What Sort Of Fish Behavior Is This?

[Heron]

Piggy backing on my previous thread...

 

 

Im finding two aspects of the fish's behavior in this lake to be somewhat odd.  Or rather, Im just not accustomed to it.

 

> Typically, when I catch one fish, the bite goes dead after that.  Nothing else works, no other fish hit.

 

> When fishing top-water, the fish strike and miss more often than not...but after that first missed strike, there are no other secondary strikes after that, from it or any other fish.  The bite goes dead.

[starcraft1]

Try having a senko ready when you get a miss on top water. Toss the senko where you got the missed strike.

[Josh Smith]

That seems to be a lot how the lake I've been patterning this year is.

 

There is a lot of cover, never seen them school, and the bass seem territorial.  They ambush feed, almost never feed actively, and I'm learning that if I catch one on one lure, I'm not going to catch another on the same lure.  I switch it up, and if I don't catch another on the next lure, I move.

 

The sole exception to this is when the spawn is on.  The males are guarding the nests and the females are recovering off shore and a Texas-rigged worm or crawdad will work wonders for the duration of the spawn.

 

Regards,

 

Josh

[Heron]

Try having a senko ready when you get a miss on top water. Toss the senko where you got the missed strike.

Thanks, but I have done that, but to no avail.

[Heron]

That seems to be a lot how the lake I've been patterning this year is.

 

There is a lot of cover, never seen them school, and the bass seem territorial.  They ambush feed, almost never feed actively, and I'm learning that if I catch one on one lure, I'm not going to catch another on the same lure.  I switch it up, and if I don't catch another on the next lure, I move.

 

The sole exception to this is when the spawn is on.  The males are guarding the nests and the females are recovering off shore and a Texas-rigged worm or crawdad will work wonders for the duration of the spawn.

 

Regards,

 

 

I probably do this the most often.  I change the baits a few times, and then relocate.   But nonetheless, there has only been one instance, since last season, that I actually caught a second fish.

[NDH Fishing]

Make sure the fish has the lure in its mouth before you set the hook, or you'll just yank the lure out of the water, and the fish will swim away, maybe a few local fish with it too.

Which will slow the bite.

Also theres the bad luck rule, "if you catch a fish on the first cast you'll reel in empty for the day."

Its proven true for me.

[desmobob]

That has not been my experience.  On the contrary in some instances, including a day last week when I pulled two big ones (6+ and 5+) and three or four more smaller bass from one area not much larger than my living room!  I was amazed.  I've read and heard similar reports from others fishing on the southern part of Lake Champlain, so I guess it's not uncommon.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

[WRB]

Be more like your site name, keep a low profile and quite, also fish during low light or at night.

When bass miss a lure and don't strike it anymore it's because the bass don't want to eat it.

Tom

[Heron]

Be more like your site name, keep a low profile and quite, also fish during low light or at night.

When bass miss a lure and don't strike it anymore it's because the bass don't want to eat it.

Tom

Thanks Tom, but I certainly have that part covered.  Much of my fishing is done at dusck/night as much as it is done in the morning.  And this behavior has been encountered at all different hours.  Thats just what fits into my schedule.  Make plenty of efforts to approach my shoreline quietly, especially if on a dock.  I pack light, I dont wear bright clothes.  From that, Im not sure what else I can do to minimize my 'profile.'  

 

If it is true that the fish no longer want to eat it.  Then it stands to reason, from what Ive been seeing, that something has turned the fish off from eating anything else after that.   No matter what else I cast out with.  One missed strike, and the bite goes dead.

[richg99]

I've had similar action ( or lack of action).

One thing that has added a hit or two, when fishing from shore.,is to throw the first cast when I am 10 or 15 feet back.

I've watched bass swim quickly away if I get too close.

[Heron]

I've had similar action ( or lack of action).

One thing that has added a hit or two, when fishing from shore.,is to throw the first cast when I am 10 or 15 feet back.

I've watched bass swim quickly away if I get too close.

Agreed, certainly sound advice.  I do try to do that sort of thing, when I can.  Often though, those efforts are impeded by the surrounding trees, bushes, n such.  At times, 15ft back, puts me in the woods where I have no casting clearance.  

 

However, by comparison, so far Ive not found any real consistencies or differences in catch rates, between casting from shore, or casting from 15ft back or so.   But the logic is certainly sound, so I still keep that as part of my strategy. 

[tcbass]

I'd make sure to have sharp hooks. This bass smacked at this topwater and would have not gotten hooked but the hooks were super sharp. You can see that the hooks are all in its cheek.

[Paul Roberts]

Big question.

 

My first thought, and forgive me if you are beyond this: This may not be a bass behavior issue exactly, but a location/activity issue –these are often related. If you cast expecting fish to find your lure, you are expecting too much. Catching fish randomly will often result in one here and one there. If you want to beat the random odds you have to do more:

 

-Fish waters that have numbers of quality fish that are accessible to you.

 

-Fish the conditions in front of you (being aware of recent trends) instead of fishing history.

 

-Find groups of active (feeding) bass -which often means finding their prey, and esp where the prey is vulnerable to bass. Not only are bass not easy to catch for anglers, prey are not easy to catch for bass.

 

-Find the strikes zones within these locations that serve as ambush points/vulnerability zones.

 

-Apply correct lures(s) -probably tweaked from factory condition- and know how to use them. Don’t just fish what got you jazzed on TV that morning.

 

-Don’t alarm them. Think before you cast. Be ready to adjust, rest them, or find less difficult fish. Every piece of research on bass catchability has found a certain percentage of a given bass popn that are labeled essentially “uncatchable” or “immune to angling”. Yet, how immune individuals are undoubtedly varies with conditions.

 

-If you know you have numbers of fish in front of you, then you are going to have to start what I call “filching” –figuring out how to eek more bites out of a certain location or time period. This could be a matter of waking them up, finding those ambush points, tweaking lure action, lure switching, etc. If you expect to make good catches consistently in bass fishing, you have your work cut out for you.

 

I’ll give one example (of many):

I fished a public pond that receives a ton of pressure, all sorts of lures flying in from all directions, and many of the bass had damaged jaws (I tend to go elsewhere when I see that). The first time I visited, instead of just walking up and flinging a GoTo, I walked the pond just observing. I saw that most all of the banks in this flatland dishpan pond had a very gradual slope. I also spotted lots of young sunfish up in the immediate shallows in inches of water. Smallish (8-11”) bass cruised and kept those sunnies pressed into inches of water. I kept walking. I then came to about a 30 yard stretch that had some small willows growing along it. The roots held the soil and wave action had created a very small cutbank, with a foot of water right at the bank. There was some washed up milfoil and filamentous algae there too. My heart raced. I’ve been doing this kind of thing in woods and waters long enough now that sometimes my pulse will pound even before I’m conscious of why. Then I saw a subtle ripple right at the bank. I had a 1/4oz skirted jig-n-pork (pre-softened) on so I switched to a 1/8 and swam it along the cut bank –Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Four 13 to 16in bass. Then a slap and a miss. Then nothing, although occasional swirls continued. I switched to a swimming worm (tail had been boiled) behind a 1/16oz bullet and took three more –all within inches of the cut bank –the “vulnerability zone”. Then I added a bit of weight and probed a little deeper taking one more. Before I left I tried a topwater frog and caught another. Probably could have milked it all day.

 

Now, most people I observe get out of their car, tie on their GoTo or something they “want to try” –usually to see what “the bass have to say”. If you are asking the bass to come to you, you are fishing for luck. And relying on luck will gives you randomized results. We human predators come equipped with big brains, large eyes, long legs, and dexterous digits so we can observe, think, plan, and adapt. It’s a real world out there with real stuff happening. Your first order of business is to go find it, recognize it, and capitalize. That is how you beat the odds.

[ClackerBuzz]

nice post Paul Roberts, I felt like I was there (and I especially enjoy reading those kind of descriptive posts over winter b/c it helps ease my shakes:)

 

i used to also get frustrated from short strikes or lack of action. but since moving from shore fishing to a boat I've really come to appreciate them b/c they are a clue. you are in a fishy' area. grant it the smallest most aggressive fish came to check out ur topwater. but it's still a good sign. if no other interest I would go 'slow and low' with a senko, drop shot, jig etc. or try burning ur topwater to see it that instigates a strike.

i would also go deeper ie cast farther out to get passed the small aggressive fish to the big ones. 

 

i always hear guys complain about baitfish tearing the tips off their plastics.  but i love feeling those taps b/c i know i'm in a good location that holds bait.  i just need make an adjustment and to move to deeper water (and you have to learn not to play tug of war/set the hook on a baitfish). I just pack up and move deeper where the predator fish are going to be hanging out.

 

casting real estate is limited when shore fishing but i'm sure there were tons of spots w/o weeds, baitfish, bass etc that wouldn't even get you that short strike. look at the clue as a positive and keep working to figure out the rest of the puzzle.  soon you'll be reading both above water and below like Paul.

 

it doesn't matter if i'm fishing from shore, a boat, on a small pond or especially on bigger water...i ALWAYS return to the scene of a crime ie a bite.  i used to hate returning to the boat launch/home to questions of my day only to reply "No fish and I only got 5 bites".  but then I learned to return to those exact bite locations on future trips and hook into some beautiful bass

Edited September 24, 2014 by ClackerBuzz

[tcbass]

nice post Paul Roberts, I felt like I was there (and I especially enjoy reading those kind of descriptive posts over winter b/c it helps ease my shakes:)

 

i used to also get frustrated from short strikes or lack of action. but since moving from shore fishing to a boat I've really come to appreciate them b/c they are a clue. you are in a fishy' area. grant it the smallest most aggressive fish came to check out ur topwater. but it's still a good sign. if no other interest I would go 'slow and low' with a senko, drop shot, jig etc. or try burning ur topwater to see it that instigates a strike.

i would also go deeper ie cast farther out to get passed the small aggressive fish to the big ones. 

 

i always hear guys complain about baitfish tearing the tips off their plastics.  but i love feeling those taps b/c i know i'm in a good location that holds bait.  i just need make an adjustment and to move to deeper water (and you have to learn not to play tug of war/set the hook on a baitfish). I just pack up and move deeper where the predator fish are going to be hanging out.

 

casting real estate is limited when shore fishing but i'm sure there were tons of spots w/o weeds, baitfish, bass etc that wouldn't even get you that short strike. look at the clue as a positive and keep working to figure out the rest of the puzzle.  soon you'll be reading both above water and below like Paul.

 

it doesn't matter if i'm fishing from shore, a boat, on a small pond or especially on bigger water...i ALWAYS return to the scene of a crime ie a bite.  i used to hate returning to the boat launch/home to questions of my day only to reply "No fish and I only got 5 bites".  but then I learned to return to those exact bite locations on future trips and hook into some beautiful bass

Not sure about part of this. Many of my biggest fish have been caught on topwaters. My KVD Sexy Dawg and Cavitrons usually pull in good fish.

[ClackerBuzz]

Not sure about part of this. Many of my biggest fish have been caught on topwaters. My KVD Sexy Dawg and Cavitrons usually pull in good fish.

don't worry i'm even more puzzled by ur post.

I was addressing the OP short strike and/or loss of topwater interest.  obviously you can't experiencing these symptoms while reeling in fish   

[Paul Roberts]

nice post Paul Roberts, I felt like I was there (and I especially enjoy reading those kind of descriptive posts over winter b/c it helps ease my shakes:)

 

i used to also get frustrated from short strikes or lack of action. but since moving from shore fishing to a boat I've really come to appreciate them b/c they are a clue. you are in a fishy' area. grant it the smallest most aggressive fish came to check out ur topwater. but it's still a good sign. if no other interest I would go 'slow and low' with a senko, drop shot, jig etc. or try burning ur topwater to see it that instigates a strike.

i would also go deeper ie cast farther out to get passed the small aggressive fish to the big ones. 

 

i always hear guys complain about baitfish tearing the tips off their plastics.  but i love feeling those taps b/c i know i'm in a good location that holds bait.  i just need make an adjustment and to move to deeper water (and you have to learn not to play tug of war/set the hook on a baitfish). I just pack up and move deeper where the predator fish are going to be hanging out.

 

casting real estate is limited when shore fishing but i'm sure there were tons of spots w/o weeds, baitfish, bass etc that wouldn't even get you that short strike. look at the clue as a positive and keep working to figure out the rest of the puzzle.  soon you'll be reading both above water and below like Paul.

 

it doesn't matter if i'm fishing from shore, a boat, on a small pond or especially on bigger water...i ALWAYS return to the scene of a crime ie a bite.  i used to hate returning to the boat launch/home to questions of my day only to reply "No fish and I only got 5 bites".  but then I learned to return to those exact bite locations on future trips and hook into some beautiful bass

 

"...b/c it helps ease my shakes"

 

 

I've found I can "speed test" small bass to help get the tempo of the day. Speed can be really important. Sometimes, in warmer, or warming, water in particular, bass will not commit to a bait unless it's moving fast. When I see little bass chase up when I go to lift out, or when they pull a full 360 around my bait, all excited, I've learned that I need to pick up the tempo.

[Heron]

Well today was certainly an improvement...with fish behavior that seems a little more normal. 

 

Using a frog, I got multiple strikes at it from various fish, in various spots.  One pair of strikes was likely a follow up from the same fish.  But nonetheless, all of them missed.   

 

I wasnt even trying to set the hook today, as I wanted to see which fish would actually take the frog under - none of them did.  The strikes were clear misses, and the frog remained on the surface.  Leads me to believe that these were all dinks going at it. 

 

So then, I relocate to a spot that I have never had any action at, at all - ever.   Throw the frog, get anothe rmissed strike. Alright Im ok with that, at least there is life.  I toss a jig into some shallow weeds - Bam, I get a fish, and as I brought him in closer, he was probably a respectable 2-3lber.  Then he shakes off, and I lose him. 

 

But thats ok, regardless of whether I lost him or not, the level of action I encountered this morning, was a nice improvement to what Im used to.   Its just a matter of figuring this lake out.