Skunked...again :)

[pkpence]

Guys,

 

I could use a different perspective. I have been fishing for about a year now, and I have definitely seen a lot of growth in my fishing abilities, not to mention a lot fewer backlashes... I do, however, seem to strike out a lot on days where other anglers tend to do well. 

 

Normally, I will try and look at a map before I go out, and try and consider the weather pattern and identify where the fish will be, and what they will be feeding on. I then try and establish a pattern to work once I get on the water. The problem is, it is difficult to pattern fish when you can't get them to bite...

 

What were some of those changes that you guys made, early in your fishing career, that helped you begin to catch fish on a more regular basis? 

 

I think what I would like to do, next year, is to sign on with a local club and fish off of the back of the boat, just to learn. I am not doing that this year simply because I feel that I need more time on the water. 

 

I would appreciate your input. Thanks in advance!

 

Grace and Peace, 

Kevin Pence

[Snakehead Whisperer]

This is obviously oversimplified, but if I had one piece of advice to give is to slow down your presentation. I don't know what baits you're throwing or what the cadence of your retrieve is, but fishing too fast is probably the most common mistake made by inexperienced folks that I see. 

 

I usually switch over to primarily finesse techniques within 60-90 minutes after sunrise, and I don't switch back to action baits until the late afternoon. There are obviously exceptions to this, but I find that it's a safer bet to fish a finesse presentation if you're not sure. Typically during the day the rigs I use most often are the following...

 

-dropshot

-jig

-t-rig

-c-rig

 

Slow rolled spinnerbaits or crankbaits can help find fish, but not if the fish aren't in the mood to chase down these baits.

[LakeTravisAngler]

If it gets to a certain point where you just can't catch anything, I'd suggest talking to the locals. The past 2 years I've dedicated my fishing time to learn new techniques, I'll use them for 2-3 sometimes 4 months to make sure I'm completely comfortable with it. Practice practice practice...

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Read all the articles on here for a start and don't be scared to try to new stuff.. find cover and beat the shore line with top water early in the am buzz baits spinners whatever. then once that bite turns off on shore , I look a lil deeper and throw the spinners or a rat-L trap to  find some fish. But if your not finding fish you got to slow-er down. keep it simple.

[WRB]

There isn't a lure made that will catchi bass if the bass are not where you are fishing or active.

Location is everything and learning where to find active feeding bass is your key to success.

By back seating you are hoping the other angler can locate bass for you and that is certainly a risk factor.

What type of lakes do you fish and in what regional area, be more than happy to put you some fish locations so you can start catching some bass and gain confidence.

Tom

[pkpence]

Tom,

 

You are absolutely correct about the location being most important item. I always think of the old saying, "90% of fish are in 10% of the water." I always feel like I fish the 10% of fish in the 90% of the water .

 

That being said, I am hoping to learn how to find those 10% of spots that will pay off. I am just at a loss as to how to find them. I have spent countless hours researching/watching videos on how to find fish, I just seem to strike out a lot with it. 

 

I typically fish impoundments in Alabama. Primarily, I fish Lay Lake, and Guntersville. It's frustrating, because I know that these lakes hold good fish, and I see a lot of fish being pulled out of livewells at the ramps, and when I talk to other boaters, they are doing the same things I am (i.e. throwing jigs, cranks, spinners, etc.). The only thing I can figure is that, either they are throwing them differently than I am, and my technique is wrong, or, and more likely, they are throwing the same lures in higher percentage areas that I cannot find. I feel like that is my disconnect, and I hope to continue learning how to find that productive water. 

 

Thoughts?

[redboat]

Ike has a good video on this site about his "panic box", a set of baits he uses when he's in danger of beign skunked.  Good video, you might try some of Ike's techniques.

[WRB]

Tom,

You are absolutely correct about the location being most important item. I always think of the old saying, "90% of fish are in 10% of the water." I always feel like I fish the 10% of fish in the 90% of the water .

That being said, I am hoping to learn how to find those 10% of spots that will pay off. I am just at a loss as to how to find them. I have spent countless hours researching/watching videos on how to find fish, I just seem to strike out a lot with it.

I typically fish impoundments in Alabama. Primarily, I fish Lay Lake, and Guntersville. It's frustrating, because I know that these lakes hold good fish, and I see a lot of fish being pulled out of livewells at the ramps, and when I talk to other boaters, they are doing the same things I am (i.e. throwing jigs, cranks, spinners, etc.). The only thing I can figure is that, either they are throwing them differently than I am, and my technique is wrong, or, and more likely, they are throwing the same lures in higher percentage areas that I cannot find. I feel like that is my disconnect, and I hope to continue learning how to find that productive water.

Thoughts?

Both those lakes are highland power generation reservoirs that have a lot of tournament pressure from every level of angler...few secret locations. The key with these lakes is having good knowledge how seasonal periods affect larger adult size bass location. Everyone knows about the spawn and where the bass spawning areas are, so pre spawn and post spawn bass location shouldn't be that difficult. However figuring the timing of those cycles for the larger bass is critical. The next factor to become very familiar with is what prey are the bass targeting during each seasonal period. We know threadfin shad are a major source of food, what other fish do these lakes offer bass seasonally?

Threadfin shad hide in cover during poor light hours and move out into open water to feed on phytoplankton when the sun bring the plankton up near the surface, the bass follow. When these lakes start generating power, the bass move out near the outside weed and structure breaks, timing is critical.

Both these lakes have heavy weed cover the bass use, structure breaks with weed cover during the summer and fall.

Check out the winning lures/ presentations used by the Elites and FLW pros, it's available.

Spawn/post spawn should be in progress, mostly in the area where the upper 1/3rd meets the middle 1/3rd, check those areas our with a buzzer early and watch for blow ups, then go back catch those bass with a slower soft plastic or jig presentation. Move out on the deeper breaks and try your crankbaits or A-rig.

When the sun is over head, go sight fishing for the next few weeks.

Tom

[pkpence]

Tom,

 

Thank you for the insight. I appreciate the perspective on how to target the fish. This is one of those things that is difficult to put into words, and I think that I can take your thoughts and translate that into a game-plan on the water the next time I go out. 

 

Thanks!!

[down4ttown]

I have been fishing for about a year myself. The number one thing that has helped me is getting more familiar with jigs and plastics. A t-rigged beaver or craw flipped into cover is my favorite way to fish. Fish will always be related to cover (at least that is what I found). Even in the hottest months and coldest, they will always be in and around down brush and trees. 

[200racing]

i many fish 2 lakes down on jordan.

all spring ive had only 1 trip where the fish were shallow every other fish has come 15-30 ft on the main lake. 

[SissySticks]

My answer to this depends on whether you're tournament fishing (weight matters) or fishing for fun (getting bites matters). If the former, I'm not sure what to tell you. Catching lots of big fish requires a lot of time on the water, some luck, and a ton of patience and confidence in throwing the baits that will catch big bass (but not always lots of them). 

 

Myself, I fish for fun. I want to get 30, 40, 50, 100 bites a day. Ironically, of course, its getting lots of bites that gives you the confidence to do the things you need to do to catch big fish, but I digress. In my experience (20+ years on the water), it is a rare day you will get those kind of numbers of bites on the tactics you describe, because the truth is, more fish are in a negative mode at any given moment than are in a positive mode.

 

My answer- pick an area, and pick it apart using small, unassuming and slow moving baits. If you pick even a remotely good area, there ARE fish there, and they CAN be caught. I RARELY fish with worms longer than 5 inches, creature type baits more than 4 inches, or topwaters/cranks heavier than 3/8 oz. Most of my time is spent throwing 3-5 inch finesse worms, 3-4 inch grubs, and 3-4 inch creatures on jigheads and drop shot rigs. I haven't been skunked in 5 years, but there are days I don't catch anything bigger than 13". There are also days when I caught 15-20 pound bags fun fishing, and winning bags in tournaments the same day on the same water were won with 12-14 pounds. You never know.

 

I tend to think you learn more from getting a few bites from small fish than zeroing fishing traditional baits, but I know I'm sacrificing some big bites too. I just like getting bit, plain and simple.  I would advise going fishing with only a drop shot rigged finesse worm, some kind of moving plastic (scrounger, grub, small swimbait, etc.), and some kind of creature/beaver on a 1/4oz. football head and just pick an area (one creek or something) and pick it apart with just those baits. I bet you'll catch at least 1, and that was the point of the OP, after all.

[mjseverson24]

Tom,

 

You are absolutely correct about the location being most important item. I always think of the old saying, "90% of fish are in 10% of the water." I always feel like I fish the 10% of fish in the 90% of the water .

 

 

I believe the real question and answer lies in your own statement. You don't know where the fish are. You are relatively new to bass fishing, this is a common issue when starting to fish a new species. Dont be discouraged about this, be excited that you will only get better and have more success. Since you do not know where the fish are and when they are there, the best thing to do is find them. Cover lots of water, with as many lures and techniques that you know how to fish. experiment with the windy side of the point compared to the wind protected side. try different times of day and weather patterns for the same spots. I would suggest using search baits for now just so you understand where there are actively feeding fish. once you find these fish maybe a jig of some other slower presentation will work, but untill you know where and when fish will be and be hungry flipping a jig out to a desert wastland is probabily a bad idea. find the fish be confident in the approach you are using, but always be prepared to switch up presentations. I personally never have only a few rods on the deck, I have probabily 7-10 minimum and most of the time many more. If a spot looks like it should hold fish and the conditions are right I will throw 5-10 different lures in the course of 20 min untill I find the presentation they want or I convince myself they are not feeding, or are not present.

[SissySticks]

Also, fish riprap. Always seems to have at least a few fish on it.