Huntington Harbor 5/25

I made it out to seabridge park today. Launched the tube around 945am. The weather was okay, the wind was blowing opposite the tide. It was tough today so we stayed in the small channel. We didn't feel like fighting the wind in the main channel. I fished the docks pretty hard today, got one fish and had six bites. Will get the photo uo loaded later as I need ot transfere it off of the phone. We were off the water at 12 today. As soon as we got off the water the clouds decided to let the sunshine through...LOL Darker colors worked today, 3in blueish grey big hammer and 3.25 inch mc in brown with gold glitter and a red belly.
I want to adk a questioin. Coolbait versus Warbait under spin, which do you prefer?
I have found i seem to get bit more with the coolbaits but they seem to be short bit, where with the big hammer i don't get bit as often but they seem to be better fish when they do bite. I have been leaning more towards the cool ait heads lately. Both are quality heads.
I have seen a lot of posts about the hookup baits. I have bought the green sardine and the pink and clear but can't seem to get bit with these jigs. It seems i am the only one. Could this be the way i am fishing them? I dont cast and retrieve, i jig them while drifting Just trying to get some feedback. Always trying to learn and i ahve learned a whole bunch from you guys. Thanks for any information.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Thanks for the report!

I feel like I've been down the road you're talking about. I don't really know if that is true, but I'll lend some thoughts, since you asked...

"Coolbait versus Warbait under spin, which do you prefer?" - I used to throw the Coolbaits underspins all the time. But speaking from an admittedly faulty memory, in the ones I'm familiar with, the Coolbaits and Warbaits underspin jigheads are virtually identical  Are the ones you're using significantly different from each other? Can you post pictures? As I remember, the Warbaits maybe has a bigger blade?

"...where with the big hammer i don't get bit as often."

You were talking about jig heads.. but this is bodies, so I'm a little confused, but I have some thoughts here...

Do you hot water treat your Big Hammers to make them softer? It helps.

But instead, I would suggest you try the Keitech Fat Swing Impact bodies with your underspins. I think you'll see a big improvement over the Big Hammers. The problem is they cost more and they're a lot softer, so they die easy, but that softness nets you more fish. I saw a big jump in numbers when I went from BH to KFSI. Shad and Ayu colors worked for me.

I dont cast and retrieve, i jig them while drifting.

I don't mean to be rude, but I find this hard to believe. You would drift by an open dock with a piling at the back of it because you don't want to cast to it? Or do you kick up to every piling and doodle jig them? What about places you can't get to but you could flip a bait in there? All those tasty spots with two boats close together where you can just barely flip a bait in there but it nets you a toad! What about all the docks where the pilings are on the backside closest to the wall and you can sneak back in there and flip a bait to run it past two pilings that only a tuber or the person who owns the dock could get to? It's like you're telling me you just drift by all the best spots in Huntington Harbor because you don't want to cast and retrieve.  

Don't get me wrong, I love jigging and I've caught some really nice fish by simply dropping a bait next to a piling and jigging, but I consider it more of a fun stunt than a one size fits all approach. I mean if jigging is your only presentation, then you're severely limiting yourself not only in how you present your bait, but in how much water you can cover.

This is especially true in Huntington Harbor docks where you can pull into a slot between docks and cast into the back sides both left and right and then turn around and cast across the channel and work the open water. I've had spots where the docks gave up a spottie and the open water gave up a sandie. Both from me in the same spot and casting around.

Even when I'm not really kicking and I'm drifting with the tide, I'm still casting in the direction I'm facing and retrieving the bait to me (with the tide) so I can vary what the bait is doing. By varying my retrieve speed and rod motions, I can give my bait lots of different actions.

Often when moving along a dock line, I like to cast off to my side into the open water of the channel and let the drift swing my bait across and behind me. I'm able to fish deep and shallow, open and structure all with one cast.

Obviously, bass will often simply attack your bait, and that's when they hook themselves and you just need to hang on. But sometimes, they will take their time and follow a bait and check it out and then maybe give it a quick "suck and spit" type bite and that's when you have to be quick or the bite is over before you knew it happened. I think a lot of "short" bites are really these spit it out bites.

I'm sorry for running off at the keyboard (as usual) but hopefully something helps. Good luck!

Sounds like a nice morning on the water to me. Fish on the tube and plenty of toys to catch them with.

Thanks for sharing.

Ornery Bob wrote:Thanks for the report!

I feel like I've been down the road you're talking about. I don't really know if that is true, but I'll lend some thoughts, since you asked...

"Coolbait versus Warbait under spin, which do you prefer?" - I used to throw the Coolbaits underspins all the time. But speaking from an admittedly faulty memory, in the ones I'm familiar with, the Coolbaits and Warbaits underspin jigheads are virtually identical  Are the ones you're using significantly different from each other? Can you post pictures? As I remember, the Warbaits maybe has a bigger blade?

"...where with the big hammer i don't get bit as often."

You were talking about jig heads.. but this is bodies, so I'm a little confused, but I have some thoughts here...

Do you hot water treat your Big Hammers to make them softer? It helps.

But instead, I would suggest you try the Keitech Fat Swing Impact bodies with your underspins. I think you'll see a big improvement over the Big Hammers. The problem is they cost more and they're a lot softer, so they die easy, but that softness nets you more fish. I saw a big jump in numbers when I went from BH to KFSI. Shad and Ayu colors worked for me.

I dont cast and retrieve, i jig them while drifting.

I don't mean to be rude, but I find this hard to believe. You would drift by an open dock with a piling at the back of it because you don't want to cast to it? Or do you kick up to every piling and doodle jig them? What about places you can't get to but you could flip a bait in there? All those tasty spots with two boats close together where you can just barely flip a bait in there but it nets you a toad! What about all the docks where the pilings are on the backside closest to the wall and you can sneak back in there and flip a bait to run it past two pilings that only a tuber or the person who owns the dock could get to? It's like you're telling me you just drift by all the best spots in Huntington Harbor because you don't want to cast and retrieve.  

Don't get me wrong, I love jigging and I've caught some really nice fish by simply dropping a bait next to a piling and jigging, but I consider it more of a fun stunt than a one size fits all approach. I mean if jigging is your only presentation, then you're severely limiting yourself not only in how you present your bait, but in how much water you can cover.

This is especially true in Huntington Harbor docks where you can pull into a slot between docks and cast into the back sides both left and right and then turn around and cast across the channel and work the open water. I've had spots where the docks gave up a spottie and the open water gave up a sandie. Both from me in the same spot and casting around.

Even when I'm not really kicking and I'm drifting with the tide, I'm still casting in the direction I'm facing and retrieving the bait to me (with the tide) so I can vary what the bait is doing. By varying my retrieve speed and rod motions, I can give my bait lots of different actions.

Often when moving along a dock line, I like to cast off to my side into the open water of the channel and let the drift swing my bait across and behind me. I'm able to fish deep and shallow, open and structure all with one cast.

Obviously, bass will often simply attack your bait, and that's when they hook themselves and you just need to hang on. But sometimes, they will take their time and follow a bait and check it out and then maybe give it a quick "suck and spit" type bite and that's when you have to be quick or the bite is over before you knew it happened. I think a lot of "short" bites are really these spit it out bites.

I'm sorry for running off at the keyboard (as usual) but hopefully something helps. Good luck!

I meant with the warbaits head i don't get bit as often. The biggest difference between the two heads is hte hook size. I use hte 3/8 ounce head and with the cookbaits has a 2/0 mustad hook where as the warbaits head has a 3/0 hook with a heavier wire.
I don't treat the big hammers they are pretty soft already.
I have just started using the Keitech fat swimmer. I use the 2.8 and 3.8 inch baits. I like the 2.8 with the 3/16 cookbaits and the 3/8 coolbait with the 3.8 inch. The french white color has been the most effective color
As far as the hookbaits goes its made for more of a verticle presentation but i will try to cast and retrieve next time bouncing it in front and in the docks.
When i cast swimbaits i like to fan cast the whole area. I will cast across the channel, in the docks and along the front of the docks. The last couple times pounding the docks have worked the best for me.
Thank you for all the information you give.

Great exchange of information people!
With all of this info ... everyone should be catching fish and having fun doing so!

Thanx TobyB for the fish report with pic's,
It sounds like you know what you are doing out there in order to catch fish.

SP Dan     <"))><