Has Anyone else not caught their first 2020 bass yet?

[James Engle]

You have any luck yet? I’ve been seein homies crushing it this weekend in NY,  Adirondack crew, fish all had good guts on em . I’m up in Southern Maine, it’s been a tough start to my season. I got out on open water March 10 this year, over a month sooner than ice out 2019. mild winter and a streak of abnormally warm days followed by rain late feb into March. But the weather turned back around for a few weeks . Most of March was a bust for my skills. I’ve had a few flurries jerkin over the last 2 weeks but I’ve had to fish that thing like a wacky rigged senko to get bit. Friend of mine been wearin em out with silver buddies . don’t own any but maybe that woulda been the ticket , I was on top of bass stacked out deep a handful of times in March and couldn’t get a sniff with dropshot, ned or jig. Timing the bite window right might’ve helped me out better too.  I’m gonna wipe the slate and get after em tomorrow. Finally got the peepers chirping at night and suppose to be upper 50’s next 2 days. I know they’re itching it get moving because I’ve seen some bigs glued to rocks baskin in the sun last week , reckon they’ll be cruising up and around tryin to get fat tomorrow 

[TriStateBassin106]

12 hours ago, James Engle said:

You have any luck yet? I’ve been seein homies crushing it this weekend in NY,  Adirondack crew, fish all had good guts on em . I’m up in Southern Maine, it’s been a tough start to my season. I got out on open water March 10 this year, over a month sooner than ice out 2019. mild winter and a streak of abnormally warm days followed by rain late feb into March. But the weather turned back around for a few weeks . Most of March was a bust for my skills. I’ve had a few flurries jerkin over the last 2 weeks but I’ve had to fish that thing like a wacky rigged senko to get bit. Friend of mine been wearin em out with silver buddies . don’t own any but maybe that woulda been the ticket , I was on top of bass stacked out deep a handful of times in March and couldn’t get a sniff with dropshot, ned or jig. Timing the bite window right might’ve helped me out better too.  I’m gonna wipe the slate and get after em tomorrow. Finally got the peepers chirping at night and suppose to be upper 50’s next 2 days. I know they’re itching it get moving because I’ve seen some bigs glued to rocks baskin in the sun last week , reckon they’ll be cruising up and around tryin to get fat tomorrow 

If I leave my house for non essential reasons I could get cited, my county is taking this stuff very seriously, I haven't been able to fish for the past 3 weeks. 

[MacJig]

Ok, so I have been out maybe 5x so far this year. To be fair, I tried new spots that I never fished before and am, for the greater part, a bank angler. So the results  1.) no fish; like no fish; not even a crappie.  2.) no bites. Not even a mosquito bite. So, I fished fast. I fished slow. I jigged. I dragged the bottom. I hopped rage craws, flappin hogs, worms and others. I daydreamed. I thought ... Ok, this is really bad. I checked my diary from last year and noticed I didn't catch a bass until May. So, I felt better.

[MGF]

I got on the river last week. Lost a small one and never landed a fish. Didn't make it out yesterday and we have rain today.

 

I don't usually do this but I'm going to put on some rain gear and go fishing. The weather looks like it's going to be lousy all next week. If I just wait, I'm going to be waiting a long time. LOL

[DRFTR]

Just one in maybe 4 outings

[Steveo-1969]

I haven't caught a bass yet this year. In years past I've caught some by now. 

[Greg728]

On 4/6/2020 at 12:24 PM, TriStateBassin106 said:

If I leave my house for non essential reasons I could get cited, my county is taking this stuff very seriously, I haven't been able to fish for the past 3 weeks. 

TriState  - What county are you in? I'm in bucks county and moving to Ewing in a few weeks. A few spots in PA are still open but NJ seems to be taking this a lot more serious. You're not allowed to fish right now?

[TriStateBassin106]

5 hours ago, Greg728 said:

TriState  - What county are you in? I'm in bucks county and moving to Ewing in a few weeks. A few spots in PA are still open but NJ seems to be taking this a lot more serious. You're not allowed to fish right now?

I live in North NJ but I fish religiously in The surrounding counties and even go as far as Lake Wallenpaupack and some private lakes in the NY State area around Warwick. I'm in a Bass Group on Facebook for our area and many anglers in NJ and NY basically can't go anywhere to fish or will have to risk geting cited. It's so bad here, it's literally big brother cracking down on everything. You're a prisoner in your own home. This is madness.  

[CrankFate]

Nope. Checked out some water. No signs of life. Still too cold here. Early season basically stinks. Maybe next month.

[MN Fisher]

Still over 3 weeks to Bass season opener here.

[Nelson Delaney]

I’ve caught a ton of stocked trout & a handful of small pike.  I haven’t gone bass fishing yet this spring. 

[schplurg]

On 4/4/2020 at 8:51 PM, schplurg said:

Prediction: I will catch my first 2020 bass at the same spot I caught my first last year. I'm going there next.

 

 

 

Miserable failure. Bad prediction, I guess I'm no Carmac.

 

Guy at work gave me a good tip yesterday, going there this weekend.

 

Prediction: I'll get some exercise!

[Boomstick]

I have not caught a bass yet, but I've been out only a handful of times and the water is still cold.

On 4/5/2020 at 2:29 PM, plawren53202 said:

What's really dumb is that end of 2019, I was actually catching a few in really cold temps (water temps low 40s-upper 30s) for the first time in my life.  But man when the calendar flipped, so did my luck.

I find they bite later in the year more than they bite at the same water temps earlier in the year. I experienced the same thing last year.

[markinny]

got my first yesterday, 4/21. got 9 in all on my first time out. all small ones but good to get out.  mark

[scaleface]

On 4/5/2020 at 1:29 PM, plawren53202 said:

Haven't caught my first 2020 bass yet, and not for lack of trying either.

 

What's really dumb is that end of 2019, I was actually catching a few in really cold temps (water temps low 40s-upper 30s) for the first time in my life.  But man when the calendar flipped, so did my luck.

 

Few factors that I think are affecting it--(1) my local go-to pond has gotten choked with algae for the first time ever; (2) seems like we have a cold front roll through every Thursday or Friday, so every weekend the last month has been post-frontal, and can't get a good warming trend going; (3) the spots relatively close to my house are bad, and COVID has seen to it that I haven't been taking any longer drives lately.

 

This morning was a perfect example.  20 degree-drop cold front rolled through yesterday morning.  Had a few hours so I went to an extremely overpressured local conservation area.  Fished for three hours, used a range of baits and tactics.  Fully confident that I was using the right tactics in the right places.  One bite, none landed. And certainly didn't see anyone else land one either.

Have you tried fishing any of the small Mo Conservation Dept lakes away from the  city  . Theres a bunch of them throughout the state . Thats what I've been doing successfully . The ones I fish are not overpressured but they are a hundred miles from st Louis .

[dodgeguy]

I may go for the 1st time next Saturday depending on the weather.

[plawren53202]

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

Have you tried fishing any of the small Mo Conservation Dept lakes away from the  city  . Theres a bunch of them throughout the state . Thats what I've been doing successfully . The ones I fish are not overpressured but they are a hundred miles from st Louis .

That's been my new plan, slowly working on trying them out. A 100 mile drive is not always doable for me, but most weekends at least. I have fished Perry County lake a few times, I can do alright there most of the time. Just tried Port Hudson Lake this past weekend; that one seems to be a challenge unless you have a boat or kayak (which I do not) to get out in the standing timber; casting out into it is a recipe for losing lots of good baits.

 

I'm happy to hear feedback on any of the other Conservation lakes with a 100 or so miles of St. Louis. PM me if you don't want to post them publicly. I don't ever want to try to steal someone's honey hole, but always glad to take advice since there are lots of bad fishing spots to weed through.

[TriStateBassin106]

Update: May 5th and I still haven't landed one yet....

[MN Fisher]

9 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

Update: May 5th and I still haven't landed one yet....

I can't even target them for another 3&1/2 days - season opens 12:01am Saturday.

[TriStateBassin106]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

I can't even target them for another 3&1/2 days - season opens 12:01am Saturday.

We're able to fish here in NJ, just can't figure them out right now got skunked yesterday water temps are around 50 some kid at my neighborhood pond managed to get one on a spinnerbait though. 

[MIbassyaker]

Slow start to the year. I've been out just 4 times, all in the last couple weeks to three small lakes. Water temps have been colder than usual, and I haven't seem them crack 50 yet -- 10+ degrees below what it was the last few years around the same time. 

 

My First 2020 bass on 4/20:

 

 

[TriStateBassin106]

1 minute ago, MIbassyaker said:

Slow start to the year. I've been out just 4 times, all in the last couple weeks to three small lakes. Water temps have been colder than usual -- 10+ degrees below what it was the last few years around the same time. 

 

My First 2020 bass on 4/20:

 

 

Have you caught anymore since then? Nice bass man

[MIbassyaker]

4 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

Have you caught anymore since then? Nice bass man

Trip 1: Lake "A", 2.5 hours, 40deg wt, 1 bass

Trip 2: Lake "B", 3 hours, 44deg wt, skunked

Trip 3: Lake "C" 2.75 hours, 48deg wt, 7 bass

Trip 4: Lake "A" 3 hours, 42deg wt, 1 bass

[TriStateBassin106]

6 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

Trip 1: Lake "A", 2.5 hours, 40deg wt, 1 bass

Trip 2: Lake "B", 3 hours, 44deg wt, skunked

Trip 3: Lake "C" 2.75 hours, 48deg wt, 7 bass

Trip 4: Lake "A" 3 hours, 42deg wt, 1 bass

That's awesome man! what did you use to catch those 7 bass at C? jerkbait?

[MIbassyaker]

Just now, TriStateBassin106 said:

That's awesome man! what did you use to catch those 7 bass at C? jerkbait?

Senko & paddle-tail swimbait. Ultra-shallow 60-acre natural lake, all just off shoreline reeds, around a field of emerging pad about 1-2 feet of water.  late afternoon.

 

Last year, same time frame (end of april):

Trip 1: Lake "B", 3.25 hours, 52deg wt, 5 bass (jerkbaits)

Trip 2: Riverbank "X", 2 hours, 3 bass (paddle-tail swimbait)

Trip 3: Lake "C" 3 hours, 58deg wt, 16 bass (mostly chatterbait)

Trip 4: Lake "A" 3 hours, 56deg wt,  9 bass  (mostly spinnerbait)