Fish Refusing To Bite.

[RF813]

Hey everyone, I'm hoping someone could shed some light on an issue i'm running into here in western CT. 

 

I fish from the shore so I have a few spots I frequent, and I've noted something similar in 2 different spots. I have on multiple occasions placed a lure right in front of a fish, and don't get so much as a test bite on them. 

 

The first time, there was a Bass hanging out, literally inches off shore. So close I could poke it with the end of my fishing rod. (and I did, gently). I put everything I had in front of it, and nothing.  Sometimes it would swim away, just to come back 15-30 seconds later. 

 

This weekend, I was fishing a point where the water is about 6 feet deep over a poured concrete slab, before dropping off another 6 feet or so.  We (my son and I) saw a small school of several bass keep swimming by these appeard to be larger fish from what we could tell.  Again, I placed everything in front of them, worms, creatures, pulled a spinner bait through the school, rattle trap....Nothing. We saw them almost constantly over the course of 20 minutes.

 

I am stumped.  I'd love to hear some thoughts on this.

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

Rich

[Choporoz]

As well as you could see them....I'm pretty sure they could see you even better.

[georgeyew]

Could the fish have been guarding a bed?

[Raul]

There are days like that and there´s little you can do about it, you can try to make them bite, you presenting the bait and the fish coming, going away and returning is indication of interest but it´s not quite convinced to bite. This makes me remember about one day that it took me about an hour to make an 8 lber bite my crankbait.

[RF813]

Could the fish have been guarding a bed?

The first one, I suppose so, second group (the school) I highly doubt it. It was on top of a concrete slab under water.

[georgeyew]

Next time if you come across the school refusing to bite, try running a fast bait through them to get a reaction bite.

[WRB]

Connecticut could be the spawn cycle, look for bed sites. Cruising females transitioning from pre spawn to spawn are difficult to catch, they are not eating.

Tom

[Uncle Rainey]

I have seen this many times in a couple of the places I frequent. I can see the bass plain as day right in front of me in the clear water, no matter what I put in front of them they won't bite. Other days i see them and they chase everything and anything i throw in the water.After seeing it a few times I took it as some days the fish are hungry and some days their not. Go figure.

[bigbill]

We're still having colder temps at night in ct. It could be a late cycle. But if you can see the bass they can see you. Do people feed them there?

I don't like pulling bass off there beds. I wait and try to time the feeding frenzy when they come off the beds.

[joeblowwwww]

They are never gonna take it when they see you!!  as far as the other spot.... there are so many factors in why you are not getting any strikes that you could not ask someone to fit it in this post.  

 if you had to simplify things I would listen to WRB (Tom)  he always has good insight and a wealth of knowledge on this and other subjects.

[Missourifishin]

I encountered a similar situation last week. I burned a shad colored squarebill (kvd 1.5) through the area and they zoomed over from 8-10 feet away to bite my lure. It really seemed like the reactionary bite was the way to go. They were more defensive than hungry.

[stkbassn]

We fish from shore at one of the reservoirs here in Va and on the last couple of trips I've found fish like this and they are guarding beds there. Could be the same thing where you are. I tried a few things and finally tried a suspending jerkbait that I could stop on the bed area and then give a quick jerk...I finally got every fish I saw but it did take a while. I spent nearly 30 minutes or more on one fish..some only took a few minutes of doing this. Just keep trying multiple baits to find the one that irritates them the most. The fish I caught wouldn't pick up a jig or ned rig off the bed and wouldn't chase a moving bait like a spinnerbait or shallow crank. Try a suspending jerkbait like I did that has some flash..might work for you.

[BassOnKlinger]

I've noticed the same thing here in Indiana at the common ponds I frequent.  Last year, I was pulling out a fish every 3-5 casts. I've caught one or two (small) fish since. I've tried everything. No idea what happened over the course of the fall, winter, and now spring but it has really taken the fun out of it for me lately. Tons of work and no reward on a weekly basis.  At least in the OP's shoes, he's seeing fish.  I'm not even getting that.  I see huge beds, but no fish. 

[RF813]

Great insight here.  Thanks everyone.

[Crestliner2008]

If you see a bass, forget about trying to catch it. It already knows you are there and what your intent is. Rarely is catching that fish an achievable goal. When you know bass frequent a specific spot, then it is paramount that you focus totally on your approach to that spot. Sometimes I've crawled on all fours, taking considerable time to get close enough for a cast. Wear camo clothing if possible. Use bushes and trees as cover as you approach. And NEVER stand up along a bank. Fish have great vision and once they ID you as a predator, nothing you can do will get them to bite.

[einscodek]

Hey everyone, I'm hoping someone could shed some light on an issue i'm running into here in western CT. 

 

I fish from the shore so I have a few spots I frequent, and I've noted something similar in 2 different spots. I have on multiple occasions placed a lure right in front of a fish, and don't get so much as a test bite on them. 

 

The first time, there was a Bass hanging out, literally inches off shore. So close I could poke it with the end of my fishing rod. (and I did, gently). I put everything I had in front of it, and nothing.  Sometimes it would swim away, just to come back 15-30 seconds later. 

 

This weekend, I was fishing a point where the water is about 6 feet deep over a poured concrete slab, before dropping off another 6 feet or so.  We (my son and I) saw a small school of several bass keep swimming by these appeard to be larger fish from what we could tell.  Again, I placed everything in front of them, worms, creatures, pulled a spinner bait through the school, rattle trap....Nothing. We saw them almost constantly over the course of 20 minutes.

 

I am stumped.  I'd love to hear some thoughts on this.

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

Rich

Im in yer neck of the woods and its that time of year and if a fish is couple of feet from shore and you spook it and it returns.. guess what.. its either guardin a bed or preparing his bed for a female

Bed fishin isnt impossible.. I usually can take some using a senko but I'd leave them alone cause they guardin eggs or fry then yer askin the panfish to go ahead and eat his kids while you take him away just so you could snap a few pictures..

[Paul Roberts]

Catchability varies with:

-season

-immediate environmental conditions

-circumstances (many that affect fish mood; only one being angler presence)

-individual fish (some are simply uncatchable)

 

If we could see what's going on down at our lure as we fish we'd probably hang it up. We don't catch the vast majority of the bass down there at any one time. Fish a tiny pond over the course of a year and you'll probably stick the majority if you know what you are doing, although there will likely be a few that will never bite. You actually got to actually see it (it now being the spawning season where you are in CT with many of the fish being so shallow).

 

Now don't get knocked off your horse. You're not alone, and there's plenty to learn that will make enormous differences in your catch rate. And when you're old and grizzled with a scarred thumb you can share your wisdom with the next guy.