Extreme Advice

[huZZah]

When time is short only spot I can get to is not a great bass lake, but they’re in there. I’ve caught 2+ lber in this spot once or twice before. Right now?  Nothing. They’re there. They jump. Nothing. 
 

Water temp is 80-85, 4-6 ft of water, very dirty, heavily pressured public lake but no motor craft, plenty of cover to get hung on, rocky bottom, typically 7pm-9 (fading light).  I’ve tried spinners, chatterbaits, trig worms and craws, wacky worms, jigs and craws, shakeyhead, Ned, lipless cranks, squarebills, buzzbaits, whopper plopper, jitterbugs, dragonflies, and frogs. I’m afraid to try dropshot or Carolina cause I’ve lost a few shakey heads and several wacky/trigs on the rocks. Every technique I can read about for each as I’m skunked most every time so I just practice what I find. I generally only take 2 setups each time so I won’t just put something down after 3 or 4 casts. My 2 decent bass catches in this lake came off buzzbait and a spinner. 
 

Panfish are easy with live worms so I’m not actually ever skunked unless I don’t feel like getting bluegill.  Also catfish are easy with just about anything.  Not interesting at all. 
 

I know I said it’s a hard place, but it’s my only option evenings after kids are in bed, and I need to go fishing, and there’s bass in there. Have I missed something?
 

Suggestions?

[softwateronly]

I'm not claiming this will work but I'd add a 3-5" swimbait (depending on the size of the forage) to the mix both open hook and underspin.  Seems like your catches are when they're feeding on baitfish, maybe a more subtle baitfish lure can get the job done.  Slow, steady retrieve with a good tail thump and they'll find it in dirty water for sure.

 

scott

[TnRiver46]

I would rig weighless worms weedless style 

[GreenPig]

Strike King Micro Pong Magic 1/8 in Red Ant should do it.

[WRB]

Bass are not the only fish in a pond that surface feed. 

If the bass are active enough to be surface feeding they are catchable.

try late evening and night fishing.

Tom

[Sphynx]

I find it very hard to believe that you have thrown all those presentations where the fish are and they didn't bite any of it, my guess is the where your fishing in the lake/pond is wrong, if your throwing all that out there for nothing in return, your fishing where the fish aren't. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Theres a lake by house that is similar, it has a small fish population for its size, receives an incredible amount of fishing pressure and usually has 6"-18" viz.  Every fish you catch you have to earn, they're are good days every now and then but for the most part its always a grind.

Try downsizing along with using something more subtle.  Instead of using a real aggressive SB, throw a shad rap or a silent SB at the very least.  Since they see a ton of spinner/chatterbaits, dont throw them unless you have some cloud cover and or wind. 

When you do throw them make them look different, trim the skirt down to tighten up the profile and color in chatterbait blades with a black sharpie.  I know it was mentioned earlier, but those little pond magic booyahs can really do some damage.

On days where you dont have the wind/clouds or they just aren't responding to cranks or spinner/chatterbaits go with a really compact swimjig.  There are a few really good ones, but the past few months Ive come to depend on the Greenfish Chibi swim jig with a swimming fluke jr on it.  Its got a light wire hook and a thin weedguard which makes it a bad choice for cover, but its excellent for sparse cover and open water.  The hook penetrates so well most of the time the fish hook themselves, just make sure to use a M power rod or set your drag accordingly so it doesn't open the hook.   It just gets bit when other swimjigs wont and it gets a bigger bite on average then a swimbait of equal size. 

 

[huZZah]

2 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Theres a lake by house that is similar, it has a small fish population for its size, receives an incredible amount of fishing pressure and usually has 6"-18" viz.  Every fish you catch you have to earn, they're are good days every now and then but for the most part its always a grind.

Try downsizing along with using something more subtle.  Instead of using a real aggressive SB, throw a shad rap or a silent SB at the very least.  Since they see a ton of spinner/chatterbaits, dont throw them unless you have some cloud cover and or wind. 

When you do throw them make them look different, trim the skirt down to tighten up the profile and color in chatterbait blades with a black sharpie.  I know it was mentioned earlier, but those little pond magic booyahs can really do some damage.

On days where you dont have the wind/clouds or they just aren't responding to cranks or spinner/chatterbaits go with a really compact swimjig.  There are a few really good ones, but the past few months Ive come to depend on the Greenfish Chibi swim jig with a swimming fluke jr on it.  Its got a light wire hook and a thin weedguard which makes it a bad choice for cover, but its excellent for sparse cover and open water.  The hook penetrates so well most of the time the fish hook themselves, just make sure to use a M power rod or set your drag accordingly so it doesn't open the hook.   It just gets bit when other swimjigs wont and it gets a bigger bite on average then a swimbait of equal size. 

 

Thank you for this, I’m headed to try it tonight. Moving is not an option when I don’t have 30 mins drive to go to a better place. For the most part this lake is people parked at a spot making out every night, but there’s 2 fishing spots I walk to that no one else cares about. I’ll definitely try the swim jig. 

[huZZah]

Lol, you’re awesome. 10 mins in I got this little guy. Closest swim jig I had and I just cut a yum swim in dinger down. 

 

 

[CrankFate]

4 hours ago, Sphynx said:

I find it very hard to believe that you have thrown all those presentations where the fish are and they didn't bite any of it, my guess is the where your fishing in the lake/pond is wrong, if your throwing all that out there for nothing in return, your fishing where the fish aren't. 

Im not, in lakes as described, the bass may actually run from all of those. Especially if they’re in the most popular colors. No idea what you need. But it’s obvious, try something else, including trying it at another time of day. Like maybe 9am to 1pm.

[papajoe222]

I don't think it's what you're throwing, rather when and where you're throwing them. You didn't mention if you're bank fishing, or doing so from a boat. I assume by your mention of water depth, it's the bank.  The when, you have zero control over as you've stated. The where is where I think you should concentrate your efforts.  If the fish aren't actively feeding, in which case you'd likely be catching, you need to change locations. If you can't reach deeper water, choose areas that are close to deeper water.  As the water is dirty, you should skip the presentations like Neds, straight tail worms and shakey heads and concentrate on moving baits for a couple of reasons. The first is that the fish can find them easier and the second is the limited amount of time you have. My recommendation is for a big, shallow running crank like a FatBoy, Big O. or a 2.5 squarebill.

[Sphynx]

2 hours ago, CrankFate said:

Im not, in lakes as described, the bass may actually run from all of those. Especially if they’re in the most popular colors. No idea what you need. But it’s obvious, try something else, including trying it at another time of day. Like maybe 9am to 1pm.

You are telling me that your throwing spinners, chatterbaits, trick worms and craws, wacky worms, jigs and craws, shakeyhead, Ned, lipless cranks, squarebills, buzzbaits, whopper plopper, jitterbugs, dragonflies, and frogs, amongst actively feeding fish and they run from it? I have fished a lot of places man, but that all but runs the gamut of my tackle selection most days, and I don't think I've seen a lake that bad as long as I'm fishing where the fish are

[huZZah]

Well, that’s why I am asking for advice. I don’t have a boat, and the lake is so full shore access is very limited. It’s a public lake in town which limits access even more due to people being there. 
 

I don’t expect to make a killing when I go, but the better fishing is 30 mins away and not possible when I only have an hour or so. But I want to catch something, and I did tonight on the light swim jig suggestion. But I’ve been at least 5 times before and got nothing. It’s how it goes at this lake. 

[CrankFate]

20 hours ago, Sphynx said:

You are telling me that your throwing spinners, chatterbaits, trick worms and craws, wacky worms, jigs and craws, shakeyhead, Ned, lipless cranks, squarebills, buzzbaits, whopper plopper, jitterbugs, dragonflies, and frogs, amongst actively feeding fish and they run from it? I have fished a lot of places man, but that all but runs the gamut of my tackle selection most days, and I don't think I've seen a lake that bad as long as I'm fishing where the fish are

I never said actively feeding fish. Otherwise, yes to most of those most of the time at the place I fish the most. With literally millions of people out there to be fishing there, half a dozen at one time is a lot. There’s a reason for that. The fish will literally escape from most things most of the time. I’m not saying it’s because of pressure either. I’m saying it’s because of clear water, excellent eyesight and plentiful food to eat with little effort. I don’t believe much in pressure. Because when I fish other places with more pressure, it’s still easier to catch if the water isn’t clear and the fish have more competition and less food.