<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
I haven’t caught a single bass on a finesse soft plastic presentation yet this spring. Every fish I’ve caught has been on a moving lure. I have given slower presentations considerable amount of time too.Same. I’ve caught some but not as much as I would’ve liked.
Power fishing can’t prevail like this all season long…
I think as Neko kicks in, pays to throw some shakey heads and the big Mop Jig too..
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
I haven’t caught a single bass on a finesse soft plastic presentation yet this spring. Every fish I’ve caught has been on a moving lure. I have given slower presentations considerable amount of time too.Same. I’ve caught some but not as much as I would’ve liked.
Power fishing can’t prevail like this all season long…
Definitely not. This heat wave will slow them down I’m sure. I’m heading out in the morning and hope to be punching pads and frog fishing. Will throw the neko and jig a bit too once the sun gets high.
“I’m heading out in the morning and hope to be punching pads and frog fishing. Will throw the neko and jig a bit too once the sun gets high.”
Curious how you do… this morning looks like the last window to fish before rain/wind set in until Fri/Sat. I plan to go then but have been fishing up north where water temps are lower and the Neko bite was fairly non-existent. This heat could set it in motion down here I hope ~
“I’m heading out in the morning and hope to be punching pads and frog fishing. Will throw the neko and jig a bit too once the sun gets high.”
Curious how you do… this morning looks like the last window to fish before rain/wind set in until Fri/Sat. I plan to go then but have been fishing up north where water temps are lower and the Neko bite was fairly non-existent. This heat could set it in motion down here I hope ~
Did well with the frog and whopper plopper until about 8 and then it completely shut off. Went to the weedlines with a chatterbait and got sliced off by a pike first cast. There went an expensive Thundercricket and I said screw that. Started skipping docks with a texas rigged Rage Bug and got into a solid bite and caught my best fish of the day. Also caught a pumpkinseed on that same t-rig which I’ve done before but this was an 8 inch gill on steroids. I’ve never seen a sunfish get half a rage bug AND get a worm hook INTO it’s mouth. 
I actually didn’t end up throwing the neko at all. Really gave the frog a fair shot today.
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Went to the weedlines with a chatterbait and got sliced off by a pike first cast. There went an expensive Thundercricket and I said screw that.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Went to the weedlines with a chatterbait and got sliced off by a <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>pike first cast. There went an expensive Thundercricket and I said screw that.
It’s actually the first of any chatterbaits I’ve owned stolen by a pike. I’m planning on filming a video with a $6 Zman chatterbait and a $15 Thundercricket in the same color and seeing which catches more bass. After today I’m thinking it might be an expensive video to make….. 
I’ll watch it!
I’m finding smaller ones on docks. The larger ones hit the frog. Of course, i miss half of them. Looking forward to the off shore bite. It was odd last year. The Neko rig was great for a month when i tried it. It just died in August. Ill give it a shot again.
I’m finding smaller ones on docks. The larger ones hit the frog. Of course, i miss half of them. Looking forward to the off shore bite.
Today’s fish was the first bass over 2 lbs I’ve caught on a dock this year. It’s been really slow on docks so far for me this year. Was really happy to get that one because dock fishing is one of my favorite types of fishing.
I agree I have hardly got any bass off docks they have been already on the outside weed edge for me I think the spawn happened the week of opener. I’m already going to the Neko rig and Ned rig have got a few on spinnerbaits bigger ones but not numbers of bass. sure has been an odd year so far.
Got a few decent fish on Neko last week on outside weed edge. I love the Zman Bang Sticks for it
Going out early Friday morning for some topwater action but once that sun comes up I’m going straight to the neko. Hopefully get some good action on both.
Was out today and Neko was slow… fish not really set up on outside weedline where I was at yet… has to be soon though!
Was out today and Neko was slow… fish not really set up on outside weedline where I was at yet… has to be soon though!
Yeah could’ve used a few more days of 90 degree heat to push them out but it shouldn’t be long.
I’m getting out tomorrow evening after work and then again early in the morning on Sat. Plan to fish mostly the deeper weed line both outings. Going to try a lake tomorrow that I’ve never fished. Was told it has lots of deep weed lines. I ordered a ton on Neko rig things from tackle warehouses but after a week+ still nothing. I’m going to spend some time this summer trying it. I’ve never gave it much of a try. Mostly fish a jigworm and dropshot most of the summer months.someone said last summer the weed line bite was odd. Around here it took a month longer than normal to get going. Once it did the bite was great till the fall. Hope it’s not as late of a start this season. I doubt it will be. A buddy has already been having good luck the last few outings – not the big schools yet but decent #”s – I think we are real close to it really taking off in my area – good luck everyone.
Do you guys see a correlation to A specific water temp when you start finding them on the deeper weed lines? I guess I haven’t paid attention in the past. That bite is hard to beat tho. My go to has been the drop shot with a senko, but may have to give the Neko a try. Fished a local lake a couple nights ago in the wind for eyes. Found it interesting that surface temp Was 70-72 everywhere I looked. Wind is churning things up.
Last time I was out was a week ago on Bald Eagle in the north metro and water was 75 surface temp. Last year when it started hitting 75-80 is when it really turned on for me. Then it lasted until late Sept when it started cooling down.
I don’t think it’s only the water temp. I think it’s many factors. Early or late ice out, early or late spawn, rate of weed growth, and water temp all come to mind. I use to always start to target the Mid of June in the metro lakes. Some years it would be early July before it really got going. It seemed like the smaller fish always showed up 1st followed by bigger fish. Week or so later. One interesting thing I’ve often noticed is that the 1st few weeks the deeper weedline bite is going, the fish almost always rush as fast as possible to the surface and jump like crazy when hooked. After a few weeks of this they almost always do the opposite and dig deep when hooked. It’s crazy how fast a bass caught on a dropshot in 18-22 ft of water can get to the surface. I’ve tried everything I can to keep them from jumping and can’t seem to find a way to stop them. I even tried to take all pressure off the fish once hooked and they still jump. I think I lose 2x more fish during this 2 or so weeks than I do all the rest of the summer months 
One thing to check out if you can before you go out is if the lake has been sprayed for weeds/algae recently. A lot more lakes than usual have been sprayed earlier than typical this year – and it is affecting the weeds the fish should be setting up in.
I was out twice in the last week on lakes with the neon signs everywhere (dates/info on the spraying). Thankfully the lake I was on today was sprayed a week ago already – but the coontail was half green and half brown (dead). It looked almost like the Fall die-off season…
After my outing Friday evening and this morning I can safely say the deeper water weedline bite is going good. I bet this is almost a full month earlier than last summer -yay !!! I probably caught 25-30 Friday evening and myself and a buddy probably caught close to 100 this morning. All on jigworms and Dropshots. I wish I had all the things I ordered to start fishing the Neko rig. This would be ideal conditions to get some confidence in fishing them. Like is normally the case when the deep weedline bite just first starts there were very few bigger fish ( 19+ “ ). I’m sure they will show up soon. Almost every fish rocketed to the surface and jumped. Lost a ton of fish today. If it follows true to form. They will only keep doing that for another week or two and then they will start bulldoggin deep instead. Should be a fun 6-8 weeks of fishing now. The new lake I tried has a real good defined weedline in 13-15 ft almost all the way around the lake. Only covered about 1/3 of it on Friday. Looking forward to getting back out there and fishing the other 2/3. Once I get the key areas all waypointed, it will be a fun evening lake to fish after work. Not sure if it will end up having many bigger fish but lots of 14-15” fish so that is ok as well.
Fishthumper I totally agree. I went out to a lake near me and absolutely hammered the bass. One of the best mornings I’ve ever had. I caught them on everything. Started out with a whopper plopper early in the morning. Crushed em. Then switched to the neko on deep weedlines on main lake points and absolutely wrecked them. Probably caught 15 fish in an hour and a half. And you’re dead on with the size structure out there right now. Everything I caught was 2-3 lbs. Nothing over 3 which is normally why I love deep weedlines so much.
The big girls just love to hang out there. Hopefully the next couple weeks they will show up. It’d been so long I’d forgotten what a neko bite felt like! The bass in this lake are absolutely crazy. Two pounders feel like fours. Such a fun morning!
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They sure are Jumping freaks right now. Its almost impossible to keep them from jumping. I cant wait to get back out there after them. It will probably we Wed. or Thur. after work. Hope the new Niko rig hooks and weights are here by then.
They sure are Jumping freaks right now. Its almost impossible to keep them from jumping.
This morning I would set the hook and have to reel like a madman because I would then see my line going straight up followed by the fish rocketing out of the water. This morning made up for the spring bite for me.
The bass in this lake are absolutely crazy. Two pounders feel like fours. Such a fun morning!
It’s funny how the fish in some lakes fight so much harder than other lakes. I fish a couple of small, mostly private lakes where 2lb bass fight like 4 or 5lbers, and jump like crazy. It’s weird.
Ya I find that that Hard fighting and for sure jumping fish is often the case for the 1st few weeks that fish first show up in deeper water on the weedlines.
Last night I was able to confirm that, yes indeed, the deep weedline bite is on. Fished an Annandale area lake for our multi-species league and had no trouble getting our bass. I know this is a Neko thread, but we caught them on drop shot and jig worm all around a large weedy bar that extends quite a ways into the lake. Largest was 18-19″. 12-14 fow with about 2′ of weeds. 18″ dropper did the trick. And, always a good indicator for me, the sunfish were schooled up like crazy in these spots. Often boiling at the surface. Caught plenty of Pike in the same zone, just not the right size. Fun night of fishing for sure.
Tried Neko rig at various times each of the last 3 days in the Longville area, 71 degrees, cabbage/coon tail, outer weedline = 0 fish
Tried Neko rig at various times each of the last 3 days in the Longville area, 71 degrees, cabbage/coin tail, outer weedline = 0 fish
Wow. I thought you were going to say the water temp was colder, keeping the fish shallower. But it’s been mid 70s here in the cities where I’ve been fishing. That’s really interesting. I guess 5 degrees is substantial to fish but for that technique I would think it wouldn’t have been that extreme.
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