The Pieces of the Puzzle

Tim Zdrazil

(Note this was May 2015)

I knew when I switched to running my own ride in the FLW/BFL ranks 1 1/2 years ago, that I was going to be challenged most by finding fish and more importantly defining the pattern(s) that would give me a shot at winning. This has been part of my challenge in 2015. In 2014 (my 1st year up front), I did really well overall. This year I have.... well.... not done well... at all... literally worse than I could imagine including my first zero's in FLW competition as a boater.  Don't get me wrong, I have also done some really good things. I have had some shining moments that make me proud of my progress. But man it stings. Really really stings. I put a lot of what I am into these events, and when the pieces don't all fall into place the damage inflicted on my spirit and drive is heavy. However the drive that... well... drives me, is a deep reservoir and is not daunted easily and will never ever quit. Here is just how close I came to having all the pieces fall just right, and how one piece of equipment may have been the only thing I could have done differently.

In the fall of 2014 as I was scanning the schedules for all of the FLW events in the area, I saw a chance to do two things. I could fish my first BFL on Lake Seminole (a home lake of sorts for me). This was also two weeks out from a FLW Rayovac event on Lake Seminole.  Both of these events were perfect for my schedule which is very complicated because of my oldest son's disability. I try to fish events that have the lowest impact on my rather large and crazy household. This was a great chance for me to step up to the Rayovac level for the first time as a boater, on water very close to home, and hopefully have a strong showing. I fished the entire southeast division in 2010 as a co-angler. This would be my first shot at an $85,000 prize package. Just typing that freaks me out a little bit, but I was ready to do it.

My plan was pretty simple. I already knew the Flint River, Spring Creek, and the main lake pretty well. I had a bunch of history to help me figure it out, so I gave myself 3 days to practice and fish the BFL 1 day event prior to the much bigger Rayovac. This should get me dialed in pretty well.

The conditions were miserable. I took off on Day 1 of my practice from Jack Wingates which is close to mid lake. Day 1 was going to be all about checking my favorite spots and finding new ones in the mid lake area all the way to the dam, but with special attention paid to the Spring Creek area.  I found out quickly that reports I had heard were very much correct. They were dropping the bottom out of Lake Seminole. Add to that zero wind and even as the sun was barely up the temperatures were sky rocketing. The main lake was chocolate milk and it was obviously lower than I had last been on the lake. Over a foot and a half by my guess and dropping fast. The main lake buoys confirmed it further. The deep 'V' lines behind the buoys that were straining to go to the dam said that it was wide open. Ridiculous optimist that I am, I told myself that the current would help, but I was going to have to find clean water. That meant creeks and hydrilla. I poked around some of my favorite spots catching decent keepers within minutes of pulling up on each spot, but I couldn't catch a second fish at any of them. This was not a good start.
 
On the way out of one of my favorite pockets I was graphing and hoping for a big school. Bingo!

This is just a small slice picture of the school. It went on for about 100 yards just like this. In the picture you can just see the way points I was dropping like bombs all down that 100 yards. I quickly turned around and started firing a rattle trap back towards the school. On the very first cast I hooked up. Unfortunately it was a hybrid, but I knew that bass and hybrids swim together all the time and if the hybrids were here the bait was most definitely here.  Again like most of my practice, I caught a large mouth a few casts later, but in an odd way. I had caught several hybrids and was about to give up, but the larger arcs kept telling me there were large mouth down there. I had already cycled through all of my standards. So I picked the rattle trap up again, and started jigging it. I would cast it out let it sink all the way to the bottom (dicey with so many stumps) then pump it up and let it fall while retrieving a bit of line each time. I call this yo-yo'ing, but not sure if there is a more technical term for it. Finally got a large mouth to hit it on the fall after one of my hops.

Unfortunately that guy was the only taker. This bothered me quite a bit. I knew the summer conditions were in full affect and the bite was probably going to be tough, but a school this size not firing up even a little bothered me. The yo-yo bite told me reaction only. The largemouth were suspended in that school but not really eating. However, I was more optimistic at least. This was a large concentration of fish in exactly the kind of spot they are supposed to be in during summer patterns. I had a lot of hope as I sped off to find some main lake hydrilla.

I ended up at the dam itself fishing hydrilla in 5-6 feet of water. Yet again within a very few casts I caught a nice keeper on a Lockjaw Jigs 3D eye jig with a Mister Twister trailer slathered in Liquid Mayhem garlic minnow (my favorite).

Again this was the only taker. However I felt a little better after this guy because he flew out of the grass to nail the jig, so I felt like at least that was a feeding bite. I was swimming and bumping it through the scattered hydrilla at a slow but steady rate.  It was still trouble though because I couldn't depend on jumping all over this big body of water all day hoping for five one off fish. Because the opportunity was literally right in front of me down by the damn. I fished a retaining wall, scattered laydowns, and a few little 'bowls' I graphed down in that area. No luck on any of them.

I had already burned half the day, but was still desperate to find something more promising. I ran way up the Chatahooche river searching some back waters that would hold cleaner water and some fish. I found miltiple spots in backwaters that were very promising, but couldn't even get a nibble. I still had 1 more full day of practice and the 1 day BFL, so I was optimistic. I packed it up for the day, and headed for home.

Day 2 of practice I put in at the Boat Basin in Bainbridge, GA where the launch would be. I wanted to spend a lot of time on the river, and I needed to remind myself things like how much gas and time did it take to make the long run down the Flint river to the main lake. I also wanted to check one more big grassy area I noticed the day before but hadn't fished yet. I ran all the way down the river which takes about 25 minutes on average took the cut through to Spring Creek across from Wingates, and dropped the trolling motor as soon as I left the cut thru. This costs about 9 mins of idle time, but it saves about 20 minutes of time if you go down and around thru the timber cuts to get to this area at the mouth of Spring Creek. I was happy almost immediately. There were bait fish everywhere, lots of fish chasing movement, and a perfect area chock full of hydrilla. The depths ranged from 3 to 15 feet with scattered to thick and matted hydrilla. There was also a decent mix of other vegetation in the area. Only problem is that after casting 10 different baits for a full hour, I didn't have a fish to show for it. However, I liked this area a lot! It was perfect for the Timmy Z grass fishing methods. There was definitely going to be some traffic though. There were a bunch of local boats and what looked like several other tournament guys practicing in this area, but like all of my favorite areas, it was huge.

Here is a shot from the cut leading into the area. You can just see the beginnings of the matted hydrilla on the left hand side of this shot.

I spent the rest of the day searching for flipping spots in the river working my way back up towards the launch site in Bainbridge. This was not easy because the water level was dropping so fast. I did find some really good flipping stuff, but got two bites all day doing it. Both times they took the claws right off of my Mister Twister Pocit Craws. This was again very disheartening. I thought for sure I could get bit flipping junk up and down the river and small backwaters that are all over the system.

So I had now spent the better part of two whole days trying to dial in what I needed for the BFL. I had found a giant school in deep timber, a huge grass flat with tons of bait and activity, and a few promising flipping and casting spots, but nothing like what I needed. I still had the BFL the next day which in my mind was really my last practice day prior to the Rayovac event. I would focus and do my best and see what the fish had to say once I buckled down in an area and went to work.

Despite the spotty practice, I was pumped. It was tournament morning and I had finalized my decision to fish the big hydrilla flat first thing if not all day. I knew it was the single best chance at catching some decent fish and had enough varieties of depth and grass combinations that I could dial this thing in. I like big areas. I don't like individual spots. This area was huge and I had all day to work it. The 25 minute burn down the river and the 9 minute idle thru the cut to Spring Creek flew by and we (me and my co-angler) were casting. And casting... And casting... Three hours later still casting with nothing to show for it. The conditions were horrible. Slick calm and a billion degrees. I was obviously frustrated, but I had one of those co-anglers who just screams happy and peaceful. He had zero doubt and loved the area. We made a quick run (mostly for moving air frankly) to my big school spot close by just to do something different. Couldn't get a bit there either. I only used an hour there and with a late check in time I wanted to use the last 3 hours back on the flat, but this time I was going old school.

The grass on the flat was thick almost everywhere, so I pulled out a medium heavy worm rod with a heavier weight 5/8 put on a Mister Twister Comida(stick bait-Junebug color), rubbed it generously with Liquid Mayhem and went to work. Very Very Very slow work. Dead sticking is not for the faint of heart. In fact it will kill most anglers, but in Florida especially on slow bite days, you have to have this trick in your arsenal. Once I figured out what I was targeting, I caught 2 very quality fish over the next 2 hours. Those two fish beat half the field. I came in 45th place with two fish. My co-angler also caught two fish and jumped over 20 spots in the overall standings, almost guaranteeing him a spot at the Regional Championship.

So the lesson of the BFL and practice was simple enough. Slow down and fish the typical summer patterns. I salvaged a decent finish for me and my co-angler, and now had a very good plan for the Rayovac event coming up.

The Rayovac event dawned with a complete change in conditions which has fast become the story of this 2015 season. The lake was no longer being drained and was coming back up. The water was clearing up, and the wind decided to take a turn at ruining all of my well laid plans.  I had a late boat number on Day 1 and was boat 9 on Day 2.

The plan worked perfectly. It worked perfectly for my co-anglers to be clear. The quality fish were still in the area, but the wind made fishing this way extremely difficult for me. This flat had deep sections with very scattered hydrilla and very shallow sections with hydrilla so thick you can't move in it. The fish were in the deeper sections around the scattered grass. While I fought to keep the boat in the deeper water in very strong winds, my co-anglers went to work. My Day 1 co-angler caught over 13lbs. My Day 2 co-angler caught over 14lbs.  My Day 1 co went on to win 3rd place overall and a check for $4,000. My day 2 co went on to finish 15th overall and won a check for $1,000. Once again I had found the perfect pattern for a co-angler who could concentrate on fishing while I was having a hard time even getting a line in the water.

The primary problem was there was no way to peg myself down in the shallow water with my 6ft Talon and still fish the deeper pockets with the wind and boat traffic. The only thing that would have worked is having 10 or 12 foot Talons. I know I did everything I could do in those conditions to fish. I caught two small keepers on Day 1 and zeroed day 2.

I have to feel good about how well I put together a plan. I had found quality fish as proven by my co-anglers. The wind is a variable on most of my tournament lakes, but usually I am in much shallower water. I would love to add two 12 foot Talons, but that is an expense I just can't afford right now. I will continue to learn and grow and adjust as I live this dream. Peace.

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Swim Jig Fishing 201 Part 2 - Lily Pads and Water Hyacinth

By now I'm sure a lot of you have read my Swim Jig Fishing 101 and also Swim Jig Fishing 201 Part 1 - Lay Down Timber articles.  For those of you haven't here are the links - Swim Jig Fishing 101 and Swim Jig Fishing 201 Part 1. In this part of the series I'll be covering fishing your swim jig in Lily Pads and Water Hyacinth.  To find out more about these two types of  Aquatic Vegetation there is a great article by Reece Lindgren here on this blog.  It gives you all sorts of information you need to know about the different types of vegetation you can encounter while fishing and how bass relate to them.  Here is a link to that article Aquatic Vegetation in Relation to Bass Fishing.

I decided to do Lily Pads and Water Hyacinth together as I tend to fish them basically in the same manner.  Pads and Hyacinth both are surface cover type vegetation that give bass dark shady places to hide and a cool place to escape the sun in the hotter months of the year.  The shade will also attract the bait fish that bass feed on so that is a second big reason to target these plants.  Some may argue with me but I think a Swim Jig is the perfect way to catch bass and I mean big bass around Pads and Hyacinth.   I'm not saying it is the only way, but it is my preferred method. Because bass are hanging under the vegetation waiting for bait fish to swim by, there isn't any better bait than a swim jig.  Swim jigs are weedless and can be fished close and even in these plants and if you matched the hatch, like explained in Swim Jig Fishing 101, swim jigs look like the food the bass are eating.

Like I said above, my basic approach to fishing Pads and Hyacinth is pretty much the same as they have a lot in common. There are a few differences that I'll explain but they don't really affect the manner in which I approach fishing these plants, but they are good to know. Lily Pads have a stem or root that goes from the plant's pad on the surface down to the bottom.  Lily Pads are basically a stationary plant that you can come back to and fish trip after trip. Their stems really limit the type of baits you can throw as you need something that is weedless.  The biggest difference Lily Pads and Water Hyacinth is the Hyacinths are floating plants that don't have a root or stem that goes down to the bottom.  They tend to move about, floating with water currents and winds.  So the Water Hyacinth you fish on one day might not be in the same location on your next trip.  For Hyacinth I like to fish the formations that are also associated with other structure like points, coves, lay down or standing and even formations that are against or over rocks like dams.  You can fish less weedless baits around Hyacinth, but I still find it easier to fish something that is weedless.  Even after all these years on longer casts I still get one or two off target.  If you miscue on a cast with something that isn't weedless and your bait lands on the plants you will be dragging them to the boat.  This can mess up your fishing as those plants you are pulling out of the formation might just have been where that bass of a lifetime was hiding and now you have spooked her.

My approach to fishing both of these is simple as I'm looking for irregularities in their formations.  If the plants themselves form a point or have a deep gap in them or even a cut or break in the formation that is what I'm going to target.  I will point my boat so that I can make multiple casts at any of these irregularities.  If it is Lily Pads then I want my jig to be hitting their stems under water.  When my jig hits a stem then I pause for a second before continuing my retrieve.  Just like when you are fishing any type of structure with a Swim Jig you have to continually change your retrieve until you find just what the bass are liking that day.  Once you find out what the want then it is game on, however remember if they stop biting then it is time to play with your retrieve again.  Now I also position my boat so that I can make long casts parallel to the outer edges of the plants.  I want my jig to run as close to the covering shade as possible.  Bass will be hanging just on the outer edge of the plants waiting for something to swim by for them to eat.  Your job is to give them something that appeals to their hunger.  Another key element in deciding what type of retrieve is to watch the bait fishing in the area if you see any.  This works wonderful from time to time when you can see them and how they are swimming.  This will get your swim jigs action close to what looks natural and what the bass are expecting from something they are looking to eat.  Watching for bait fish in the area also lets you better "Match the Hatch" and select the color and size of your jig and trailer.

Now as you are fishing these plants you want to cast to everything in their formation that you feel a bass might be using as a ambush point.   Also if there is a smaller group of plants off from the main body then be sure to make multiple cast around the small group.  I've found over the years that these smaller formations away from the main group of plants will hold the bigger bass.  I'm not quite sure why this is other than maybe the big girls want a place of their own to hunt.  It seems to be like that on a lot of structure come to think.  When catching schoolie size bass you can catch multiple fish off of one piece of structure but if they are 5 pound plus bass you might only catch one or maybe two.  After they get in the 8 pound range you will rarely catch more than one fish off of that piece of structure, however you will know what type of structure and technique to use for the big girls.

Now lets get back to the subject at hand.  The one tactic I will use that is really effective on these plants is to make casts so I can actually get under the Pads or Hyacinth.  Here is a picture that might help to see as I try and explain how I go about getting my swim jig under the plants.

Basically what I do is make a long cast into a gap or opening and let my swim jig settle to the bottom.  Then I put rod tip near the water and swing it around so it pulls my line under the plants.  After making this swing with my rod I start my retrieve and my swim jig will come under the plants and at an angle that bass likely will never see a lure.  This works even better on those small groups that are off the main body and if there is a big bass under there I can bet she is going to hammer my jig as I pull it by her.  Now as you retrieve your swim jig under the pads you will feel it hitting the stems so remember to pause when it does.  If fishing Hyacinth they don't have stems for your jig to hit, but if they happen to be floating over brush, lay down or standing timber all the better.  Use the same pause technique when your jig hits this other structure under the Hyacinth.  This is why I like to look for Hyacinth that have formed up over other types of structure.  Just remember the one thing you must always be ready for when fishing like this is a crushing strike that tries to take your rod out of your hands.  Be sure to give them a crushing hookset right back so your hook gets buried good an deep.

I hope that this information will help you the next time you are out and see some Lily Pads or Water Hyacinth.  Remember your swim jigs are very versatile baits that can catch bass off of any type of structure.  I'll continue you this series in the near future with Part 3 - Cattails, Bulrushes and Grass.

Until next time, Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

You can also Follow me on
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Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants
Stealth Rod Holders
New Pro Products
Squiddies Flip Reel

Swim Jig Fishing 201 Part 1 - Lay Down Timber

If you read my Swim Jigs 101 article you will know that the first thing necessary in becoming a swim jig fisherman is to learn to "Match the Hatch".  Here is a link to the first article as I recommend you give it a read also if you haven't - Swim Jig Fishing 101  There are so many different tactics and  different types of structure you can fish with a Swim Jig that I can't effective cover them all in one article. So I'm going to break Swim Jig Fishing 201 into multiple parts so I can cover each in some detail to better help you catch bass.  In this part I'm going to cover some of the basic tactics for fishing Lay Down Timber.   What exactly is Lay Down Timber some might ask, well it is trees or branches that have falling from the bank into the water.  These give the bass great ambush points and also give you a good place to catch these bass. There are a lot of effective methods to fish these but the trick is to get the bigger bass staging on these Lay Downs to hit.  I've found nothing better than the good ole swim jig to draw a strike from these bigger bass.

Now the trick to Lay Down Timber is to not just make one or two casts and then move on.  No you need to make many casts and use different speeds and types of retrieves on a single Lay Down.  Now like I said in the first article the bass are a moody bunch so what they want might change during the course of the day or even from one Lay Down to the next, so you have to be flexible and change with them.  No matter how you start working your jig you need to hit the Lay Down at many different angles.  Here are a couple pictures to show you how I start working a Lay Down.

As you can see from the picture I start casting at the Lay Down by really casting past it as far as possible and getting my jig as close to the bank as possible.  I make at least 3-4 cast in the first position at different speeds and at slightly different angles.  The first cast I like a steady slow retrieve and make sure my jigs hits as many of the branches on the Lay Down as possible.  If I don't get a strike on the first cast I speed up my retrieve some on the next cast, but I still want to hit those branches with my jig.  When you hit a branch with your jig it causes it to dart up somewhat and gives it an action bass just can't refuse.  This is especially true when fishing the Santone Lures Rayburn Swim Jigs as the flat edge in their head design really gives this jig a special action when it hits one of those branches.  The faster you retrieve the more the jig will dart when it makes contact with the branch.

If I don't get a strike after 3-4 casts at this angle I move my boat forward and change the angle some.  I then repeat the process of 3-4 casts.  Don't give up on a Lay Down too fast thinking there aren't any fish on it.  Most will hold bass but in some cases those bass might not be actively feeding.  This is when you have to get a reaction strike and there isn't a better bait than a good swim jig to draw that reaction strike.  Now even if I catch a bass I don't just move on to the next Lay Down.   A lot of these Lay Downs will hold more than one bass on them, so keep at it until you are sure you have fully covered all parts of the Lay Down and hit most of the branches with your jig.

Continue to move your boat to change your angle on the Lay Down.  If you have caught a bass you know what speed and type of retrieve they want.  Changing the angle of your casts on the Lay Down will allow your jig to past by more bass and hit more branches.  I've made as many as 20-25 casts on a single Lay Down and have caught as many as 5-6 bass off of one.   Now it is more likely you will only catch 1 or 2 bass, but don't give up too quickly.  That one big fish you need to anchor your stringer just might be on this Lay Down but you just haven't brought your jig past her at the right angle.  Sometimes it is the second cast in the same spot at the same angle that will draw the strike.   The first cast got the fish's attention or woke her up so to speak and the second cast she attacks your jig viciously. 

Now one of the most effective retrieves I've found for working Lay Downs is to let your swim jig fall to the bottom once it hits the water on the initial cast.  Then using a medium fast retrieve bring it to where it hits that first branch and jumps over, then stop and let it fall.  You don't have to let it fall all the way to the bottom, but the deeper the water the longer you let it fall.  Then give it a twitch or two before starting your medium fast retrieve to the next branch.  However remember this isn't full proof method.  You may have to change it some until you find what the bass want on any given day, or any given hour in some cases.   I've even had to change from Lay Down to Lay Down as the bass on one Lay Down liked the medium fast retrieve I just described but on the next Lay Down they wanted my jig at a very slow steady retrieve.   The key here is to be flexible and not get locked into the one size fits all scenario.

I'll start work on Part 2 of this series in the next few days or so that will cover working a swim jig in vegetation.  As there are many types of vegetation you might encounter I have to recommend that you read the article on my blog by Reece Lindgren.  Reece did an excellent job as this article is packed with great information on all types of Aquatic Vegetation and will give you a head start.  Here is a link to this article - A Guide to Aquatic Vegetation

Until next time, Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

You can also Follow me on
Twitter - @BHOAdventures
FaceBook - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures
YouTube - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures

Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants
Stealth Rod Holders
New Pro Products
Squiddies Flip Reel