made by Mann's and if I'm not mistaken, I believe I saw some at FTU the other day.

 

[Mojo281]

Hey...what is FTU?? I am very interested in these techniques that yall are discussing....

 

[Stuart]

Hey...what is FTU?? I am very interested in these techniques that yall are discussing....

Fishing Tackle Unlimited - Gulf Freeway