Have been fishing inshore for several years now, and have figured out how to fish many areas and tides. However, I am still struggling with the best way to fish oyster rakes on the rising tide. The most difficult situation for me is at maybe 12 to 15 inches of water over the shell banks. I am proficient at topwater, and normally toss a spook, but spook is not that good under sunny skies. I have worked a hard floating jerkbait shallow, and that works pretty well. I don’t feel comfortable with a jighead and zman, due to hanging up too much.
12 to 15 inches seems too shallow for a popping cork. I have a buddy from Mount Pleasant who uses nothing but gulp baits on 1/8 ounce jigheads on 8 pound mono. If he hangs up, he automatically breaks off and does not try to retrieve. It does not make sense to me to leave hooks all over the place, but this guy has been doing it for many years. My question is this: what are good ways to fish the first twelve inches of water over oyster rakes on the rising tide? Or is it better to wait for more water? Any tips much appreciated.
believe it the popping cork works really well here. Just but about 8-10 inches of line under the cork. works extremely well if theres bait stacked up in the flow coming over the point of the shell bank. ive caught numerous flounder this way with mudminnows. Also works on sandbars. Never any monsters though guess the big ones move to deeper waters.
I usually use a jerk bait rigged weedless with no weight like you would in freshwater for largemouth. Sometimes I will add a snap swivel just to give a little more weight without adding lead. Different baits have different buoyancy. Without weight: Gulp tends to sink, Z-man tends to float, and Bass Assassin tends to be more neutral. I usually fish with one of my smaller Penn/UglyStick 5’5" combos and no more than 12# test. I get a good casting distance with this set up. A lot of times when I fish like this, I am wading. So, if I get a snag I just walk up to it. I have caught a bunch of fish that way.
For dead baits and oyster rakes I usually use a very small hook and either freeline or use one little tiny split shot. Try to get the hook embedded fully in a cut piece of shrimp or fiddler. This is good for sheephead, reds, and flounder as all of them will eat both.
Narcosis
Thanks guys, both good tips. Mister TMD, I thought about the popping cork with short leader but never got around to trying it. I was afraid that the cork so close would spook fish in the skinny water. I will definitely be giving it a try next rising tide. Mister Narcosis, I have fished weightless fluke many times for largemouth bass. It is very lifelike. Will rig one rod with popping cork(short leader) and another with maybe a zman and a wide gap worm hook. I should have thought of both these rigs, but sometimes brain gets vapor lock out on the water.
A split shot on top of 8" of flourocarbon with a 1/0 kahle hook, or 2/0 j hook and a live baitfish can be lethal…
Thanks Mister Yakman. I really appreciate the tip. To my knowledge, none of my fishing techniques would be considered “lethal”. “Ineffective” would be more accurate.
^^^ LOL that makes two of us
spinnerbaits can work good in this situation too. If it is real shallow throw past the rake and get it to a good depth before you bring it over the oyster mound.
- I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
Thanks dude. Does it matter which type of spinnerbait? By that I mean does it matter if it is the safety pin type like redfish magic or if it is the in-line type? The redfish magic is more weedless but the inline type is probably a litle quieter.
Fishing over oyster beds can get expensive.i use the least expensive whatever that will get the job done.
Stonoman
Took one of my cousins out. Rigged him up two rods with good jigheads with gulp shrimp and zman. He soon cut one of my jigs off on an oyster rake. Before I could tie a new one one on, he had cut the one off on the other rod. Dam!!