Thinking About Giving Up

[Dirtyeggroll]

Find someone to go with who has been catching them to give you a little confidence booster.

[TnRiver46]

Are there other people fishing the spots that you have tried? 

[Luke Barnes]

I'm 35 and only been fishing for 2 years. Trust me when I say I've been there. I got so discouraged, but I couldn't stop going. Then one day it all clicked. It was knowing what lure to throw where and when. Not every situation calls for a Senko. Not everyone calls for a spinnerbait. I flip and pitch alot now. I use lipless crankbaits and chatterbaits, but.......... when they are appropriate for the situation. Color I base on water clarity and local forage. Green pumpkin in chocolate mile water is dang near invisible if you ask me. Took me a year and a half to catch my first topwater fish. Now I know when and where to throw them. Weather Conditions, water clarity, forage, fishing pressure. All of it adds up. 

[Russ E]

2 minutes ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

Find someone to go with who has been catching them to give you a little confidence booster.

I agree.

All those hours with nothing would be tough. 

Just out of pure luck you should have caught something.

If anything was biting, at least one should have hooked itself.

I would be looking for a fishing partner and new water.

 

 

[Jermination]

14 hours ago, t_bone_713 said:

Good Evening,

 

I am a "born again" bass fisherman that well, simply put, can't catch anything.

 

When I younger I used to fish with my grandfather and I remember every time we went we each caught something. Even if it was just a little guy, it was something. I didn't know much, but I tied on a hook with a weight and a worm and just fished. "Hold the rod straight, pop it 3 times, 9 to 11, lower it down, reel in the slack, and if you feel something move your gear set the hook." I remember even catching a PB 4lbs 7oz at like 10 or 11.

 

All that aside I recently decided (at 28) that I want to bring fishing back into my life and into my family's life. I went out bought a 7' MH Fast, put on some 8lb mono, 1/8oz weights, 4/0 ewg hooks, and some senkos (Green Pumpkin and Black and Blue). Skunked. 11 sessions (2-5 hour sessions) at about 5 different spots between June and August. Not discouraged I took some time off to let it cool down a bit and did some research on spots to fish, simple lures to add to my arsenal to change up the presentation, and talked to some locals. I watched roughly 100 hours of fishing videos on youtube to make sure my hands were doing the right thing, what to add, and when to use them. I added 1/4 jigs with matching trailers (Green Pumpkin and Black and Blue), 1/8oz spinnerbaits (White and Chartreuse and Black and Blue), and #7 mojo rigged trick worms (Green Pumpkin and Black and Blue). Also learned drop shots craws (3/16oz) for the rare vertical structures.  Armed to the teeth I headed out between October and November to all the new spots that the locals told me about, the hot spots on Fishbrain, and the state protected inland fishery places. Skunked. 9 sessions (2-5 hour sessions). I've literally had a single bite. One. It was on a spinnerbait; I went to set the hook and flipped him out of the water and lost him.

 

All in all I've put about 200 hours into catching just one fish. I haven't. I have literally no idea what I am doing wrong. When I look up my "symptoms" I've already tried the answers. "Slow down, simplify, use a different color, do some research, talk to locals, etc." Where I used to find motivation in youtube fisherman catching something on silly things like a broom pole, string, and a hot dog or bringing a 5 year old with them to teach them to fish and they catch their first fish; I now only find frustration.

 

I want to do this. I really, really do. Help me remember my grandfather and rebuild a hobby I can share with my grand kids. Will you kind folks offer an advice to me and maybe convince me to give it one more shot?

 

Thank you in advance!

hey man, so you really need to start by putting down the finesse tactics and power fish, 1. the bites are way easier to detect 2. you can cover a heck of a lot more water 3. ticking them off will generate just as many bites as if they were feeding. 

 

go buy a bill lewis blue back & chrome rattle trap, sling it and reel it back in as quickly as you can. walk around to points and stuff off the bank, find a good area of the bank to parallel it(or bridge pilings). if you are struggling with detecting bites, throw something where there is absolutely no doubt when one takes it

[Fishin' Fool]

I have so many fishing lures. Crankbaits, jerkaits, spinnerbaits, top water, I could go on and on. I have pretty much narrowed down what i fish with a senko and drop shot. It's amazing how many fish I catch. Stick with a few techniques and really master them before you consider adding more. Anyone live out by this guy that could help speed his learning curve? I live in West Michigan, you're welcome to fish with me but unfortunately I fish from a kayak.

[WhittyPoo]

I just got back into it this past summer. I basically had to teach myself how to fish again. The big key for me was knowing where to find the fish. I focused on any structure, overhang, rocks, laydowns...you name it. 

 

I mainly fished T-rig soft plastics all summer. Ribbon tail worms, trick worms, craws, and weightless senkos. Rarely I threw a PopR or small spinnerbait, but without success.

 

Keep it simple and stick with the soft plastics. Green pumpkin and black/purple were my go to colors.

 

Hang in there, bud. 

[Fishes in trees]

First, my guess that that you might want to learn seasonal patterns for your area.  Putting hours in fishing where they ain't is frustrating and counter productive.  Next, never mentioned if you were bank bound or had boat access.  Makes a huge difference.  If you're new to boat fishing, the whole process of operating & fishing out of a boat can be real intimidating.  Viewing videos can help but the only real solution is time on the water.

Next, you mentioned a few rods & reels and (in my opinion) a modest bait selection and you felt "armed to the teeth"

 

Trust me when I say you ain't.  I fish out of an 18' floating tackle box and I routinely fish with 20 or so rods scattered around the deck, with the requisite amount of gear (or more)  for each rod and believe me when I say I'm aware that there are many holes in my current arsenal.  I'm close to maxed out on the number of rigs I can carry, so I need to get smarter about what I carry when.  Much easier said than done.  The point of this last paragraph is to point out that every person who fishes has stuff that they need to work on and get better at.

 

When I was first seriously learning about bass fishing, I focused on one bait - although I carried a few others.  My bait of choice was a Charlie Brewer Slider head with the 4" Brewer worm.  I had a 6' graphite rod (not real common in 1977) and threw the slider head 90% of the time - almost always on 6 lb test.  I'd use the 1/8 oz head fishing from the bank and the 1/4 oz head when I had boat access.  If I had to do it these days, I'd go with 10 or 12 lb braid instead of the 6 lb mono.  A short trip to the Brewer web site will reveal that there are a dozen or more Brewer Slider heads, trust me when I mention that Charlie Brewer had a good reason for each variation of the slider concept.

 

Another reason why I mention the slider head/worm combo is that I think that the jig worm concept is easier to learn on than a tx rig with the weight sliding on the line.   In tx rig fishing with the sliding weight, you're never sure where the weight is in relation to the hook.  Using a jig worm, you know that the hook is an inch and a half behind the weight.  That did wonders for my confidence - knowing where the hook was.

 

If you're going to stick with the senko/weight option (and that isn't a bad idea, some sort of stick bait pitching rig is always on my deck ). I'd be pegging that weight right up against that bait all the time.  Bobber stops are easy to learn how to use, but tooth picks are cheaper.   Good luck.

[plawren53202]

Like others, I'd like a little more specific info on water, cover, etc. to give you specific guidance.  But I want to throw something out there for consideration.  Lately I got back into fishing after for the most part taking off for 10 or so years--kids, kids' sports etc. just ate up all my free time for a while.  Now that I'm back in it, I'm really into chasing bigger bass, at least as much as possible for a bank-only fisherman from Missouri.

 

Even with 40+ years of fishing experience in various formats, it can be really frustrating.  But this is what I wanted to throw out there--when I was younger, I didn't cut my teeth chasing larger bass.  I spent a lot of time heading out to the small stream near my grandparents' house with an ultralight and a box of light tackle (panfish jigs, Rebel Wee R Craws, etc.) chasing sunfish and the occasional little smallmouth, whatever would bite.  Typically these fish were more willing to bite than the largemouth I'm chasing now.  I feel like I really got a good education in the basics of fishing, casting, detecting bites, landing fish, etc. from all of these times--and then those skills transfer to my current pursuits.

 

So, I'm not necessarily saying go find a small stream and chase bluegill or pumpkinseeds (though it might not be a bad idea), but maybe consider really downsizing for a while?  It would be great if you could ask around and find a place that has a lot of smaller bass.  Take some time chasing them with a lighter spinning rod, smaller lures like Beetle Spins and crappie-sized jigs, 4-inch Texas rigged worms, etc.  The good thing is you can get a totally sufficient batch of that tackle at Walmart for next to nothing.  Chasing and catching little ones for a short time might give you a good foundation that you can then use to go throw bigger baits and recognize bites when the bites don't come so frequently.

[Spankey]

I have to commend you for your post.  I can’t really add anything relevant that has not been brought up. You have gotten a lot of good advise. It is my hopes that you don’t throw in the towel. Approach next season a bit simpler. Here in the NorthEast it’s getting tough with recent Arctic Blast.  So I have my sight set on this upcoming season and things I’m gonna try different. Hang tough. I’m pretty sure it will work out. 

[Luke Barnes]

Another thing, do you hammer the same spot for hours or if they aren't biting move spots? 

 

Because it doesnt matter what you throw, if there are no fish, or the fish aren't biting in a spot, move. That's where power fishing excels. Fish a spot for 5 minutes and if nothing, move. I fish a pond sometimes 2-3 times around it. Nothing at a spot I'll move and come back later and see if anything has changed. Dont sit and beat the same patch of water over and over and over. 

[Bigassbass]

Well of course everyone gave their opinion and ideas as what you should do.  The best answer was the one that said relax and fish like you did when you were younger.  Live bait is super fun especially catching brim!   Fishing isn't a contest, it's being outside in nature, taking your friend, kids, wife or yourself out side for some fun.  Buy a six pack of beer, take a lawn chair, worms and relax! 

[greentrout]

BassResource archives are awesome ... hope this helps ... read all the recommended reading ...

 

good fishing ...

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bank_fishing.html

[Mobasser]

I would suggest pairing down you lures, and stick with a T rig worm, spimnerbait, lipless bait and 1 or 2 proven topwater baits. I spent three seasons learning to fish a T rig almost 40yrs ago. Once those first couple of fish are caught, you'll be on your way. Don't give up. It takes some time to get good at bass fishing. Keep fishing as much as you can- it's still the best way to learn.

[skekoam]

Look at it this way OP,

 

At least you don't live in Southern California.  My son and I got into bass fishing about 6 or so months ago.  In all, I've spent well over a grand in gear and buying any bait that someone would recommend.  It became a big money pit.  Just to make it worse, each time my son and I would go out, we would get skunked.  I felt bad more for my son than anything else as he has become literally obsessed with fishing.  I will say we have caught some nice ones, but these were mainly on golf courses where we asked permission first.  The difference is amazing when you fished an unpressured lake/pond vs. a pressured one.   I've thought about quitting too, but like everyone else, I enjoy the out doors and rush when you finally get a fish on.  

 

Sorry I can't offer any advice as we are noob's as well.

 

Keep at it and good luck.

[webertime]

I just looked at the navionics of your area.  Couple things jump to kind:

*Not a lot of water that isn't a river, there's Kerr and the Roanoke reservoirs but not a lot else...  could be that the waters have been pressured to an extreme (so it's not you...).

*The rivers could be tidal, and those can be a pita to figure out for even super experienced anglers.

 

I would join a club, there should be a ton in your area.  You can watch youtube and read until the cows come home, but fishing with a person that knows how to do something is waaaaaaaaaaaaa(catch breath) aaaaaaaaaay better.

 

[t_bone_713]

 

8 hours ago, ike8120 said:

I just got back into bass fishing this year. 

I only caught 2 bass this season, I am a bank fishermen. But I would rather be fishing and enjoying the outdoors then sitting on a couch watching nothing on TV. I am basically finding out what I like and don't like in the way of tackle, etc.

I feel like I am just paying my dues.  Don't get frustrated, in time you will be killing them.

I am the same way. I want to rebuild a lasting tradition that my grandfather experienced with me (skipped my dad), that I can pass to my sons and grandsons. Better than video games. I work in IT so it's nice to get out of the server room and into nature.

[Chris at Tech]

Book a trip with a local guide

[t_bone_713]

20 hours ago, WRB said:

I can see why you are frustrated. You started out using a Senko apparently T-rigged with a 1/8 oz weight. 1 simple basic presentation that the majority of BR members tote as a fail safe presetnation. Anyone who believes the lure and presentation is the key to catching bass is mistaken. Bass don't strike lures because the angler thinks it's good, they strike because it looks alive to them. The key here is it looks alive to the bass and to do that you must put the lure into the basses strike zone.....location and timing is the key.

You talked to local anglers, try asking them to take you along with them and show you how they catch bass. Talk is cheap and often misleading, on the water tutoring from a good angler willing to teach you is priceless.

You have the right stuff, don't add more.

You didn't include any info regarding your regional location, my suggestion is add where you are located, it helps.

Tom

Thank you! I did use the texas rigged senko but I used it when I first picked it back up and at the height of my frustration. It sounds like I need to pick it back up again! Location is added now.

7 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

Find someone to go with who has been catching them to give you a little confidence booster.

Ok. I will try and look some folks up.

3 minutes ago, Chris at Tech said:

Book a trip with a local guide

Ok!

3 hours ago, Mobasser said:

I would suggest pairing down you lures, and stick with a T rig worm, spimnerbait, lipless bait and 1 or 2 proven topwater baits. I spent three seasons learning to fish a T rig almost 40yrs ago. Once those first couple of fish are caught, you'll be on your way. Don't give up. It takes some time to get good at bass fishing. Keep fishing as much as you can- it's still the best way to learn.

I've been trying the "small takeaways" hey my casting is getting more accurate. Hey I didn't get hung up today.

34 minutes ago, webertime said:

I just looked at the navionics of your area.  Couple things jump to kind:

*Not a lot of water that isn't a river, there's Kerr and the Roanoke reservoirs but not a lot else...  could be that the waters have been pressured to an extreme (so it's not you...).

*The rivers could be tidal, and those can be a pita to figure out for even super experienced anglers.

 

I would join a club, there should be a ton in your area.  You can watch youtube and read until the cows come home, but fishing with a person that knows how to do something is waaaaaaaaaaaaa(catch breath) aaaaaaaaaay better.

 

I'm getting a lot of club and guide recommendations. Thanks!

2 hours ago, skekoam said:

Look at it this way OP,

 

At least you don't live in Southern California.  My son and I got into bass fishing about 6 or so months ago.  In all, I've spent well over a grand in gear and buying any bait that someone would recommend.  It became a big money pit.  Just to make it worse, each time my son and I would go out, we would get skunked.  I felt bad more for my son than anything else as he has become literally obsessed with fishing.  I will say we have caught some nice ones, but these were mainly on golf courses where we asked permission first.  The difference is amazing when you fished an unpressured lake/pond vs. a pressured one.   I've thought about quitting too, but like everyone else, I enjoy the out doors and rush when you finally get a fish on.  

 

Sorry I can't offer any advice as we are noob's as well.

 

Keep at it and good luck.

Keep on keepin' on is as good of advice as any!

3 hours ago, Mobasser said:

I would suggest pairing down you lures, and stick with a T rig worm, spimnerbait, lipless bait and 1 or 2 proven topwater baits. I spent three seasons learning to fish a T rig almost 40yrs ago. Once those first couple of fish are caught, you'll be on your way. Don't give up. It takes some time to get good at bass fishing. Keep fishing as much as you can- it's still the best way to learn.

I've been trying the small victories approach to fishing! Thank you!

3 hours ago, greentrout said:

BassResource archives are awesome ... hope this helps ... read all the recommended reading ...

 

good fishing ...

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bank_fishing.html

Thanks for the link! Favorited!

3 hours ago, Bigassbass said:

Well of course everyone gave their opinion and ideas as what you should do.  The best answer was the one that said relax and fish like you did when you were younger.  Live bait is super fun especially catching brim!   Fishing isn't a contest, it's being outside in nature, taking your friend, kids, wife or yourself out side for some fun.  Buy a six pack of beer, take a lawn chair, worms and relax! 

I do like beer... and my wife I guess.

[t_bone_713]

4 hours ago, Luke Barnes said:

Another thing, do you hammer the same spot for hours or if they aren't biting move spots? 

 

Because it doesnt matter what you throw, if there are no fish, or the fish aren't biting in a spot, move. That's where power fishing excels. Fish a spot for 5 minutes and if nothing, move. I fish a pond sometimes 2-3 times around it. Nothing at a spot I'll move and come back later and see if anything has changed. Dont sit and beat the same patch of water over and over and over. 

Let's say I've got 3 spots within easy driving distance of each other. 5-10 acres a piece. With 4 hours to fish. How long do you stay at each one?

5 hours ago, Spankey said:

I have to commend you for your post.  I can’t really add anything relevant that has not been brought up. You have gotten a lot of good advise. It is my hopes that you don’t throw in the towel. Approach next season a bit simpler. Here in the NorthEast it’s getting tough with recent Arctic Blast.  So I have my sight set on this upcoming season and things I’m gonna try different. Hang tough. I’m pretty sure it will work out. 

Thank you my friend!

5 hours ago, plawren53202 said:

Like others, I'd like a little more specific info on water, cover, etc. to give you specific guidance.  But I want to throw something out there for consideration.  Lately I got back into fishing after for the most part taking off for 10 or so years--kids, kids' sports etc. just ate up all my free time for a while.  Now that I'm back in it, I'm really into chasing bigger bass, at least as much as possible for a bank-only fisherman from Missouri.

 

Even with 40+ years of fishing experience in various formats, it can be really frustrating.  But this is what I wanted to throw out there--when I was younger, I didn't cut my teeth chasing larger bass.  I spent a lot of time heading out to the small stream near my grandparents' house with an ultralight and a box of light tackle (panfish jigs, Rebel Wee R Craws, etc.) chasing sunfish and the occasional little smallmouth, whatever would bite.  Typically these fish were more willing to bite than the largemouth I'm chasing now.  I feel like I really got a good education in the basics of fishing, casting, detecting bites, landing fish, etc. from all of these times--and then those skills transfer to my current pursuits.

 

So, I'm not necessarily saying go find a small stream and chase bluegill or pumpkinseeds (though it might not be a bad idea), but maybe consider really downsizing for a while?  It would be great if you could ask around and find a place that has a lot of smaller bass.  Take some time chasing them with a lighter spinning rod, smaller lures like Beetle Spins and crappie-sized jigs, 4-inch Texas rigged worms, etc.  The good thing is you can get a totally sufficient batch of that tackle at Walmart for next to nothing.  Chasing and catching little ones for a short time might give you a good foundation that you can then use to go throw bigger baits and recognize bites when the bites don't come so frequently.

Noted! Thank you for the wonder response! I have thought about asking a saltwater friend to take me out and help me catch well... anything.

[t_bone_713]

6 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

First, my guess that that you might want to learn seasonal patterns for your area.  Putting hours in fishing where they ain't is frustrating and counter productive.  Next, never mentioned if you were bank bound or had boat access.  Makes a huge difference.  If you're new to boat fishing, the whole process of operating & fishing out of a boat can be real intimidating.  Viewing videos can help but the only real solution is time on the water.

Next, you mentioned a few rods & reels and (in my opinion) a modest bait selection and you felt "armed to the teeth"

 

Trust me when I say you ain't.  I fish out of an 18' floating tackle box and I routinely fish with 20 or so rods scattered around the deck, with the requisite amount of gear (or more)  for each rod and believe me when I say I'm aware that there are many holes in my current arsenal.  I'm close to maxed out on the number of rigs I can carry, so I need to get smarter about what I carry when.  Much easier said than done.  The point of this last paragraph is to point out that every person who fishes has stuff that they need to work on and get better at.

 

When I was first seriously learning about bass fishing, I focused on one bait - although I carried a few others.  My bait of choice was a Charlie Brewer Slider head with the 4" Brewer worm.  I had a 6' graphite rod (not real common in 1977) and threw the slider head 90% of the time - almost always on 6 lb test.  I'd use the 1/8 oz head fishing from the bank and the 1/4 oz head when I had boat access.  If I had to do it these days, I'd go with 10 or 12 lb braid instead of the 6 lb mono.  A short trip to the Brewer web site will reveal that there are a dozen or more Brewer Slider heads, trust me when I mention that Charlie Brewer had a good reason for each variation of the slider concept.

 

Another reason why I mention the slider head/worm combo is that I think that the jig worm concept is easier to learn on than a tx rig with the weight sliding on the line.   In tx rig fishing with the sliding weight, you're never sure where the weight is in relation to the hook.  Using a jig worm, you know that the hook is an inch and a half behind the weight.  That did wonders for my confidence - knowing where the hook was.

 

If you're going to stick with the senko/weight option (and that isn't a bad idea, some sort of stick bait pitching rig is always on my deck ). I'd be pegging that weight right up against that bait all the time.  Bobber stops are easy to learn how to use, but tooth picks are cheaper.   Good luck.

That is a VERY interesting thought! Thank you so much!

[t_bone_713]

8 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Are there other people fishing the spots that you have tried? 

A few here and there. Especially at Lake Smith.

[FishinBuck07]

I have been bass fishing since I was a kid, I am now almost 40 and within the last three years I have really gotten serious about bass fishing.  I bought my first boat in July and this has been the worst year of fishing by far.  I thought with buying the boat it was going to be easier to find and catch fish, boy was I wrong!  I got very frustrated and was very upset with myself for spending money on the boat and not fishing better!  Then a good friend I have known since we were toddlers sat me down and explained I was complicating things too much.  He is a very good bass fisherman far as people I have fished with over the years, and he has taught me a lot.  He made me realize fishing out of the boat now I was starting over again as far as how I fish certain techniques and baits.  I was so used to fishing from shore and fishing from the angles off shore, I didn't realize that I had to change approaches to structure and other places that hold fish compared to bank fishing.  But once I calmed down and really looked at it and paid attention to what I was doing, I then realized what I was doing wrong and could correct it.  I guess what I am saying is after all those years of fishing bass and thinking I was pretty good at it, I had a whole lot of stuff to learn again.  So don't get frustrated and give it time, and not to be a jerk, but if you are looking for instant gratification then bass fishing may not be what you want to do.  There are days where they will just beat the snot out of you and leave your pride bruised!  Stick with it, I promise it will get better and you will be glad you stuck with it!  Ok going to quit rambling now!

[t_bone_713]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I have tried to respond and individually thank every single one of you. If I missed you I am sorry. I am going to try again this spring. I am going to decide on two lures. One finesse, one power (moving) and research them throughout the winter so I am ready. Thank you so much everyone!

7 minutes ago, FishinBuck07 said:

I have been bass fishing since I was a kid, I am now almost 40 and within the last three years I have really gotten serious about bass fishing.  I bought my first boat in July and this has been the worst year of fishing by far.  I thought with buying the boat it was going to be easier to find and catch fish, boy was I wrong!  I got very frustrated and was very upset with myself for spending money on the boat and not fishing better!  Then a good friend I have known since we were toddlers sat me down and explained I was complicating things too much.  He is a very good bass fisherman far as people I have fished with over the years, and he has taught me a lot.  He made me realize fishing out of the boat now I was starting over again as far as how I fish certain techniques and baits.  I was so used to fishing from shore and fishing from the angles off shore, I didn't realize that I had to change approaches to structure and other places that hold fish compared to bank fishing.  But once I calmed down and really looked at it and paid attention to what I was doing, I then realized what I was doing wrong and could correct it.  I guess what I am saying is after all those years of fishing bass and thinking I was pretty good at it, I had a whole lot of stuff to learn again.  So don't get frustrated and give it time, and not to be a jerk, but if you are looking for instant gratification then bass fishing may not be what you want to do.  There are days where they will just beat the snot out of you and leave your pride bruised!  Stick with it, I promise it will get better and you will be glad you stuck with it!  Ok going to quit rambling now!

Thank you. It helps to know that sometimes taking a step back is the best thing you can do!

[plawren53202]

18 minutes ago, t_bone_713 said:

A few here and there. Especially at Lake Smith.

I did a little reading on Lake Smith.  Sounds like it is a pretty shallow lake and not much offshore cover.  From Google maps it looks like the lake does have trees around a lot of it, which means that bass may hold tight to cover on the bank.  What this may mean for you, and something a lot of bank fisherman don't think about, is that sometimes you need to take a really stealthy approach on the bank. Especially if the water is clear, or depending on the sun.  That may mean literally sneaking up to the bank, watching your positioning to make sure you're not throwing a shadow on the water, or standing a few feet back from the bank as you catch.  Also step lightly as you approach the bank and don't stomp up and send vibrations out into the water.  I would also recommend trying lots of casts as parallel to the bank as possible...I see lots of bank anglers who just instinctively throw their casts straight out from the bank at a 90 degree angle.

 

You may already be doing all of this, but just wanted to raise the possibility. Also, shallower ponds and lakes are more susceptible to the fluctuations of temperature, meaning that they can be really hard to fish in the heat of summer and cold of winter.