CayMar Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 I'm out on a pond in southeast Alabama. I've been here about 4 hours I have about 4.5 hours of day light left. I've thrown everything in my box at them. The only thing to get even a bite was a June bug trick worm. I've fished shallow, deep, open water, heavy structure. I'm stumped. I need some advice from you more experienced guys. If you don't mind. I'm tired of going home smelling like a skunk. Quote
Rangerphil Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 Well I have no idea of any info but considering where you are am I correct in saying that the bass are in prespawn phase? If so try a square bill crank shallow in some cover try reeling slow and crawl it over and through cover. Hope is helps! Quote
Super User LgMouthGambler Posted January 27, 2013 Super User Posted January 27, 2013 Cover, cover, cover. 1 Quote
Super User Sam Posted January 27, 2013 Super User Posted January 27, 2013 What is the water temperature? Are they holding on drop offs off the bank? Any structure on the bottom? Do you know where their spawning sites are located? Have the Dogwoods bloomed? When is the next full moon? Will Awbunn have a winning season next year? Can Bamasux defeat LSU and A&M next season? OK, just making sure you are awake and reading the post. The bass are there, but they are not feeding. They have eaten for the day and will just stay suspended until they get hungary again. So what do you do? Fish s-l-o-w. Go with a Carolina rig or a green pumpkin with black flake Zoom trick worm and fish it on a shaky head presentation. Let it sit for a minute before you move it again. Drag the Carolina crawfish bait s-l-o-w on the bottom with swings to the left or right and let it sit there between movements. Try a "pointer" like the Smithwick Rouge pictured at the top of the Forum page. Clown is OK but you may want to go with a silver with black back suspending jerk bait (red eyes). Fish it with a slow 1-1-1 or 1-2-1 or a 2-1-2 cadance or what the fish want. Have you thrown any flat sided crankbaits? Small ones? Maybe ones for crappie? Try any flat sided crankbaits you have. I know guys who throw the drop shot in cold water. Give that a try, too. Try to find any structure and throw to it. What matters is the water temperature and clarity. You need to take a swimming pool thermometer to get the water temperature. Move around the bank if possible and just throw what you can to see what they want to eat that day and time. Remember, if the bass were there in the summer they are still in the same area but out off the bank resting and getting ready for the spawn. Let us know how you do. Quote
CayMar Posted January 28, 2013 Author Posted January 28, 2013 I got skunked guys. I tried the square billed crank but it didn't do much to change things. I tried to fish the cover as much as I could. The only two bites I got all day were not in open water but maybe 10-15 feet from the nearest cover. Sam I had already given up and came home before you posted. But you advice is solid and I surely appreciate it. Gambler and Ranger thank you guys also. I'm starting a notepad tonight to log where I was,how I did, what techniques I found weren't productive and I'm going to put all the advice you guys give in as well, for future trips. How long did it take you guys to become proficient in bass angling? I have been ingesting every bit of info I can over the last 3-4 months and I still feel like I don't really know much. Like I hear alot of guys talk about confidence in a certain lure, but days like today I didn't have much confidence in my own ability. Quote
ClackerBuzz Posted January 28, 2013 Posted January 28, 2013 what were you doing when u got ur finesse worm bite? its VERY important. dead sticking? if so build on that b/c they want a slow, bottom contact bait. ie try a variety of soft plastics w/ light or no weight (weightless senko, 1/16oz brush hog, 1/4oz jig, 1/16oz drop shot). combine multiple retrieves in one cast makes it faster/easier to find out what they want that day. start with long dead stick. couple 8" drags. softly wiggle in one place. long pause. wiggle again (usually insert bite here). light hop few times. swim back. good luck Quote
CayMar Posted January 28, 2013 Author Posted January 28, 2013 I didn't know the proper way to fish it so I just t-rigged it. And put a small splitshot weight on it to get it to the bottom. I would cast it out let it fall to the bottom, wiggle it a bit, reel in a bit let it sit, wiggle it, reel in a bit. I learned today that I need to do more research on techniques and presentation's. Quote
BassmanDan Posted January 28, 2013 Posted January 28, 2013 Sorry to hear about the tough day Caylub. Take heart in the fact that this is generally the toughest time of year and in a couple months the hawgs will be snapping. My best advice would be a dropshot and a lot of patience. Finding an area you know is holding the winter bass will help with confidence. Having said that I have been doing those things and the bite window has been really small around here...usually 15 minutes to half an hour in the middle of the day or just before sunset. Try to stack all the odds in your favor by fishing a lake with good water clarity and a large population of bass if possible. This is what has helped me during the winter. 1 Quote
Rangerphil Posted January 28, 2013 Posted January 28, 2013 Look at it this way at least you got to fish. I am sitting here in 8 inches of snow with no fishing in sight. Just keep reading everything you can and continue to follow this forum you will learn alot. Sounds like a shakey head may have worked for you today. Learn what you can about that technique and I promise you will start catching fish on a more consistent basis. Quote
CayMar Posted January 28, 2013 Author Posted January 28, 2013 Yea I was glad to be out, skunked or not. Thanks for all the advice and encouraging words guys. Quote
CountBassula Posted January 30, 2013 Posted January 30, 2013 No worries, i got skunked again yesterday evening :-( BUT, BUT, BUT, i ordered some new lures from bass pro, and they are coming today (overnight delivery baby!!!) cuz i'm impatient like that! i got some flukes and 6" lizards both in green seed or something like that. but i think i'll have to try a larger canal, the one behind my house looks like it's going to be bone dry if the weather continues... Quote
ClackerBuzz Posted January 30, 2013 Posted January 30, 2013 a bad day getting skunked is better than a good day on frozen water. Quote
CountBassula Posted January 31, 2013 Posted January 31, 2013 Or a good day at work. Lol No $hit!!! I've been digging through millions of lines of 15 years old C code at work for the last 3 weeks! Being on the water with a rod beats being a code monkey for sure!!! Quote
Super User Nitrofreak Posted January 31, 2013 Super User Posted January 31, 2013 Sorry to hear about the tough day Caylub. Take heart in the fact that this is generally the toughest time of year and in a couple months the hawgs will be snapping. My best advice would be a dropshot and a lot of patience. Finding an area you know is holding the winter bass will help with confidence. Having said that I have been doing those things and the bite window has been really small around here...usually 15 minutes to half an hour in the middle of the day or just before sunset. Try to stack all the odds in your favor by fishing a lake with good water clarity and a large population of bass if possible. This is what has helped me during the winter. Wanna dead stick a bait this is a really good way to keep it right in front of them with the drop shot, I like this comment a lot, another bait I love to use is the suspending Jerk Bait, my favorite is the Lucky Craft pointer 100, either in Ghost or Ghost/Chart, also with a lot of patience. Quote
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