Is it the fish or me?

[CrashVector]

That I can't help with...it's a matter of experience.

 

With finicky fish and a Ned rig, I tend to "shake" the lure to elicit bites.

 

My pit boss technique is either two quick "pops" then let it sink, or a smooth pull then let it sit.  Rinse and repeat.

[jlb6]

It’s hard to tamp down expectations in the fall which IMO in the Midwest at least  is a significantly harder bite most days. It’s even harder to grind out finesse baits when the fish aren’t actively feeding just to catch but I still prefer that to staying home. All advice above is awesome-only thing I’d add would be tie on a ned if you haven’t. It’s not a technique I really enjoy throwing but I know when the bite is tough it will produce. All lessons learned on the water will contribute to more success in the future. 

[Capriceragtop]

Solid advice, folks. Think I've got some TRD crawz and the regular stick baits. I'll tie em on and see what happens. Thanks!

[Zcoker]

Lotta good adivce here. I bank fish only out in the everglades and do relatively well. We all have our days, good or bad. One thing that I can add to this post is to just go out and enjoy yourself and have fun regardless of fish or no fish. Sometimes when choked up with all this bass fishing chatter, can suffocate to death and loose interest all together else become completely miserable. Often times when I just go out to enjoy myself and have fun while fishing I end up catching an absolute monster, that or tons of fish. Other times when I am so totally focused and concerned and bogged down about doing this or that correctly, I end up wearing the skunk coat all day. Balance and versatility, a state of mind.....arm yourself with the knowledge, sure, but never be afraid to use your own instincts and/or tactics, no matter how out of kilter they may be to the commonplace knowledge base.  

[Capriceragtop]

3 hours ago, Zcoker said:

One thing that I can add to this post is to just go out and enjoy yourself and have fun regardless of fish or no fish.

That's my mindset. Would rather land fish, but if not, I just appreciate the chance to unplug and get away, enjoying the weather.

[Bankc]

Of you're worried about your retrieve, just keep experimenting.  Try anything and everything.  Something is bound to work eventually.

[Peddiesake]

Been using 1/2oz. Lewis traps in white shad color. When shad present, all quality fish 2-4 lbs. no shad, I take the skunk.

keep at it, it’s a sport not a supermarket. You will have your days.

[zpelletier]

I’ve had a really tough fall from the bank, usually end up skunked. I don’t think there is one answer. You have to find the fish and sometimes you just can’t do that from the bank. 

[Capriceragtop]

Trying to find time in the afternoon to get some fishing in, but the time change has made that tough.

 

I did go out the other day, ended up cleaning up a bunch of mono some jackanapes left on the ground. I suppose the Good Lord saw it was good, and I pulled in a couple of jointed swim baits.

 

Don't understand why folks can't clean up after themselves.

[FishinBuck07]

On 11/2/2021 at 5:45 PM, Capriceragtop said:

Story of ALL my hobbies. I start out with basic gear, then once I find I like it, QUICKLY ramp up into better stuff. I can definitely tell the sensitivity difference in my new rods over my starters, but you're right: my technique needs some focus. Can't tell if my retrieve is to blame, or the problem lies elsewhere.

Nothing wrong with having nice gear at all!  Just have to focus on the important stuff, as slonezp above said you have to focus on the essentials that bass need to survive.  Food, shelter and defense.  Find the food sources the best you can, if they are lowering the lake levels, look for the last visible hard cover you can see and try there.  I know here on my home lake when they start the winter drawdown, the fish run straight to the last wood that is still in the water for the most part.  Make multiple casts to the same target from different angles if possible, this is where the defense part of the bass comes in, they aren't always striking out of hunger, mostly they are doing it out of defense when you get them mad by making too many casts to where they feel safe.  Also I am just guessing here but since you live in Tennessee the fish may be transitioning right now, which will make them more difficult to find.

[thediscochef]

On 11/11/2021 at 6:09 AM, Capriceragtop said:

Trying to find time in the afternoon to get some fishing in, but the time change has made that tough.

 

I did go out the other day, ended up cleaning up a bunch of mono some jackanapes left on the ground. I suppose the Good Lord saw it was good, and I pulled in a couple of jointed swim baits.

 

Don't understand why folks can't clean up after themselves.

Everywhere I fish always has some eagle claw or zebco packaging trash left around somewhere; there's just so many people in Dallas/Fort Worth it's hard to find clean public access. June's Bassmaster at Ray Roberts left so much litter that I only stopped finding it in late October. Sickening. I'm still pretty salty about how the park was treated during that event.

 

What kind of water are you fishing? Stained, clear? Lots of fishing pressure, or are you the only person? Both of these will affect how I normally choose baits and retrieves

[Capriceragtop]

@thediscochef

 

Water at most places I go is stained. There's one lake where it's exceptionally clear, and there's also erosion netting, so any treble hooks have to be kept off the bottom. As I result, I typically reel quickly there unless it's a surface bait or Texas rig.

 

Waters are typically pretty pressured. I have one spot that I think has minimal pressure, as it's surrounded by tall grass, and I've only seen other people once. It's the lake where I caught my first bass, and I cleaned up early on the season. Still looking for that local honey hole no one visits!

[thediscochef]

1 hour ago, Capriceragtop said:

@thediscochef

 

Water at most places I go is stained. There's one lake where it's exceptionally clear, and there's also erosion netting, so any treble hooks have to be kept off the bottom. As I result, I typically reel quickly there unless it's a surface bait or Texas rig.

 

Waters are typically pretty pressured. I have one spot that I think has minimal pressure, as it's surrounded by tall grass, and I've only seen other people once. It's the lake where I caught my first bass, and I cleaned up early on the season. Still looking for that local honey hole no one visits!

I haven't found a place where I can fish alone either, always someone nearby.

 

I would suggest using something like a chatterbait micro or maybe a really small spinnerbait in the stained places; I've found that a ned rig and similar quiet and subtle techniques don't do as well in stained water unless there's some flash or noise with it. The smaller sized lures have done wonders for enticing picky fish, too. Think "Power Finesse" - compact and easy to strike, but also attention-getting. I've not caught anything on a plastic larger than 4 inches in any of my local waters. Always a small plastic trailer. A slower retrieve than those around you will also sometimes help. I prefer the chatterbait micro because it does all of the above AND can give plastics a swimming motion like an actual baitfish.

 

Blending the ned concepts of compact and subtle sizing with just a little bit of noise and flash of a power lure was revolutionary for me. I've not been completely skunked anywhere since; if there's bass they will eventually eat it though my retrieve may require modification for different bodies of water. The goal is to always look like an easier meal than the actual meals nearby.

 

In the clear lake, maybe a Finesse bug from zman on a weedless ned. The flat belly of the bug should help keep you out of the netting but still near the bottom. 

 

Hopefully this giant text wall is helpful, I went through the same issues blaming myself for being bad at fishing until I found something that worked for my specific needs. I don't think there's many bad fishermen out there, just people who haven't quite learned their local lake language yet. That usually only comes with time spent on the water and a good amount of frustration. A lot of lures rely on clear water and you have to get a little creative when everything's stained. You got this!

[papajoe222]

It's you.......................well, kind of. I should say; it's the choices you make and I'm not talking gear. Fish location is the key to fish catching and you are limited as a bank angler to year round, fish holding structure. Plain and simple. You're likely in a situation that doesn't present access to other areas that do have this.

So, don't beat yourself up thinking that you don't have the gear or skills needed to be a successful angler. What you don't have and what you don't have control over, is access to the different, seasonal areas that hold fish.