It's Not Fall yet.

["hamma"]

   Often when the fishing is slow, and times are tough? Seems you cant buy a bite? Is when the pigs are the active fish. If you can find them. They seem to follow rules of their own. It was this time of year, with weather patterns almost mirrored, 22 years ago I got my personal best. If my health would allow it, Id be out there right now. Unfortunately for you all, Pain rules out and Im stuck spending my am's here with my coffee and breakfast, bugging you with long drawn out posts. So,...to avoid my incessive rants, get out and fish! If nothing is working???,... go after the pigs. Although I know my 3 lures I mentioned above work well for me in these clear water northen lakes. When they dont? I tie on a big spinnerbait, utilize my jig and pig on a flippin stik, a 10 inch worm on another, and break out the huge deep diving 20+ manns crankbait. and go into big fish mode.

[Paul Roberts]

The mature bass in my waters aren't targeting YOY fish (bluegills and bass) -they're too small. I know that can be different with shad, and maybe in waters where YOY grow quicker -like in the South. Mature bass here are instead targeting the yearling bluegills and the yearling bass (that are themselves after the YOY). I've even been watching them via UW video footage. In the right locations the entire food chain is right there in the size of a small living room.

We had an exceptionally hot early to mid summer here this year (90's and some 100F days). Fishing was tough, I working hard for few fish, here and there, down away from the surface, and often under dense stuff. The one's I caught were thin -not getting enough to eat to match their metabolisms. Then the cold fronts hit, one after the other, and water temps fell. The bass started to bite and noticeably fatten up. And by the end of August they were coming up and chasing. I even managed to catch one good one twice at the very same location. First in the heat the first week of August and then again in the last week of August -and a 10deg temp difference. And she had begun to fatten back up.

Every water body is a bit different, and there are a number of important variables at play, but water temps can play a key role.

One things for sure: Fall is right around the corner.  I was just gifted something of a jump on it this year. 

 

[WRB]

Keep in mind that the warmer water states bass and other fish spawn earlier in the year giving them longer growing cycles. Fish that spawn in March are 6 months old by September, YOY. Baby bass in So Cal lakes are about 4" long by June and baby crappie and blue about 2" by June on average by September the YOY bass are over 6" and bluegill or crappie 3"+, the grow fast.

Castaic this year has been raising all summer about and up about 50' vertical feet so far. The cool water has affected the Shad growth this year and most are under 3" long. If you use larger soft plastics it's a long day, 3" to 5" soft plastic work good. Casitas is just the opposite the water is stable and warm the baitfish are bigger and you can catch bass on a wide variety of lures and sizes, the fall bite is on there. Castaic the fall bite may start by end of October, the 2 lakes are about 50 miles apart and usually about 1 month different in both spawning cycles and seasonal cycles.

Tom

[Paul Roberts]

Yes, I hear you, Tom. The YOY bass and 'gills in my waters scarcely reach 3" by their first winter. Some smaller. The yearlings I'm referring to are <3" 'gills and 4" bass. It takes longer for fish in my waters to reach "edible size".

[Nice_Bass]

good info I just find everyone stress size and matching the hatch way too often here. 

Year round a 10inch worm catches fish. 

chasing pelagic fish or fish that eat pelagic fish I like to match so long as we are in that zone of open water.  Schooling fish really do seem to like specific sizes of fish.  

Fishing near shoreline structure or cover I honestly don't care if I match or not.  I know the various sizes of shad, gills, etc. and if one happens by an ambush predator they will not get measured first prior to being eaten.  

 

Anecdotal stuff on all sides here of course and I don't really think there is a wrong answer.

[Fishon24]

Well that answers my question I was going to post! The struggle has been real the past few weeks. I've been way to premature with my Fall transition with lure selections and tactics. Great piece!