What To Do When Bass Are Chasing But Not Biting?

[Joshd]

I fished Lake Ouachita on Tuesday August 5th. The water temperature was 86.5. The whole day the smaller bass would chase just about anything I would throw at them but I could not get them to bite. They would chase the lure right up to the boat. I tried swim bait, deep and shallow crank baits, Texas rigged 8 different plastics. I could reel it slow, fast, stop or even jerk and they would not bite.

The bigger bass where in very shallow grass next to the bank or suspended 15 to 35 foot deep. They would not even react when I would cast at them. I fished from 5:45 am to 6:30pm and only caught one keeper at the outside edge of the grass about 12' deep on a worm.

Is this normal for this time of year? What could I have done to get them to bite?

[Buckhunter2323]

Over the weekend I had the same problem. But I could get the small ones to bite on same color shad they were chasing. Not real sure the reason behind it maybe the Barometric pressure outside. We did have a cool front coming in.

[Felix77]

When they are chasing and not committing I use the chase bait to find them and then quickly toss out a weightless wacky senko.  Always good for a few catches.

[Joshd]

Awesome idea!

[Joshd]

I went back August 14th and I had the worst day of fishing ever. I did not catch a fish in 13 hours of fishing. It was sunny with almost no wind and it was hot!!! I was not focused and my confidence was shattered.

The morning started off amazing. The bass where schooling and the water was boiling from all the activity on main lake points. I have never seen it so much active. I think I would have been better off dipping my net in the water than casting any baits. I even joked with my brother saying I should just buy a 6" treble hook and try snagging them! To make things worse my brother was slamming them all day!! He even caught 2 bass on one crainkbait in one cast! They where maybe a pound each but we just stood there staring at each in disbelief. I guess everyone has days like this.

[gramps50]

What was your brother doing that you weren't?  I have been fishing with a buddy & he was catching fish, when we were both using the same bait. His presentation must have been just a little different than mine. I have also seen the reverse happen where I was catching them and he wasn't. 

[Joshd]

Now that I think about it he was and usually focused and was accurate with his cast. It was like every spot I wanted to cast at he was already casting there.

Unless he is getting bit on a bait for more than 20 mins I will be casting something I can fish a bit faster than him with a different presentation. I try not to slow what ever pace he is setting. It's his boat and he is driving so I would feel awkward about asking him to slow down unless I had a real strong hunch that we needed to.

I have only been fishing for 3 months and he has been serious about fishing for 25 years. I guess his hard earned experience is showing and my beginners luck is wearing off.

[Chris S]

KVD Square bill 2.0 or 1.0 (I prefer Tenn Shas color) . reel it as fast as you can on the outside of the grass you found and on 2nd pass by rip it and stop it dead rip it and stop it dead. If they are chasing the bait the stopping will cause them to smash or run into it and out of reaction swipe at it or eat it. Good Luck!

[Joshd]

Thanks for that tip Chris!!! It sounds like you know what your talking about. I will be using that idea for the trip this weekend.

[mad basser]

Me and my wife had the same thing happen I was catching she was not we where using the samebait I got to thinking what was differant it was that I was using flurocarbon line she had monoline I tied her a fluro leader and it was on we both was catching I would not believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes

[Joshd]

I was using 15 lb fluro on the crainkbaits. I am going to switch to 10 lb and bring a stick of dynamite for back up!!

[Chris S]

results from the dynamite??

[J Francho]

Felix has the right idea. Toss something slow sinking, and dead stick it.

[Joshd]

Chris, I was kidding about the dynamite but if you want to see people use it just search it on YouTube.

[Doc-Drew]

A little late to this post but what I have found is if you try to mimic the person in the front of the boat, a lot of times it doesn't work. The fish have already seen that bait. Felix and J Francho are right in my opinion. I grew up fishing every weekend with my father. I used to try to mimic him in terms of lure and presentation but I was never as successful as him. I found my best tactic was to offer the fish something different (color, profile, lure type) and slow down the retreive. The front person will pick off the aggressive ones most of the time leaving you to catch the hesitant fish.