Getting Discouraged

[BrianMRetter]

Last spring I started fishing for LMB. I knew nothing about the sport, what lures to use when, seasons, forage, structure, etc. I would simply try throwing a few lures, use a straight retrieve with the reel and occassionally catch a few bass. Over the winter I started reading & researching what lures to use when, bass behavior and things like that in preparation for the pre-spawn...So spring comes, the water surface warms to around the 60-70* range, I head out to a lake (known to have bass) with my kayak, an SI/DI fishfinder, and after 4 days in a row I totaled 2 bites, and 0 fish in the boat...What am I doing wrong?

[the reel ess]

5 minutes ago, BrianMRetter said:

Last spring I started fishing for LMB. I knew nothing about the sport, what lures to use when, seasons, forage, structure, etc. I would simply try throwing a few lures, use a straight retrieve with the reel and occassionally catch a few bass. Over the winter I started reading & researching what lures to use when, bass behavior and things like that in preparation for the pre-spawn...So spring comes, the water surface warms to around the 60-70* range, I head out to a lake (known to have bass) with my kayak, an SI/DI fishfinder, and after 4 days in a row I totaled 2 bites, and 0 fish in the boat...What am I doing wrong?

I don't know, but I'm doing it too. Only 1 bite last 2 times out. My main mistake is not going where I know they bite well and grow big.

Probably just bad luck. Why they call it fishing, not catching. I followed a front last 2 times and there was a stiff northerly wind. The mistake I made last time was going to a public lake and taking my daughter in her kayak. She makes a lot of noise and hangs right on my shoulder and bumps onto me all day :). But it's well worth trading a few bass to spend the time the with her while I can. She loves her daddy.

I guess what I'm saying is take your daughter so you have an excuse.

[BassB8Caster]

I just started bass fishing last summer. Did really well. This is my first spring and so far I'm 0 for 2. First time )March 31) out no bites, didn't even see a fish. Second time out (this past sunday) no bites but say a handful or so, one big 5 plus lber.  Weren't interested in the 5 or so different baits I threw at them. Maybe they saw me and figured me out? Not sure. Was kind of discouraged. Now I can't wait for another Crack at them.

Keep trying. Keep reading and keep putting what you read to work. It will happen. Good luck!

[bralexander]

I have no specific advice for you... I currently live on a small lake and I have fished it probably 50-60 times so far. Literally hundreds of hours, and if I am lucky I catch one fish per hour. I have used a ridiculous amount of different baits. Sometimes it's just not as good as you think it could be! The only real advice to you is if you can fish the same area with someone else than that may help. Then you can have a comparison. If they don't catch anything, then you know it's not just you. If they do catch more, then you might be able to see what you are doing wrong, and they are doing right. When I have fished on this small lake with others they catch slightly more fish than me. I figured out, it was simply covering more area in a given amount of time. I still go slow by myself though, so I guess that just makes me stubborn. Ha

Bruce 

[A-Jay]

I've been fishing for 50 years and there I times where I feel like I know nothing about the sport too ~

Some days we just don't catch them - may not be doing anything "Wrong" per se - it's more like the bass may be in a negative mood or they are not where we are fishing.

No one catches them all the time.  But we keep going, keep trying things, keep learning and most importantly - having fun while we're doing it.

Something we hear from time to time when the bite is tough is "Let the fish tell you want they want"  ~ So on those tough bite days, the fish seem to be telling me that they want me to enjoy my day out on the water and to get a lot of casting practice  . . . .

Keep at it, your time will come - it always does.

A-Jay

 

[BassMaster17]

 

I have been in a rut the past few days also, been using all sorts of different lures and versions of the lures and can't get even one fish! I would say try deeper water and see if there still hiding in the depths, or maybe try something that's real slow like a wacky worm, that's what I'm going to have to do next trip out. Good Luck

[dallasdb]

I'm right there with you. Plus the last few times I have lost lure after lure... stupid rip rap was acting like a fly trap.

Keep putting in time. 

Are you seeing others catch fish near you or on the same body of water?

 

[K_Mac]

Like anything there is a learning curve. Seasonal patterns, weather conditions, water conditions, techniques and tackle, structure and cover, and countless other things are all part of the equation. Enjoy the process.

[Raul]

50 minutes ago, BrianMRetter said:

What am I doing wrong?

Expecting to catch.

What they say ? 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water and 90% of the fish will be caught by10% of the anglers.

That´s why it´s called fishing and not called catching and in order to catch you still have a big learning curve to go by.

[IndianaFinesse]

Try the Ned rig.  Closest thing I know to a guaranteed fish producer.  Living in indiana like you, I have found that  the bass here don't respond as well to many of the lures popular in other states, and prefer finesse type lures like tubes and especially the Ned rig.

["hamma"]

I,.. like a-jay,... have been bass fishing for 50 years and i too have seen this before,. it happens, usually its that we are fired up to catch anything to buck those winter time cabin fever blues and are fishing too fast. A remedy i've found {probably 20 years ago, yeah it took that long) is to put all but 2 rods in the rodbox, and fish just them. (1) a spinning rod with a 1/8,. or 1/4 oz jighead with a 3 inch white grub smothered in real craw (or scent of your choice) cast out , let it settle on bottom but watch your line every second the lure is in water. the slowly lift rod tip up, let it "swim" to the bottom,..repeat. (2) 1/4 oz black jig and pig (prefer hair jig, but not "necessary)  trimmed to be about 3 inches, again doused with real craw,.  fished so slow its almost like noodling, or should i say dragged on the bottom, with intermittant small hops.

 Of course you need to be where the fish are so pay close attention to your fishfinder, if you see fish suspending and you havent got any hits, they could be any type of fish, my telltale sign they are bass is, if they are spread out between 12 ft deep. Meaning say they are suspending from 10 to 22 feet. if you find that and still no hits, its gunna be a real tough day, be diligent. If you dont see any fish suspending at all but marking alot of "rocks" on the bottom? its gunna be a better day, they are tight to cover and more likely to bite those slow presentations.

 Nothing is set in stone when bass fishing, this is what I do and its worked in the past "sometimes",..fish the northern portions of the lake or area choosen and fish slow,...only other lure i might try is a original floating rapala in a pattern of the previlant baitfish, fish it deadsticked

 good luck ,..hope this helps ya

[bralexander]

23 minutes ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Try the Ned rig.  Closest thing I know to a guaranteed fish producer.  Living in indiana like you, I have found that  the bass here don't respond as well to many of the lures popular in other states, and prefer finesse type lures like tubes and especially the Ned rig.

Thanks to this site, my order of Ned rig stuff just came in. I can't wait to give it a try as it is pretty different from everything else I normally use. I don't know if it helps the Brian but, I love trying new stuff, even if I don't catch anything.

Bruce 

[the reel ess]

I 2nd what a couple guys have said. When they won't bite your standby downsize and/or use a more finesse approach. I usually don't take my own advice here because it feels like you're just fishing for small fish. But after a couple goose eggs, small fish are just what the doctor ordered.

My latest favorite for tough times is a T-rigged Yamamoto Hula Grub with 1/8 oz bullet weight. It has saved the day twice since I discovered it.

Another good one for tough days is a weightless Trick Worm. I usually fish it like a jerkbait or fluke, but when fish won't take it, I'll just toss and drag it as slowly as I can stand. The Wacky rig is good for really slow days as well. Experiment and you'll get a great feeling of accomplishment when it works. You'll learn a lot when it doesn't.

[roadwarrior]

[Bass newb]

You aren't the only one. I've been lucky enough to catch a 2-3lb fish about 8 of the last 12 times out, but I will put in some serious time to get it. 3.5 hours yesterday and 1 2.5lb fish. This comes right two days after buddy caught 22lbs in a tourney. He says they're all in the grass...I didn't get a single bite in the grass.

[Outdoor Zack]

6 hours ago, BrianMRetter said:

Last spring I started fishing for LMB. I knew nothing about the sport, what lures to use when, seasons, forage, structure, etc. I would simply try throwing a few lures, use a straight retrieve with the reel and occassionally catch a few bass. Over the winter I started reading & researching what lures to use when, bass behavior and things like that in preparation for the pre-spawn...So spring comes, the water surface warms to around the 60-70* range, I head out to a lake (known to have bass) with my kayak, an SI/DI fishfinder, and after 4 days in a row I totaled 2 bites, and 0 fish in the boat...What am I doing wrong?

I've been slowing down my presentation and using some smaller lures (grubs, small worms, etc.) to get through tough days.

[GoCougs14]

I feel you dude. First day on for the year (about a month in a half ago), and I slayed them. Last four times Ive went fishing I havent gotten one single bite. I thought they were supposed to get more active as the water warmed up!? I know its not that simple though. 

 

I figure worst case scenario its a nice day out on the water. 

[Kevinator1]

7 hours ago, BrianMRetter said:

Last spring I started fishing for LMB. I knew nothing about the sport, what lures to use when, seasons, forage, structure, etc. I would simply try throwing a few lures, use a straight retrieve with the reel and occassionally catch a few bass. Over the winter I started reading & researching what lures to use when, bass behavior and things like that in preparation for the pre-spawn...So spring comes, the water surface warms to around the 60-70* range, I head out to a lake (known to have bass) with my kayak, an SI/DI fishfinder, and after 4 days in a row I totaled 2 bites, and 0 fish in the boat...What am I doing wrong?

Ummm...i'm from Indiana too....and i see you like to fish Summit....I've fished tournaments there and its basically the "dead sea" lol.....You can catch some sometimes there but its not what it used to be....It was great and they introduced walleye and it hasn't been the same since...and i very rarely see walleye fisherman on that lake so i don't get it. When you do fish there, remember that it is very clear so you have to be very stealth like and throw finesse baits.....There is usually a little more color to the water in the cove with all of the trees and stumps. If you want to possibly catch a lot of bass, head over to Geist Reservoir during the weekdays. Its fished hard but still produces. During the weekend tournaments there are always 4 to 7 lb bass caught. But fishing in a kayak during the weekends wouldn't be very fun due to all of the boat traffic.

[DogBone_384]

Don't get down. Keep a log of what you catch, what lure you caught it on, time of day, weather conditions, etc. I take pictures and use the time stamp to remember it correctly.

I caught my PB just a month ago in 45 degree water back home and am 0/4 since, including 6 hours at Waller Mill Reservoir in VA under almost perfect conditions.

I'm discovering myself that I have the hardest time in Spring when others are 'killing' it.

You'll learn patterns that work for you and get a lot better at lure choice and presentation, which will catch you more fish.

Good luck, and keep at it.

[BrianMRetter]

Thanks for all the replies, guys! I needed the encouragement.  I'll definitely try all the suggestions

[DogBone_384]

You're very welcome. I've been in your waders before. You'll find this forum's members a great resource of information & support. They're a fantastic bunch.

[fishwizzard]

7 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Try the Ned rig.  Closest thing I know to a guaranteed fish producer.  Living in indiana like you, I have found that  the bass here don't respond as well to many of the lures popular in other states, and prefer finesse type lures like tubes and especially the Ned rig.

Even that fails us sometimes.  Today I literally bounced a Ned off the nose of a beded bass, it didn't even acknowledge it.   I saw maybe 60 goode sized fish in a single mile, but only managed to get two to bite.  

Now, a Ned with the plastic cut in half is irresistible to large sunfish, so the day was not a total loss.  

But yea, I am doing just awful this year so far, with an army of dinks and only a handful of decent fish in a dozen or two trips.  

[RAMBLER]

Not catching fish is jut part of fishing.  Due to circumstances beyond my control, I can only fish by someone else's schedule.  So, the last three times I've been out were total busts for me.  It's been a high pressure cold front, east wind (made fishing where I wanted to impossible) of about 11-12 mph, combination of wind, front, and unseasonable growth of weeds.  I just try to enjoy the outing and take a few pictures of things that interest me.  The weather and schedule will match up some day.

[neocrunch]

1 hour ago, Kevinator1 said:

Ummm...i'm from Indiana too....and i see you like to fish Summit....I've fished tournaments there and its basically the "dead sea" lol.....You can catch some sometimes there but its not what it used to be....It was great and they introduced walleye and it hasn't been the same since...and i very rarely see walleye fisherman on that lake so i don't get it. When you do fish there, remember that it is very clear so you have to be very stealth like and throw finesse baits.....There is usually a little more color to the water in the cove with all of the trees and stumps. If you want to possibly catch a lot of bass, head over to Geist Reservoir during the weekdays. Its fished hard but still produces. During the weekend tournaments there are always 4 to 7 lb bass caught. But fishing in a kayak during the weekends wouldn't be very fun due to all of the boat traffic.

I went down to Summit on Sunday and fished from my kayak (I'd seen your post on the Hoosier thread so I kept an eye out for you, Brian, but I didn't see any other kayak anglers). I fished for nearly six hours and only caught one fish on a Ned rig. I'm planning on fishing my first kayak tournament on Geist this Saturday. I haven't been there before and I hadn't really given boat traffic much thought. 

 

[thomas15]

I think I average 1 bass for about every 15 hours of trying. Still worth it, love being out on the water.