Tried To Sight Fish A Relatively Large Bass Today.... Pretty Sure She Just Laughed At Me For About An Hour And A Half

[Daniel Lin]

Was fishing the pond in the middle of the local community college. Needless to say, it's really not well kept up, it's stocked once in a blue moon. People tell me that there's no bass left to catch, but I'm thoroughly convinced that the vast majority of fishermen here really don't have a clue as to what they're doing. Now, I'm all about supporting fishing as a hobby over say, crack cocaine, but I think you can only glean so much from people who throw rigs like a nose-hooked bright orange tube with said baitholder hook attached directly to a snap swivel that's also holding a bank sinker, all of this under a float (I have photographic evidence of this sorcery). The guy next to him was throwing what I'm pretty sure is an 8-10' Bomber or Bandit crankbait in no more than 4' of water.

 

Anyway, I spent some time away from where the crowds usually are, and set my eyes on what i'm 95% sure was a fairly decent sized LMB. I guess the adage that big bass didn't get big by being stupid. It must have been in about 2.5' of water tops. Not wanting to scare it off, I avoided initially throwing reaction baits at it, and used it as an opportunity to practice my flippin' and pitchin'. Well, I got the practice I was looking for. Threw a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss in black/blue fleck, a Strike King KVD Rodent in California Craw, a Netbait Paca Craw in Alabama Craw, tried all of those three as jig trailers as well as a jig with a Zoom Super Chunk, a GYCB DT Hula Grub in purple/something on a jighead, shakey-head Zoom Trick Worms in Junebug, Green Pumpkin and Bubblegum, a weightless Watermelon/Black flake Senko, a weightless pumpkin/chartreuse tail Yum Dinger, and Texas-rigged watermelon red flake Zoom U-Tale. Giving up after all that rigging, I put on a War Eagle 5/8oz finesse spinnerbait (it's a downsized Oklahoma/Colorado tandem), cast it out and ran it past her nose a couple of times.... she just kinda spun in place and watched it go by. So, in a last ditch attempt, I did the same with a Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (the one with the clacker). She watched that one go by too, and retreated deep into cover.

 

I guess some days, you just can't force a fish to bite. At least I got some good practice in flippin' and pitchin', and I think I may have leveled up in knot tying and soft plastic rigging.

[Bluebasser86]

It's possible she'd just eaten a large meal and was just sitting there digesting, hence why she was ignoring your bait. Also, the old adage "If you can see them, they can see you," probably rings true in this instance. Once a fish knows you're there, catching them becomes increasingly difficult. There's about 3 baits that I've had much success catching fish in that instance, and you fished 2 of them. When I spot a fish like that I'll usually fish a Senko, small craw, or a fluke. Not every fish you see is a catchable fish, but at least you know there's one good one in there

[SirSnookalot]

It appears to me anyway that you over analyzed everything.  90 minutes in one place to catch one fish with a number of different presentations, sounds like you were there 80-85 minutes too long.  Had you worked more water you may have found a fish more receptive and maybe a bigger one at that.  

[Catch and Grease]

It appears to me anyway that you over analyzed everything. 90 minutes in one place to catch one fish with a number of different presentations, sounds like you were there 80-85 minutes too long. Had you worked more water you may have found a fish more receptive and maybe a bigger one at that.

Maybe not this time of year but during the spawn I'll fish a bed for 90 minutes for a big fish...

[Oregon Native]

In ponds I used to quiver a small rapala on the surface and then pause it and then little quivers again.  Used to be deadly.

Just sayin