Where Are The Bass?

[tcbass]

I normally fish two lakes that have a lot of docks and are fairly shallow. From the foot to 3 foot range. Normally during the summer there is a thick mat of vegetation that covers the lake floor and is about 1-4 inches high on the bottom like a carpet. It's funny because these spots between docks with this vegetation are right out in the open with no shade or cover, so I'm assuming the carpet like vegetation somehow provides some shade or cover. Currently I am not seeing much of this vegetation. The bottom is sandy. I don't know if it's because it's early in the year and the vegetation hasn't grown yet or what. Usually even though it's only a foot deep or so in many places I have always caught good bass there ranging from small to 3.5lbs. Also the lily pads around here are extremely sparse now when they are usually nice and lush and have always have bass under them. Every pad and dock that normally has guaranteed fish in it has nothing. Except one dock where we caught 2 bass. I've never seen it like this before. This is central Minnesota.

Is the lack of fish because it's earlier in the season and the vegetation and lily pads haven't had tlme to grow yet?

Will the vegetation and pads grow as they traditionally do or do they not do that some years?

Where are the fish?

[Kevin Beachy]

Well the saying goes that a bass will ALWAYS go for shade. a man said once that he saw a bass hiding in the shadow of a single stick and the shadow was just enough to cover his on eye.

[Big Fish Rice]

I've had the same experience here in Washington State. Regardless of the talk about warmer years, one thing's for certain: nothing ever stays the same (or grows the same). With that being said, temperatures play a huge role in vegetation growth. Research photosynthesis...there's a lot of moving pieces to the puzzle.

[tcbass]

I've had the same experience here in Washington State. Regardless of the talk about warmer years, one thing's for certain: nothing ever stays the same (or grows the same). With that being said, temperatures play a huge role in vegetation growth. Research photosynthesis...there's a lot of moving pieces to the puzzle.

 

 

 

So where are you finding the fish?

[RoLo]

Plant growth is normally rapid in June, so you should see a marked improvement real soon.

If not, then it's possible that the DNR has implemented a spray program.

In the absence of good weedbeds, I'd also look for woody cover such as blowdowns, stumps,

brush and the pilings of your favorite docks.  

 

Roger

 

[OroBass]

Does your lake have any structure? Sometimes folks pay to much attention to cover without relating it to structure. Every time I fish a new lake or the bite changes on my own waters I search the prime structure with the best cover. Large bass usually find the best of both. An example would be a submerged hump with a deep weeding separating the hump from deep water... structure and cover. The bass are there hunt them down.

[WRB]

What is the water temperature ? Mm had a cold spring and maybe your bass are still per spawn in deeper water.

Tom

[Fish Whacker]

I also live in Central Minnesota. I think we're about 3 +- weeks behind due to the harsh Winter. Also, I don't think there are as many baitfish this year, for the same reason. But, yeah, it's different.

[Big Fish Rice]

So where are you finding the fish?

Well, my local lakes are much different than lakes 2 hours away. At Potholes Reservoir, I have found fish in pockets of scattered weeds (but this body of water is HUGE and has abundant vegetation).

For smaller bodies of water, frogs along the shoreline and small swimbaits have caught me fish, along with jigs on any kind of rock that I can find.  Usually here in my area, all of our lakes have lava rock, so fishing jigs is a no brainer. My last trip this past weekend...I caught 12-15 fish on a Rapala DT6 fishing shallow...and bringing the crankbait over the edge of the drop. So casting up shallow...digging the crank in the rocks/sand....and bringing it back to the boat. Kept getting smashed!

Much different than last year....like you, I was catching fish on docks with vegetation with jigs and plastics.

 

[tcbass]

Well, I went fishing today with a friend and his kid. We fished near the docks. Caught 2 near the docks and lost one. However, they weren't casting in near the docks, they were caught casting out to the lake.

 

 

Then went to some type of bullrush/long weeds that make up an island that is about 100 yards by 20 yards consisting only of these weeds. We really caught them casting in there with 5" senkos and Gander Mountain brand senkos. Caught 10 nice big fish and some smaller ones around the entire island of weeds. It was weird, middle of the day with the sun up and no shadows for the fish to hide, but they were in those weeds.

 

 

 

Weeds looked similar to this, not sure what kind of weeds they were. Had fished them earlier this year with only 2 caught on white Terminator spinnerbaits.