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Old 03-18-2013, 03:27 PM
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jpeff31787 jpeff31787 is offline
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Carencro, La
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This is my take on how to judge bedding fish. If the fish skittishes and does a huge circle around the bed but comes back, you need to back off a bunch because she can see you and that fish is probably catchable but going to be a pain. I usually skip those unless they are giant.

If the fish just watches your bait swim by and barely moves, cast way past the bed and drag it slowly into it. If shes swimming toward it, then she'll be catchable, just keep on doing that and what I found is if you can see into the water real good, try to make it look like your bait is running away from her, seriously don't let her have it especially if shes just been barely picking it up. Do that a couple times and you'll start to notice that she'll chase it faster and faster, and then your going to cast and she'll just crush it.

Another thing I try when they want to be finicky and just not move is cast past the bed, and make your line/bait hit her tail, this way the fish has to spin around and check out what is hitting her or she'll just swim away. If she spins around, to check it you, then you should be able to catch her. Just keep hitting her tail and making her spin around and remember when she spins around, your bait is scared of her mouth and pull it away from her. I hooked one about 10lbs doing this a month ago; unfortunately, luck wasnt on my side that day and she came off.. But i really have better luck going for the tail rather than their mouth.

One other thing is don't be afraid to go up in size rather than down, I had a sacalait on a bed last week and the only thing she'd react to is a jig with a horny toad as a trailer. Also try pitch black baits, they aren't as easy to see as white but easier to see than watermelon or pumpkin and I think the fish react better to them.
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