Summertime Funk

[aqualkinbush]

So I could use some help. Every year I run into a huge slump, Summer. I don't have a boat nor do I have access to a boat on any kind of regular basis. I find myself almost unable to catch fish during the summer months. In fact I haven't been able to consistently catch fish here in TN for the last 3 weeks. I get skunked more often than not and when I don't I tend to catch maybe 1-2 ok fish. Now I know there are good fish where I go, but I can't seem to get them to bite anything. I most often fish a smallish size pond with a decent amount of cover, mostly submerged laydowns, and good bit of hyrdilla along most of the banks. I went out yesterday from about 5-8:30 (They close the place down at sunset) I hit a few spots that everything I know says there should be fish, submerged trees, vegetation, etc... But catch nothing. I tried spinnerbaits of various sizes and colors, weightless senkos, craws, crainkbaits of various sizes and colors, I even employed some JJ's on the senko and craw. The water is stained a bit murky but visibility isn't bad, It was partly cloudy, about the mid to lower 80's. 

 

Do you have any tips that could potentially get me out of my summertime funk once and for all?

[jhoffman]

go to a river or creek with smallmouth in it, fish below the riffle

[hookedahawg]

Where abouts in TN are ya?

[aqualkinbush]

Clarksville (middle tn near the kentucky border)

[hookedahawg]

Oh ok, I live in sevier county. If you were closer id be happy to show ya some spots around here and some techniques that's been working for me.

[Crestliner2008]

Are you sure there are some larger bass in that water you are fishing? Sometimes, folks think it "looks" bassy and therefore, should be loaded with decent bass. In reality, there are only smaller bass. Maybe because of the depth and/or oxygen level. And being shore-bound, you are definitely challenged. But, if you know there are decent bass there (3#+), then try a large Slug-go (8") on a 7/0 worm hook. Use stout tackle and be prepared to get your arm almost yanked off! But again, there has to be sizable bass there to begin with.

[aqualkinbush]

yea I know there are some nice bass in there I have caught a 4.5 lber and a couple 3lbers in early April. It's really frustrating me because in Early to Mid April I wasn't catching anything under 2lbs now I can't seem to catch anything or if I am it's about 1lb. or less.  It's getting to the point that i don't know if some people have come through and decimated the population or if they all escaped during the flooding a couple months ago. But the main point of my topic isn't just focused on this location. I consistently have trouble during the summer months and I don't understand it.

 

 

Oh and a quick after thought, it's not that they are all just spawned out either. The pond was really good all the good fish I was catching also had some nice length to them.

[bartdude186]

So I could use some help. Every year I run into a huge slump, Summer. I don't have a boat nor do I have access to a boat on any kind of regular basis. I find myself almost unable to catch fish during the summer months. In fact I haven't been able to consistently catch fish here in TN for the last 3 weeks. I get skunked more often than not and when I don't I tend to catch maybe 1-2 ok fish. Now I know there are good fish where I go, but I can't seem to get them to bite anything. I most often fish a smallish size pond with a decent amount of cover, mostly submerged laydowns, and good bit of hyrdilla along most of the banks. I went out yesterday from about 5-8:30 (They close the place down at sunset) I hit a few spots that everything I know says there should be fish, submerged trees, vegetation, etc... But catch nothing. I tried spinnerbaits of various sizes and colors, weightless senkos, craws, crainkbaits of various sizes and colors, I even employed some JJ's on the senko and craw. The water is stained a bit murky but visibility isn't bad, It was partly cloudy, about the mid to lower 80's. 

 

Do you have any tips that could potentially get me out of my summertime funk once and for all?

I live not far from you in cottontown tn, and i too have had the same problem as you in the past couple of weeks. This past weekend it picked up a little on old hickory lake, but i also fish portland lake quite a bit as its not far from my house. its a small lake, maybe 10acres and it seems the fish in smaller bodies of water around here are impossible to catch this time of year. early spring i pulled several 5+ pound bass out of there and now i'm lucky if i get one strike all day. i will admit that i like to fish 12 feet or less of water, i have a feeing that the water in the smaller lakes and ponds warms up alot faster, and therefore the fish become more lethargic sooner. I say fish the deepest parts of ponds and small lakes until they become a little more active. also in portland lake the fish just last week or so entered postspawn, i expect it to pick up next week. keep at it, they gotta eat sometime! haha.

[aqualkinbush]

I'm gonna go back out this monday and put in a full day trying to figure out whats going on there. Gonna take all my tackle (I can fit it all in my tackle bag it's not as much as that sounds lol) and try a bit of everything until I get them to bite. I might even throw my small a rig in there if I run out of options.

[BuckMaxx]

Years ago in the dog days of summer on Table Rock. We would sleep all day and fish all night. We'd use black 1/2-3/4 oz spinner baits with a thumper of a copper blade on it. We'd also use solid black wiggle warts or traps. Black jig and trailer is also good for around the trees. Black and red buzz baits or jitterbug might be an option too.

[MCS]

I'm gonna go back out this monday and put in a full day trying to figure out whats going on there. Gonna take all my tackle (I can fit it all in my tackle bag it's not as much as that sounds lol) and try a bit of everything until I get them to bite. I might even throw my small a rig in there if I run out of options.

Sounds like some of the stuff you are doing is a little fast for the summer IMO.( Not that i am qualified to tell you what your doing wrong lol)I fish small to medium ponds from the bank and During the hot summer, which has been here for 3 weeks or more now, small weightless (t-rigged, sometimes wacky) worms like centipede, rattlesnakes, trick or senkos fished weightless and drug painfully slow, 2-3 seconds per 1 turn on spinning gear. Or a 10" ribbon tail (brush hogs lately) fished on a 1/4 oz T-rig and thrown out let it sit for like 2 minutes then a hop, let it sit some more and repeat. I fish the early morning start topwater then weightless then t-rig. I start at a normal pace to slow pace and slow as needed. I also have had some luck following bluegills popping bugs on the surface, bass have been near, or watch for busting fish. Top water works sometimes, in my experience they tend to be smaller more active fish, but a falling bait works even better IMO. The bigger more quality fish seem to stay low and wait for it to fall in their face. Figure out if they like faster or slower. Sometimes it does get tedious but it will usually land a nice fish or more in a couple hours I am out there. Hope it helps, good luck Monday

[aqualkinbush]

I was presenting baits slow fast and everything in between. Thanks for the tips, if anyone else has any summertime fishing advice I'm more than willing to take it in.

[TWMstr]

I was presenting baits slow fast and everything in between. Thanks for the tips, if anyone else has any summertime fishing advice I'm more than willing to take it in.

Carolina rig! 1/2 - 3/4 ounce weight, 2 glass beads, 2' leader, and a bait of choice. And of course dipped in some chartreuse jj's. works every time. Guarantee you. Go deep man! It's getting hot.

[Revival]

All i fish are ponds from shore and I didnt catch anything for a month using plastics so tried shallow squarebills early in the morning (5am) and started catching fish.  Once it hits around 8am or so the squarebills dont work so pulled out a zoom worm and put it on a 1/8 jighead and caught a fish.  I was pretty excited because it was the first time a lizard worked for me.  Dont be afraid to try something new or something out of your comfort zone.

[prjavelin]

it seems to me that your are fishing for reaction bites. crankbaits and spinnerbaits with a senko here and there when you should be going hard into finesse presentations.Summer is awful if you dont adjust. Fish a drop shot in the deepest you can cast it to. Leave it there dont move it a lot if anything. Usually the body of water has its own currents that will impart some movement into your bait. BE PATIENT. 

 

Second rig I would use: Shakey head. Cast it deep, let it fall then pull it slowly through the area until it hits a rock or something then shake a little and wait... and wait..... and wait, shake a little more and repeat than pull it over the obstacle and repeat again. slow to me means like a foot per 30 seconds, but not move it and let it rest(which could work so test it and try anything else you want) but constantly move it that little inch then another one ect. 

 

Third Downsize everything including your senkos. If you are using the thick regular 5 inch senko, go with the 4 inch slim senko(theres a pro version thats thick. I dont like these either)

 

If its a pond you dont have to, but if its a lake find the feeder creek and fish that area, rivers usually bring fresh colder water and that brings a lot of bass into the area. It also brings craws and other river critters that the bass feed on. 

 

like somebody else said, fish the colder parts of the day, if its possible, early morning, late in the day when the sun sets and even at night if its an option. you will see the difference that it makes. The fish will adjust and feed when its better for them and rest in the hot day as deep as possible. You also have to adjust. 

 

good luck, let us know what happens!

[davew41]

Fish early if you can while it is still a tad dark, (5 am maybe 5:45 am)

 

fish will have a better chance of being closer to she shoreline for you since you fish from shore.

 

if in daylight after 9 am you need to go deeper a lot deeper during daylight hours.

 

 

If you go for the evening bite wait until say 8:20 or later at night and then again hit the edges of the shore and the shallower water.

the bass will move to the shorelines to feed right about dark and this can be fun times with any bait, topwater, jigs, senkos, anything..

 

 

Use the same baits you always use just switch your hours and strategy up a bit.. I am sure you will land some fish.. Let us know..

[davew41]

All i fish are ponds from shore and I didnt catch anything for a month using plastics so tried shallow squarebills early in the morning (5am) and started catching fish.  Once it hits around 8pm or so the squarebills dont work so pulled out a zoom worm and put it on a 1/8 jighead and caught a fish.  I was pretty excited because it was the first time a lizard worked for me.  Dont be afraid to try something new or something out of your comfort zone.

Exactly REVIVAL has this down above!!!  he is fishing the early hours and late hours.. this is key to small ponds/lakes from shore.. you need to be there when the bass ARE at the shore level so you can catch them..  

[Revival]

Exactly REVIVAL has this down above!!!  he is fishing the early hours and late hours.. this is key to small ponds/lakes from shore.. you need to be there when the bass ARE at the shore level so you can catch them..

 

Haha the 8pm is a typo and its supposed to be 8am.  But i agree 100% with what you said.....very early morning and late evening into night.  Only reason i fish at 5pm is because thats when the gate opens.  If i could, I would rather fish at night at be leaving by 7am.  I have caught more bass at night and its the most fun I have had.  If your ponds allow it, try it!

[aqualkinbush]

Well I went out just after sunrise this morning and fished till about 4:00. I covered nearly every inch of this pond with pretty much every kind of lure I had at the time and nada. I did however see something huge swipe at my bait twice but never actually ate it. May have just been a carp or catfish fleeing my bait but it looked more like a bass  than either of those so I don't know.  sunfish and shad were all over the place but I saw very little bass feeding activity. Conditions were great for most of the day too. cloudy, sun didn't really get bright till at least 10am, and there were scattered showers. I'm starting to think either these fish are just being very very stubborn, holding deep and only feeding in the evenings when the area is locked down due to the heat and the pretty constant pressure. I think I just need to find somewhere else to make my regular weekend trips too and save this place for fall winter and early spring fishing when there isn't so much pressure. Thanks for all the advice guys now if anyone knows a good bank friendly place for me to fish within an hour and a half of Clarksville, TN I'd be thrilled to hear about it.

[gallowaypt]

Yeah I'd try a new pond. Fishing that long and being skunked is tough.

[prjavelin]

ok so what exactly is "every kind of lure"?? exactly what did you use and how?

[Texfisherman]

I know you said the place closes at night, but I would try and find another lake in the area where you're allowed to go night fishing.

Go on a night where the moon is out and at least half full. Throw out a 1/2 oz spinnerbait with a silver or black Colorado blade on it.

If that doesn't work, throw a Chatterbait.

If that doesn't work, throw soft plastics, like a wacky rig or shakey head.

Stick with dark colors on all of them.

 

If you really like the lake that you normally go to, then switch to soft plastics and slow your presentation waaaaaaaay down.

 

Just to let you know, I had the best night of fishing in my entire life a few weeks ago. We went when the moon was full, and it had been cloudy all that day.

We started at sunset... 2 guys, 14 hours, 43 largemouth bass. ALL of them were caught on a dark chatterbait with... believe it or not... a white chatterbait trailer.

[aqualkinbush]

ok so what exactly is "every kind of lure"?? exactly what did you use and how?

 

Spinner baits ranging from 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz a wide spectrum of color and blade type combinations.

Crank baits some with rattles, some without, various sizes and depths, craw colors, shad colors, wide wobbles, narrow wobbles, Scatter Raps minnows shad firetiger pattern.

Buzz baits red/black, white chartreuse.

Football jigs, regular jigs, swim jigs with swimbait trailers in shad and sunfish colors, PBJ 1/4 oz to 3/8 oz finesse jigs, craw patterns.

Weightless senkos, Zoom 10in worms rigged weightless and texas. Hand Poured Finesse worms. Yum mud minnows.

tube baits.

soft frogs

I even threw my small BPS flash mob imitation ARig 

Dipped the plastics in JJS and fished them without.

 

Fished them slow fished them fast and everything in between.

[anonbassman]

I would try a spook or other kind of walk the dog type bait. I have been getting my butt kicked during the day on my pond, but if i get out there really early, or if it is windy and overcast, they have been nailing the spook.

[Revival]

Spinner baits ranging from 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz a wide spectrum of color and blade type combinations.

Crank baits some with rattles, some without, various sizes and depths, craw colors, shad colors, wide wobbles, narrow wobbles, Scatter Raps minnows shad firetiger pattern.

Buzz baits red/black, white chartreuse.

Football jigs, regular jigs, swim jigs with swimbait trailers in shad and sunfish colors, PBJ 1/4 oz to 3/8 oz finesse jigs, craw patterns.

Weightless senkos, Zoom 10in worms rigged weightless and texas. Hand Poured Finesse worms. Yum mud minnows.

tube baits.

soft frogs

I even threw my small BPS flash mob imitation ARig 

Dipped the plastics in JJS and fished them without.

 

Fished them slow fished them fast and everything in between.

 

You used all those lures in 3.5 hours?