Pit Fishing

[rolltide]

Been fishing a strip pit in my neighborhood but am having trouble locating good numbers of bass and the big bass. I fish out of my kayak but do not have a depth finder. I normally pitch small spinnerbaits to the shore (which has downed trees and roots every foot) and get small bass and big gills. Most of my bass however come from the schools of bass chasing shad around the lake. I have had very little luck pitching rubber worms and grubs into the shore. Any help or tips on where the bass are would be appreciated and how i can find any type of structure on the bottom without a depth finder because all pits were built in a similar fashion? thanks

[ElectricSLT]

Try a carolina rig - drag that big sinker around and you can find all sorts of cover, rocks, etc, offshore - good way to catch fish too.

You may want to downsize for clear water but if you are in a deep pit you may not need too - in the lakes we fish 3/4oz is usually the lightest weight I throw.

[rolltide]

Ive tried carolina rigging down the middle of the pit but have yet to get a bite. The depth is at least 30 feet or so in the middle and the pit drops off to 10 feet a few feet from the shore.

[SteveM4A1]

you don't want to c-rig the middle, because most likely there is not enough oxygen for the fish down that deep at this time of the year. try the breaklines closer to the bank.

[psprowler]

Maybe try a 5" fluke - cast to the visible cover along the shoreline and then work it back about 3/4 of the way to the boat for the bigger bass.

[ryan5fish]

try a kvd swim jig with a netbait paca craw as a trailer.....pretty sweet
i like black/blue

[ClarkIR]

Those KVD Swimjigs are great... I use a chompers trailer for mine.

[fishNnut]

Jigs, jigs and jigs and a 10" worm. Never swam a swim jig, my buddy does it a lot and I don't see the point in it. Drag the jig down the bank and work the worm slow.

[ClarkIR]

think of a swimjig as a crank without the rattle in it.

Its essentially a spinner bait with no blades (KVD's jig however does have rattles on it.)

Its idea for a quieter presentation. Also its versatile in the fact you can use it like a regular jig and then swim it back to the boat/bank. It was my best pattern the week prior to memorial day. Caught 5 fish between 2-3.5 lbs that week on that jig.

[ryan5fish]

i used mine(kvd swim jig) for the first time yesterday in a little lake.....caught 20+.......i usually swam it slow but i found a flat and burned it......fish love it.......the paint wore of mine easy tho...guess i will get more of them

[ClarkIR]

Really I just throw mine at the bank and/or cover... and burn it from the spot going for reaction/territorial strikes... If im bank fishing I will watch for bass that give chase and just drop it about 10 feet from me and jig it. Caught a 2lber doing that once.