Is it normal to not catch anything?

[Rollincoal420]

 So,  I'm relatively new to fishing and have started going every day after work since I get out a couple hrs before my girlfriend.   We sometimes go in the evenings after she gets home, and usually at some point during the weekend.   Here recently. Last month,  month and a half, I started to get serious about it due to restrictions that arose for me in my other hobby/addiction whatever u wanna call it.  It's pretty common for us not to catch anything for days,  even over a week.  

 

We do all our fishing from the bank,  like parks,  lakes,  rivers,  usually a boat ramp or some other highly pressured access point for fishing. We wear out Google earth and usually spend roughly a day in the weekend checking spot off the list. 

 

The success I do have is all from info taken off the internet, and applied as best I can since all of our friends are jeep friends, not fishing friends.  No one to turn to for advice, if u know what I mean.  

I see posts on social media, YouTube, and other fishing or "news feed" type apps of people always slaying fish.  Whether from shore or boat, don't matter.    I get a boat give u all kinds of access,  and things like fish finders offer a huge advantage,  but I usually strike out.  Doesn't really slow me down, I still enjoy the fishing part even without the catching part, but I'd like to see better results.  

 

Today and yesterday, for example,  Fish wr busting out of the water everywhere.  As close as I couldn't see through the water n e more, to all the way across the lake.  Tried everything, and got nothing.  So I'm here to try and improve on that.

 

Sorry for the long winded post.  I usually avoid creating them.

[Attila]

I've gotten skunked, nothing wrong with it. If anything days like that teach me the most about what I might do to not get skunked the next time I go out.

 

I do a couple of things now to ensure I'm catching fish; first is to pack an UL combo with some tube jigs and more often than not I'll catch a variety of fish on them, including some decent sized bass.

 

The second thing I do is keep a log. I can keep track of trends and what worked where and in what types of conditions I was catching fish.

 

You're already doing the right things with researching everything, so keep that up.

 

Cheers!

[deep]

"Knowledge is the key to fishing success" - Buck Perry

[TheRodFather]

It always seems like everyone else is slaying them.  Same as how it seems like everybody on Facebook is having tons of fun that you aren't.  It's not that you never have fun, or that you never catch fish, it's just that out of all the people online, 2 or 3 are going to have caught fish and post about it, or have something fun to share on FB.  So day after day you see those fish and think your not keeping up, or that your life is boring :).

 

Don't get discouraged, the LMB fishing around me is slooooow, every place that has LM is crazy pressured, or private property.  I haven't caught a LM in 3 outings.  The heat is not helping either.  

I try to get a fix wading in creeks and rivers for smallmouth, until I get my boat done, then it's game on .  You might try going out in the evening into night, or early in the morning.  

 

[Looking for the big one]

^^^

There are also freaks of nature, like @A-Jay and @everythingthatswimswho I think catch fish every time they go out. 

[WRB]

Rollincoal, this is primarily a bass fishing forum so I will assume you are inquiring about catching bass. My 1st questions are usually to inquire about what type of fishing tackle do you use? You will get location, location, location is the only thing you need to know, which is true, but I like to advise lures and techniques based on the type of rod, reel, line you currently use.

Tom

[scaleface]

I have caught a lot of bass from bank .Its mostly location . I fished , sloughs , ponds ,rivers , bays and Irrigation ditches can be real good . The thing these places have in common is little fishing pressure .

[Rollincoal420]

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

Rollincoal, this is primarily a bass fishing forum so I will assume you are inquiring about catching bass. My 1st questions are usually to inquire about what type of fishing tackle do you use? You will get location, location, location is the only thing you need to know, which is true, but I like to advise lures and techniques based on the type of rod, reel, line you currently use.

Tom

 Yes,  primarily bass but I'm not prejudice.   I'm happy about any fish that wants to join in on the party.   Or get the party started for me.   

 

I got 3 rod.   One is a medium/ heavy spinning rod,  I think it's a catfish rod,  7ft, with 65lb bread and a Texas rig right now,  

A medium fast,  casting rod,  right now 30lb braid,  and frog at the moment.  6'6"

And a medium fast spinning rod with 12lb mono.  5'5".

 

And the usual assortment of lures.   Not a great assortment as a bunch has been claimed by the lake.  The one thing I haven't tried much of is jig.  I seem to loose them in whatever is on the bottom every time I cast.

[A-Jay]

48 minutes ago, Looking for the big one said:

^^^

There are also freaks of nature, like @A-Jay and @everythingthatswimswho I think catch fish every time they go out. 

 

@Looking for the big one ~ I would tend to agree with you regarding the angling prowess of @everythingthatswims ~

But me ~ Well, not so much . . . . . 

A-Jay

[Russ E]

I think everyone has gotten skunked fishing at some point.

I will say the Ned rig has saved the day for me, more days than I can count.

It may not always produce the biggest fish, but it will get bites when nothing else does.

 

 

[deep]

 

@Rollincoal420 My bad if my earlier post sounded snarky.

 

You should get enough bait (lure- I call artificials bait too) suggestions.

 

But tell us a little bit about where you fish, if you don't mind. Google and/ or navionics maps would help. Also tell us about the depths (if you can't find topo maps), cover (wood/ weeds/ docks/ brush) and the forage (baitfish).

 

P.S. I'd forget about that jig for a while, and stick to texas rigs or florida (pegged texas) rigs.

[Looking for the big one]

22 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

@Looking for the big one ~ I would tend to agree with you regarding the angling prowess of @everythingthatswims ~

But me ~ Well, not so much . . . . . 

A-Jay

You're too modest A-Jay. Been watching some of your recent smallie  videos, man those were some chunks.

[IndianaFinesse]

Since you bank fish, you are mostly going to be fishing behind numerous people and mobility is somewhat limited.  As such, a fast moving buzzbait or a burned crankabit may not be your best bet.  Sometimes it will, but the majority of the time a smaller finesse lure will be the better producer from the shore.  My suggestion would be that you learn to fish the ned rig, and if you follow the guidelines in this thread exactly, I will be shocked if you don't start catching fish on a more regular basis.  Here's the link https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/186214-the-basics-of-the-ned-rig/

 

PS, causeways rule.  Best universal shore fishing place ever, I have yet to fish a causeway anywhere  that isn't productive.  Ponds are a great option to.

[Rollincoal420]

45 minutes ago, deep said:

 

@Rollincoal420 My bad if my earlier post sounded snarky.

 

You should get enough bait (lure- I call artificials bait too) suggestions.

 

But tell us a little bit about where you fish, if you don't mind. Google and/ or navionics maps would help. Also tell us about the depths (if you can't find topo maps), cover (wood/ weeds/ docks/ brush) and the forage (baitfish).

 

P.S. I'd forget about that jig for a while, and stick to texas rigs or florida (pegged texas) rigs.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/LJaxYyohKfB2

 

https://goo.gl/maps/nFgZRWuptu72

 

https://goo.gl/maps/q3noppLEE2v

 

https://goo.gl/maps/iZRiumvNvEJ2

Hope these links work.

These are the most common places I go because they are close and readily accessible at a whim.  Plus I'm working close to that area right now. 

 

Pretty much always find some sort of vegetation  on the bottoms.  Some are completelycovered in grass/weeds with spots matting up on the surface.  Depth varies but about as one would expect looking at Google maps and probably 8+ ft wherever there is a dock.

 

A couple shorelines are built up rip rap and can drop a good couple feet, just a few feet out.

 

 

I first head about Ned rig and tube rigs  only a week or 2 ago.  Wondered if the time was right to dabble or just stick with what I got until I get it figured out.  Sounds like I should dabble.

[sully420]

Get a canoe or a boat really helps in the dog days of summer and my wife loved going out on my canoe before i got a boat. You will be able to cut down on fishless outings. 

[everythingthatswims]

@Looking for the big one

 

 

When I do get skunked, I usually know that the odds of it are high before I go. This would be fishing in horrible conditions (flood/mud/COLD), or when I go looking for a big one armed with my telephone pole and pet trout.

 

Getting skunked is pretty rare for me once water temps hit maybe 48, I don't think I have been skunked this year since March. I have definitely come close a couple times. I catch a lot of fish but I also have 2 or 3 fish days on occasion.  

 

As for fishing public access points, I RARELY do this. The fish that live there see every bait under the sun, lots of live bait too usually, and often they see the bottom of a cooler or bucket. Typically on large lakes and rivers, bank fishing just isn't going to get you in front of many fish unless there is a lot of access and you can move around. So I would suggest fishing smaller waters, try to go where others don't, and fish the places with a large number of access points.

 

Also, go back where you have already been, and expand on what you did, especially if you had success.

[Neil McCauley]

Yep. When you're learning it is. Not because you're bad at it per se, it just takes time to learn how to set yourself up for success. When I first started fly fishing for trout I went to a river where it was known to be great, but was just a couple weeks too late for the spring run. The river was completely empty, I had 0% chance of catching anything. A lot of people fall into traps like that and end up fishing empty water without knowing it. The lake I fish I know well now, and a lot of people I see are fishing way too shallow. They only have a chance to catch anything worthwhile a certain few weeks in the year, but they're always there anyway. Bank fishing can be futile like that a lot of the time too. There's a shallow ~2-3' deep area the size of a couple basketball courts where I launch my canoe and sometimes on my way in someone will be there bank fishing. It just blows my mind anyone would do this- don't they know it's hopeless? I've passed through the spot hundreds of times, they might as well go fish in a bath tub.

[Catt]

Some have the erroneous idea that I only fish reserviors created by a dam impounded river valley.

 

I fish 4-5 days a week mostly off the bank on bodies of water that most don't even believe hold bass.

 

You need to understand that next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure. While all bass in a given body of water are not doing the same thing at the same time the overall population is. 

 

The overall population maybe be actively feeding in the morning or at midday or in the evening or at night.

 

Having limited access means I slow down, not necessarily meaning fishing slow techniques but covering the entire water column.

 

I carry 3 rods; topwater, mid depth, & bottom. Lures are dealers choice, what ever you have the most conference in. I do not move one step until I've thrown all three. 

[BrackishBassin]

Everyone who's ever wet a line has gotten skunked multiple times. They're a liar if they tell you any different. Just keep at it. And remember, a bad day fishing beats a good day doing anything else. 

[Koz]

I do most of my fishing in nearby private lagoons where the fishing pressure is low and 99% of the time I catch something. Yesterday I took my son up to Lake Warren (SC) and we spent 6 hours cooking our butts on a Jon boat and caught nothing.

 

It wasn't for lack of trying. We fished every type of cover out there with every bass rig and lure in our tackle bag. There are tons of log piles, grass, and rip rap there and we couldn't get a bite. We did see some crappie/bream coming to the surface but we didn't have the lures or bait to go after those. That was our choice.

 

If your just out to catch fish and don't care whether they are bass or not my suggestion is to go out and get some nightcrawlers, a hook, and a bobber and throw it out there. You're bound to land some panfish and maybe a bass or catfish as well.

[Rollincoal420]

I try to fish wherever and whenever I can.  Especially if I don't suspect it getting much attention.  Like the retention pond behind the high school I'm working close too.  That one had a turtle that kept trying to eat my Seiko.

 

Ultimately I'd love to find a nice pond that required some serious ohv to access but the large amounts of private land make most of the ponds around here off limits.  Many land owners around here stock the ponds themselves and don't like other people fishing them.  I'm always looking for new spots on the side of the rd to pull over and toss a rod, so much that I pretty much carry a rod or 2 with me whenever I leave the house.

 

As Catt mentioned,  I always assumed,  that even tho nothing is biting,  there is always fish there,  they just happen to not b interested in what I got.   So I always switch things up.   Different retrieves then different bait.   Then when nothing gives,  I try to move on,  but it usually involves packing up and driving somewhere.   

 

Just yesterday,  I was running a walking bait when a decent size bass came up and swatted it with his tail.   So I did it again figuring he'll sway it until he gets so aggravated he wants to just east it.   He smacked it with his tail one more time then that was it.  Happened again 5 min later with a smaller fish in another spot.   2 times,  then that's it.  I obviously got his attention,  but how do u guys keep ours attention and take it to the next level?

I even tossed a weightless Texas rigged Seiko after and nothing. 

[Angealy]

I do most of my fishing from the bank, I fish at a private lake and a public lake.

However, You are limited by the space you can fish from.

A little bit ago i was informed a lake just down the road from me i thought was public was private.

One day i was fishing there not bothering anyone when a group of three guys walk up to me and asked me if i caught anything.

I told them no and after that they said you do know the lake is private right?, Meaning you can't fish or be here without permission right?

I told them i wasn't aware of that and apologized and said how sorry i was.

I was really upset at this because this lake is very close to my house and for someone who doesn't really have a way to get around all that much it really sucked.

I told them to please let me pack up my things and i'd be gone.

Before i could go and do that they stopped me and said look the owner personally gave me permission to be here and fish i'm going to tell you what i tell everyone who comes here, You may fish here but only if you fallow these simple rules.

1. You are respectful to everyone on this lake and this goes for the house owners and people on the lake, You have just as much right to be here as they do.

2.You are quiet.

3.Don't leave trash/items/etc behind and clean up after yourself.

If you can do all of those things you are more than happy to fish here heck even go out on a boat and fish.

If anyone saids you cannot be here tell them "name" gave you permission and you'll be fine.

I guess it worked out for me in the end but i'm a bit hesitant to go there now not sure i can really trust this guy.

I now only fish at my public lake that gets fished all the time by large group of people/tourist people or locals.

When i go there some or no body there most the time and the bass are really finicky about what they'll eat on that lake.

But i'm happy just catch at least one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scaleface]

If your fishing lakes with rip rap banks , those are usually accessible and rip rap is good cover .I lose more lures in rip rap than anything so I go cheap .   Those prerigged soft swimbaits like the Storm and Berkely work well .  I like to cast to different depths let them sink to the bottom then follow the contour back with different retrieves . Buzzbaits paralleled along the banks work well late or on grey days .

[Gundog]

15 hours ago, Rollincoal420 said:

  It's pretty common for us not to catch anything for days,  even over a week.  

 

 

For me that's not even a cold streak. Wait till you see bass chasing your lure and you still can't make them bite. Like they are mocking you. They know you spend thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of hard-earned dollars buying everything you think they want and still they won't bite. Then you will truly know the meaning of defeat. 

[boostr]

Been Skunked many times, I even get skunked on my boat. The lakes and ponds where I fish are pressured, so Ill be lucky if I catch one. I rarely have days where I catch 2. The only time i get multiple catches is i f i go to a low pressured body of water, or an extremely large body of water thats larger than what I have locally, and that means going out of state.