Tricky bass

[IgotWood]

Was fishing some cypress in 2'-3' of water today. I was flipping a 1/4oz brush jig, with a Reins Ring Craw (which is an awesome combo...it falls so slow). Water was 48 degrees, and there wasn't much going on. I flipped it up against a tree, and watched it slowly descent and WHAM!, a fish came and made a move for the jig but never touched it. It looked like he bit it, but I never felt anything. I flipped it again and the fish darted for the jig as soon as it hit the water, but again, never ate it. I let it sit on the bottom for a about 10 seconds, and slowly moved it and let it settle again...No bite. I moved around and hit every tree I could. The same scenario happened to me a little while later...different tree, different fish.

 

What should I have done? I tried changing colors, tried a smaller trailer, tried a wacky worm... I thought this was rather strange behavior considering the conditions. The fish seemed very aggressive, which made me think that perhaps there were many fish present. By the end of the trip, all I caught was a pickerel, which took a jerkbait. Any suggestions? Ever witnessed fish acting like this?

[WRB]

Spinnerbait, chatter jig, square bill shallow crank, anything moving faster instead or slower.

Tom

[RoLo]

 

I doubt that there's much you could've done.

A fish that makes "2" false starts indicates a fish in a passive disposition,

where triggering 2 impulsive reactions might be the best you can expect.

 

Roger

[Bluebasser86]

Sounds like swimming a jig might have been a good idea. 

[Turkey sandwich]

11 hours ago, WRB said:

Spinnerbait, chatter jig, square bill shallow crank, anything moving faster instead or slower.

Tom

This.  If you're seeing an aggressive response, and no pick up after letting the bait die, my first suggestion would be fishing for a reaction strike.  

[wdp]

Maybe try a slightly heavier jig. Sometimes the faster rate of fall will get a reaction bite. 

[A-Jay]

I'd recommend a SK 1.5 or 2.5 Squarebill Crank with 20 lb mono to help keep your bait up.

Make repeated casts to targets using a slow steady retrieve while bumping & banging that bait off every potential Hawg Holding cypress.

A brief pause thrown in after contact might help.

btw - Chartreuse with a black back isn't a bad color either.

A-Jay

[Catt]

On 1/28/2017 at 3:04 PM, RoLo said:

 

I doubt that there's much you could've done.

A fish that makes "2" false starts indicates a fish in a passive disposition,

where triggering 2 impulsive reactions might be the best you can expect.

 

Roger

 

2 hours ago, wdp said:

Maybe try a slightly heavier jig. Sometimes the faster rate of fall will get a reaction bite. 

 

Yelp!

 

I would've keep flipping!

 

If heavier don't work try your Reins Ring Craw Texas rigged weightless!

You may have been dealing more than one bass, the root system of cypress trees extend out away from the trunk.

 

@RoLo I edited it; y'all got a couple cypress tree over yonder

Edited January 29, 2017 by Catt
Operator error

[Sam]

Something was wrong with your bait that caused the fish to turn away at the last moment.

 

No idea what it was or if you could have seen it, but the bass saw something that gave them lockjaw.

 

Or, the bass did not like your bait in their space and were trying to chase it away.

 

Problem is that we will never know.

[RoLo]

14 minutes ago, Catt said:

Yelp!

I would've keep flipping!

If heavier don't work try your Reins Ring Craw Texas rigged weightless!

 

 

As fishermen, hope springs eternal, but realism ain't a bad thing either.

Adding weight moves 'away' from the Ned rig approach to trigger a passive bass,

but it caters to the opposite approach by using 'speed' as a trigger (who ever said fishing was easy?)

 

Roger

[Raul]

My take ? 

 

Burn the water, reel in fast !

 

Bass will think " Oh my, it's going away ! Let me git it bfore it's gone ".

[IgotWood]

Thank you for the replies. I didn't even think to try a chatter or a spinner bait. For some reason I just had my mind set on slow-falling jig. For the record, I did try a heavier jig, as someone mentioned, but no luck. I hope to go back there this weekend, if I can. Thanks again for the info.  

[WIGuide]

I would definitely try adding more speed into the equation. You might have used a heavier jig, but did you try a smaller profile with more weight? Something like compact craw type bait with a heavier weight may have triggered them. It's really hard to say after the fact though. Good luck when you get another crack at them!

[primetime]

That is a tricky situation. I am not sure that there is a "Correct" answer other than trying different profiles & colors & just being persistent. I usually let the area settle for a good 15 minutes and I usually try throwing a weightless soft bait and try not to "Spook" the fish and it sometimes works. I have noticed that often times when a fish only moves a few feet you can get lucky by changing the angle of your casts to get the strike. Some days nothing seems to work.

 

Shallow water can also be a sound thing. Just a suggestion but it is frustrating this time of year since different fish in the same area can be in different moods.

 

[Paul Roberts]

My gut agrees with Roger. There may have been nothing you could have done. What you probably saw was a "sampling bite": A fish that was interested but not willing to commit. Sight-fishing is rough on the ego.

 

What could you have done? When a fish shorts on a lure, subsequent reactions are often further muted. I'd have rested him and gone back. If the fish had chased up, that's often an indication that they need speed. But, as you described it, and in that cold water, I doubt speed would've solved it. I'd down-size. Go back and try a finesse jig. Or, cut right to the chase and throw a wacky'd stickworm, or a slim worm via drop-shot.

[Catt]

A bass's metabolism is finally tuned to its circulatory system temperature which is the same as the surrounding water temperature. In cold water their metabolism slows down, their brain slows down, so the bass slows down.

 

 The colder the water, the slower the bass's brain operates so the slower you must present the bait or it's gone before the bass's brain tells it to bite.

 

I think your 1/4 oz jigs rate of fall was to fast

[Sittin there reelin em in]

I'm thinking that you need to run a Fluke in there and see if that will work. The fish may want something falling down a little slower. If that doesn't work then try cranking a spinner bait slowly through the cypress , bumping off of the trees causing a reaction strike.