3 Week Drought

[AJMichigan]

Have been skunked each and every time i've gone out for 3 weeks straight. Not one f'in fish. Have tried the same methods I caught many bass on in the spring/early summer. Any advice? Getting really frustrated and annoyed.

 

Thanks

[lmbfisherman]

Have been skunked each and every time i've gone out for 3 weeks straight. Not one f'in fish. Have tried the same methods I caught many bass on in the spring/early summer. Any advice? Getting really frustrated and annoyed.

 

Thanks

Hey man, keep at it..you'll break the skunk.  I see your location is in Michigan, I'm assuming you are cooling off like Ontario has been sooner than normal.  I have been skunked by bass for a week in the last month too.  What I did was change the body of water I was fishing at.  Here are a few other things that have been working for me:

 

1. Topwater - specifically Jitterbugs and Buzzbaits, last week I was cottaging up north where it was 5 degrees cooler than where I live in Southern Ontario.  I struggled the first two days trying to locate the smallies.  I found them staying shallow eventually, I was throwing jitterbugs and buzzbaits parallel to shore, especially when I found points and boulders or rocky shores with overhanging trees.  They were found in bays and coves sticking close to shore and creek/river mouths.  Biggest I caught was 4lbs, 2 3lbers and the rest were 1-2 lbs.  They were smashing the jitterbug.  What I also found they didn't want big baits either.  They wanted smaller.  For instance I used a bigger buzzbait, but when I downsized I had more strikes.

 

2. Spinnerbaits - I was using a SK 3/8 oz Bleeding Shad - White/CHT, when they weren't hitting the topwater (which wasn't a lot of the times, some reason they wanted topwater all day).  Still, I was doing the same thing with the spinnerbaits, parallel to the shore.  I was doing a steady retrieve, not burning or slow rolling..waited 2-3 seconds before I started the retrieve.  I even threw the spinnerbait towards shore especially if there was a downed tree and or some type of cover running parallel. 

 

It has been an odd season for us and I'm assuming all of us around this corridor.  From speaking with other guys locally, we are all thinking they might be starting the fall transition.  I'm also hearing the salmon are starting their run early too.  So it maybe possible the bass in your area is reacting to the fall like weather and they are transitioning, if that is the case it should start heating up soon.  Maybe take a break for a week or just go out and have fun catching panfish.  Sometimes I do that when my frustration level goes through the roof. 

[prjavelin]

Hey AJMichigan what have you been using? when? and how? boat? shore? ect ect please elaborate so we can help you

[AJMichigan]

Fishing from shore in multiple different locations. I have had success early in the season with softbaits (Senkos, tailed crawlers (Big and small), fake lizards, rubber baitfish, ect), Rapalas, and jigs). Had a lot of success with these early in the season as I stated earlier but now they wont touch them.

 

As for top waters/spin baits, i've never had luck with them in my fishing career.

[AK-Jax86]

Patience! And top water in the AM and PM!!!

Top water hollow body frogs will change your fishing life if you are patient and put the time in. I was a non believer in top water too, never had any luck, past 4 months nearly ALL my fish have come from frogs and it seems like they are all big. August has been rough here in FL since its so hot the fish aren't as active but they are there and ready to bite if the opportunity is right and presents itself

[senile1]

Without seeing what you are doing and knowing your bodies of water, any advice I would provide is just guessing.  However, there are a few things you might think about other than lures and presentation, though you may have already considered these items.

• Fishing from the bank, your casts may not be reaching the location of the fish if they have gone deeper for the summer.
• How many hours are you trying to catch fish before giving up?  Sometimes the bite will only come on during a certain period of the day.  If you aren't fishing during that period, you aren't going to catch fish. 
• If you are able to fish deep, is it possible you are fishing beneath the thermocline?  You won't find any bass below the thermocline. 
• What is the forage in the waters you fish?  Keep an eye out for signs of that forage whether it is balls of shad, bluegills popping the surface, birds swooping down to feed, etc.  This could indicate that bass are nearby.  

[Cgrinder]

I can sympathize. Things have been pretty rough here this month. I've had a little luck with frogs, but much, much less than June and July.

[Bankbeater]

Things have been hit or miss around here, also.  When the bite is on it's like you can throw anything at them and they will hit it.  When the bite is off, it ain't going to start up any time soon.

[prjavelin]

when the bite its off there are rigs that the bass will always hit. You just have to be patient and fish then slow with small plastics.

Drop shot
split shot

shakey head
slider heads
small texas rig

 

usually different colors than the bass ever see work. here they love smoke colored plastics. I paint the tails chartreuse and they are all over them when they wont look at green pumpkin plastics. its just a matter of adjusting and presenting an easy meal that they cant resist. I have a worm here that bass take into the gullet every time. Its a pain to unhook them but it catches fish guaranteed. find that worm for your body of water.

[CDobber]

I too haven't caught any bass since my PB in the avatar....and that was during the last full moon cycle, so there's hope coming soon.

[AJMichigan]

DROUGHT OVER BOYS. ABOUT d**n TIME.

 

Only 12 inches but it felt d**n GOOD to catch a bass after not catching one for almost a month.

 

Hit it on a white spinner bait bouncing it up and down on the bottom. Would figure 3 casts later I lost it to a d**n snag...

 

Anyway, about d**n TIME.