Fake weeds?

  • tindall
    Minneapolis MN
    Posts: 1104
    #1359303

    I saw some of these at the show but didn’t think to stop and chat. I have always wondered if these work. Time often limits me to sandy barren lakes – would a few tall weeds draw fish? Say 2 people were in a 6×12 popup with 3 or 4 of em in the middle, staying put for a morning or evening.

    Anyone have experience with/thoughts on them? I just packed up the wife’s “autumn leaves” that would probably look like nice structure with a weight and float attached…

    duke.harbaugh
    Posts: 207
    #1372616

    Tried the “reel weeds” when they first came out multiple times. Was NOT impressed. Haven’t touched em since. JMO

    chamberschamps
    Mazomanie, WI
    Posts: 1089
    #1372620

    Quote:


    Tried the “reel weeds” when they first came out multiple times. Was NOT impressed. Haven’t touched em since. JMO


    X2

    I tried them a bunch of times. Didn’t seem to make any difference for me. Used to be all the rage on this site but you don’t seem to hear about them any more.

    wisconeye
    Vernon County Wisconsin
    Posts: 19
    #1372626

    I won’t go fishing without them, particularly in areas where there is either very little structure, or where there are lots of people fishing the spots closer to structure. I’ve seen it take a half hour for fish to find them but once they do, a few fish draw even more. My BIL and I fished ten feet apart, same action/bait and with reel weeds the difference was dramatic. I’m sure there’s time they don’t make a lot of difference, but I don’t think there is a time when they hurt.

    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25026
    #1372629

    I bet there is a learning curve for knowing when to use them and when not to use them just like trying to figure out a fishing pattern like what bait to use. Sometimes they’ll attract and/or hold fish, sometimes it will scare them away or make them shut down.

    smackemup
    North Metro
    Posts: 192
    #1372642

    They work in the right situations.

    FishBlood&RiverMud
    Prescott
    Posts: 6687
    #1372668

    You can make your own for dirt cheap. Especially immediately after the holiday. Lot’s of plastic fake evergreen stuff. I can’t remember what it’s called, but i got probbably a 20′ roll of evergreen stuff. Attached it to a string. Put a weight on the other end…Wa la.

    I remember the first time i tried that stuff. 2′ of ice and a hand auger. I drilled in 8 strings, plus four holes for me and a friend…Almost too tired to fish after that.

    Anyway, i haven’t used them in a few years. But, you can make your own cheap.

    glenn57
    cold spring mn
    Posts: 11826
    #1372674

    I have reel weeds. mixed reviews. if I find an appropriate place I will use them for decorations. otherwise there up for sale.

    oh…….I hear they attract catfish!!!!

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18623
    #1372676

    I have an unopened box of them from their heyday. For sale.

    tindall
    Minneapolis MN
    Posts: 1104
    #1372714

    I’m interested in trying them – I swear that when I use my camera fish come to and stick around the fish shaped camera.

    Looks like they are about $5 new – pm me if you want to sell some. I might go to white bear on Saturday.

    jeremy-liebig
    mpls
    Posts: 1455
    #1372727

    Funny how those weeds were yapped about so much on this site at one point. I suppose they could serve a purpose in some situations but carrying plastic aquarium weeds in the arsenal just seems goofy.

    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25026
    #1372730

    Sooooo, since it is legal to put real weeds down a hole, I wonder if a guy could put, oh I don’t know, a long narrow piece of driftwood?

    Looks like I got some esperiment’n ta do.

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18623
    #1372732

    Quote:


    I’m interested in trying them – I swear that when I use my camera fish come to and stick around the fish shaped camera.

    Looks like they are about $5 new – pm me if you want to sell some. I might go to white bear on Saturday.


    I see the 6 foot strings sell for $7 and I have an unopened quad pack. I suppose $20 if someone came and picked them up. Not worth much trouble.

    belletaine
    Nevis, MN
    Posts: 5116
    #1372733

    Anyone ever tied a cinder block to a Christmas tree and put it down?

    Boss Hawg
    Inactive
    Brainerd Lakes Area
    Posts: 278
    #1372740

    Do you need a Color-C-Lector to know where to put them?

    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25026
    #1372742

    Quote:


    Anyone ever tied a cinder block to a Christmas tree and put it down?



    Be sure to have a CO in the area. They are very helpful when it comes to this.

    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25026
    #1372743

    Quote:


    Do you need a Color-C-Lector to know where to put them?




    Funny you should mention it. I was curious what happened to these and apparently they are still being manufactured and sold!

    I kind of want one. I am a sucker at trying “gimmicks”.

    Boss Hawg
    Inactive
    Brainerd Lakes Area
    Posts: 278
    #1372786

    They should be easy to find. If they sold 78 of them total I have to believe 77 of them are for sale, and the other one is lost.

    belletaine
    Nevis, MN
    Posts: 5116
    #1372799

    Quote:


    Quote:


    Anyone ever tied a cinder block to a Christmas tree and put it down?



    Be sure to have a CO in the area. They are very helpful when it comes to this.


    I’m sure they are!! I’m sure if the plastic weeds worked they would warrant some good real estate in retail stores.
    Don’t work = no sales = no money

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #1372809

    Tried mine once and then realized I move around to much on the ice. Guess if I set up a fish house they would get used a lot more to try to get the fish to come to me. Its a simple concept. Fish are attracted to structure. Like mentioned above have seen plenty of fish come in just to take a look at a camera lens.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #1372817

    Ah Reel Weeds.

    I know the first time Mike Smith, Dean Marshall and I tried them the worked awesomely well for panfish. In a Mississippi River marina.

    I’ll post a like to that once I find it.

    There were many reports of using them up on Red Lake for crappies in that featureless bowl. I recall one person saying they held the fish longer as they swam through the area.

    Now on the other hand, up on Winnie one year after the walleye/pike season was closed, we were fishing perch, crappies and gills. I found a hole with fish in it and then placed the reel weeds around that hole. The fishing stop shortly after. Went to another hole and repeated. Same thing. the fish just quit shortly after.

    I dropped my camera down, because it didn’t make sense…found out there were pike hanging all around the reel weeds. Duh!

    In talking with the manufacturers later, they said it happens a lot. I should place a tip up with a sucker on about 20 feet away from the weeds. (if the seasons open of course)

    Reel Weeds are legal in MN because they are strong enough to handle the cold without becoming brittle, falling apart and littering the waters. In other words, they can be removed when done fishing.

    As one article explained “they aren’t a silver bullet, but they are another bullet to help catch more fish”.

    James Holst
    Keymaster
    SE Minnesota
    Posts: 18926
    #1372820

    Like Mike, I found they conflicted with my inability to sit still long enough to give them the proper time to pull fish in and hold them. The other knock I have against them is they work too well when it comes to 3 – 5 lb pike on some lakes. I’ve had numerous times when I was trying to hold gills or crappie in an area with no structure and about the time the pannies found the weeds so did the 3 – 5 lb pike. Once the pike get it your set you can kiss the pannies goodbye. For a time I experimented with them a bit but I’ve since mothballed them finding that even though the weeds will attract fish I’m actually fish ahead by staying on the move.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #1372822

    PS I didn’t find them to work well at all for cats.

    glenn57
    cold spring mn
    Posts: 11826
    #1372878

    Quote:


    PS I didn’t find them to work well at all for cats.


    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25026
    #1372880

    Do pike like 2X4s? Structure is structure, so how about I arrange 3 2X4s like a Tee Pee underwater? Now I am cooking with grease.

    tindall
    Minneapolis MN
    Posts: 1104
    #1373374

    Not sure if my PMs are working, or at least nothing ever shows as sent. I’d like yours Suzuki – can get Monday.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #1373383

    They are working. You’ll have to check the box “save sent message” or something very similar to see them as saved.

    Mike, you have a pm about classifieds.

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