Go To The Slop For Giant Bass
by Joel Stokka
You'll either love it or
hate it as many have told me. I started my bass fishing in Southern
Minnesota were the water clarity is less than 3 feet. Fishing in
those waters one must learn how to fish shallow. Slop fishing can be
both exciting and rewarding. There’s nothing more exciting than a
bass blowing up on a top water frog and having to wrestle him into
the boat.
Shallow water may be 1' to 10'
depending on the lake conditions. This article will cover water that has
emergent and submergent vegetation in one to five feet.
Not all "slop" is productive:
Try and concentrate your efforts on areas that are close to deeper water. Many
shoreline shallow indentations with lily pads are what to key in to first. Look
for dirty pads, what I mean by dirty is: pads with submergent vegetation. Also
look for areas of thick pads with "blow holes" or openings in them. Areas
with rice, pads and bull rushes combined are prime big bass spots.
Equipment: Heavy
gear is a must! I use a 7'6" Quantum flipping stick with a high-speed retrieve
baitcaster and 50lb Spiderwire (nothing less). Use a soft tip medium action rod
as you might rip the lure out of the mouth with a heavy action rod using braided
line. A high-speed reel is required to get the fish on top and crank it over the
top of the junk. The lure of choice is a black or white "Snag Proof Tournament
or SK Frog". I have used all the brand name top water frogs/rats and found the
Snag Proof to be the only option.
How to work the bait:
Cast to the pads and run it over the top, only to stop it in the open pockets,
then wait 5-10 seconds, twitching the bait slightly to trigger a strike. Many
times the bass will blow up on the rat while you are running it over the
top...just keep it running to the next hole and stop. When the bass blows up on
the rat lower your rod tip, count one, two and set on three. Get her up on top
and horse her in. With 50lb test don't feel shy about horsing her out of the
junk. If the bass misses the first time, just keep the bait still for about
15-30 seconds before attempting to retrieve it back. 90% of the time the bass
will hit it again.
When the bite is slow, go to the
thickest pads and "speed run" your rat across the top until you get to the edge
of the pads in open water and stop, wait up to 30 seconds. Most blow ups will
come within 10-15 seconds. A top water frog/rat is a great locator bait. It can
cover a lot of water fast. Remember to always have a follow-up rod ready to
throw back after a blow up if the fish doesn't come back to the frog. Many times
the bass will hit a slower presentation. I use a Storm Texas Tube or a Northland
Jungle Jig/Craw for best results.
Best time to fish slop:
Anytime..... many believe that when the sun comes out the slop turns off...not
true. Some of my best results came when there wasn't a cloud in the sky!
I hope this gives your a few pointers
to try on your next outing.
Tight Lines,
Joel Stokka
classicbass.com Pro Staff
