Looking For Some Help

[rallyracer20]

i am looking for some help. kinda new to bass fishing and still trying to get my first one. i live in vegas and i fish the local ponds that are here. ive tried texas rigs, jigs, crank baits, spinners and cant get a bite. ive been trying for about 4 weeks now for like 6 hours at a time. i can see where the bass like to just sit from the shore and i throw it where they are and cant get anything at all. im just trying to get the ball rolling and catch my first one, dont even care if its a smaller one haha. all help would be appreciated. im using a shakespeare durango rod and a shimano fx reel with braided line.

[kylek]

My suggestion would be to wacky rig a senko style of stickbait. Let it sink for a little then give it a twitch and let it sit again. It drives the bass nuts. I always have one tied on just to make sure I catch at least one when I head out!!!!

[roadwarrior]

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[rallyracer20]

so i used the senko today and still nothing. ive been trying for bass for 4 weeks now and still nothing. i read the articles and cant even get a bite. i have no idea what im doing wrong

[Bair]

Try using a light fluorocarbon leader, I'm guessing that those lakes and ponds are heavily fished so they are picky. Don't worry about catching anything yet, it took me six months to finally catch a fish, and guess what, it was a crappie on top of it!

[Stasher1]

If you can see them, they can see you.

[rallyracer20]

yeah its a local pond but its split up into 4 spots. i usually fish a smaller one that people usually dont go to and u can see the bass in the water from where u stand but i tried everything and they just swim off.

[unionman]

Get a buzz bait and get there at least one hr before sunrise. The fish are spoting you as soon as you waltz up to the shoreline. Try low light conditions. Early A.M. and after sunset.

[Jake P]

Are you actually seeing the bass in the water with your own eyes? Or seeing where you think they might be? Are you sure they are bass? Not saying your a fool, just trying to cover all basis! Like others have mentioned, if you can see the bass she can see you. Do not run up to the shore and start casting. Get about 15 yards from the shore and start fan casting. Try casting almost parallel to the shore so you cover more water instead o casting straight out and reeling back in. In the early am or late evening i would try a buzzbait. My favorite time to throw buzzbaits are when there is minimal light, right before you can actually see the sun.

After the sun is up i would try a spinnerbait, again fan casting. Try to work the bait when retrieving. A steady retrieve with 2 jerks every 5 seconds or so produces for me. Just change it up and see if you can get a strike.

Is there any visible cover or structure like docks or boathouses? If there is, try flipping a jig, worm or some kind of creature bait under or around them. If there is ANY piece of cover or a single stick or anything at all, throw past it and work your bait to it, when it gets by it just deadstick and see if that gets you a strike.

If i were going to suggest one lure to get someone started on catching bass it would be a senko. They basically work themselves and bass love them. It is important that if you fish them, make sure they are not weighted. Texas rig them weightless or wacky rig them, either way they have a unique fall. Cast it out and let it sink to the bottom and wait. Count to 10 then lift your rod from 6 to 12 and let it fall back to the bottom and again let it sit. Fish them SLOW.

Good luck and keep us updated!

[rallyracer20]

the thing is, is that the park is only open from 8am-8pm which sucks. yes they are bass and very visible. ive tried using a pumpkin senko wacky rig style and still no hits. it is also weightlesss. theres no docks because boats are not allowed. there are 4 ponds that have bass there but ive only physically seen them in 1. and its tiny. theres only 3 structures in there and they are all trees that grow from the land but the branches are hovering over the water which is where i see them. ive tried the other ponds too by the trees and the weeds but never get a hit. that is exactly how i am fishing the senko. cast it out wait 10 seconds lift up about 8 inches, letting it fall, then 10 seconds later doing the same thing. maybe its too fast for them but idk. maybe it might be the wrong colored worm also. i also used bass attractant spray and that didnt work also. just getting real frustrating

[WRB]

Add a 6' long 6# FC leader and use a double uni-knot to attached the leader to the FC.

If you want catch these bass try live large night crawler tail kooked with a #4 drop shot hook, weightless.

If the crawler isn't your thing then try a split shot rig; round split shot about 18" above the same #4 drop shot hook and node hook a 5" curl tail Roboworm in oxblood w/red flake.

Sneak up on the trees and make a 45 degree angle cast past the tree and work the rig back towards it. Go as early or late as possible.

Tom

[NBR]

Is there a local tackle shop where you can ask questions? If so go spend a little cash and pick their brains. It is called fishing not catching and it can take some time. Most of us answering your have fished for years and we too have days with no success.

[johnnylots]

I feel your pain. This is my 4th season and each year has been frustrating for various reasons. However, Ive gotten substantially better through trial and error but mostly from reading everything I can about bass fishing. The resources on this site are top notch but I also bought some books and watch youtube videos. My advice is as follows: Find a spot on the lake where the fish are likely to be located. I am not being sarcastic. While water color, season, weather, water temp, etc are all considerations, I would focus on finding good structure. Figure out all of the other things as you go along. Fish during the times of day when the fish are supposed to be most active. I downloaded a few phone apps that supposedly track moon conditions and provide some guidance. They might help.

Once you think the fish are within reach, begin to experiment - different colors, speeds of retrieve, presentation, etc... I still do not have a handle on color selection but change it up frequently until something works and then Ill use it until it no longer works. Ive spent thousands of dollars on lures but eventually learned what works for me. I caught tons of fish on small Mepps lures but they were all smaller in size. You might want to start out with some of them as you progress. I then graduated to the jigg which worked well only at the beginning of last season and I haven't had much luck with them this year - but Im still trying them out. Ive caught most of the best fish on regular spinner baits but I can seem to see a pattern on color selection. I just start with dark ones and work my way towards lighter colors. Retrieve speed is critical - my lake requires SLOW retrieve almost all year for whatever reason. Lastly, I resisted the senco set-up because I didn't have much luck at first and its boring when your not catching anything. However, I read up on the senco advice on this site and have been catching some good fish. Hope this helps.

[hatrix]

Have you tried live bait? See if you can catch some little bass or blue gill and use those. Even if there is a stream/creek somewhere go and try to catch creek chubs, I have crushed ponds with a bucket of chubs in the past. Are you fishing in the same area and trying to catch the fish you see or just ones in that area? Finally I am starting to believe this year less is more. You can catch fish on loud cranks and flashy spinners or any thing else that swims crazy or makes a ton of noise but... IMO your only going to get the fish that are aggressive or you ticked off and made them strike out of reaction. A lot of times IMO you throw loud or flashy baits past a fish and it gets scared and takes off or is not interested. Try subtle baits that are innocent looking and non threatening. They seem less likely to scare a fish even if it doesn't bite it right away. For the most part any thing soft plastic is less noisy/flashy then there hard bait counterparts. Things like grubs, craws, worms, lizards, flukes, even jigs or... swimbaits! You can find all sizes of swimbaits from tiny to gigantic. They can be fished very slowly and weedless and still cover water very well and help locate fish that actually want to eat your lure. If I am not getting a bite in a spot i know has fish you can either try new baits or keep looking for the ones that actually want to eat. I like to keep looking and eventually maybe make my way back to that spot and see if any thing has changed in the time I was gone.

[Ratherbfishing]

If you can see the fish clearly, than they can probably see you. My experience is that "free roaming" bass typically aren't in a biting mood. It sounds odd but try fishing for the bass you can't see. By that, I mean weed edges and cover and shady areas- anywhere where a bass might hole up to ambush prey. I don't know what time of day you go out but your best bet is when the sun is low. Try small, subtle baits and thin line. If you insist upon using braided line, tie on a leader of mono or flourocarbon-especially if the water is really clear and particularly if you're using soft plastics. If the water is clear, use natural colors such as white, silver, brown. That's all I have.

[Bair]

the thing is, is that the park is only open from 8am-8pm which sucks. yes they are bass and very visible. ive tried using a pumpkin senko wacky rig style and still no hits. it is also weightlesss. theres no docks because boats are not allowed. there are 4 ponds that have bass there but ive only physically seen them in 1. and its tiny. theres only 3 structures in there and they are all trees that grow from the land but the branches are hovering over the water which is where i see them. ive tried the other ponds too by the trees and the weeds but never get a hit. that is exactly how i am fishing the senko. cast it out wait 10 seconds lift up about 8 inches, letting it fall, then 10 seconds later doing the same thing. maybe its too fast for them but idk. maybe it might be the wrong colored worm also. i also used bass attractant spray and that didnt work also. just getting real frustrating

If you have to go there during the sunlight don't wear bright clothing, natural colors like green or brown help.Try fan casting or casting almost parallel to the shore so the fish can't see you as well. Also use natural colored lures if the water is that clear, watermelon has worked well for me in clear lakes.Downsize your line too, if your using 12# try 8# or even 6# if the lake is full of smaller fish. You will hear this a lot but you let the fish determine how you retrieve it, I have found with Senko the longer you let it set on the bottom the more strikes you get. Maybe trout fishing has crossed over a bit but try T-Rigging it weightless so the hook is on the bottom instead of exposed.The bass might realize there is something wrong if the hook is sticking out.