Rough spring so far

[Drew03cmc]

Guys, perhaps some insight can be given to the following.

 

I have been having an awful time catching fish. I'm not a newbie by any means and never have this trouble. The setups and lures I've been using are a M and MH casting tackle and a M spinning rod. I've tried everything I normally toss in spring, weightless finesse worms, light Texas rig finesse worms, Ned, traps, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, soft swimbaits (Rage, Eco Pro, Little Dipper), swim jigs and even a swinging head with a 3.75" Hi Def Craw. I've caught 4 bass, lost 3 this spring. I really don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it seems that whatever I'm doing isn't working. Advice?

[CroakHunter]

It's not the lures, it's the location your throwing them. Maybe the fish are ahead or behind where you think they should be. And as always slowing down, although tough, can work wonders. Try dead sticking a jig or craw bait. It's painfully slow but has worked for me. 

[MoBassRaider]

I’m in the same situation. With the rains and wild temperature swings here I’m just writing this year off so far and hoping for improvement in May. 

[A-Jay]

Creep a jig & craw in, around and through the middle of submerged, deep water wood. 

(not on the bank)

A-Jay

 

[scaleface]

I cant supply you with any answers . I went twice this past week for the first time all spring and did decent with a spinnerbait around shallow wood . 

[frosty]

I’m tagging along because I don’t seem to be putting it together this year either, of course it hasn’t been spring in Indiana for more than a couple weeks so maybe I’m just rushing things?

[Drew03cmc]

I just caught one more on a Ned. She was a fat prespawn female over 3...

[Boomstick]

I'm bot sure about elsewhere in the country but if you are in the northeast, you are not alone. The weather has the fish all confused.

[frosty]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Creep a jig & craw in, around and through the middle of submerged, deep water wood. 

(not on the bank)

A-Jay

 

I’m sorry to derail but this has to be the most stunning photo of a fishing lure I’ve ever seen... I’m debating on asking the wife if I can print it and hang it in the living room!

[Drew03cmc]

Haha...here she is. I guess 3+ based upon the length, measured 19+" to that spot on the rod and girth. Plus, she was just dense.

[CroakHunter]

31 minutes ago, Drew03cmc said:

Haha...here she is. I guess 3+ based upon the length, measured 19+" to that spot on the rod and girth. Plus, she was just dense.

Looks close tob4. Nice fish

[LadiMopar]

2 hours ago, Boomstick said:

I'm bot sure about elsewhere in the country but if you are in the northeast, you are not alone. The weather has the fish all confused.

 

Sorry everyone is having a tough go of things, but thanks so much for sharing because now I don't feel so alone. 

 

Hey A-Jay, is there any sign of open water yet in your neighborhood? Still asking the sun/fish gods to smile on you. In fact was out today and found myself feeling a little irritated which I quickly shook off when I thought about you and the others in the far northern climes who are still waiting for ice out.  

LM

[FishDewd]

Spring? What's that? We've already skipped spring and went into summer... been 90+ all week! What was decent fishing has turned back into not decent fishing lol. Not even a cloud so I can't run topwater. :(

[Darren.]

Been hit or miss here in Tidewater VA.

 

Went out with one of my sons yesterday,

lovely day, spinnerbaits, drop shot, wacky,

only two short strikes on wacky. One for 

each of us. Bass took the worms but never 

got the hooks.

 

Prior to that, last week, drop shotting netted

me 3 bass 2 pounds and under but on another

reservoir.

[Graham]

Fishing has been on the past few weeks here around Richmond VA, we’ve been catching them up shallow. Black and blue has been killer for me with the frequent rain. Have yet to stick a giant this season but I’m gonna drop the yak in tomorrow and hopefully catch some on beds. Hope things get better for you. Looks like you caught a sizable one on that rasta set up so keep em coming!

[All about da bass]

Fish the conditions. This year is wayyyyyy behind. People say fall and winter is pre spawn,  spring is spawn, summer is post spawn. The fish don't know what day it is. All they know is when there is a warming trend for a little while, that they need to pull up and take a load off up shallow. Just ask yourself, what have the temps been for the past week. The temp they started coming shallow down here was 63.7 degrees. Hopefully this helps, we jacked a good bag last weekend at a local tournament with our best five being right at 27 pounds. The morning bite was on rocky banks, as the day warmed, they went towards the backs of the creeks that we were fishing.

[FishDewd]

14 minutes ago, All about da bass said:

Fish the conditions. This year is wayyyyyy behind. People say fall and winter is pre spawn,  spring is spawn, summer is post spawn. The fish don't know what day it is. All they know is when there is a warming trend for a little while, that they need to pull up and take a load off up shallow. Just ask yourself, what have the temps been for the past week. The temp they started coming shallow down here was 63.7 degrees. Hopefully this helps, we jacked a good bag last weekend at a local tournament with our best five being right at 27 pounds. The morning bite was on rocky banks, as the day warmed, they went towards the backs of the creeks that we were fishing.

Whatever the case, it's been a weird freaking year and I don't think anyone can deny. I have my theories but not comfortable sharing lol. I just dread this hurricane season that's for sure... have a bad feeling it's going to make last year look like a stroll through the park. Hope I'm wrong. All of us here on the gulf coast are still somewhat traumatized.

[roadwarrior]

 

[Deleted account]

It certainly has been different (but above average) here in the mid atlantic. I know north and west has been particularly cold deep into the spring. The post spawn should get evreything back on track (if there is such a thing)

[scaleface]

Longer days mean the lake will warm up fast , real fast . Wed was a cloudy day with air temps in the mid 60's and water temp "surface' in the mid 50's . Thurs was a sunny day with air temps in the mid 60's and before the day was over , water temps were in the mid 60's . Thats a ten degree rise in 24 hours . Wed and early thurs the bass were on wood in the first half of creeks , nothing in the rear half  , then late Thurs I was catching them clear in the back . Things are changing fast , hourly . 

[All about da bass]

8 hours ago, FishDewd said:

Whatever the case, it's been a weird freaking year and I don't think anyone can deny. I have my theories but not comfortable sharing lol. I just dread this hurricane season that's for sure... have a bad feeling it's going to make last year look like a stroll through the park. Hope I'm wrong. All of us here on the gulf coast are still somewhat traumatized.

Amen to that. That's exactly what I'm afraid of.

[Boomstick]

16 hours ago, LadiMopar said:

 

Sorry everyone is having a tough go of things, but thanks so much for sharing because now I don't feel so alone. 

My predication is by next weekend the bass should start to get a bit more active if the weather forecast for this week is correct. So it's coming

[LadiMopar]

19 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

My predication is by next weekend the bass should start to get a bit more active if the weather forecast for this week is correct. So it's coming

 

Gosh I hope so. Thanks for the "pep talk"!

 

We're probably a bit warmer here in N.Central MA than out your way but can't remember a year when it took this long into the season to see baitfish up in the shallows. Was at Wachusett reservoir yesterday and finally saw some along South Bay (Rt 70 & 140).

 

Been out in my yak several times in the past few weeks on small (under 20 acre) ponds with water temps in the 57 - 62 degree range and it's been like paddling over dead water. Very few fish on the sonar, and cruising the shoreline mostly seeing turtles. No bluegill, no baitfish, and definitely no bass; or bass beds for that matter. All waters that have been productive early in years past. Just a Really strange season so far.

 

Starting to wonder if that serious drought we had a couple years back has had a bigger impact on the fish population than one might think.  Some of these small ponds dried up to over grown "puddles" by late summer. Obviously that had an impact on the die off rates; water temps, 0/2 depletion etc. but can't seem to get any good info from the state about that.

 

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

[Boomstick]

2 hours ago, LadiMopar said:

We're probably a bit warmer here in N.Central MA than out your way but can't remember a year when it took this long into the season to see baitfish up in the shallows. Was at Wachusett reservoir yesterday and finally saw some along South Bay (Rt 70 & 140).

Yeah my friend who lives in W. Springfield consistently tells me the temperature there, and it's 10-20 degrees warmer than it is here at the time. However, a couple of 80 degree days should push up the water temperature up in a hurry, especially when it probably hasn't hit 40 in most of our lakes yet.

[Catt]

Keep chunking... it'll happen! ?