What Is Wrong With This Picture??

[AvidAngler]

Check this out. been coming to this spot for a couple trips now, looks Seriously promising in every way, but ive never ever caught a bass in this area. ive caught a northern pikeminnow, and this fatty catfish, 5lbs. and i foul hooked him haha. but check this out and tell me what is wrong. its trees in shallow water, 10-15 feet right by a creek. and no bass... fish jumping everywhere but i don't think they are trout or bass. no idea what other fish smack the top as often as they were but it happens every trip. 3 photos show the cover im fishing around.

[LgMouthGambler]

Maybe they werent stocked there?

[Sam]

Good question.

If there are largemouth bass in the water they should congregate around the area sooner or later.

Is there anyone you can ask about the place who would know what fish live there?

The area is beautiful and I would think it would hold bass unless there is some reason the bass do not stay or visit the area.

[AvidAngler]

i've already researched the lake and it says there are plenty of spotted bass, more than black bass. so idk if that means i should be fishing rocks more than trees. but it says there are bass all up both forks where im fishing. and ive caught bass at this lake before, just nowhere near where this is. plus there are lots of fisherman around where i was fishing on the shore. but i think they were after trout or catfish. maybe ill just give that spot a break for a while. ive had most of my success at this spot but not catching bass, its always trout, pike minnow, or catfish. something i shouldn't really be catching with bass lures. im fairly good at foul hooking lately.

[Traveler2586]

Although you didn't say what kind (man made or natural) of lake it is, or where, from some of your pic's of the shore, the bottom could be rather flat and featureless with little or no creek channel or other structure. It could also have a thick layer of muck (dead biomass that uses up oxygen) covering the bottom that would prevent nesting. Scan the area with a crankbait that will hit the bottom to see what you get, i.e. dark grey mud that stinks, weed - what type, hit structure - submerged wood?

[Bluebasser86]

Definitely looks good. Spotted bass are suckers for shakeyhead finesse worms and wacky rigs, both look like they should work well in an area like that as long as there isn't a lot of weeds. Swimming a grub might work also. Did you see when or how many bass were stocked? It's possible they didn't stock many bass or maybe it was stocked very recently and the bass just aren't catchable size yet. Is it just in that area that you aren't catching bass or is it in the entire pond/lake that you aren't catching anything?

[Traveler2586]

Two questions from pic 3: is that a roadbed entering the lake, or a relatively new launching ramp?; and are the shore anglers just in one conveniently accessible area or over a wide area of the shore near by?

If that is a roadbed, find out where it goes and work both sides of the structure with a variety of baits looking for drainage ditches, culverts, etc. If the anglers are in a well worn bank area, there's something there that's working, maybe a creek channel turns near shore.

If this is a man made lake, it's possible I could find a topo map of the area before the lake was made.

[AvidAngler]

i

Two questions from pic 3: is that a roadbed entering the lake, or a relatively new launching ramp?; and are the shore anglers just in one conveniently accessible area or over a wide area of the shore near by?

its a rafting ramp, so people who raft can bring their rafts on shore. but i caught a catfish there, and other fish, just not bass. and just hooked into small tree branches and grass when i used a crankbait. and the anglers put themselves on that point right there, cuz there is a lot of other shore they could fish from. Also its a man made lake, and ive tried other spots on the lake without catching bass, its a large fork i fish deep inside, and its the only place i can find good cover for bass since i cant see structure. and its had no luck.

[NCbassmaster4Life]

I would try a little bit of everything,depending on depth and water temp.

[200racing]

does this lake have gar? they love to group up and pop the surface.i also have noticed that the bite is not good around them.