I Know They're Here, But How Do I Find And Catch Em?

[youngangler274]

       So I just recently graduated from bank fishing into kayak fishing. I have been out about 3 times with poor results. I live very close to a lake that I know for a fact holds bass. The first time I was out, I was exploring the lake and I was running the shore line. All day long there were bass jumping everywhere! They were jumping through the lilly pads, jumping in grass mats, jumping underneath laydowns, they were everywhere!!! I tried everything to get them to bite. I hopped frogs, of every color and size, over the pads. I tried wacky rigged senkos, shakey heads, creature plastics, craw plastics. I flipped and pitched jigs and plastics under the lay downs. To spite the jumps, I didn't get even one to bite in the first 4 hours!!! Eventually I got one to come up and hit the frog I was throwing, it was a decent 3 lber. But after that fish, I went dry for another 2 hours before decided to cut my losses and left the lake in frustration. I don't really know what else I could have tried!!! The thing is, this wasn't just a one day thing. It has happened to me all 3 times I have gone. Any ideas guys/ gals? The lake I was fishing is called Cherokee lake, in Waunakee Wisconsin. Any advice would be much appretiated!

 

here is a few links so you guys can get an idea what this lake looks like:

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?encType=1&where1=Cherokee%20Lake%2c%20Wisconsin&cp=43.1585807800293~-89.3757400512695&qpvt=Cherokee+Lake+wisconsin&FORM=MIRE#

 

http://www.lakeplace.com/lakefinder/wi/dane/cherokee/806500

[everythingthatswims]

Are you sure that they aren't carp jumping? That doesn't sound like a behavior of bass unless you are referring to bass schooling and chasing baitfish as "jumping".

[youngangler274]

Are you sure that they aren't carp jumping? That doesn't sound like a behavior of bass unless you are referring to bass schooling and chasing baitfish as "jumping".

Its possible, but I mean they are coming out of the water and they sure look like bass. That would be a relief. here I am thinking I am just sucking it up, and they might not even be bass, haha that would be funny. Well, even if that is was they are, how would you suggest fishing this lake? This lake is extremely murky and really low visibility. Its pretty shallow, And pretty much the whole lake is covered in lilly pads and laydowns.

[Jason Short]

Sounds like carp jumping to me

[everythingthatswims]

Its possible, but I mean they are coming out of the water and they sure look like bass. That would be a relief. here I am thinking I am just sucking it up, and they might not even be bass, haha that would be funny. Well, even if that is was they are, how would you suggest fishing this lake? This lake is extremely murky and really low visibility. Its pretty shallow, And pretty much the whole lake is covered in lilly pads and laydowns.

Big, black and blue, flippin and pitchin.

[youngangler274]

Big, black and blue, flippin and pitchin.

thanks, I admit those weren't the colors I was using. I will give it a try sometime this week hopefully

[bankguy315]

Have a lot of carp in one of the lakes I fish and what you described sounds like carp. a high population of carp seem to make the bass fishing suffer, at least in my experience on this lake.

[youngangler274]

Have a lot of carp in one of the lakes I fish and what you described sounds like carp. a high population of carp seem to make the bass fishing suffer, at least in my experience on this lake.

yeah this is what I was afraid of, if they are carp, they are probably hurting the bass population.

[CDobber]

yeah this is what I was afraid of, if they are carp, they are probably hurting the bass population.

In my 3 summers of bass fishing this area (though I've not been to your lake), I've not come across too many instances of bass jumping...they are mainly carp.  

[hookset on 3]

I have found that in the height of Summer, smaller Bass may jump in an attempt to catch Dragonflies or Damselfies (smaller of the two).

 

Anyway, to address the bass catching process, I am thinking of things like- How quite are you in your approach to the casting target? How much fishing pressure does this Lake get?  What type of forage are the bass preying on? If it's murky, as you say, are you soaking your bottom contact lures(worms, jigs,shaky head) long enough?

[youngangler274]

I have found that in the height of Summer, smaller Bass may jump in an attempt to catch Dragonflies or Damselfies (smaller of the two).

 

Anyway, to address the bass catching process, I am thinking of things like- How quite are you in your approach to the casting target? How much fishing pressure does this Lake get?  What type of forage are the bass preying on? If it's murky, as you say, are you soaking your bottom contact lures(worms, jigs,shaky head) long enough?

I fish out of a kayak, So I don't think I am making that much noise. From what I have seen the lake is pretty much untouched by fishing boats of any kind. I have seen one or two fishing boats out of all the times I have been out. As far as what they are feeding on, I am honestly not sure. By soaking do you mean letting them sink to the bottom, or what? - thanks for the reply

[WRB]

Cherokee lake is noted as a swamp and very shallow lake, Mendota lake below Cherokee maybe a better choice.

You did catch 1 bass was it a LMB? My guess it was in this shallow lake. You got the 1frog bite and that is where you should focus, surface and wake baits. Trying too many different lures only leads to frustration. Fishing too fast, moving too much, with surface lures will also lead to frustration, slow down you are in a kayak! Concentrate your efforts in high percentage area; where the water is moving into and out of cover zones. The bass should be positioned where prey fish enter the cover area from the more open water zones where water flows into and out of small pockets.You need to locate active feeding areas. Bass don't often jump out of the water, the swirl and make surface disturbance like an oar making a swirl, cast to those fish.

Stay with a frog, a buzz bait and a T-rigged 6" worm (1/8 oz weight) the next few outings. Use the worm as a follow up lure on missed strikes.

Tom

[youngangler274]

Cherokee lake is noted as a swamp and very shallow lake, Mendota lake below Cherokee maybe a better choice.

You did catch 1 bass was it a LMB? My guess it was in this shallow lake. You got the 1frog bite and that is where you should focus, surface and wake baits. Trying too many different lures only leads to frustration. Fishing too fast, moving too much, with surface lures will also lead to frustration, slow down you are in a kayak! Concentrate your efforts in high percentage area; where the water is moving into and out of cover zones. The bass should be positioned where prey fish enter the cover area from the more open water zones where water flows into and out of small pockets.You need to locate active feeding areas. Bass don't often jump out of the water, the swirl and make surface disturbance like an oar making a swirl, cast to those fish.

Stay with a frog, a buzz bait and a T-rigged 6" worm (1/8 oz weight) the next few outings. Use the worm as a follow up lure on missed strikes.

Tom

thanks for the advice!! I will most certainly try this out on my next attempt. Thanks again!!

[frogflogger]

A good lure for a body of water like that would be a swimming worm - just a plastic worm rigged slightly crooked on a single hook with a swivel a foot or so above it - that will allow it to rotate when slowly reeled just under the surface - the jumping fish are probably not bass.

[cdaggett]

Well I guess if you want to catch something bust out a fly rod and some dry flies