What am I doing wrong?

[NavyVet1204]

As someone with minimal bass fishing experience, what am I doing wrong?

 

I cannot for the life of me catch a bass on anything except Texas rigs(best luck) and crank baits. Swim jigs, buzzbaits, chatterbaits, frogs, whopper ploppers...nothing.

 

I understand that if I caught a fish every time I went fishing, it wouldn’t be called fishing, it would be shopping. Im not complaining about it like that lol, but I feel like I’m wasting my money on anything besides crank baits and Texas rig setups. I’ve watched video after video on YouTube on the baits that I have no luck with and I still can’t manage to catch a bass on that stuff when they are yanking PBs left and right in the same/similar weather patterns. Part of me says to just stick with what works until it stops working and then try the other stuff. I’m in southeast Alabama.

[plawren53202]

12 minutes ago, NavyVet1204 said:

I’ve watched video after video on YouTube on the baits that I have no luck with and I still can’t manage to catch a bass on that stuff when they are yanking PBs left and right in the same/similar weather patterns. 

This is an aside from your real question about baits and tactics, but you have to sift through what you see on YouTube. Some of the channels would definitely give you the impression that they do nothing but catch 5 lbers or better on nearly every cast. Editing does wonders, as does fishing on private ponds all the time. ? The people I learn much more from, and the ones I watch much more often, are the ones who if they are having a tough day, they will say, it's a tough day. Some of those other channels are just like watching Sportscenter highlights rather than watching the whole game.

 

Having said all of that, a little more info about your fishing setting might help everyone answer your question. Pond/lake/river? Stained water or clear? What kind of cover and structure are you fishing? (weeds, lily pads, rock banks, shallow water, deep water, etc.) Bank or boat? 

[Jaderose]

"Part of me says to just stick with what works until it stops working and then try the other stuff. I’m in southeast Alabama."

 

 

 

Listen to that part of you.  This is a life-long journey with no end.  Use your confidence baits and enjoy catching the fish you catch.  When you get proficient in those techniques start mixing other things in.  Relax, slow down, and enjoy the ride.  You can read, watch videos, and study all you want and those things are all useful tools, but the only real way to learn is time on the water.

 

[NavyVet1204]

32 minutes ago, plawren53202 said:

This is an aside from your real question about baits and tactics, but you have to sift through what you see on YouTube. Some of the channels would definitely give you the impression that they do nothing but catch 5 lbers or better on nearly every cast. Editing does wonders, as does fishing on private ponds all the time. ? The people I learn much more from, and the ones I watch much more often, are the ones who if they are having a tough day, they will say, it's a tough day. Some of those other channels are just like watching Sportscenter highlights rather than watching the whole game.

 

Having said all of that, a little more info about your fishing setting might help everyone answer your question. Pond/lake/river? Stained water or clear? What kind of cover and structure are you fishing? (weeds, lily pads, rock banks, shallow water, deep water, etc.) Bank or boat? 

Sorry about that lack of info.

 

Big lake from a jon boat with stained water and a good amount of wind(today). Lately with a lot of rain it was badly stained/muddy. Some local ponds with similar water type on the bank.

32 minutes ago, plawren53202 said:

This is an aside from your real question about baits and tactics, but you have to sift through what you see on YouTube. Some of the channels would definitely give you the impression that they do nothing but catch 5 lbers or better on nearly every cast. Editing does wonders, as does fishing on private ponds all the time. ? The people I learn much more from, and the ones I watch much more often, are the ones who if they are having a tough day, they will say, it's a tough day. Some of those other channels are just like watching Sportscenter highlights rather than watching the whole game.

 

Having said all of that, a little more info about your fishing setting might help everyone answer your question. Pond/lake/river? Stained water or clear? What kind of cover and structure are you fishing? (weeds, lily pads, rock banks, shallow water, deep water, etc.) Bank or boat? 

Also, catching the bass in weedy or fallen timber type structures by using googan lunker logs and various other craw type soft plastics from zoom and Yum anywhere from three to 12 foot deep.
 

im basically trying to become more proficient in using other lure types I guess.

[plawren53202]

Thanks for the info...if you're only going to have two types of baits working for you, soft plastics and crankbaits are a pretty good pairing. Moving bait and slower bottom bait. For years my two baits were a plastic worm and a spinnerbait. 

 

At least here in Missouri, we're maybe a touch early for a topwater bite. I realize in Alabama you all are ahead of us on the bass calendar. But that might explain having no luck on buzzbaits or whopper ploppers in the past few months. I would stay with those for sure; for me, a summer early morning/late evening topwater bite is one of the easiest to figure out. First, there's little doubt whether they're biting it or not. And, topwaters are pretty plug-and-play, especially those two. I would think that as spring turns into summer, you will get into a topwater bite in the early mornings and late evenings.

 

Beyond that, one thing I've come to the conclusion of the last couple of years is that my order of priority for factors is: 1. location (where in the body of water, what type of cover, etc.); 2. lure type/presentation; 3. lure color.  The woody and weedy cover you've been fishing might be the right places to fish, but if you're fishing a big lake, the fish have lots of choices and so the cover and location has to match up with what stage of their calendar the bass are in. For instance, if you've been fishing for pre-spawn bass, I would be thinking more in terms of staging areas like secondary points going back into pockets where the bass can then spawn. If they are in the middle of spawning, then obviously spawning areas. In my experience spawning bass tend to like rocky or sandy bottoms and not mud bottoms for spawning.  Post-spawn, some of the bass may still stay shallow and relate to shallow cover, some may head back out a little deeper to points and prespawn staging areas.

 

If you're on YouTube already, you might have already found them, but to me BassResource is the best channel for pure education on bass fishing. For instance, for each season they do a video that says where the bass will be in different types of lakes. I highly recommend them if you haven't found them yet.

 

Another thing to think about, maybe you've been getting bites that you're not detecting. That could be for a number of reasons. Fishing weeds and wood cover can be tough to detect bites because if you're fishing right, you're bumping into weeds and wood all the time. Especially if you're trying new lures; bass will hit different lures different ways, and part of the learning process for me with a new lure is learning how bass will hit it. 

 

 

[Mobasser]

Some lures work well at times, some dont. I probably catch 80% of my fish on a t rig worm every year. Most of the time that's what I use, and it catches fish of all sizes. It sounds like your off to a good start.

[FishinBuck07]

Learning new techniques takes patience!  Best advice I have for you is to leave everything at home other than the technique you want to get more proficient with. This is gonna equal days where you don't catch fish and some slow days till you figure out how to fish that technique better!  Believe me I am trying to do the same thing and it is tough, but will be worth it in the end!

[Michigander]

Frogs are a patience game for me, I love them so I'm willing to grind through the long periods without bites. What swim jig/trailer are you throwing? A swim jig is a primary fish catcher for me but I learned the hard way that the jig/trailer combo is the difference between getting skunked and being very successful.

[TnRiver46]

Texas rig is awesome, I would just keep chucking it!!!

[WRB]

Soft plastics can be rigged several ways. Texas rigs can be rigged several different ways.

If Texas rig means weedless hooking a plastic worm or any other soft plastic then C-rig, Florida rig (pegged bullet weight), sliding bullet weight, drop shot, split shot, mojo rig, slip shot are all variations of Texas rigging.

OP how do you define Texas rig?

Crankbaits come in lipless, shallow, medium and deep divers. It usually takes a few years to master crankbaits. 

My suggestion is try a different lure when the bite is good. Example catching bass on crankbaits try a spinnerbait or a chatterbait at the same depth.

Tom

[scaleface]

You're just using the wrong lures at the wrong time . They all work . I quit trying to keep up with all the lures . As long as fish are being caught , I'll remain happy . Where I've been fishing the spinnerbait bite is dying out. Texas rigs , toads and crankbaits are picking up . The changes will keep  happening throughout the year . Its just a matter of connecting the dots . 

[NavyVet1204]

And this is what I’m worried about lol

 

Ive always been the guy that would tie on whatever and see if it worked versus having an understanding of what may perform better/best at the time with conditions in mind. 

[Mobasser]

Keep at it. You'll do fine. All these things come with practice and experience. I'm still leaning after 40yrs.

[NavyVet1204]

Thanks friend and to all of you that have responded! 
 

Time is going to be my biggest obstacle I reckon lol

[Michigander]

Depending on the size of the swim jig, your trailer might be too short. You want the flappy/thumpy (technical terms) to extend beyond the end of the skirt so it can do it's thing. You can (and should) trim your skirts where necessary but getting a longer trailer is better.

 

This is a picture of a VERY bulky swim jig but see how the flappers are beyond the skirt? 

[NavyVet1204]

I do see what you mean...I didn’t pay very close attention to the trailer length before I put it on the jig. I will try a longer trailer next time. 

[DitchPanda]

I will agree with some of the above feedback and say having the one two punch of crankbait and texas rig ( maybe most versatile rig ever) is a solid foundation. I too fished a Texas rigged worm and spinners exclusively for years until I branched out. If I can recommend a few more lures too branch out..first is a spinnerbait. I feel like if you can fish a crankbait then a spinner should be easy for you too pick up on plus they are better at being snag resistant. Second I would suggest a finesse type jig..maybe like a siebert sniper jig in 5/16oz with a small craw trailer. A zoom ultravibe speed craw fits great on there and is awesome as a swim jig trailer or a Texas rigged bait so they are perfect multiple technique baits to have laying around. Now some people would argue that a jig is hard to figure out but if you fish it similar to how you've been doing the Texas rig then you'll figure it out no problem. Lastly if your trying to learn Goldwater is recommend throwing a popper. These are easy to figure out the basics..and yes learning to walk them takes time..but they still catch plenty of bass with a pop pop pause technique. Lots of great poppers out there but if suggest a rebel pop r or booyah boss pop in the 1/4oz size. To make it simple if your not great with a baitcaster these will throw a mile on a medium power spinning rod with 8lb mono.

[DitchPanda]

Lastly I wanted to add that I'll be 37 this month I've got 20 years of bassing and 10 years inshore saltwater fishing (similar to bass in a lot of ways) under my belt. I have several techniques I've learned in the last 5 years so this takes time. There's two things I've done to make myself better at certain things. First ill find a few I wanted to try and go out and try each one for a while. Second the next several times out I'll stick to the one I liked the best or had the best results with until I feel comfortable with it. Then I just add that into my arsenal of established lures and go back to fishing my strengths with that mixed in until I'm proficient at it. May take weeks may take months. Then I pick something else and repeat the process just slowly adding tools to the toolbox.

[NJBasstard]

All good advice given so far just wanted to point something out.. Maybe it's just me but I rarely fish a jig as-is right out of the package. More often then not skirts & weed guards need trimming down some. No experience with the one your using but the issue with trailer length could possibly be fixed by just trimming the skirt.