Rough Water Bass

[RIROCKHOUND]

Definetly fish eels if it's rough but not if it's ice-coffee water...
Woody, 90% of my fishing is at 3-4 Spots MAX...
I tell my self to jump around more but then get unconfident elsewhere...

[luds]

I love moderate to fast sinking needles in rough water. I either let them go in the wash or fish them with a pumping motion and a moderate retrieve. Nothing more fun than pulling fish out of big water. I personally prefer needles over eels when it's rough. I had one night the year before last that I kept getting hung up in the same spot. As soon as I got my needle free a bass would hit it. I couldn't pick up a fish any other way. Hab's needles......color didn't matter..

[Strider]

luds48 I love moderate to fast sinking needles in rough water. I either let them go in the wash or fish them with a pumping motion and a moderate retrieve. Nothing more fun than pulling fish out of big water. I personally prefer needles over eels when it's rough. I had one night the year before last that I kept getting hung up in the same spot. As soon as I got my needle free a bass would hit it. I couldn't pick up a fish any other way. Hab's needles......color didn't matter..

Bingo!

When the heave is up and fishing deeper waters, I have great confidence throwing needles which will sink rather quickly. Throwing needles in the 2.5 - 3oz. range gives me the ability to get past the heavy wash and bring the plug up to and through the wash. I apply the count down method working the different water columns to find the bite. Retrieve is moderate to slow, but look for a pattern in the presentation on consecutive hook ups.

[FishermanTim]

That's what seperates the men from the boys!

[numbskull]

I fish in rocks with plugs, but not in particularly deep water. I like it quiet. A little swell is nice, and a gentle breeze to give the water some texture, but once it blows more than 15kts, I find things quickly get too weedy and I get driven back from the spots were I want to stand. The one exception might be on a full moon, where wind usually means clouds and rough water produces cover to bring the fish within range.

[Clogston29]

Heavy needles or BIG eels for me. The big eels have been the key for me a few times when others have had smaller eels and couldn't cast into the wind or hold in the surf. The only problem is that the big ones can be tough to keep alive in the tank for long - though I'm speaking from limited experience on that.

[eelman]

Its just as good on the calm nights, fish still need to eat........I dont see any sense in getting beat to crap to catch fish that I learned a long time ago can be caught on the moderate nights also.......There is a point where the conditions become absolutly assanine to fish. Myself and others I know do very well on the better more comfortable nights and therefore there is no need to risk life and limb to catch a fish...for me it came with age and developing some "sense". I have been there and done that. I can tell you that when I was willing to be a hero and fish ultra rough water, that eels in fact were deadly and work fine in rough water, I simply used an egg sinker shoved down there throat it was a very good way to fish in heavy seas.Numbskull is right on with the weed problem, the best time to fish rough water is right at the start then of course you have awefull current sweeps that make it near imposible to present anything the right way.