Shallow Clear Water Sight Fishing

[pcakes55]

What are some of your techniques? I had a tourney over the weekend. Saw a lot of 3-5lb largemouth AND smallmouth in 0-6 feet of water, clear water/sandy bottomed lake, not much cover. Everything we threw at the fish spooked them from a mile. Discuss 

[Canyon explorer]

If you saw that many large bass up in that shallow water at this time of the year leads me to believe they were on the beds spawning. A technique I use at LOZ produces fish regularly if the water is clear. I position the boat about 15-20' away from the bed and pitch a white tube to the bed. It spooks the bass and they leave. I then bring in the tube and re pitch it about 3' beyond the bed and wait. If the female has dropped her eggs she will return within a couple of minutes. when she is back on the bed I very slowly drag the tube back into the bed most of the time she will pick it up to get rid of it. When the white disappears I set the hook.

 

If she does not come back to the bed in a couple of minutes move on as she has not dropped her eggs yet.

[RoLo]

I agree with Canyon Explorer: if in fact you were dealing with bedding bass, than it was business as usual.

But in any calender period, if you see fish, the fish see you, but that doesn't mean they're not catchable.

Seeing you is not the same as being frightened by you. Fish have two strikes against them (excuse the pun):

Their world is in constant motion, and their short-term memory is dangerously brief.

 

Maintain a low profile, keep your movements to a minimum and move slowly & smoothly.

Use spinning gear with light line that enables loooong casts.

 

Roger

[papajoe222]

This can and is very frustrating, but the upside is that you've accomplished what can be the most difficult obstacle to catching. You've located the fish. Most often, when fishing shallow in clear water, the fish are spooked easily and are not actively feeding. Back as far from the area as a long cast will allow, or cast well past the fish. Second, as they are likely not going to chase your offering, use something that can be either moved along very slowly, or by dead sticking (allowing it to sit motionless). Jigs, drop-shotting and top-waters would fit that description nicely. Attempting to elicit a reaction strike with a fast moving presentation, will result in more frustration in my experience.

 

 

[pcakes55]

Thanks for the tips. The bass were definitely off beds and in post spawn. The only fish we did manage to catch were completely random, could not put any kind of pattern together. 

[roadwarrior]

Try a weightless fluke.

 

 

 

 

[Daniel My Brother]

Grandpa used to say "If you can see them, they can see you."

 

My best luck has been to mark the spot where I see fish, then leave the area. When I return, I cast at the spot from distance. If the fish was holding to that spot because it offered a good ambush point, he'll likely still be there.

[Lund Explorer]

If you saw that many large bass up in that shallow water at this time of the year leads me to believe they were on the beds spawning. A technique I use at LOZ produces fish regularly if the water is clear. I position the boat about 15-20' away from the bed and pitch a white tube to the bed. It spooks the bass and they leave. I then bring in the tube and re pitch it about 3' beyond the bed and wait. If the female has dropped her eggs she will return within a couple of minutes. when she is back on the bed I very slowly drag the tube back into the bed most of the time she will pick it up to get rid of it. When the white disappears I set the hook.

 

If she does not come back to the bed in a couple of minutes move on as she has not dropped her eggs yet.

 

If the female has dropped her eggs, she'll be back in one year.  It's the male that guards the nest.

[Lund Explorer]

Thanks for the tips. The bass were definitely off beds and in post spawn. The only fish we did manage to catch were completely random, could not put any kind of pattern together. 

 

Did these random bites come from the same shallow water? 

 

I've run across the kind same cruising fish, clear water with little cover in the past.  My favorite tactics are like others have said.  Back off far enough so you reach that water with a long cast.  Spinning rig, light line, and a small bait.  Deadsticking a small worm on a split shot rig often works so long as you aren't dropping the bait right on top of their heads.

 

Almost sounds like your random bites were the pattern, you just didn't realize it.

[Canyon explorer]

If the female has dropped her eggs, she'll be back in one year.  It's the male that guards the nest.

You are quite right sir. I should have said  bass. Although I have caught both using this method.

[WRB]

Sight fishing non-spawners is very different then sight fish bass during the spawn.

Spawners don't eat, they strike to get intruders away from the bed site.

Bass hunting in shallower clear water are looking for a specific abundant prey type, you need to determine what that is. Post spawn the prey is usually bass fry or some other young of the year fish.

Bluegill swim baits can be very good and smaller baby bass color soft plastics like slip or drop shot reapers or 4" worms.

A trick that can work good is getting ahead of the cruising bass, make a cast and wait until the bass come close, move the lure a little and watch for a reaction.

Wear a wide brim hat, good polarized sunglasses and dull color clothing so you don't stand out. Keep your shadow off the water where the bass is.

Tom