Frustration Setting In (Success From Shore Not Translating To Boat)

[CDobber]

I'm losing confidence and patience.  I realize there are many variables as to why I can't find any success from the boat, but overall, my knowledge, gear and time should be producing something and I'm getting nothing but skunks.

 

Lately I've been running 2 rigs at the same time....a dropshot rig with either a live crawler or twisty tail grub in chartreuse/pepper fleck and on my other rig I vary between many lures (buzzbaits, Pop R, Rat L Trap, Sebile Vibratos, etc) depending on depth and weeds.  Yesterday I went to our biggest lake and found a bar I'd been looking for in the middle of 70' depths on the north side of it, 50' on the south side of it, and raises up to 10'....known to have some smallie presence, though was told not to expect huge size.  I did not mark much of anything on my finder in the hour or so I was there, mid morning.

 

Next spot is even more well known for fishing around here, including smallies and LMB.  Marked more fish in this area as I stayed in the 12'-15' dropoff areas while drifting west, still nothing.  Out about 2 hrs total.

 

Today I went to some submerged islands on a different lake, and was out all morning.  First spot is surrounded by 25'-30' water and comes up to 8'.  Lots of vegetation on this island as well as rock.  Marked a ton of fish, had a couple of crawlers stolen from the drop shot rig, nothing else in about an hour's time.  There were probably around 10 boats in this same general area of the lake when I started (pre-determined to hit this area), so I would guess it produces panfish if nothing else.  After someone parked their boat within my casting range, I left to go find the other submerged island, which I'd never been to before.

 

I found it with little effort (small victories) and know from studying maps that it has gravel structure at about 20' when it is surrounded by 50'.  Did not mark as many fish in the area and found no success...but had 2 boats (one of them was the same as before) come within casting distance in the hour plus time I was on this spot.

 

I temporarily gave up on my quest to find a smallie and headed for some piers to try and find LMB with top water action....even with a gentle breeze, I had a difficult time keeping the toon where I wanted it to drift (no trolling motor) and found little shade over there anyway.  

 

I ended my morning today by drifting in 8', heading west towards my launch, and running a Pop-R over the top of the weeds and weed line.  I saw evidence of shad busting the surface but no hits.

 

All 6 places I've mentioned will be attempted again in the future, but the consistent skunking (or at least inability to locate/catch bass from the boat, have caught pike and others) is becoming a downer.

[Bassun]

Dobber - don't sweat it man!  Just by reading your post I know without a shadow of a doubt that you will unlock a key and start picking up fish before long.  You are paying a ton of attention to details and that will absolutely translate into success in the long term!  I felt your same frustration when I first transitioned from wading creeks and rivers to floating on a lake.  It took me a solid year to even begin to gain confidence.

 

The next year, I joined a club and learned a ton.  It was the best thing for me as I couldn't let myself back off.  We had 8 hours to catch what we could, and I wasn't about to waste it sulking.  My partner and I were both new to lake fishing and had the same exact problems.  But as the season progressed we each began to pick up on little things we were and were not doing right.  We didn't win any tournaments, but we had a ball.  My partner caught more bluegill in one bass tournament probably then most of us catch over a whole year.  We didn't win, but we had fun!  But more importantly we learned... both about the boat (due to breakdowns, etc.) and bass.  No.... more importantly we had fun.  Probably the most fun year I've ever spent on the water to be honest.  Anywhoo...

 

The following year, I fished again, but often had to fish solo.  It wasn't as much fun, but being able to apply what we had learned I was able to win multiple tourney's solo vs teams.  (We did use a 5 fish team limit.)  Trust me, you are putting in the effort on the water.  I have no doubt you are spending time off the water too reading about patterns, techniques, location, structure and doing map study.  All of this will come together for you before long.  Just keep plugging away! 

 

*I noticed you said there were a lot of other boats.  Did you note what they were using and if they were having any success?  Mid summer fishing can be really hard on some lakes.  I know that I take a little solice if I'm having a rough day and notice that everyone else is too. 

[CDobber]

Thanks for the input, Bassun.  I too know it will come but had to vent.  Skunking in and of itself, in general, doesn't usually get me down....but the compliation of them on the boat definitely has.  

 

I couldn't really say for certain what many of the other boats were using or targeting, though I suspect it was a mix of panfish for many, some bigger game fish (muskie, pike, maybe walleye) and maybe some bass.  I know one of the two boats that encroached on my space was going for bluegill....the other certainly looked like bass to me (I believe one guy was using a jig/trailer and popping it off the gravel island).  

[jhoffman]

Hang in there, the lake I get to fish the most can be a bear. Ive been at this bass fishing thing for a long time. I got a boat filled with the best baits you could want and theres still times I struggle. Its been a little better as of late but dont ever compare what youre fishing to what you see on TV. You dont have the eletronics, the time, nor the location to go out there and catch big bags like that all the time. Heck theres guys in the elites show up at a weigh in with ZERO fish, imagine throwing down $1k+ and not even getting a single fish in the boat. Dont even tack on the travel, the wear on you and your family to fish a practice plus the event. Make no mistake about it, if you can even grind out fishing from say daylight till 3pm, thats a feat in itself as it takes ultra patience if youre not smashn fish.

[CDobber]

I have heard that the summer bite has been tough for a lot of people around here, but I know there are bass in the lakes and some if not all of the ones I hit via boat have tournaments throughout the summer.  In the two years I have been a boat owner, I don't think I've even boated a single bass since my smallie a couple months after getting it, and that one was not in an area that should likely hold bass, was not using my electronics, etc.  It makes it even a harder pill to swallow, that one that started me on this journey just happened to be in the right place at the right time and no amount of information, experience, tackle and time has replicated it since.  At least I've had a very good year so far from shore, so it is certainly not a lost cause.   These last two mornings where it was highly researched areas, proper (I think) tackle selections, and no kids swimming/tubing while the boat was in use, and cooler water temps to boot....thought for sure it would change things for me.

 

Thanks for listening all.

[missouribigbass]

Where are you from? Just curious as to what conditions you're fishing in.

[HardcoreBassin]

I'm just getting back into the bass fishing thing, but I made 1 observation about your original post.  It seems like you are targeting all of the same structure types.  Gradual/steep rises in deep water.  I'm not familiat with the fishing in your area, but I would switch my my target locations a little bit to see if you can find a different pattern.  Maybe you can hook into some early morning feeders in shallows, or on the edge of drop offs right by the shallows. 

 

Like I said, its been a while since I've fished for bass, but I'd try switching it up.  If you were losing crawfish, to me that indicates that it's most likely little dinks messing with you. 

[gulfcaptain]

If you want to fish deeper water, need to find the baitfish.  If the bait isn't there odds are the bass aren't gonna be there either.  Find the most productive depth of fish on your electronics(fish in general). Where is the most life located on your electronics?  If most of the fish are in the 15-20ft of water, well there isn't a reason to fish deeper then that depth, I would fish 10-20ft. If they are all above the 10ft of water, fish shallower.  There may be a therocline layer they are sitting above and you fishing deeper then where the majority of the fish population is relating to isn't gonna produce anything but frustration.  

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Looking at your baits looks like a lot of shallow and bottom but not much for suspended fish. Try counting down the Rattle Trap to different depths or the same thing with with a soft swimbait etc. Suspended bass can be the hardest to pin down and figure out.

[CDobber]

Thanks all.  My electronics are on the less sophisticated side of things.....Humminbird Piranhamax 160.  There is definitely some dark/light features to tell structure hardness below (black/white) but I would doubt if I could clearly see a thermocline and certainly haven't figured out if I could even distinguish things like submerged timber from a weed pocket.  Also not certain it is capable of really ID the baitfish, it will show small fish (3 differetn sizes total) but not cluster pockets like the expensive models might.  I can get a rough idea on size and direction they are heading, that's about it.  Up here, I had been sticking to the 12-15' dropoffs the last two days but certainly ran surface baits in 5' or less as well.  I was running a hollow body frog over scum the other afternoon along a shoreline, sorry I wasn't clear.

 

I do vary the drop time and retrieval speed of both things like the rat l traps and vibratos for that reason (thanks to BR of course), and will also on occasion throw things like a DT6 and such to cover different depths.  I know I don't have a great handle on the depths of some of my other cranks and such, and with time, I will certainly know more about their capabilities and success rates.  I had not done a ton with swim baits the last couple of days, but the one smallie I have landed on the boat was with one....a very small Mimic Minnow in perch color.  I have tried them on and off all summer in various depths at different places from shore and slow trolling an alabama rig but have not had success on one in a year or so.  I have a couple other random, very light weight swim baits in the box but have rarely tried them and would guess many will run shallow.

[jhoffman]

Im guessing if you think youre on fish, you probably are, its very possible you are missing the strike. Its lightening fast at times, whack, set the hook.... missed. The speed at which a fish can inhale and reject something is unreal. In my days when I loved fly fishing there were times it got to where I would just set the hook at even a flicker of a change and my hooking percentage sky rocketed.

[CDobber]

Im guessing if you think youre on fish, you probably are, its very possible you are missing the strike. Its lightening fast at times, whack, set the hook.... missed. The speed at which a fish can inhale and reject something is unreal. In my days when I loved fly fishing there were times it got to where I would just set the hook at even a flicker of a change and my hooking percentage sky rocketed.

Definitely could be onto something there.....still working on the feel when its not the traditional tap tap tap or feeling the line move....getting better at watching the line astutely, trying to hone in on feelings/differences between bottom structure, weed patch and subtle fish strikes.  Only time and practice will get that.

[gulfcaptain]

you said you can somewhat pick up fish on your electronics, well go off what the average depth of those fish are.  If most of the fish you are marking are at a certain depth range, doesn't matter what kind of fish they are, I would target that depth.  Use it as an information tool as to the relative depth most of the biomass is located. 

[Bassun]

So, since I didnt really give any advice other than give it time... I felt compelled to.  You said you are catching fish from the bank but not the boat.  Reverse engineer that.  How are you catching them, what structure etc are they on.  Basically HOW can you fish that in reverse?  It won't unlock the lake by any stretch, but if you can "break the seal" so to speak, by catching those same fish in the same locations just from a boat you will be on your way!

 

Good luck!

[Brian6428]

Have you considered that maybe the fish just aren't holding deep?

I have done a fair amount of research on structure fishing, and I understand that it is all the rage on the forums right now. That said, it is not always the predominant pattern in a lake. If I understand correctly you are catching fish shallow from the bank but not catching fish deep from your boat. Why not just fish shallow in your boat where you catch fish?

Just a thought, good luck!

[CDobber]

The depth and structure is only referring when I'm targeting smallies.....if I am looking for LMB, I do tend to try and throw shallow towards banks, overhangs, piers etc.  

[gulfcaptain]

you fishing from shore in the same lake you're using your boat in?

[CDobber]

For the most part, yes.  Urban setting, 3 lakes ranging from 2000 acres to 9700 acres, all of which I have and will shore fish from as well as boat fish.  There's also a 336 acre lake that I shore fish from but couldn't take my toon on (many canoe, kayak or troll motor it though)....and love the pads in one particular area, though they have not been kind to me this season.  My avatar is from this location.  The local spot closest to home is a 9 acre former gravel pit, have fished via canoe once but largely only talking about shore fishing from that.  Smallies are not likely to be in the two smaller areas but are definitely in the other 3.  Largies are definitely in all 5, and locate mainly to shore structures from my impression.

[CDobber]

Quick update...did FINALLY get one smallie in the boat on Saturday.....anchored on top of the same bar I've mentioned in our biggest lake.  Marked a ton of fish in all depths (was watching for common depths as suggested on here, but they swam through at all levels)....was normally at 18' though it ranged from 16'-22' even anchored.  Drop shot rig with 5" green pumpkin senko and a small crawler as well for added enjoyment.....had it dropped off the side of the boat while I cast a variety of cranks and my sebile vibrato around the perimeters of the bar.  Wasn't huge, probably about 12"-13" and not fat, but still the smallie I was targeting.  It really wanted that bait, it was gut hooked...got it back in the water as quickly as possible to try and let it heal, but it ended up succumbing shortly thereafter even though it swam away fine.  Saw a similar sized fish floating about 10 min later, had to be the same one.  I've caught my fair share of fish on my drop shot rig in the last month or so, alternating between senkos and crawlers (or both)....but that was the first one that was gut hooked.

[Catch and Grease]

Quick update...did FINALLY get one smallie in the boat on Saturday.....anchored on top of the same bar I've mentioned in our biggest lake. Marked a ton of fish in all depths (was watching for common depths as suggested on here, but they swam through at all levels)....was normally at 18' though it ranged from 16'-22' even anchored. Drop shot rig with 5" green pumpkin senko and a small crawler as well for added enjoyment.....had it dropped off the side of the boat while I cast a variety of cranks and my sebile vibrato around the perimeters of the bar. Wasn't huge, probably about 12"-13" and not fat, but still the smallie I was targeting. It really wanted that bait, it was gut hooked...got it back in the water as quickly as possible to try and let it heal, but it ended up succumbing shortly thereafter even though it swam away fine. Saw a similar sized fish floating about 10 min later, had to be the same one. I've caught my fair share of fish on my drop shot rig in the last month or so, alternating between senkos and crawlers (or both)....but that was the first one that was gut hooked.

you took him home right? Lol

[Bassun]

Hey Congrats!  You broke the seal, now it's all about culling, lol.