Open water fishing tips?

[Great White Fisherman]

This past weekend, I went out on my new kayak to a little lake that is very active in the mornings. There are bass jumping all over the place feeding for a couple hours so I figured I'd have a good chance at catching numbers. Anyways, I ended up catching 2, both near the bank. Every time I saw one jump in the open water I'd cast to the spot but never got a bite. I threw worms, cranks, topwaters, fan casting trying to get the open water fish. Even had one jump about a foot from me and immeditaely dropped my worm but nope. I must be doing something wrong because looking back, I've never caught an open water bass, only ever near the bank or vegetation. Tips??

[soflabasser]

Try fishing with a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. Find the size that works best where you are fishing in. 

[Deleted account]

If you are sure they are bass jumping and feeding like that, a fluke, spoon, spinnerbait or popper might work. They key on whatever they are feeding on sometimes, so it helps to change size and profile until something clicks, and since bait being chased like that are highly motivated not to get eaten, a fast, erratic presentation often works. It can be frustrating seeing all that action and not getting bit, BTDT, and have the t-shirt...

[JediAmoeba]

A lot of times this activity can be everything but bass...trout, bluegill, etc.  

 

If it is bass you need to match what they are chasing as close in size and color as you can...and a lot of times if they are busting on baitfish you need to work your bait faster than you may think.  As stated above a fluke can be great - I think a donkey rig(dual rig fluke) fished weightless is great.

[TnRiver46]

I would rather fish open water than near the bank, seems like the big ones are out there. Spoons and flukes on a jig head are my favorite for chasing fish. Dragging a tube or Shakey head for bottom fishing

[jmz313]

I had the same "problem" yesterday fishing a pond form the bank.  Fish activity all over the surface no hits on topwater, or high in water column baits for 90 minutes.    

 

Tried plopper, buzzbait, wakebait, spinner bait, chatters.  Got 2 fish on a T rig after giving up watching the surface.

 

Next time i'll add a jerk bait to the mix.  

[scaleface]

When the fish were jumping was there also bait fish jumping ?

[Catt]

When bass are feeding on "live prey" I firmly believe at times they will not hit artificial lures.

 

To many negative clues, wrong color, wrong shape, wrong movement; something aint right & they know it.

[Todd2]

11 hours ago, Great White Fisherman said:

Every time I saw one jump in the open water I'd cast to the spot but never got a bite. 

I've never had a lot of luck casting to the spot. I've had some limited success casting past the spot and bringing it back through with different retrieves with a lipless. But...I rarely catch any good size Bass doing this.

[Shimano_1]

If they are indeed bass the only thing I've ever had any luck on was a walking topwater and a cple times swimming a jig. The topwater worked really fast and erratic has been the best tho for that scenario.  As stated tho...a lot of times, myself included, people think its bass when it isn't. 

[scaleface]

If bass are busting shad I catch them with whatever is on the rod  I'm holding . I've thrown 25.5 Dredgers at them , hold the rod high and barely pull it under or toss a toad and let it sink .  Those are the easiest fish to catch . If its just single fish jumping out of the water and making a big splash , then make sure they are bass . That is not typical bass behavior .

[AstroFishingTV]

10 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I would rather fish open water than near the bank, seems like the big ones are out there. Spoons and flukes on a jig head are my favorite for chasing fish. Dragging a tube or Shakey head for bottom fishing

Agreed, Flukes are the way to go. Love using them. Shakey heads are also another way to catch good ones out deep.

[papajoe222]

If they're busting bait on top, I go with a presentation that I can keep in the upper two feet. I'll wake a crank, or burn a spinner bait just under the surface letting the blade get occasional air time. For top water, I want something I can work fast, too. A Torpedo, or a WopperPlopper fit the bill nicely.

[Bluebasser86]

A lot of different types of fish will hit the surface other than bass, so first be sure you're casting at bass before you waste a bunch of time. In the lakes I fish, a lot of those surface splashes are either carp or big gizzard shad, very few are bass, especially off the bank.

 

 

[Great White Fisherman]

As far as making sure they are bass, I've seen them jump, looking right at them. One was huge too, maybe a 6. My trips to this lake before were bank fishing and on these trips I see and hear multiple pop ups throughout the morning and all the ones I actually see are bass for sure. And a good half of them are in open water. Now that I'm mobile on water, I'm focused on getting that big boy I saw and the only way to do that, unless I get lucky at the bank, is to fish open water and do it effectively

[primetime]

I fish a "Small" Lake near where I live in my Kayak where the exact same scenario happens all day long. Bass will chase little shad on the surface out in the open water all day long, they will come up quick and vanish after a minute or two. I have never had success actually chasing these fish or even staying in same area and throwing topwater, flukes etc. near the surface which I would think would work.

 

I have fished the lake maybe 15 times in past 2-3 years and it seems the best way to fish the lake is to drift the open water and throw rattle traps like people mentioned. I will also throw a split shot rig or light c-rig with a small fluke, trick worm or culprit. 

 

I love throwing topwater and floating Jerkbaits, but for some reason they never seem to want one anytime of year unless fishing right up against the shore or weedlines. In open water they rarely seem to hit artificials on or near the surface....Its strange but Schooling fish are not easy to catch, especially when they are moving quickly and not contained or staying in same area due to structure. 

[deadadrift89]

Spook would be my first choice with rattle trap as a backup if needed in that situation