priest bass

[Headhunter]

are very catchable. flats and drops. found a nice school yesterday, had 7 over 15" and a couple in 4 to 5 lb range. Still hit anything so long it is on the bottom, these are in 13 to 14 feet of water. caught something over 20 total. IMO, you need an anchor. they are schooled up tight.

[jad2t]

are very catchable. flats and drops. found a nice school yesterday, had 7 over 15" and a couple in 4 to 5 lb range. Still hit anything so long it is on the bottom, these are in 13 to 14 feet of water. caught something over 20 total. IMO, you need an anchor. they are schooled up tight.


What part of the lake? I went to Jefferson Springs yesterday and fished from my kayak from 5 until dark, didn't find a single bass. Fished water that in the Spring, when the water is low, holds a lot of bass and I know this for a fact because I used to go and fish a certain stretch from bank and caught several bass every single time in 3-4 feet of water tossing weightless flukes. Now the water is high and was muddy. Tried deeper water with deep diving crankbaits and plastic worms, nothing.

As a side note, there were wakeboarders making lots of racket and blasting through the no wake zone area I was fishing. I think that contributed to the fishing not being good. Or maybe I was just nowhere near the bass.

I'd love to take the kayak out again this weekend but I think I definitely need a different area of Priest to go.

[Headhunter]

jet skis, water skiers, and pleasure boaters help the deep water fishing, at least that is what I believe. I am finding them anywhere from 10-21 feet. Very catchable. wish I could go today, the deep water bite would be awesome today. Also, I spend a lot of time looking, either watching my depthfinder (I need a newer one bad) or by looking for fish by throwing a crankbait that will stay on the bottom. That is key, your lure has to be touching the bottom. I can get the largest fat free shad down to 20' and just past that depth on a cast. I use 8' casting rods, 16' magnathin and long cast. I also replace all my hooks with gamakatsu treble hooks. An anchor is probably the most important piece of equipment I have, my anchor weighs 50 lbs. A texas rigged worm is a great way to look for fish also. I spend a ton of time not catching anything but when I find a school it makes all that time of not catching anything worth it.

There are places near Jefferson springs that will hold schools of bass, I have caught them there also, not this year but in years past.

[jad2t]

jet skis, water skiers, and pleasure boaters help the deep water fishing, at least that is what I believe. I am finding them anywhere from 10-21 feet. Very catchable. wish I could go today, the deep water bite would be awesome today. Also, I spend a lot of time looking, either watching my depthfinder (I need a newer one bad) or by looking for fish by throwing a crankbait that will stay on the bottom. That is key, your lure has to be touching the bottom. I can get the largest fat free shad down to 20' and just past that depth on a cast. I use 8' casting rods, 16' magnathin and long cast. I also replace all my hooks with gamakatsu treble hooks. An anchor is probably the most important piece of equipment I have, my anchor weighs 50 lbs. A texas rigged worm is a great way to look for fish also. I spend a ton of time not catching anything but when I find a school it makes all that time of not catching anything worth it.

There are places near Jefferson springs that will hold schools of bass, I have caught them there also, not this year but in years past.


I have a crankbait that is supposed to dive to 12' but maybe that wasn't deep enough. I don't have a depthfinder on the kayak (yet) so locating them is a challenge. Saturday is the 'free fishing day' so I originally planned to head to Bedford Lake of one of the Williamsport lakes but they will probably be swamped with people. May hit some area of Priest very early in the AM and fish until the sun is fully up. I'll get some deeper diving cranks and see if I find them. Also will try the plastic worm fishing in deeper water. Thanks for the info and nice work on the bass, sounds like you had a heck of a day.

[Headhunter]

Middle of the hottest day is the best time. Early and late is not IMO. I like to fish from 9 am or so til 5 pm. Last year on the 100+ degree days we were catching more than you keep count of at noon with the sun straight up.

I have been chasing fish in deeper water for longer than I care to admit (over 20 years) and I carry an idiot amount of crankbaits in many colors and cover many depths. I have found them schooled up as shallow as 6' on super hot days.

The guy that taught most of what I know about this type fishing back around 1988 or so fished only plastic worms. We were sitting at a boat dock one day, getting something to eat and a person walked by and said "y'all must hate plastic worms". I looked and we had 20+ rods in the boat, all of them but 2 had a plastic bait and rig of some sort and I still throw a bunch of plastics. Mostly texas rig, a little carolina rig. Sad thing about it, is as much as I enjoy catching these bass, almost my favorite way, when this pattern ends I cannot hardly catch a bass and it usually happens overnight. I believe I could carry dynamite and not even find anything. Depends on a lot of factors, but I have seen them go into this pattern a week before memorial day and I have seen where they did not show up (at least for me) until early august. Spending time on the water means more than being some kind of great fishermen. I could (and have) catch these fish from a canoe. So many do not realize it is not the boat that catches fish. I will put a pic of me and my dad with 2 limits we caught a few years ago (he wanted to keep them, I don't usually kill any bass, I have nothing against eating bass and love to, but a 15" bass is to big to eat IMO) and we caught them in a 12' jon boat with a 1962 18hp evinrude motor I had. It was a great day, 90+ degrees, we caught 30 plus bass, and my dad had a couple over 4 lbs.

[jad2t]

Well I've never been a deep-water bass fisherman, just never got into it but I think its about time I learned this method. I'm consistent at catching them in the shallower water against the shore but on really hot days, when they're deep, I will catch very few against the shore for the obvious reasons and they're usually not of much size.

I'll head to BPS and pick up some deeper diving cranks for the weekend, what about weighted flukes? Ever use those to get those deeper fish?

[Travis C.]

I'll head to BPS and pick up some deeper diving cranks for the weekend, what about weighted flukes? Ever use those to get those deeper fish?

If you're fishing deep divers from a kayak better ask some of the more experienced yak guys about them before investing a bunch. They wear me out in a bass boat which is why I sold them all. The DD-22's will fight you all day at least on my gear.

I am sure some use them but it would seem to me given where you'd be sitting and leverage that there would be some not so enjoyable to fish as well.

[commdd]

headhunter, great tips...i like your positive thinking about the jet skis and the hottest of days, i infer you mean the more boat traffic and the hotter it is the more likely the bass are to be deep. i have a hard time with the not catching and searching for schools but am going to keep at it. regards.

[jad2t]

If you're fishing deep divers from a kayak better ask some of the more experienced yak guys about them before investing a bunch. They wear me out in a bass boat which is why I sold them all. The DD-22's will fight you all day at least on my gear.

I am sure some use them but it would seem to me given where you'd be sitting and leverage that there would be some not so enjoyable to fish as well.


Yea that 12' diving crankbait pulls on the kayak and if it's a long cast, it will actually start to turn the direction of the kayak. That can get annoying which is why I was asking about weighted flukes to find those deep fish. I could get deep, stay deep, and not be tugging against the kayak... at least not until I hook a nice bass!

[MNfisher]

Yea that 12' diving crankbait pulls on the kayak and if it's a long cast, it will actually start to turn the direction of the kayak. That can get annoying which is why I was asking about weighted flukes to find those deep fish. I could get deep, stay deep, and not be tugging against the kayak... at least not until I hook a nice bass!

You could put out a couple rods in holders and troll those deep cranks to search for schools.

[jad2t]

You could put out a couple rods in holders and troll those deep cranks to search for schools.

I'm not sure I can get up to speed to get the crankbait that deep and keep it there. I think weighted flukes might be a better method from a kayak

[Alphahawk]

I know MidTNKayakAngler uses cranks and can give you better info......but I can tell you from my experience it can be frustrating trying to present it properly. Chad Hoover has a couple of videos that talk about this.


Regards

[txnative]

Trolling cranks doesn't work...


Chris

PS: mike, quit giving away my secret techniques :)

[txnative]

Jad2t,

You can use a drift sock while casting a crankbait to give your yak more resistance. To troll, you can use snap-on weights, a Carolina rig set-up, or even a 3-way swivel and a 1 oz weight to help keep your crankbait down (you can use shallow-running cranks, which offer less resistance or may match bait size better).


Chris

[MNfisher]

Trolling cranks doesn't work...


Chris

PS: mike, quit giving away my secret techniques :)

That's right! I forgot you invented trolling! Lol! JK!

[jad2t]

Jad2t,

You can use a drift sock while casting a crankbait to give your yak more resistance. To troll, you can use snap-on weights, a Carolina rig set-up, or even a 3-way swivel and a 1 oz weight to help keep your crankbait down (you can use shallow-running cranks, which offer less resistance or may match bait size better).


Chris
Welcome back, haven't seen you post in here for several months!

Interesting idea for the crankbait trolling. Not sure if I can go out and get a drift sock or snap weights before the weekend so I'll give the weighted flukes a shot and see how it works.

[txnative]

That's right! I forgot you invented trolling! Lol! JK!

Lol.

I picked up a few things from saltwater mags and tailored them to fit my needs is all.


Chris

[Headhunter]

Difficult to beat a texas rigged worm. VERY difficult!

[Travis C.]

Difficult to beat a texas rigged worm. VERY difficult!

Several of my 5lb + bass have came off worms in deep water or staged next to deep water. When I really targeted bass hard every summer there was always a rod rigged with a bullet sinker 3/8 or 1/4 oz, 5/0 Gama hook and a Zoom Ole Monster in Plum.

You'd think a hook that big and a worm 10.5" long would limit action but it didn't really yet almost every time the hook was set it was on a close to or bigger than keeper fish.

[jad2t]

Difficult to beat a texas rigged worm. VERY difficult!

That's always been my most productive method to catch bass, second being weightless zoom flukes. Of course, the conditions have to be right for the latter to work.

[Reel Tune]

Cranks can work great in a kayak. It's all about using boat position, wind, and or current.

I usually scope out the place I want to fish wether it be a flat, hump, or ledge, and pick my weapon depending on the depth of the fish. I like to cause a ruckus with cranks, if your bill isn't getting tore up, or if your not feeling the bottom upon retreive your not deep enough alot of the times.

Drift chutes, anchors, stakeout poles and paddling are great tools in a kayak.

I find my structure I want to work and troll over it a few times trolling one crank off each side. All you need is about 1.5-2mph, and that's pretty easy in a kayak. Sometimes I'll anchor and cast, and sometimes I'll throw the drift chute out to create some resistance. Sometimes I'll cast and just let the resistance of the crank pull me and that's how I'll move, no paddling needed, I can work a couple hundred yards easily this way.

When traveling from spot to spot I'll usually troll a crank and pick up a fish here and there.

Jeremy

[Headhunter]

I catch a lot of 14" and shorter fish on 10+" worms, for me bigger does not always mean bigger fish. On occasion the fish want a 4" worm in deep water and it will catch larger fish also.

jad2t, this spring I have went through over 200 bubble gum flukes, to say I like fish shallow with a fluke is an understatement.

[MNfisher]

A pearl white super fluke is my number one bait for smallmouth, largemouth, striper, and hybrids. Rigged many different ways depending on the circumstances. I have also caught several big whites on them too.

[creekcrappie]

Mnfisher is right, pearl white fluke is my favorite bait in my opinion.

[Alphahawk]

Hard to beat a fluke.


Regards

[Headhunter]

I use pearl white and white for hybrids/stripers, nothing but bubble gum for bass.

[MNfisher]

I use pearl white and white for hybrids/stripers, nothing but bubble gum for bass.

I have never thrown any color fluke but pearl white, I am sure others work well, but I may never toss another color. It's purely a confidence thing. Which to me is about 75% in how good a bait works. If you have that much confidence on it, you will catch fish on it. For me it's the pearl white fluke for big fish and TM for small fish.

[nomad60]

I need to get out of the "structure" mentality. If I'm not throwing towards a rock, tree or weeds, I don't have confidence I'll catch any fish. Take me out in open water and I'm lost. Which hurts me in the warmer months...

[Jdkxtreme]

Are you guys throwing the Fluke with a baitcaster or spinning reel?

[Travis C.]

I need to get out of the "structure" mentality. If I'm not throwing towards a rock, tree or weeds, I don't have confidence I'll catch any fish. Take me out in open water and I'm lost. Which hurts me in the warmer months...

Banks just hold the water in.... ;)

[Headhunter]

I am guessing we catch some borderline bass on bubblegum flukes.

my brother
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/65lbs.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/65lbs.jpg.html)

my friend gary, converted to bubble gum
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/IMG00482-20120414-1914.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/IMG00482-20120414-1914.jpg.html)

myself
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/100_1878.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/100_1878.jpg.html)

my dad
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/100_1873.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/100_1873.jpg.html)

[Headhunter]

I like a stan sloan aggravator also. ordered a bunch recently and we caught so many on Rainy Lake in Canada last summer that several were broken just from catching smalljaws.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/justover6.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/justover6.jpg.html)

my friend brandon
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/IMG00479-20120414-1836.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/IMG00479-20120414-1836.jpg.html)

me on rainy lake
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/100_2909.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/100_2909.jpg.html)

my brother with "ol tooth", the fish in canada try to murder a spinnerbait
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/100_2915.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/100_2915.jpg.html)

[Alphahawk]

Some pretty fish. I've read a lot about Rainy Lake...but never been.


Regards

[Headhunter]

only the smallmouth and the pike are from rainy, the rest are local. I haven't thrown a fluke in canada, many do but I haven't. I will be back on Rainy lake in a couple of weeks.

[Alphahawk]

only the smallmouth and the pike are from rainy, the rest are local. I haven't thrown a fluke in canada, many do but I haven't. I will be back on Rainy lake in a couple of weeks.

Good for you! Hope to get up there in the next few years anyway....before I croak.....LOL.



Regards

[jad2t]

Never used the bubble gum color but I always thought that color in worms would work well, never thought about a fluke. I learned something new! My most productive color has been watermelon red. Do you have any tips for locating the deeper bass without a fishfinder? I'm going to give this a good effort Saturday from my kayak with weighted flukes. Will I just be blind casting/trolling and depend on luck or are there any signs to help me out like perhaps certain types of banks to look for and hangout a certain distance away from them in the deeper water.

I really appreciate the advice you've given so far. Like Nomad60, I'm great with bass fishing when they're shallow but come summer, I catch much fewer bass and smaller in size because I've never put much effort into finding them deep. It's time to learn.

[Travis C.]

Hmm...interesting.

I had some bubblegum flukes and trick worms but never used them. My daughters once they seen the pink ran sacked them all but since I never even put one on a hook didn't care.

[MNfisher]

Love the Rainy river and lake!!!

[TNtransplant08]

I drove over the Jefferson Pike bridge this morning and noticed the lake looked like it was chocolate milk and full of debris. Anyone know if any areas of the lake is still clean? I'm gonna head out tomorrow morning, but I haven't decided where.

What techniques/rigs have you guys used with the fluke? I've only fished it weightless on the flats. Its time I try fishing it differently. Thought about using a BB split shot on the line or will that kill the action?

[creekcrappie]

I use pearl white and white for hybrids/stripers, nothing but bubble gum for bass.

Do you throw bubblegum colored flukes in clear water?

[SAMBOLIE]

I drove over the Jefferson Pike bridge this morning and noticed the lake looked like it was chocolate milk and full of debris. Anyone know if any areas of the lake is still clean? I'm gonna head out tomorrow morning, but I haven't decided where.

What techniques/rigs have you guys used with the fluke? I've only fished it weightless on the flats. Its time I try fishing it differently. Thought about using a BB split shot on the line or will that kill the action?

I fished Hamilton Creek and parts of the lower end yesterday. No muddy look.

[MNfisher]

What techniques/rigs have you guys used with the fluke? I've only fished it weightless on the flats. Its time I try fishing it differently. Thought about using a BB split shot on the line or will that kill the action?

A weighted weedless worm hook or jig heads work great in deeper water situations.

[Headhunter]

I will use bubble gum flukes for bass in any color water. Been fishing bubble gum color for a long time. The first ones we used we purchased at Hunt's sporting goods by the pound. I use to go through about 5 lbs a year.

Been going to Ontario fishing since about 1978. I have fished a bunch of waters including Essox lake, Mantiou river, Alonghill lake, dogfly lake, all of the lakes on the pipestone lake chain and more. My favorites are the upper end of Rainy Lake and the Manitou. God willing, I will go every year for the rest of my life. If you haven't been to Ontario, and especially if you like smallmouth, you should go.

[Headhunter]

some pics from a decent place to fish
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/DSCN0693.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/DSCN0693.jpg.html)

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/100_2894.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/100_2894.jpg.html)

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/DSCN0686.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/DSCN0686.jpg.html)

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/crawfish-1.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/crawfish-1.jpg.html)

[Headhunter]

my brother with the "eats" and me with a smallie
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/catch.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/catch.jpg.html)

my dad,he first went in 1970
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/DSCN0617.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/DSCN0617.jpg.html)

catchin' smallies in the weedbeds on spinnerbaits
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/DSCN0648.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/DSCN0648.jpg.html)

my brother, what an "ugly" place to fish, we rarely see another boat, have had trips where we did not see another fisherman
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p37/headhunter130/DSCN0679.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/headhunter130/media/DSCN0679.jpg.html)

[SAMBOLIE]

I will use bubble gum flukes for bass in any color water. Been fishing bubble gum color for a long time. The first ones we used we purchased at Hunt's sporting goods by the pound. I use to go through about 5 lbs a year.

Been going to Ontario fishing since about 1978. I have fished a bunch of waters including Essox lake, Mantiou river, Alonghill lake, dogfly lake, all of the lakes on the pipestone lake chain and more. My favorites are the upper end of Rainy Lake and the Manitou. God willing, I will go every year for the rest of my life. If you haven't been to Ontario, and especially if you like smallmouth, you should go.

I would not waste my time catching those smallmouth. :D:D

Seriously, I have friends who fished there annually a few years back. They told about having to hide the bait to keep fish out of the boat. They also talked about frying fresh caught fish for a shore lunch or dinner. Pissed me off cause I could not make the trip and had to listen to them rub it in.

Have you used other colors in those great fisheries to know if color really mattered? I realize there would be no good reason to use another color except out of curiosity.

[Reel Tune]

Wow, Rainey Lake in Ontario looks amazing. Definately a must do.

As far as Flukes my go to colors are Pearl, Baby Bass, and Arkansas Shiner. The brand and size I like best is Zoom Super Fluke Jr. Although I have many other colors and brands like Bubble Gum, but have never used them.

I enjoy using flukes the most in moving water, and I throw them on a baitcaster with a med heavy rod, unless I'm fishing for bigger stripers with mag flukes then it's a heavy action rod.

As far as fishing deep structure, good maps, or electronics is highly recommended, more is better. A Carolina rig is helpful, and a 1oz will get it down nicely, although a 1/2oz or 3/4 will work. I prefer big worms while Carolina rigging for deep bass. If I'm shallow I'm nose hooking or Texas rigging Flukes if I'm fishing Flukes. Usually it's slow rolling 3/4-1oz spinnerbaits, or deep cranks.

I'm not real confident in deep water fishing, but the more you try it the better you will get, and more you will learn.

Jeremy

[Headhunter]

never used a fluke in canada. last year we caught fish on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, paca craws, fat free shads, long floating rapalas, bandits and my brother had a cotton cordell grapplin shad in crawfish he was wearin the smallies out with. we also caught many northern pike waking a spinner bait, the hit more like a commode flushing, but it is exciting.

no place like ontario. we averaged 50-60 smallmouth a day and the average smallmouth was just over 3-1/2 lbs.

we also do not fish for them and do not really know how but caught 8-10 walleye a day total. Rainy is polluted with walleye, the locals who fish for them and know how were averaging 100 a day. many 10 lb walleye in rainy.

everytime i have fished essox lake and manitou we have averaged over 100 smallmouth a day a piece but the average smallmouth is more like 1-1/2 to 2 lbs. there schools of 4 to 5 lb fish there though and when you find them it is incredible, catching 4 lb + smallies on every cast for a while is great.

it is NOT always like "fishing in a bathtub". the fish in ontario can be tough on occasion but we have always figured something out.

[Doc Marshall]

I've had much less luck working the bank than in years past. A Texas rigged worm with a bullet weight is my go-to on Priest, but it has only produced a handful this season.

Here's a video of a nice largemouth I caught on a Rat L Trap. The water is muddy and still pretty high, so I recommend making a lot of noise along the bottom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwK_qFkDykM

This guy was sent from the heavens to end my losing streak...

[jad2t]

Tried the deep fishing today on Priest from the yak, no luck. It's just impossible without a graph so I know how deep the water is and if there are any fish around. Switched back to beating the banks with a texas rigged worm and it produced as usual this time of year, caught a handful, just barely too small to keep unfortunately. Still had a blast though. I'm saving up Cabelas points to get a depthfinder for the kayak, then I'll put more effort into fishing for them deep.

[nomad60]

I'm saving up Cabelas points to get a depthfinder for the kayak, then I'll put more effort into fishing for them deep.

If you figure them out, let me know because summer time fishing is my nemesis. Once they move deep, I'm lost...

[Reel Tune]

You can pick up a relatively cheap depth finder battery and mount for under $150 total.

Jeremy

[Headhunter]

caught them good today. 14 feet, most on a rootbeer fat free shad. had one pushing 6 lbs and 8 others over 15".

[MattR]

Got out this weekend and tried to focus purely on advice from this thread since I'm in a pontoon with no trolling motor and I'm glad I did. Not a huge day in general, but 5 bass for me was a really good trip. I almost felt like I had things figured out.

Huge thanks for the info in here, especially from Headhunter.

[creekcrappie]

If I would go out sometime soon for bass on the bank on percy priest, or old hickory for that matter, where could I go to catch bass? I am not looking for size, I am looking for quanity or just catching a bass.

[Headhunter]

matt, if you truly figure it out, you will like it. I have sat on schools for as long as 3 hours and either caught a bass or hooked a bass on most every cast. It is fun.