Anyone else in a slump?

[Hook2Jaw]

I've caught four bass in the last three trips, spanning three weeks.  I'm still planning to compete in the Southeast Kayak Bass Fishing trail next year, and I am at a low point.  I'm supposed to be getting better at this, not worse.

 

I've thrown dropshot, Neko, shakyhead, weightless sticks and flukes.  I've thrown spinnerbaits, swimjigs, squarebills and paddletails.  I've drug worms, creatures, craws and jigs on the bottom.  I've even tried an Alabama rig.  I've thrown frogs and spooks.

 

Fish evade me.

 

Four fish in over twenty hours of fishing has me entirely too down, and I'm second guessing all my rods, line, and lures.

 

I should change my name to Hook2Naw.

 

Anyone at the bottom with me?

[ike8120]

I am also, nothing the last three trips, water levels are extremely low where I fish, even a private farm pond.

[Hook2Jaw]

Just now, ike8120 said:

I am also, nothing the last three trips, water levels are extremely low where I fish, even a private farm pond.

My river is up way too high, my pond temperatures are dropping, and I basically feel I should have a goose egg.  We'll make it through.

[scaleface]

Nope , fishing has been excellent .

[PhishLI]

Our waters are all spring fed and are shockingly low. Shallow flats are now just streams feeding into the main lakes. It's crazy. Everything's different. It's been rough for all the dudes I talk with from one end of the island to the other. Even the very low pressure private lakes have been a grind for months, but it seems like things are looking up the past few days.

[DitchPanda]

I too am experiencing low water...lowest I've seen in 10+ years...maybe ever honestly. My numbers of bass have been down catching 2-3 most trips to my local haunt. Size however has made up for it...in the past week I've caught  2-2.5s,2-4s a 4.5 and a 6. Only 2 dinks in the mix.

[MGF]

The river is low enough that I haven't put the boat or canoe in for the last two weeks. Caught a few small bass last week while wading. Yesterday I tried a lake that I hadn't fished this year and the wind blew us right off the water. Water was low and areas that are usually clear were completely socked in with weeds. I guess the fish are still in the lake but I didn't see any signs of life.

[Bankbeater]

All through Sept. if the temp dipped the bite turned off.  When the temp would come back up the bite would pick up.

[TcRoc]

In the past week I’ve done very well. But I switched to another reservoir about 30 minutes from me. Usually fish a lake 5 minutes away for my 2 to 3 hour outings.. it’s just been dead there.. the lake turned to nothing but muddy water which I could not for the life of me get a bite. 

[Sphynx]

I beat bank harder this weekend than I have in ages and came up with a single 1ish pound smallmouth for it, probably put in 3+ miles to do it, I'd say the conditions are tough, and boy I earned that fish, but then there is nothing more stimulating than a challenging set of conditions, they give you an opportunity to learn things, and an opportunity to succeed where others have and will continue to quit and fail, chances are if your struggling, lots of other people are too, pay attention to what isn't working, and of course to what is, you'll get out of the slump, just gotta keep grinding. 

[Hook2Jaw]

Hang in there, my downtrodden friends.  I am going to a certified good fish hole on Saturday and if they won't eat there, I'll load the kayak up and move to a numbers hole.

 

Best of luck to all of you, anyone got any skunk repellant? 

[BassNJake]

23 hours ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I've caught four bass in the last three trips, spanning three weeks.  I'm still planning to compete in the Southeast Kayak Bass Fishing trail next year, and I am at a low point.  I'm supposed to be getting better at this, not worse.

 

I've thrown dropshot, Neko, shakyhead, weightless sticks and flukes.  I've thrown spinnerbaits, swimjigs, squarebills and paddletails.  I've drug worms, creatures, craws and jigs on the bottom.  I've even tried an Alabama rig.  I've thrown frogs and spooks.

 

Fish evade me.

 

Four fish in over twenty hours of fishing has me entirely too down, and I'm second guessing all my rods, line, and lures.

 

I should change my name to Hook2Naw.

 

Anyone at the bottom with me?

Professional BASS angler Bill Lowen weighed in 4 fish for 9lbs 9 ounces over 2 days on Lake Guntersville last weekend. Tough times at this time of year. 

 

 

[Hook2Jaw]

1 minute ago, BassNJake said:

Professional BASS angler Bill Lowen weighed in 4 fish for 9lbs 9 ounces over 2 days on Lake Guntersville last weekend. Tough times at this time of year. 

 

 

I would like to nominate Mr. Bill Lowen as king of the slump.  May his reign be short.

[TriStateBassin106]

Brutal fishing the last two weeks. Currently on a 3 day skunk streak, taking a break for a couple days to recharge. I fish pressured public park ponds but usually do pretty well, we got heavy rain last tuesday here in NJ and the runoff and nutrients ended up in the ponds and now there's an algae bloom in most of em, air temps are struggling to make 70 degrees right now, been throwing the kitchen sink at em but they won't bite anything including anything finesse. 

 

 

Welcome to club struggle my friend. 

[ajschn06]

On 10/4/2020 at 12:54 PM, Hook2Jaw said:

I've caught four bass in the last three trips, spanning three weeks.  I'm still planning to compete in the Southeast Kayak Bass Fishing trail next year, and I am at a low point.  I'm supposed to be getting better at this, not worse.

 

I've thrown dropshot, Neko, shakyhead, weightless sticks and flukes.  I've thrown spinnerbaits, swimjigs, squarebills and paddletails.  I've drug worms, creatures, craws and jigs on the bottom.  I've even tried an Alabama rig.  I've thrown frogs and spooks.

 

Fish evade me.

 

Four fish in over twenty hours of fishing has me entirely too down, and I'm second guessing all my rods, line, and lures.

 

I should change my name to Hook2Naw.

 

Anyone at the bottom with me?

Go back to your tried and true for a while... never fails...

[MGF]

I think it's hard to make good only fishing on the weekends this time of year. Things are changing fast and you don't get much time to figure things out.  Now I have to skip a weekend or two and it could be full blown winter before I get back out. If it gets too cold I'm not going back out. LOL

 

My best time is summer. I see changes in my river and locations and methods need to change too but the changes are smaller...and I HATE the cold!

 

This working stuff stuff can really put a damper on your fishing.

 

 

[Sphynx]

6 minutes ago, MGF said:

I think it's hard to make good only fishing on the weekends this time of year. Things are changing fast and you don't get much time to figure things out.  Now I have to skip a weekend or two and it could be full blown winter before I get back out. If it gets too cold I'm not going back out. LOL

 

My best time is summer. I see changes in my river and locations and methods need to change too but the changes are smaller...and I HATE the cold!

 

This working stuff stuff can really put a damper on your fishing.

 

 

My grandfather has been fond of saying that "He has no idea how he ever found time for work now that he's retired." For the last 30+ years, it's incredible just how much of our lives we dedicate to a job that for many people is nothing more than a means to affording to do the things we like to do.

[MGF]

Some of us are pretty driven to catch fish. Sometimes I have to take a lesson from my wife. She's a pretty good angler but she's better at enjoying the outing when we don't catch anything. Sometimes she just stops fishing and takes in the scenery. 

 

Sunday when the wind was blowing my around the lake and I was fighting like a mad man just to keep the weeds from fouling the trolling motor and get in one decent cast I heard her in the background saying stuff like "Wow the sky sure is beautiful"...and "Look at the color of that tree".

 

There is another side to this. Sometimes when the fishing is great she just doesn't fish very hard. Of course, being the lifetime student of angling that I am, I generally catch the most and the biggest. Many times I've told her that I can't understand putting down the rod when things are really cooking. So the last few trips she has been fishing harder...and she's been catching more fish than me too. LOL

4 minutes ago, Sphynx said:

My grandfather has been fond of saying that "He has no idea how he ever found time for work now that he's retired." For the last 30+ years, it's incredible just how much of our lives we dedicate to a job that for many people is nothing more than a means to affording to do the things we like to do.

Throughout my working life I've been fortunate to be able to do work that enjoy. Still, I could enjoy fishing a lot more. LOL

[BrianMDTX]

Define “slump” lol. 

 

My catches have really slowed since late July-early August and definitely in September. There were times I was getting strikes every 3-4 times I casted a 5” Senko WR. Not lately. 

 

But...I’ve avoided the skunk, and that’s ok with me. I enjoy the time on the water. Looking back at all the time I’ve spent in a treestand, bow in hand, staying still and silent in frigid temps and either seeing no deer at all, or too far to shoot, has made slow fishing days seem action-packed in comparison. 

[Log Catcher]

I have been in a slump all year. I am having the worst year I've ever had. Nothing is working for me this year and I don't know why. Been skunked several times this year. Planning to try again Wednesday and hope I can come up with something to turn things around.

[MN Fisher]

31 minutes ago, Log Catcher said:

I have been in a slump all year. I am having the worst year I've ever had. Nothing is working for me this year and I don't know why. Been skunked several times this year. Planning to try again Wednesday and hope I can come up with something to turn things around.

Join the club - so far this year, I've had one decent northern and two decent bass...rest have been dinks/hammer-handles.

 

I'm also trying again Wednesday - reports have them moving shallow, so maybe my shore-fishing expedition will be fruitful for a change.

[gim]

1 hour ago, Log Catcher said:

I have been in a slump all year. I am having the worst year I've ever had.

I’ve had the best season I’ve had in at least a decade. It has slowed down some since about Labor Day because of the constantly-fluctuating temperatures but I wouldn’t say it’s been terrible.

 

One strategy you might consider is to try fishing at night. I’ve done it now 5 times since late July and it has proven to be effective every time. 3 out of 5 of those trips were VERY good too. I know for a fact that I would not have had the success during daylight that I did at night when I made those trips too because when I went during the day it was not as good. Just something that might help.

 

My most recent outing 3 days ago produced 7 largemouth, 6 pike, a tiger muskie, and a walleye. The biggest bass I caught was a plump 19 incher.

[MN Fisher]

Just now, gimruis said:

One strategy you might consider is to try fishing at night.

I'd LOVE to night fish - but the home situation precludes it.

[DogBone_384]

Yes, I too am in a slump.

I bought a beautiful Ranger RT178 in June. Since then I’ve not caught more than a few bass over 2 pounds. 
 

My last 5 trips to Long Pond in Harwich, MA Have netted me three small mouth bass, all a pound or less while a coworker caught a 6, 5, and 4 pound large mouth bass from his kayak in two days in a small, local pond.

 

I’m dumping the Ranger and going back to small waters with my kayak.

13 hours ago, Sphynx said:

pay attention to what isn't working,

I’m running out of different baits to throw, an Tackle Warehouse is my friend... almost ready to go back to live bait, but that’s waiting, not fishing.

[Sphynx]

31 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

Yes, I too am in a slump.

I bought a beautiful Ranger RT178 in June. Since then I’ve not caught more than a few bass over 2 pounds. 
 

My last 5 trips to Long Pond in Harwich, MA Have netted me three small mouth bass, all a pound or less while a coworker caught a 6, 5, and 4 pound large mouth bass from his kayak in two days in a small, local pond.

 

I’m dumping the Ranger and going back to small waters with my kayak.

I’m running out of different baits to throw, an Tackle Warehouse is my friend... almost ready to go back to live bait, but that’s waiting, not fishing.

You have less than 6 months with a boat, whole new animal, think about it this way, when you went from the bank to the Yak you were looking at bass fishing backwards, throwing towards the bank instead of away from it, took time to adjust I expect, it'll take time to learn a boat too.

 

As far as baits, I have thousands, if not 10's of thousands tied up in baits, and sometimes that leads to analysis paralysis, or the temptation to change baits every 10 casts, I have begun to restrict myself to 5 or 6 baits when I go fishing, 3 or 4 that I expect to be useful, and a wildcard just in case I blew it with my predicted conditions (i.e expected wind and can see my reflection etc) truth is I have caught more fish this year than last because of it, I'm forced to be thorough, and to cover the available water multiple times, with multiple retrieves in different ways, if I play the game long enough, and the bass haven't gone deep, I WILL get bit, the question is am I willing to work at the puzzle long enough. If it helps, my frogs have been turned in for cigar baits and poppers, my bottom baits are my terminal box (t rig, c rig, ned rig, drop shot, wacky rigs) and a jig box, and the three moving baits I bring are my squarebills, my lipless, and my spinnerbaits...they are all doing work at one point or another.