Forget weedlines, stay over the weeds!

[TNtoMN_HuntFish]

I read all this stuff about having to fish the edge of weedlines and I'm sure it works but I'll tell you what I've found the past few weekends, the 4-6 foot flats with a lot of weed growth are just full of quality sized bass and pike. This pattern may die off soon, I don't know. Remember, weedlines are a new concept to me being from the South, but man did I hammer them on Saturday morning. You could see schools of sunnies getting busted on the surface.

 

A spinnerbait with a Sumkina swimbait trailer was the ticket again. I landed 10 bass, lost probably 5 or 6 more. All in the 2 to 3.5 lb class but one. Also a handful of pike, one real nice eater, others were small. I lost 2 nice pike too. One got into the weeds and came off (hard to stop them in a kayak), one jumped right over my net and spit the lure. That happened to me a few weeks ago too. 

 

 

It was a great morning. Some guys were fussing at me saying I shouldn't be using the boat ramp with a kayak. Sorry to tell ya but I have every right to load and unload there just like you. Sorry a plastic boat out fished you

[eyeguy 54]

i think you need more poles  I just take 2.  so far havnt busted the one behind me while casting.

[BringAnExtension]

See, you are starting to figure out this bite! 

[TNtoMN_HuntFish]

8 hours ago, eyeguy 54 said:

i think you need more poles  I just take 2.  so far havnt busted the one behind me while casting.

I added rod holders so I can actually take up to six! I usually only have 4 though. I always try to rig them differently for any situation that may arise! 

6 hours ago, BringAnExtension said:

See, you are starting to figure out this bite! 

I'm trying! I did catch a walleye too surprisingly on a crankbait with a wire leader in case a pike got it. It was small though so back in it went. 

[ZachD]

I always used the boat ramp when I had my yak

[TNtoMN_HuntFish]

7 hours ago, ZachD said:

I always used the boat ramp when I had my yak

They tried to hog up the water I was fishing and didn't catch anything so they just had a chip on their shoulder. I don't normally have issues with bass boat guys but every once in a while I get one cutting me off and sometimes casting right in front of my kayak because they think their tournaments are more important than sportsman courtesy. 

 

Did you hit Rum River this past weekend? 

Edited June 21, 2017 by TNtoMN_HuntFish

[Troy Smutka]

TN to MN,

     Nice fish. You're on to a good pattern for this time of year. We hit the weed flats from four to ten feet of water, depending on the lake, May through June. You saw why the bass and pike are there--they are eating sunfish that are staging before their spawn, moving back and forth to the beds, and then lingering after sunfish bedding is over. They are down in the weeds, and looking up for a meal. Fishing above them horizontally is definitely the way to get seen (and hopefully bit) by a bunch of fish. I know a lot of guys look down their nose at spinnerbaits, but they are a great way to fish this pattern. We also alternate swimbaits, weedless spoons with a spinnerbait skirt for a trailer, and shallow diving crankbaits. If you get a somewhat calm, cloudy day (light drizzle is great) try a topwater bait like a Skitter Prop. Bass will come up ten feet to hit one of these. We have discovered some lakes in central MN where this pattern goes on all summer. Welcome to MN--we don't grow ten pounders here, but Roland Martin does a show up here every year and says MN is the best place he knows to catch large numbers of two to five pound bass on almost any lake you try. He's right! Good luck.

[ZachD]

No I have not been able to fish the Rum lately been crazy busy with work have not had a day off in 20 days my next day off wont be until July 1st but I will be going up north. Been meaning to but the couple days I was able to get out it was always raining!

[TNtoMN_HuntFish]

16 hours ago, Troy Smutka said:

Welcome to MN--we don't grow ten pounders here, but Roland Martin does a show up here every year and says MN is the best place he knows to catch large numbers of two to five pound bass on almost any lake you try. He's right! Good luck.

Thanks! I'm glad to be here and so far absolutely love this state. The cold didn't bother me one bit and I learned that ice fishing is fun. 

 

People look down on spinnerbaits? Never heard that but it wouldn't bother me if they did. I'll fish my way and they can fish their way.

 

Roland is absolutely right. I've noticed that there seem to be an abundance of bass in that 2-5 pound class, at least where I fish. I hardly ever find a skinny bass, they're all footballs.

 

Really I enjoy the pike though. They are great fighters and great tasting. Of course we don't have those down south and I've really grown to appreciate them.