Struggling to get started this year

[Johnny Falls]

Hey guys,

 

Since I'm located in Northern Jersey, I typically don't start my season until about May 1st or so in the years past.  Since we have had such a mild winter, there's a ton of open water has been for quite sometime.  Since I have been forced to work from home, I have decided to get my season started early.  I'm lucky enough to live very close to a number of lakes and have gone out about 5 times with zero luck, I mean zero luck.  Not a bump, hit, nothing, although I did catch a decent Crappie, first in my life.  I have tried jigging, swimbaits, crankbaits, etc.  I know other guys are catching in the area but I'm striking out.  I don't get it.  Usually during the Spring and Summer months, I do very well.  Feel free to post some tips, tricks, techniques, prayers, whatever to get rid of this skunk.  Ugh.

[FishinBuck07]

Try to downsize maybe, Ned rig, weightless T-rigged plastics,  a friend of mine has caught ten in the last two days on a chatterbait.  Hope those ideas help!  Maybe need to slow down and fish a little deeper or shallower than what you are now.  Also enjoy being out, some folks can't do that right now with all the crap going on right now.  Not trying to be a jerk!  Sorry if I came off that way!!!  Best of luck, stay safe and tight lines!!!

[Johnny Falls]

Hey there Fishin',

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm sooooo grateful to be getting out and even holding a rod.  I know how lucky I am, believe me.  Thanks for the tips.  I'll give the chatter baits a try today along with a couple senkos which I haven't used just yet.  

[FishinBuck07]

15 minutes ago, Johnny Falls said:

Hey there Fishin',

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm sooooo grateful to be getting out and even holding a rod.  I know how lucky I am, believe me.  Thanks for the tips.  I'll give the chatter baits a try today along with a couple senkos which I haven't used just yet.  

Just keep at it man, sometimes with the up and down temps and the extra rain it is hard to figure them out.  I had the same problem last year.  I haven't been out much this year yet and haven't had a nibble but they are beginning to eat in my area so I need to get out, before the state says we can't!!!

[geo g]

Down size and slow way down, a 4" senko will get bites when nothing else will.

[Fishes in trees]

Fishing from the bank or a boat?   Back when I was bank bound, I had very little luck with crank baits or jerk baits.  Jigs were problematic also.   In my case, I think the lack of success with these baits were mostly due to a lack of skill, but I'm of the opinion that being stuck on the bank was a factor as well.

 

One exception to the rule was a lipless crank, like a Cordell Spot.  It didn't matter what the season was, 95% of the time I was a low & slow guy, throwing the Brewer Slider, BUT, early in the spring, if I could make myself stick with it, I could catch some decent fish making long casts over shallow flats that by early summer would be too vegetated to get any reaction bait through.   Stick with it for a while, throwing with the wind or at an angle into the wind.  Never had much luck throwing directly into the wind, mostly because I couldn't get the distance I needed to get.

 

Sometimes in the early spring anxiety can be your enemy, you want so much to catch a fish that you're trying too hard.

It is early in the spring and you're lucky enough to be outside - slow down, chill, anxiety ain't your friend in this situation.   Back in the  day, sobriety wasn't my friend.  Walking the bank,   I caught alot more early spring fish once I was somewhat buzzed.

[Shimano_1]

I'd try a jerkbait fished slow and methodical, if that didn't work I'd try a jerkbait....then maybe a different color jerkbait.  U get the idea lol. That's my go to when its tough 

[FishinBuck07]

1 hour ago, Shimano_1 said:

I'd try a jerkbait fished slow and methodical, if that didn't work I'd try a jerkbait....then maybe a different color jerkbait.  U get the idea lol. That's my go to when its tough 

So you don't like fishing a jerkbaits?  Got it!

[A-Jay]

Throw a jerkbait.

And do this . . . 

 

A-Jay

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

I’ve been fishin open water  since mid January up here in Massachusetts.  Been catching a lot on big swimbaits, not big fish mostly small 2-3lbs fish some 4s mixed in. I’ve added Texas rig, jerkbaits, jigs, spinners, cranks to the mix. I even got topwater fish in February and March here in Ma.  Lot of different baits can work this time of year.

 

I had a couple good hits on a wind blown bank along the drop off and weed edge, fishing the jerkbait, never been to this pond. On Wednesday I fished a pond I’ve only been to twice. Once in the kayak and once from shore. Maiden voyage on the New boat, did good flippin Texas rig creature baits up to shallow brush.

[Smokinal]

19 hours ago, Shimano_1 said:

I'd try a jerkbait fished slow and methodical, if that didn't work I'd try a jerkbait....then maybe a different color jerkbait.  U get the idea lol. That's my go to when its tough 

Yessir!

Hard to beat a jerk in New England in the spring. They are a go-to until water gets into the mid 50's for me

[Sam]

Fishing is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

Just keep going out and you will be successful.

 

And maybe you will hook and land Jimmy Hoffa and get a big reward.

[NJBasstard]

I'm in Southern Jersey. Chatterbaits, ned rig, crankbait, Fat Ika rigged backward on a 3/0 or 4/0 dragged across the bottom. This is what's worked for me the past couple weeks.

[Johnny Falls]

Hey guys,

 

Thanks so much for the replies.  Well, it happened on Friday afternoon.  I went out again and I managed to bag 2 fish which I was super excited about.  The first one I caught was on a 1/4 oz white and chartreuse spinnerbait with a keitech trailer.  VERY slow and along the bottom.  Not a huge fish but it was amazing to get that first one under my belt.  The second came on a 4.28" green pumpkin fat impact that was slow rolled on the bottom as well.  Again, not a big fish but a nice catch nevertheless.  I just wanted to thank everyone for their time and advice.  As I'm typing this, there's about 1" of fresh snow on the ground here.  Looks like some cold water bassin' for a while.  Thanks again to everyone.   

[lavbasser]

These snowy days can be the best for fishing, especially this late in the year.  Water temps are around 50.  You will see guys having success with lots of patterns.  I think the first few fish can be the toughest when you  begin to fish the colder months.  Then you get some confidence and you are on your way.

[BKFoley]

I'm just getting to know this thing but thought I'd add:

 

I fished a local pond near Foxboro, a day before the snow we just had.  Muddy bottom pond some reeds on the shoreline, was able to reel in two largies, one on a Jenko Fishing Trapline Rip Knocker (Lipless) and one on a Baby Boy 2" (Crankbait) in a "ghost gill" color way, both basically parallel with the bank about 20-30 yards off shore.  That was it though and I was out for about 5 hrs grinding it out both came early on.  Also tried a black and blue jig with a little craw trailer which I have tried a lot in the last week and a half and haven't had anything, not a single bite which has been frustrating especially fishing it so slow.

 

MASSACHUSETTS

 

 

[collards]

On 3/20/2020 at 10:42 AM, Johnny Falls said:

Hey guys,

 

Since I'm located in Northern Jersey, I typically don't start my season until about May 1st or so in the years past.  Since we have had such a mild winter, there's a ton of open water has been for quite sometime.  Since I have been forced to work from home, I have decided to get my season started early.  I'm lucky enough to live very close to a number of lakes and have gone out about 5 times with zero luck, I mean zero luck.  Not a bump, hit, nothing, although I did catch a decent Crappie, first in my life.  I have tried jigging, swimbaits, crankbaits, etc.  I know other guys are catching in the area but I'm striking out.  I don't get it.  Usually during the Spring and Summer months, I do very well.  Feel free to post some tips, tricks, techniques, prayers, whatever to get rid of this skunk.  Ugh.

I live in NJ too, but the governor has closed down the state, County and townships waters. Before that, I went a couple of times to non-trout stocked waters. I was able to catch a few Bass by using plastic worms. I first started out by using live worms for blue gill since I thought that was all that were biting. I caught a small bass and from there I tried other lures with no success until plain worms hooked on the nose and allowed to sink naturally.  I have not been back due to the restrictions and the rangers are enforcing Murphy's orders. Where I go at times, there is nobody there. It is safe distancing, but .

 

[Johnny Falls]

Hey guys,

 

Thanks so much for the input.  Things have picked up in the last couple of weeks for me.  I have about 15 bass under my belt with the largest around 4lbs.  I have been really focusing on fishing the 4.8" Fat Impacts and senkos which have yielded most of the fish.