They Just Don't Work Here

[papajoe222]

I've been fishing the same lake a couple of times a week, for over 30 years and I can count on one hand how many bass I've caught on a lipless crank. I've tried different brands, sizes, colors along with a number of different retrieves=nada. I go to different lakes and they are consistent producers, often times with multiple species.

Has anyone given up on a style of lure, or presentation on their home lake because it 'Just Don't Work Here?'

[Scott F]

I’ve been fishing a river for smallies for about 15 years during summers. For the first 12 years, I can’t remember ever catching a smallmouth on a topwater in that river. I know I gave up trying years ago. Then, I tried a whopper plopper.  It’s been the number 1 producer there for the last 3 years. 

[JediAmoeba]

Paddletail swimbaits - on my home waters they are the worst.  Try as I may, they do not do diddly.

[greentrout]

My main reservoir/lake is Flint Creek reservoir in Wiggins, Ms. 600 acres made for recreational boaters, swimmers and fishermen and for flood control.

 

It's a beautiful lake located in the Piney Hills of Mississippi with a healthy population of shad after some renovation from the State a few yrs. ago. Some 10 lb. plus monsters cruise in its waters.

 

Can't catch a bass to save my life with a spinner bait ... not one ... the worm another story ... 

 

good fishing ...

 

P.S. 2013 BASS MASTER CLASSIC champion Cliff Pace called it his home lake ... 

[Bluebasser86]

My buddy lives on a private lake. They don't eat topwater there, any kind of it, never have. No idea why, but they don't. It looks like an amazing topwater lake with clear water, weeds, and docks everywhere, but other baits outfish topwaters 10:1 and most topwater fish are small ones. I've just given up even bringing any when I go out there.

[waymont]

This summer on my two home lakes the frog bite stopped cold right after it got very hot. I've been fishing two times a week, getting out at 5:30am, and the frog bite is still dead. Whopper Ploppers have been good though.

[Spankey]

I believe what you guys are saying. I fall in along those line also. But I wonder how much of it is mental. Especially when results have been poor for so long. I believe this has a lot to do with it. 

[fishballer06]

A family friend has a small pond in his yard, maybe 2 acres in size. The pond is absolutely loaded with huge everything, from catfish, bass, bluegill, crappie, and perch. He hand feeds the pond daily with bread, chicken livers, and the sorts. 

 

All the bass in there average 3-4 pounds, but do you think they fill touch any sort of artificial bait? Nope. Topwaters, jerkbaits, Keitechs, squarebills, Senko's, nothing.... But if you put on a split shot and a dough ball. Hold on, because you're in for a good time. 

[Bankc]

At one of my smaller local lakes they won't bite anything that makes noise.  No rattles, poppers, spinnerbaits, etc.  And the water is muddy, so you either have to drop a black lure right on their head, or use live bait.

[plawren53202]

1 hour ago, fishballer06 said:

A family friend has a small pond in his yard, maybe 2 acres in size. The pond is absolutely loaded with huge everything, from catfish, bass, bluegill, crappie, and perch. He hand feeds the pond daily with bread, chicken livers, and the sorts. 

 

All the bass in there average 3-4 pounds, but do you think they fill touch any sort of artificial bait? Nope. Topwaters, jerkbaits, Keitechs, squarebills, Senko's, nothing.... But if you put on a split shot and a dough ball. Hold on, because you're in for a good time. 

This reminds me of the video Richard Gene the Fishing Machine just posted within the last week on YT; he was fishing someone's private pond that had an automatic feeder. The bluegill he was catching were huge, and he wisely used a brown jig that bore a close resemblance to the food pellets from the feeder. At one point he even picked up a pellet and compared it next to his jig. 

[fishwizzard]

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

My buddy lives on a private lake. They don't eat topwater there, any kind of it, never have. No idea why, but they don't. It looks like an amazing topwater lake with clear water, weeds, and docks everywhere, but other baits outfish topwaters 10:1 and most topwater fish are small ones. I've just given up even bringing any when I go out there.

I have a place like that and I am starting to think it's a matter of heavy bird predation making the bass reluctant to surface.  My pond had a pair of osprey take up residence 3ish years ago and I would swear that the topwater bit has gotten steadily worse ever since.    

[Bluebasser86]

57 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

I have a place like that and I am starting to think it's a matter of heavy bird predation making the bass reluctant to surface.  My pond had a pair of osprey take up residence 3ish years ago and I would swear that the topwater bit has gotten steadily worse ever since.    

You might be onto something because this lake has a boatload of blue herons around it.

[gim]

I've already posted this before on "over rated lures" but the whopper plopper just doesn't work very well for me.  I got sucked into the craze on these things a few years ago when they were all the hype and bought three of them.  I wish I would have only bought one.

 

I may give them another try sometime because I do think they are a well made quality lure.  They just don't catch many fish.  They were marketed to catch angler's money, and they hooked me.

[Junger]

I can't catch anything on a jerkbait. Basically if I tie one on, I relegate myself to just losing a $15 lucky craft pointer.

[Captain Phil]

Local conditions determine what lures work.  Some conditions are temporary.  For years fishing a top water lure in the Harris Chain main lake was an exercise in futility. The water was so turbid the fish couldn't find the lure.  At the same time, if you weren't fishing a Rattle Trap you weren't fishing.  Now that the water has cleared, top water lures and frogs produce while vibrating baits don't work as well.  

 

Some pro anglers, like Jim Bitter, were masters at jerk bait fishing.  If you do the same thing all the time, you will catch most of your fish that way.  

[WVU-SCPA]

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

2 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

I have a place like that and I am starting to think it's a matter of heavy bird predation making the bass reluctant to surface.  My pond had a pair of osprey take up residence 3ish years ago and I would swear that the topwater bit has gotten steadily worse ever since.    

You might be onto something because this lake has a boatload of blue herons around it.

Interesting take.  A lake I fish regularly has nesting eagles and ospreys.  Have given up throwing any top water if any light is present. 

 

However on the darkest of nights, the surface comes alive. 

[walleyecrazy]

I have a lake that I fish on a regular basis where I can't buy a crank bait bite to save my life. I have really good luck with all kinds of other lures, but can't get anything on a crank bait. I just leave them at home now when I fish that lake. 

[NavyVet1204]

I haven’t had any luck on swim jigs with any trailer. Match the hatch or swapping it up hasn’t produced anything for me....yet.

[Mobasser]

Chatterbaits. They just don't work here. At least not for me