Guess I'm Not A Fisherman...

[ThatZX14Fella]

I've been fishing for over a month with my kayak and have only caught one bass. I've tried different baits, different locations, different techniques, etc. I've been casting at places that I'd believe would be bass haven, but nothing. Guess I'm just not really a fisherman. Doesn't bother me though. Still enjoy it, even if I never catch anything. It would be nice to get a few nice bass though...

[Senko lover]

If you're up to sharing conditions, depth, weather, lures, ect. I'm sure we might be able to help ya out a little on what's going on or what to throw. 

[kudagra]

Looks like you're in Alabama. Summer is a tough time in the South. I've been fishing most of my life and I got shut out this weekend. Just keep at it and you will find success.

[ThatZX14Fella]

Conditions are normally lower to mid 80's since I either go early in the morning or late in the evening. Depth in the spot I fish most often ranges from about 3-8ft if I had to guess. Been using mainly T-rigged soft plastics and the newest edition to the family, Keitech 4.8" baby bass swimbaits on a Revenge 3/8oz swimbait jighead.

[Senko lover]

Took me a while to figure out summer fishing in my ponds. I've been catching some (not tons) on finesse presentations. Wacky-rigged senkos weren't producing anything, so I switched to a 4.5 inch finesse worm and caught fish. Been catching fish on the Ned Rig, shakeyhead, and dropshot (a wacky rigged finesse worm is great on dropshot). 

[gulfcaptain]

Try a 4-6 inch worm (straight or currytail) on a dropshot about 10 inches up from the weight.  Happpened to stay at a buddies house in Louisiana when I first started working down there and he had a small body of water behind his house that had a "couple" fish in it.  Well I caught more then a couple. They wouldn't touch a texas rigged worm, but throw a dropshot and they smashed it.  Just a suggestion.

[Cgolf]

Are you on rivers? If you are Crankbaits are a great option. You could go with Bandit 100 and 200 and DT6 and DT10s depending on the depths. Smallies will hang near current, can be pretty strong current, and will hang in the eddies and feed on stuff being washed down the river. If there are sub surface rocks smallies will hold behind the rocks in the current, so don't give up on your retrieve after the bait leaves the eddy. Grinding square bills off the rocks drives smallies nuts.

As for largies look for large areas of slack water. I very rarely catch a Largie in current, it happens, but is the exception.

[terrym0391]

I totally can relate to this feeling!  I honestly feel very confused, especially about "jigs" and jigging, etc. but this site has helped me a lot and also some family members who are great at sharing their "secrets."  I'm hanging in there and just enjoying being outside.

[Dye99]

It happens. Ive had to switch my fishing to smaller ponds since Ive been skunked two days at my local big lake...

 

But that changes tonight! Day three will yield fish!

 

Thats the trick, summer time its already tougher, so just keep at it. You can also ask other fisherman what has worked for them, or local shop what is working in your waters.

 

When in doubt, top water at sunset or sunrise should proceed something!

[MN_Bassin]

Try skipping under docks, the shade during the heat of summer is like a magnet!

[MIbassyaker]

I haven't had your temperatures to deal with, but it's still been slow all summer for me, both for sizes and numbers. Recently, ned rig and mojo/slip-shot rigged worms and creature baits have been catching most of my fish;  the rest have been on topwater (Buzzbait, Pop-R and Jitterbug), but only very early in the morning.

[FinCulture]

Aim for any low-light areas like shade and deep water. What time of day do you usually fish?

[bigbill]

Summertime heat plastics deep. C- rigs, senkos, brushogs, worms.

Spring and fall bass it's the same lures.

Follow the shade cast into it. I use inline spinners/ spinnerbaits.

The old timers always told me to fish the rivers in the heat.

Don't give up, never give up, it will get better. Every trip is a learning process read the articles here and ask here.

[d-camarena]

This has been working fot me this summer-

Wacky

Spinnerbaits

Zoom lizards texas rigged

Jigs.

Sometimes frogs.

Buts thats it, they wont eat anything else. Not even senkos

[the reel ess]

I haven't had your temperatures to deal with, but it's still been slow all summer for me, both for sizes and numbers. Recently, ned rig and mojo/slip-shot rigged worms and creature baits have been catching most of my fish;  the rest have been on topwater (Buzzbait, Pop-R and Jitterbug), but only very early in the morning.

Same for me, with the exception of a T-rigged craw, but very late in the day. Size has been good for me though. I've caught 5 over 5# this summer. It seems the slower the bites, the bigger the bites. But I'm also mostly fishing a place where a 5# bass isn't unusual. They are nice though.

[MIbassyaker]

Same for me, with the exception of a T-rigged craw, but very late in the day. Size has been good for me though. I've caught 5 over 5# this summer. It seems the slower the bites, the bigger the bites. But I'm also mostly fishing a place where a 5# bass isn't unusual. They are nice though.

I felt a little better once I looked up recent results of the local tournament divisions in this area: big bass is not breaking 5lbs very often, and the exceptions are all on a handful of lakes that are regularly way to busy for my taste. For the lakes on those schedules that I actually fish sometimes, most of the tournament folks don't seem to be doing any better than I am.

[Kentuckysteve]

The bite is slow here also but i still catch them.I go early and cast buzzbaits and spinnerbaits around weedbed edges,docks and any other cover i can find.If that don't produce anything i try shakey head with zoom finese worms or lizzards fished slow.