[surfsal]

I was fishing the FI inlet last night and the weed was tough. Every cast I was bringing up a salad of eel grass. What are some techniques / lures you use to fish when the weed is thick. The fish were there feeding on bait under the weed. The bait fish were using the weed as cover. All my top water poppers got fouled. I switched to darters to get underneath the weed but they lost their action as soon as they picked up a little weed. I then switched to bass assasins and bucktails which were ok as long as I slowed the retrieve.

I think that fishing when is weedy is productive because the bait and the fish we are targeting use the weed for cover. I was just wondering if you could share some of your tips for fishing the weed.

 

[johnmlodynia]

Eels don't pick up a lot of weed.

 

[surfsal]

I never would have thought of eels. Un-weighted? The bait guys were bringing up salads also.

 

[snapperman]

when there is a lot of weed concentrate on incoming tides and use poppers and pencil poppers

 

[RichTrox]

surfsal wrote:
I never would have thought of eels. Un-weighted? The bait guys were bringing up salads also.
Unweighted? Depends on how deep/fast the water is. A live eel will head straight for the bottom so my preference is not to use a drail. If the water is that fast and deep, then I usually use something else other than eels. Because they swim with the tide, your line may pick up some weed, but the eel will navigate around it. This may give you a little more time for a fish to find the eel.

As for the bait guys pulling weed. Moving water + stationary line = salad. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the moon tide gods and move elsewhere.

-Rich

 

[johnmlodynia]

The way you fish the eel depends on the spot. Eels and there imitations are limitless, very versatile. Know your area and adjust appropriately.

 

[blasko]

Alot of people will eliminate the swivel on their leader as they say it picks up too much weed. I will keep it, but use a longer leader and allow the weed to collect on the snap rather than the lure. I will also use plastics with a slender profile as they pick up less weed than bucktails which tend to push water unless you use blue frog type heads. Another option is to use something heavier to get you down into the strike zone faster. Unfortunately this speeds up your retrieve and increases snagging. You must really know where the strike zone is and try to get your presentation to it as quickly as possible before you get weeded out. Ultimately it is best to find the best stage of the tide or relocate.

 

[tiderunner70]

use the largest reble hooks u can find.



sinks fairly quickly. great fluttering action. casts very well. siwash hook with tail or feathers.

 

[srfrat]

You gotta fish something thats swims at the same speed as the current,if your lure buc or shad moves at the same speed as the weed,the only time you "load" up,is on the retrieve.If your moveing faster or slower than the current you'll pick up weed.It will take time knowing the right weight,but can be golden.

P.S.When the weed starts getting bad, you know the boats are out in full force & this means summer is upon us,& that tells me time to move on & enjoy the summer & wait till the fall.

 

[toyotaoffroad91]

srfrat wrote:
You gotta fish something thats swims at the same speed as the current,if your lure buc or shad moves at the same speed as the weed,the only time you "load" up,is on the retrieve.If your moveing faster or slower than the current you'll pick up weed.It will take time knowing the right weight,but can be golden.

P.S.When the weed starts getting bad, you know the boats are out in full force & this means summer is upon us,& that tells me time to move on & enjoy the summer & wait till the fall.
summer is sneakin up very fast! but im looking forward to some rest...

 

[LeoDA]

srfrat wrote:

P.S.When the weed starts getting bad, you know the boats are out in full force & this means summer is upon us,& that tells me time to move on & enjoy the summer & wait till the fall.

You hit it on the head!.

Slowing down the plugs retreive to match the current, is the best bet.

This post edited by LeoDA 05:09 AM 07/03/2008

 

[likeitreallyis]

rest

that's what that LONNNNNNNNNNNG winter is for..

Thankfully we have an east end with cooler water and big fish.

 

[tiderunner70]

last season some of my largest cows were caught in the end of june and throughout july.

the current tip is right on the money.

 

[likeitreallyis]

 

[surfsal]

Appreciate the great advice. I will be using some single hook tins, bass assasins and possibly some eels - all reeled in to keep pace with the current.

Are eels mostly a fall bait or do some of you use them in the spring? I am not sure they even sell any in the spring / Summer.

 

[slaterock]

sursal, when i was younger I would do what I call walk the dog w/ bait on a 3way. 2oz. std sinker (not piramid) chuck it out there and just walk with it across the beach usually it will slow or stop at an outflow. no fish reel in and walk back or work the next beach

.

 

[RichTrox]

surfsal wrote:
Are eels mostly a fall bait or do some of you use them in the spring? I am not sure they even sell any in the spring / Summer
It's not the first thing I use in early spring, but by late May I start to use them. Definitely not just a fall bait although during the spring you are liable to lose more to bluefish. Most B&T's carry them all season. I do miss Frank the eelman though.

-Rich

 

[blasko]

Guys like Frank are the last of an endangered breed I'm afraid. Eels can be used in spring but there is so much other bait that they don't always produce. But ofcourse, there are no rules.