Totally Frustrated

[Kevin Beachy]

Yesterday i went down to a reservoir to do bass fishing. We fished along the edge for about three hours then went to crappie fishing. During those three hours ONE bass was caught.  (not by me). Along the bank there was grass and we fished that hard and still couldn't get a bite. I was using a t-rig big bite baits b2 worm with a 3/16oz sinker. The color was a mix of a darkish blue and green. What should have i used. The were lots of sticks in the lake and i left about 50ft of line in there.lol Also along the edge there were trees hanging out making shade. I think one reason they didn't bite good was because the day before a cold front went through. So what should i have done?  Please Help 

[Catch and Grease]

Did you fish shallow the whole day? You might have been able to produce some fish if you found some deeper structure....

I'll start shallow some days and if its cloudy I'll stay shallow a lot longer than if its sunny, once that sun gets up a good ways I'm gonna start moving a little deeper or start fishing for those heavy cover shallow bass.

You cant always blame the weather, the fish not biting wasnt because there was a cold front, they didn't bite because you didn't make them bite. If the fishing was tough I probably would have been throwing a Texas rig or square bill shallow then after I wasnt producing I would have went a little deeper....

With the weather comment I wasn't trying to be mean... I'm just saying that if you wanna be a better angler don't think "oh they didn't bite because of the weather" think like this "I'm fishing post front conditions and I'm thinking its going to be tough, how am i gonna get them to bite?" Fishing is like a puzzle once you get a little bit started the rest of the pieces start to fall into place, you just have to get the ball rolling.

You mentioned fishing timber like sticks and such, around this time of year crankbaits can dominate in timber... They can really help you cover water fast, I'd reccomend getting a good lure retriever or plug knocker though, they let you get a feel for what cover your fishing faster than a dragging a jig or Texas rig etc...

Is the Texas rig the only bait you tried? I normally won't start with a Texas rig but I know plenty who will, I just prefer something I can fish a little faster and if I'm not getting bit I'm gonna change something up, whether it be completely changing lures, colors or just switching up my retrieve

[Choporoz]

Were you fishing from shore? 

 

Maybe the bass were where you weren't.

[Bankbeater]

Sometimes the bass just don't want to bite anything.  It happens sometimes.

[Kevin Beachy]

I was fishing from a boat. I started at about 7am and went till about 10:30am. I also tried a crankbait but that didn't work because i aint a crankbait fan! And yes i was fishing shallow most of the time. Another thing is we dont have a fishfinder or anything on the boat.

[Catch and Grease]

I know not everyone wants to spend money on getting some sort of "fishfinder" but I'd reccomend getting one... It can make all the difference sometimes..

You don't have to buy a million dollar setup lol there are plenty of decent ones that are affordable,

[einscodek]

What maybe shouldve done is tried more things and adjusted

What did that one bass you guys caught tell ya?

The first bass I catch tells me alot and ill adjust from there..

[Kevin Beachy]

What maybe shouldve done is tried more things and adjusted

What did that one bass you guys caught tell ya?

The first bass I catch tells me alot and ill adjust from there..

Nothing. lol My friend caught it on a creme lure spinning thing that has two hooks and a spinning blade in front. He had a black senko on it

[kikstand454]

You don't NECESSARILY need a depthfinder to fish deeper.

Next time you go and shallow bite is non existant, find a main lake point and drag a jig, t-rig or better yet a c-rig down the point's slope. Start up shallow and gradually work your way out to deeper water. Count the time it takes your bait to hit the bottom and use that as a depth gauge. If you start catching fish when you throw to a 6count of water and they hit half way back to the boat. ... then you're looking for points and cover in 10 count water.

Just an idea. Good luck next time!

[Catch and Grease]

You don't NECESSARILY need a depthfinder to fish deeper.

Next time you go and shallow bite is non existant, find a main lake point and drag a jig, t-rig or better yet a c-rig down the point's slope. Start up shallow and gradually work your way out to deeper water. Count the time it takes your bait to hit the bottom and use that as a depth gauge. If you start catching fish when you throw to a 6count of water and they hit half way back to the boat. ... then you're looking for points and cover in 10 count water.

Just an idea. Good luck next time!

. Exactly... If you can get a depth map of your lake that would be just as good....

[Kevin Beachy]

Thanks for all the helpfull info!

[einscodek]

Nothing. lol My friend caught it on a creme lure spinning thing that has two hooks and a spinning blade in front. He had a black senko on it

Sure that says somethin.. couldve tried a spinnerbait

I cant tell what yer water clarity was but the black senko and blades may have given them better visibility and the fish could have been agressive that day totally poo pooin yer green worm

 

Just the other day plastics werent doin it for my buddies with gills livin in the lake and this little kid was gettin hits on poppers.. guess what I whipped out

Feed the fish!

[everythingthatswims]

If you were fishing the rivanna reservoir, for some odd reason the fish will stack up on mud flats in the upper reaches where the water is cloudy, I'm talking ZERO cover 3' deep, and if there is cover nearby, the bass aren't there. We killed them dragging texas rigged pit bosses there last time. They will also hold inside the water willows so pitch right up next to those. 

[Kevin Beachy]

If you were fishing the rivanna reservoir, for some odd reason the fish will stack up on mud flats in the upper reaches where the water is cloudy, I'm talking ZERO cover 3' deep, and if there is cover nearby, the bass aren't there. We killed them dragging texas rigged pit bosses there last time. They will also hold inside the water willows so pitch right up next to those. 

Yes i was talking about rivanna reservoir. Where else do you find a lot of luck there.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Was there current on the mudflats?

 

It's been tough these past few weeks.  They are either deep in cover or suspended in current in dirty water.  When I go out by myself, I can hook up.  If I go out with my brother(its his boat), I won't catch anything.  He believes in bank beating.  Even if I ask him to back off the shore, 2 minutes later we are back to beating the bank.  Granted its pretty tough to control the boat in current...I don't want this to turn into a rant.

 

I suggest slowing it down, find dirty, moving water, its going to be cooler than clear, still water.

[Kevin Beachy]

Was there current on the mudflats?

 

It's been tough these past few weeks.  They are either deep in cover or suspended in current in dirty water.  When I go out by myself, I can hook up.  If I go out with my brother(its his boat), I won't catch anything.  He believes in bank beating.  Even if I ask him to back off the shore, 2 minutes later we are back to beating the bank.  Granted its pretty tough to control the boat in current...I don't want this to turn into a rant.

 

I suggest slowing it down, find dirty, moving water, its going to be cooler than clear, still water.

I dont know? I wasn't even back there. Was that you and your brother there on monday afternoon? 

[PersicoTrotaVA]

I dont know? I wasn't even back there. Was that you and your brother there on monday afternoon? 

Nah, I live in Va Beach but its close enough that we should have similar conditions.  I was asking the other guy if there was current in the mudflats.  

 

I have been catching them in current or in deep cover in shallow water but I will say fallen trees have been my best friend these past few weeks and I have been catching them more towards the point(deeper water).  Jigs, squarebills and plastics.  Drop them right in the middle of it and start jiggin.

[Kevin Beachy]

Nah, I live in Va Beach but its close enough that we should have similar conditions.  I was asking the other guy if there was current in the mudflats.  

 

I have been catching them in current or in deep cover in shallow water but I will say fallen trees have been my best friend these past few weeks and I have been catching them more towards the point(deeper water).  Jigs, squarebills and plastics.  Drop them right in the middle of it and start jiggin.

Thanks for the feed back!