Pacemaker Fishing Forum

Amazing line up for fish!  You'll have to go into more detail about your boat setup and techniques.  My niece is down there in heathesville on the water, so I need to learn fast!

backtofuturetoyota wrote:

Amazing line up for fish!  You'll have to go into more detail about your boat setup and techniques.  My niece is down there in heathesville on the water, so I need to learn fast!

The boat is pretty much set up like you would for bass fishing. Depthfinder and pedestal seat up front, foot pedal trolling motor. I also have a micro power pole on the transom. Very few people out on the bay have their boats set up to maximize shallow water fishing potential. They could learn from bass fishermen IMO.

The technique is really just finding grass and fishing it hard. Pull up Google maps satellite view and look for any spots with grass near the main body of the bay. Or go here: https://www.vims.edu/research/units/pro … cess/maps/ . When you're out on the water the grass just looks like dark spots on the bottom and it grows from 1ft to about 5ft deep. Patchy grass is always better than a thick carpet covering the whole bottom. From May-October there will be fish in that grass pretty much 24/7, but they don't always bite. On a typical day there will be a good bite at first light, then it will slow down for a few hours, and then mid day they start biting again. I don't know why this is but it's true more often than not.

In low light/overcast conditions I fish only topwater. It's my favorite technique and is probably the most consistently effective presentation all Summer. A walking Spook-type bait is a perfect mullet imitation. Specks and reds will hit these baits over and over again until they get hooked. The bites can be absolutely explosive. It's really exciting. I'll use a SkitterV in fairly calm water and a One Knocker when there's a little chop. If it gets rougher I'll use a Super Spook.

In bright sunshine I still fish topwater a lot but also rely heavily on a popping cork/fluke setup. I've caught everything on this rig. I use a DOA cork, 20-22" 20lb fluoro leader off that, and a 1/8oz jighead. In late summer I'll occasionally use a shrimp imitation on the jig but I use soft jerkbaits 99% of the time. Cast over a patch of grass, make two rapid pops and then a 2-3 second pause. Repeat.

This is all for summer. By about mid October the pattern starts shifting and then by November the fish are in completely different locations and require totally different presentations. I've fished in the Heathsville area a lot, that's a great location to start. I'm jealous of your niece!

Love the boat setup!  Your catches are amazing, and you are obviously dialed in.  Topwater fish like that are impressive.  Great job!

Thanks for the details!  You have an incredible setup and plan.  That's not just stuff you're reading out of a magazine, but real life experience and techniques.  I really agree with your use of the shallows and my micro anchor has really been one of my all time best upgrades for the kayak.  Heck, I'm thinking about using it for my boat just to anchor my stern while in close to shore!