Got Skunked Saturday

[Run2jeepn]

Took my Kayak out for 6hrs Saturday and got skunked. I saw Bass everywhere. I just couldn't get any to take my bait.

 

Tired Texas rigs, Lipless Cranks, Ned Rig, Frog

 

Air temp was mid 70s

Water temp was 62-67

Heavy vegetation

Depth was 1ft to 6ft 

 

What would you throw in this?

 

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[BrianMDTX]

I’d throw a weightless Texas rig or wacky rig Senko. Flip it close with little splash. 

[Hook2Jaw]

Generally, if I'm seeing fish on the clear body of water I fish, it turns them off if they were on to begin with and I won't get bit no matter what I throw in their face.

 

If they refused the frog, I would switch to a fluke.  I would put it on a beefy 4/0 or 5/0 and ideally toss it on casting gear to have enough power to get them out of the slop.  30# braid on a medium heavy rod in your favorite baitfish imitating color.  Toss it into the weeds and walk it like you would a frog, and allow it to slip down into the holes and lanes.

 

Alternatively, letting a stick worm flutter down into the holes from a cast distance away might get you bit.

 

If that fails, peg enough weight to slip down into the thickest gunk you can find and rig a beaver behind it.  I'll bet those fish are on bluegill and that could get you bit as well.

 

My number one piece of advice for water you can see fish in is to not go visually hunting fish and make long casts to likely spots.

[keagbassr]

Looks like a little piece of fishing heaven there. In addition to what you used i would throw a toad, swimjig, bladed jig, spinnerbait and buzzbait. When fishing an area like this with moving baits you've got to think about 'lanes' between the weeds. Alot of my casts in areas like this will be 20' or less. Also you've got to be willing to pull weeds off you bait repeatedly.

[Teal]

Try punching it.... I know it seem like early in the year for it, but I had to do it Saturday.  Fish got lock jaw on top of the 2 main lakes on the chain are flooded so they are constantly pumping water to the river... so the water level on the 3rd lake in the chain was down... the fish really backed up into the hydrilla and were just chillin with no inclination to feed.  I starting punching the holes in the hydrilla.  I had one 7'6 heavy rod and one 7'1 heavy rod.  One with 1/2 once tungsten weight and rage bug, the other with 1 ounce tungsten, punch skirt and rage craw.... I ended up narrowing it down to a 1/2 ounce with no skirt and rage craw for the most bites...bites were hard as crap to detect and they were hitting it on the fall or the first bounce.  I broke off twice using a leader on the first try with 1/2 ounce... went without with good success.  I has more success fishing the deeper holes..   

 

If you do start catching fish in that spot, start a mental check list.of what you did and where and how so you can narrow it down.  

 

Top water would be my second option.  If not a pad crasher, maybe a toad or a something like a rat,

[YoTone]

Id throw a frog and mostly toss it in shade pockets.

[Michigander]

Got skunked at my opening tournament on Saturday. Most of the field zeroed or only had 1-2 fish. It was tough out there.

[TnRiver46]

I get skunked sometimes while fishing but I get skunked a lot while trapping at work 

[gim]

Generally, if you can see them they can see you and you won't be able to catch them.  Not always the case, but often.

[BrianMDTX]

6 hours ago, Teal said:

If you do start catching fish in that spot, start a mental check list.of what you did and where and how so you can narrow it down.  

Of all you posted, I highlighted this. Why? Because many times I’ve hooked a bass, reeled it in and thought “What did I do”?  Was I hopping it off the bottom? If so, how much? How fast was the retrieve? I could go on and on. 
 

I'm really trying to hone in on what I’m doing on each cast so I can remember what I was doing, and when, I got a strike. It’s easy to get complacent and then Bam! Fish on! But what the &@%# did I do to finally get that bass on the hook?