Mdw6_2 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 I have been throwing a Huddleston on a lake that is known to have good sized bass with no success. Today I actually gained a ton of confidence catching a 3 pounder at a farm pond. The question I have is when slow rolling on the bottom I am constantly dragging up leaves or grass. I feel like this may be an issue but don't know. Any help would be awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectrum Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Learn how fast they sink, and how fast you have to reel to keep the bait at a certain depth. Add weight to a ROF 5 or remove weight from a ROF 12. Get your bait and retrieve dialed in to fish just off the bottom or just over grass. If you're picking up piles of crap around the nose/line tie that's one thing. If you're getting leaves stuck on the jig hook, that's another. Are you talking about grass like, soft snotty decomposing crap, or healthy strands of milfoil, etc.? You can try popping the bait to clean off the jig hook occasionally, but what works best for me is learning how to fish around it. thedonnguyen, nadinesmom, NorCalBass and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedonnguyen Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 you don't necessarily wanna drag it on the bottom...you want it just off the bottom gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectrum Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 you don't necessarily wanna drag it on the bottom...you want it just off the bottom You want it where they'll eat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedonnguyen Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 You want it where they'll eat it. yes, that is true...but he said he's dragging up leaves and what not, which means he's dragging bottom... jcolo4sho 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattlures Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 I like to drag baits on hard clean bottoms, but on muddy or weedy bottoms I like the bait to be about a foot off the bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdw6_2 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thank you so much for the replies. I lot of what I have read said fish as slow as you can then go slower so I was taking that to heart. I was dragging the bottom and pulling up dead leaves and such. I wanted to try to swim it more but like I said didnt want to start fishing it too fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectrum Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thank you so much for the replies. I lot of what I have read said fish as slow as you can then go slower so I was taking that to heart. I was dragging the bottom and pulling up dead leaves and such. I wanted to try to swim it more but like I said didnt want to start fishing it too fast. It's not the bait I reach for when I want to fish faster, but don't rule that out either. How deep are you trying to fish? If you have the patience to fish a 5 down 15-20ft, it's a little easier to deal with crap on the bottom because of how the bait sits. The 12 buries the nose while the 5 stays level. You'll still pick up crap, but it can definitely help minimize it. And there are places I fish a hudd I just have to accept that I'm either getting bit or I'm cleaning off the bait most casts. midnightbite 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdw6_2 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 I have been fishing in 15-30 feet of water. The Huddleston is the only swimbait I own as of right now. It is starting to make more sence how to do the retrieve. I love throwing a jog and it seems very similar as far as how slow you fish the bait. Knowing that you don't necessarily want the bait dragging the bottom, but rather swimming right above the bottom really helps a lot I have been locating places that have steep drop offs and throwing it from shallow to deep 10-15 feet out to 30-35 feet and letting it have contact dragging down the slopes. Does it sound like I am targeting the proper spots with the bait. The temps are still in the upper 40's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectrum Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 I don't know your lake, and without a map I can't really answer that honestly. But if you think you're a pretty decent jig fisherman, and I don't mean pitching a jig at the bank, you should have a pretty good idea where to start with a hudd already. You don't necessarily want the bait off the bottom. That was just my answer as to how you could avoid getting crap on the bait. Personally, I put that bait on the bottom most of the time. If you're fishing out that deep, I'm going to take a guess that you're not picking up grass and crap until you get further uphill during your retrieve. You don't have to fish the bait uphill either. If you're on the bank, you don't have much of an option, but go fish breaks in 20-30ft. This is the first bait I ever fished, and the only bait I fished for at least the first year of throwing swimbaits. I knew where and when I wanted to throw a big football jig, and that's where I started with a hudd. You have to simplify this ish somewhat at the beginning I think, and expand from there once you start to get some feedback from the fish. Look at stuff you're good at fishing, have a lot of confidence in, and try to relate a hudd to those baits. waynem, Dirtnasty and NorCalBass 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdw6_2 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thanks man you have really helped a lot and provided me with a lot to think about. This place is awesome I really appreciate all the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfc_rr Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 If you ever need to look at a lakes contour levels, this is what I use along with Google earth, hope this helps out. http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en midnightbite and basskickinrednick 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baigh95 Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Even if the bottom is weedy i have no problem dragging the bottom (oh so slightly) if you keep your rod tip eye level high on the retrieve this helps you go slower as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurejerk Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 This works well for me....... when water warms up (60* and up) in your area don't underestimate what the Hudd can do. I like to take a ROF 12 or 16 and burn it across the top or just under the surface. The heavier bait tracks better in this application.You will get some vicious strikes doing this. AND BE PREPARED to get short lined it happens all the time. They will hit it right at your feet!. I've done this with the hudd gill already and it works just as well Let that Vortex work for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskickinrednick Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 If you ever need to look at a lakes contour levels, this is what I use along with Google earth, hope this helps out. http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en thanks didnt know so many of my lakes in WA would be on here two thumbs up thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.