Hot Dog Bass

[gpfishingdude]

We are in the south and there is a huge retention pond across the road. It is all catch and release and you can catch bass, bluegills and tilapia on hotdogs so easily that it isn't even a challenge. A few guys have tried artificials with limited luck-poppers-spinners- and plastics in the mornings and evenings but I haven't seen anybody trying scents yet. I am going to try a Yum salty crawfish first and then some crawfish scent on it. I think this is going to be the perfect place to find out which scent works the best. I wish I had brought all of the different scents with me, right now all I have is Yum crawfish and Kick'n Bass garlic.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

Let us know how the Bass tackle works for you (pics).

I have a tip for you if your results are less than desirable.

 

[gpfishingdude]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

I tried the salty craw and then used Yum crawfish scent and no luck on either. So I figured what the heck I gave the craw a shot of the Kicki'n Bass garlic- still nothing. I looked at the craw and saw where it is hollow and has an opening from under the front so I cut some hotdog and stuffed the salty craw and finally got two hits in about an hour but missed hooking the bass. I got tired of working at it and went to a hook with hotdog on it and caught and released 20 bass and 2 bluegills in about 2 hours. The only thing that I have seen that works consistently here is the hotdogs except for one guy who was catching fish on bread and a double hook.

 

[pdgs]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

Take a walk around the pond and kick some rocks or turn up the mud and see what you find. That may tell you why the hot dogs are working. I'm suspecting you'll find leeches or maybe earth worms.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

I tried the salty craw and then used Yum crawfish scent and no luck on either. So I figured what the heck I gave the craw a shot of the Kicki'n Bass garlic- still nothing. I looked at the craw and saw where it is hollow and has an opening from under the front so I cut some hotdog and stuffed the salty craw and finally got two hits in about an hour but missed hooking the bass. I got tired of working at it and went to a hook with hotdog on it and caught and released 20 bass and 2 bluegills in about 2 hours. The only thing that I have seen that works consistently here is the hotdogs except for one guy who was catching fish on bread and a double hook.

Now put that bass tackle away and get some ultra lite tackle. 4# test fluorocarbon line, a 1000 size reel, and a 5 or 6' UL rod with a little backbone. Get some small lures like little crappie jigs, or as I prefer 1/16 or 1/8 oz. Roostertail inline spinners in white, yellow, and green.

Take your bottle of crafish scent with you and put 1 drop on the roostertail feather, cast the roostertail out and let it sink to the bottom. Start counting by 100's as soon as it hits the water, 101 102 103 104. If the lure hits bottom at 105 that area of the pond is about 5' deep. Give the roostertail a pull with the rod and a couple quick turns of the reel handle to get the blade spinning, then slow down your retrieve so you're reeling just fast enough to keep the blade spinning. If you bring back slime or weeds on the hook start reeling on the count of 104 on the next cast.

Those bass in that lake have seen every bass lure known to man, several times and they know exactly what they are. You have to give them something they've never seen before, and they've probably never seen a roostertail worked properly. You'll catch everything in that lake if you work the lure right, but mainly bass and bluegill.

This is all I use when fishing freshwater in Fla. and people are amazed at the fish I catch. the roostertail mimicks a crippled minnow perfectly when retrieved at the right speed, just fast enough to keep the blade turning. You'll be able to feel the vibrations of the spinning blade in the rod.

Try it.

 

[mommicked]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

When I was a kid we fished alot of farm ponds using Beattlespins, Roostertails and Rapallas/Rebels w good results, but the best bait was live Locusts and Grasshoppers ( the larger the better ) we caught in the grass and weeds around the ponds in the summer, they always caught fish. We would catch a bunch and stuff'em in a bottle and with a light hook the Locusts will float and kick/wiggle on the surface and catch nice bass that seem to rush to grab them before the smaller fish tear them to pieces. I would use just a hook through he back if the wind was'nt blowing, a small bobber 6' from the hook if it was breezy. I remember one giant Locust flew off w the line and hook w my cast, and landed in a willow tree and I carefully persuaded to let go and recast to catch another nice bass that day! Most of the time the hoppers will be devoured momments after hitting the water. Some of these ponds were pretty small and no trees at all and the fish could see us on the banks and get spooky making artifical baits not produce well, but the local live bait caught those fish too.

 

[gpfishingdude]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

I have watched fly fishermen working their way around the retention pond and I asked one if he was catching any. He said he caught one small bass about an hour ago and then I caught two more on hotdogs in the next 10 minutes. I got to wondering if hotdogs would catch fish in places where they weren't as used to feeding on them so we took a little trip to a 40 acre gator hole lake and tried the hotdogs off of a fishing dock. Not a bite. Then I tried a 2" long popper then a spinnerbait then a rubber frog. The water looked good for bass fishing and just about the right vegetation for cover so I snapped on a Johnson gold minnow spoon and hooked a bass that wrapped me around a lily pad stem when my drag slipped and he got off. I tightened the drag and made a couple of more casts and caught about a four pound bass that I landed. That commotion got the gators swimming and as it was getting late we decided to quit for the day.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

This is a no-brainer: USE THOSE HOTDOGS! Don't listen to these other guys. Fishing is about doing what works to catch fish.... If hotdogs work, use 'em until they don't.

 

[gm280]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

Are they finicky about the brand of hotdogs you use or are they taking any type? Maybe you could try some Little Sizzlers too... :lol:

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Hot Dog Bass

This sounds like a place we go to once in a while when the regular lakes are muddy or high. This place has three large ponds full of three species of catfish, bass, bluegill, and a few crappie. The bass will actually hit hot dogs as do the other fish, except the crappie. A good place to go when you have a kid to take or just can't go elsewhere. I kind of figured that they hit hot dogs due the the picnics held there often and people using hotdogs but who knows? I saw a kid catch a 18" large mouth on one and I have caught 14-15" ones. A couple of the biggest ones (20-23")will only hit live bait or lures. They also will go after bluegills being pulled into the bank. Ironically, most of the fish will ignore worms...??? We have caught cat fish on hotdogs in regular lakes but they will hit almost anything when hungry.