Active And Inactive Fish

[MIbassin]

Hey guys! I was wondering what factor decides if you are going to throw a moving vs slow moving lure for Active or inactive fish? Is it cover, wind, sky conditions, time of day or a combination of things? What factor do you look for first?

[bgraham91]

The biggest factors for me would be water temp, water clarity, and how the first hits your bait. Also look where the bait is in the mouth of the fish. For instants if I'm cranking and I'm reeling in fish with the hooks on top of his head I'm going to slow it down a bit. But over all that first fish helps me the most as far as how I'm going to fish the rest of the day.

[Sam]

MI, when I go fishing I find the inactive bass.

 

When my friends go fishing they find the active bass.

 

Go figure.

 

Honestly, to answer your question you have to take in a number of variables as bgraham has posted.

 

Here are some other reasons bass will be inactive:

1.  Water Temperature - the colder the water the less the bass will want to expand energy to eat.

2.  Weather Conditions - after a cold front moves through the bass will get lockjaw for one or two days after the front moves through.

3.  Post Spawn - they are all tired out and the big ladies will not eat anything until they get their energy back.

 

I attended an old Bassmasters University seminar (which I highly suggest you consider doing if one comes to your neck of the woods) and ken Cook, a pro bass fisherman and a college graduate and a biologist gave us this information on how long it takes for a minnow to be digested by a largemouth bass.

 

Water Temperature

[Sam]

Taking another whack at it. Sorry.

 

Water Temperature = Days to Digest a Minnow

40* = 8 Days

50* = 7 Days

60* = 2 and a Half Days

70* = 24 Hours

80* and Higher = 18 Hours

 

73* to 75* is the most efficient metabolism for a largemouth bass.

 

Then there is the "search and destroy" thinking of a largemouth bass.

This means that the bass wants an ambush advantage.

 

Bass feed only 10% to 20% of the day. The rest of the time they hide by things and cover and hang out in areas they feel safe. Bass also like to have a "roof" over their head when not feeding. They will use the water's surface as a roof or go deep. They like grass beds, lily pads, boat docks, piers, blowdowns, brushes, rocks, bank undercuts and what ever they can find that they will feel secure.

 

Remember, a largemouth bass is an opportunist eater. If something looks easy to grab they will take the opportunity to hit it. This is why Senkos and YUM Dingers work so well. They are slow moving and fat objects that the bass think is an easy meal.

 

And one more tidbit I just thought of. The seasons of the year also have an impact on how often and what the bass will eat.

Winter = Shad and Minnows

Spring = Crawfish and when they spawn lizards and brush hogs and tubes.

Post Spawn = Shad and Bluegills

Fall = Shad and Bluegills

 

The seasons will also dictate your bait and bait color like in the spring and fall a crawfish colored Rat-L-Trap.

 

We will save hearing, seeing and feeling vibrations for another time. Each can have an effect on the feeding habits of a bass.

 

Try to locate books on the bass themselves and their behavior so you will understand what they are doing from their perspective under the water. The fish is an amazing animal that has strong instincts that you have to out what they are for that particular day and hour.

 

And attend seminars; read articles; and get educated on the ways and habits of your enemy.

 

All the best and post some pics of those hogs you are going to catch.

[MIbassin]

Great post Sam! Is the reason people fish slower moving baits when the sun is bright because the bass are buried in cover?

[ClackerBuzz]

can't remember who posted it but it went something like this: you wouldn't leave the house with one lure so don't leave with one retrieve.  doesn't matter what lure you have tied on...  experiment and try 5 different retrieves on the SAME cast.   note which the bass hit on ie  drag, rip, hop, sweep, dead stick,   kill after a rip, two jerks and a pause, after you deflected off cover, waking on surface, burning in middle of water, burning subsurface etc. you can use the craziest retrieves with a senko alone.  experiment and note what got you the success

[SirSnookalot]

I check out as much information as I can before I leave home.  As a rule my findings dictate my target species, location and the type of clothing.  If I waited for perfect conditions I'd never leave the house, I go regardless, even if it's monsoon type rain, hell the fish are already wet.  Some of my greatest fish have been caught when every factor was against me, that rogue just happened to be swimming around and in the mood.