Active vs Not Active ?

[A-Jay]

Still have hard water here - I'm letting my mind wander.

More than usual I mean . . . . .

Spawned out of another current thread regarding bass fishing 'off shore'. 

 

Active vs Not Active 

How can we determine this in advance ?

Can we even do it ?

If and when a bass eats, does that make her active ?

Can she be 'active' and not eat ?

IME, bass that are relating to something; cover/structure,

whether they are in shore, off shore or somewhere in between, 

seem far more prone to be 'active', Especially LMB.

I feel like the presence of bait can increase the likely hood quite a bit. 

Suspended fish seem to be 'inactive' more often than not. 

 

'Opportunistic feeders' is a term we hear quite a bit.

What does that even mean, and who decided this ?

How did they figure this out ?

At no point do I ever feel like I 'fooled' a bass into eating.

I present a bait, the decision of whether she eats it or not has very little to do with me. 

In my mind, when it comes to feeding, bass that can't figure out where to be and when, in order to survive, don't. 

 

Sort of goes along with the term 'confused'.

I've heard many an 'expert' say where the conditions have the bass confused - Really ?

Yea, I'm not buying that one either. 

We all know who's confused here and it ain't the bass. 

 

I'm standing by for heavy rolls . . . 

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Catt]

15 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

, bass that are relating to something; cover/structure,

whether they are in shore, off shore or somewhere in between, 

seem far more prone to be 'active', Especially LMB.

 

You just described where every bass down here lives.

 

16 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Suspended fish seem to be 'inactive' more often than not. 

 

It's not uncommon for bass to suspend under shad that are suspended offshore & you'll see a streak on your electronics as bass flashes through the shad. Were the bass active or not?

 

22 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

At no point do I ever feel like I 'fooled' a bass into eating.

 

Never bed fished? 

[king fisher]

It's all relative.  When I'm sitting on the couch watching a football game, In my opinion I'm being active.  My wife would only call it activity, if I was on the dumb end of a vacuum cleaner while catching glimpses of the game.

    
When I hook a fish it is active.  When I don't get bit I would say the fish is inactive.  Maybe the bass thinks he is working all the time, even while watching the game.  All I know is there are many days, I wish they were a little less lazy, and more in the mood to vacuum up my lure.

[Tennessee Boy]

Very well said @A-Jay ?

[5/0]

I’m not nearly as experienced as many on here, but I don’t think amount of activity can be determined beforehand.

If there are no fish that is a mute point. If there are fish or the presence of prey than you’ve got to present bait or baits to find out their activity level. They may ignore one lure, but gobble up another, or they may ignore everything thrown at them. Ignore may not be the right term because I believe a bass is fully aware of what’s in it’s surroundings. Gotta figure out what floats their boat.

 

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Still have hard water here - I'm letting my mind wander.

More than usual I mean . . . . .

Spawned out of another current thread regarding bass fishing 'off shore'. 

 

Active vs Not Active 

How can we determine this in advance ?

Can we even do it ?

If and when a bass eats, does that make her active ?

Can she be 'active' and not eat ?

IME, bass that are relating to something; cover/structure,

whether they are in shore, off shore or somewhere in between, 

seem far more prone to be 'active', Especially LMB.

I feel like the presence of bait can increase the likely hood quite a bit. 

Suspended fish seem to be 'inactive' more often than not. 

 

'Opportunistic feeders' is a term we hear quite a bit.

What does that even mean, and who decided this ?

How did they figure this out ?

At no point do I ever feel like I 'fooled' a bass into eating.

I present a bait, the decision of whether she eats it or not has very little to do with me. 

In my mind, when it comes to feeding, bass that can't figure out where to be and when, in order to survive, don't. 

 

Sort of goes along with the term 'confused'.

I've heard many an 'expert' say where the conditions have the bass confused - Really ?

Yea, I'm not buying that one either. 

We all know who's confused here and it ain't the bass. 

 

I'm standing by for heavy rolls . . . 

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miss a workout, did we?...  

[A-Jay]

6 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Miss a workout, did we?...  

LOL ~ No, off day.

Is it that apparent ?

A-Jay

 

[slonezp]

The key is to activ-ate them. Just because you throw a bait at a fishy looking spot doesn't mean fish are there. Just because you throw a bait at a fishy looking spot that has a fish doesn't mean it's going to bite. There have been days where I could throw 3 or 4 times at the same piece of cover before I get hit. I picked that tidbit up from KVD when he won the 2011 Classic in Louisiana. He was fishing stumps with a squarebill and talked about the "spot on a spot". Were his fish active? Did he activ-ate them?

 

There have been numerous times during the heat of the summer where I will switch to live bait and fish for panfish because the bass aren't cooperating. All of a sudden I start catching bass. Are the bass active or did I activ-ate them with the live bait OR did they just find an easy meal while they were scoping out the bluegills?

 

[Bird]

I'm more concerned with " still hard water here "....... indicating no activity by the fisherman.

That's a Debbie Downer.

[Mobasser]

I tend to think that smaller bass react out of competition for food. This might explain why so many guys catch so many smaller fish. With the bigger bass is kind of like," ok, you dinks get out of my way, I'm ready to eat now". And with the really big fish, it seems like it doesn't happen that often.                Just an observation. Good post A-Jay.

[A-Jay]

5 minutes ago, Bird said:

I'm more concerned with " still hard water here "....... indicating no activity by the fisherman.

That's a Debbie Downer.

From this morning . . . .

Downer works but I'm about ready to kick that description up a notch.

Perhaps something that rhymes with trucks . . . 

A-Jay

 

[Bird]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

From this morning . . . .

Downer works but I'm about ready to kick that description up a notch.

Perhaps something that rhymes with trucks . . . 

A-Jay

 

Wow ?

[12poundbass]

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Perhaps something that rhymes with trucks

Ducks?

There are no ducks because it’s too cold and the water is still frozen! ?

[BigAngus752]

44 minutes ago, slonezp said:

The key is to activ-ate them

^^^this^^^

I agree with @slonezp so often I'm starting to wonder if I should propose to him but that would ruin it.  I have to say @A-Jay 's question is super simple to answer.  If they are already chasing something when you get there you found "active" bass.  If they are sitting and watching football with @king fisher and you put something in front of them and they eat it then you made them "react" and be active.  If you put something in front of them and they don't eat it then they aren't active...until you troll away and I come along behind you with a different lure that triggers something in their prehistoric brain and they eat it.  Then I activated them and I hold the fish up and wave it at your boat and you call me a derogatory name under your breath.  Which will be my favorite fish of the day, by the way.  

[RDB]

Sounds like maybe you were set off a bit.  You are an experienced fisherman and I don’t think for a minute that you don’t believe or don’t understand a lot of the questions you posted.

[slonezp]

12 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

^^^this^^^

I agree with @slonezp so often I'm starting to wonder if I should propose to him but that would ruin it.  I have to say @A-Jay 's question is super simple to answer.  If they are already chasing something when you get there you found "active" bass.  If they are sitting and watching football with @king fisher and you put something in front of them and they eat it then you made them "react" and be active.  If you put something in front of them and they don't eat it then they aren't active...until you troll away and I come along behind you with a different lure that triggers something in their prehistoric brain and they eat it.  Then I activated them and I hold the fish up and wave it at your boat and you call me a derogatory name under your breath.  Which will be my favorite fish of the day, by the way.  

I'm looking for a sugardaddy. If you fit the bill, the answer is YES!!!

[BigAngus752]

8 minutes ago, slonezp said:

I'm looking for a sugardaddy. If you fit the bill, the answer is YES!!!

I'm so broke my bologna doesn't have a first name. 

[padon]

i read in a copy of in-fisherman years ago that most game fish spend most of their time in a " neutral" mood. they arent neccesarilly feeding but if an wasy meal comes along or if you appeal th their predatory instinct they will eat. i tend to agree with that. A bass is laying by a boulder, he's not chasing pray but all of the sudden your jig falls over the boulder and lands 6 inches from his face. he eases forward a little and sucks it in.or he's laying under a clump of grass, your jig crashes through the grass right in his face, hes startled and out of reaction he grabs it. i feel like most of our bites come under circumstances like this. 

[Basser2021]

48 minutes ago, padon said:

i read in a copy of in-fisherman years ago that most game fish spend most of their time in a " neutral" mood. they arent neccesarilly feeding but if an wasy meal comes along or if you appeal th their predatory instinct they will eat. i tend to agree with that. A bass is laying by a boulder, he's not chasing pray but all of the sudden your jig falls over the boulder and lands 6 inches from his face. he eases forward a little and sucks it in.or he's laying under a clump of grass, your jig crashes through the grass right in his face, hes startled and out of reaction he grabs it. i feel like most of our bites come under circumstances like this. 

I would agree with this

Also it depends on where you are fishing

If one is fishing in a lake it is hard to tell if the fish are "active" but in a river or creek system it can be easier to tell by where the fish are positioned based on the current

[PhishLI]

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

From this morning . . . .

Yeesh. And here I am sniveling about going out in 42* with 19mph wind and rain. It certainly sucked, but...you have my sympathies.

[Deleted account]

11 hours ago, Mobasser said:

I tend to think that smaller bass react out of competition for food. This might explain why so many guys catch so many smaller fish. With the bigger bass is kind of like," ok, you dinks get out of my way, I'm ready to eat now". And with the really big fish, it seems like it doesn't happen that often.                Just an observation. Good post A-Jay.

This is a misconception often held by recreational anglers. The reason folks catch more smaller fish is because there are more (a lot more) smaller fish. The other part of it is "large fish got large because they are smarter", no, they got big because of statistics, some have to barring extreme conditions. Take a peek at a graph of YOY numbers from hatching through adult for any species sometime.

[DaubsNU1]

Good thread @A-Jay. 

 

My brother and I talk about fishing (and hunting) a lot. Hours spent casting in the boat, or waiting in the blind...what else are we going to talk about(?)   : ) 

 

What makes a bass bite? What makes a mallard move, when it's sitting on a perfectly calm pond/lake/river, and is save from predators. What makes a big buck wander out from a perfectly good thicket / hiding spot? Or a turkey leaving the roost?

 

Well, they all have to eat. And they have to be safe. Those are priorities #1 and #2 in my mind. Then comes procreation at #3. In their nature. Sometimes you get lucky, and find a good spot to ambush deer moving from bedding area to feeding area. I think the same can be said for Bass. Right place, right time...and it doesn't matter what lure you are throwing...gonna get a bite. 

 

And I think the same is true on the other end...you can be in the right place...at the wrong time...and nothing you throw will get hit. 

 

Does weather, wind, moon-phase, time or year, ambient temp, water temp, etc. play a factor? Likely. 

 

I've been logging my fishing since the 1990's, with hopes of "cracking the code" and discovering the factors that lead to fish being "on." Done the same with waterfowl, turkey, deer. 

 

My findings...I have come to realize that I don't know much...and mother nature gets the best of me most days. Sure, there are days when the bit is on...and the ducks are flying...and the big bucks are moving. 

 

In general, I over-analyze the heck out of all my outdoor situations. I'm going to keep reading threads here, watching videos, succumbing to the bait-monkey, trying new things...and going back to old methods. The hope is that I will catch a few fish now and then.

[RDB]

3 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

Sometimes you get lucky, and find a good spot to ambush deer moving from bedding area to feeding area. I think the same can be said for Bass. Right place, right time...and it doesn't matter what lure you are throwing...gonna get a bite.

Apologies in advance for the rant…this is long.
 

To the comment above, is it luck?  I say no.  Bucks follow patterns, just like bass.  I’m not suggesting the patterns are always the same and never alter but IMO, it’s much more than luck.  Scrapes, rub lines, staging areas, edges, etc., etc.,…there are many things skilled hunters utilize to put themselves in high potential places, same for bass fishermen.  There is a reason most anglers have marginal fishing success.  IMO, the biggest thing that separates marginal from good from great fishermen is the ability to find fish, put their offering in the right place, and get them to bite.

 

The idea of never fooling a bass to bite is silly.  Every time you get a bass to bite a fake lure, you fooled the bass.  If people think they never fool a bass, why are they adding action to their lure.  Why don’t they just have one color.  Why not just one lure.  Why switch lures?  For that matter, why do we even need Bass Resources?  It shouldn’t matter right?  I can’t remember the last time I was out fished by a co-angler and we often use the same lures and share the front deck.  My brother is super competitive and I have to twist his arm to fish with me because he knows he’s going to get thumped.
 

As far as relating to structure/cover, most of the time even suspended fish relate to structure/cover…it’s usually the proximity to that structure/cover that can give clues to their catch-ability.  A bass may suspend on a bridge piling, a dock pole, a brush pile, on the edge of vegetation, etc.  Those bass are probably more catchable than a bass suspending 20ft away from a ledge, 10 feet above a channel swing, deep in the slop.  In all of those situations they are still relating to cover/structure.  As far as why each bass decides they are active or who gets to decide, who cares.  

 

As far as active or opportunistic feeders, I think people know what that means and I would be shocked of those are really controversial topics.  Anglers often turn the trolling motors on high and burn the banks looking for active fish.  Fish that are actively looking for a meal, just like you are actively looking for a meal when you drive around looking for fast food.  Are you passing some catchable fish along the way…probably.  If you slowed down and worked the area more thoroughly, might you catch more…probably.  Why might that be so?  One reason may be that the fish you passed were in a neutral mood and unwilling to chase.  But if you gave them an easy meal or the right meal, they might not pass up the easy opportunity (opportunistic feeders).  This is not unique…most ambush predators exhibit this type of behavior.  You see tournament anglers looking for active fish all the time.  They fish fast, looking to fill their limits, then slow down and work areas more thoroughly, looking for a kicker.  
 

There are so many inconsistencies in the arguments on these threads.  On the one hand we talk about high pressure blue bird skies, post front conditions, fishing pressure, rising/falling water, etc., etc. and how that can influence fish locations, activity, and our approach.  Then we turn around and suggest that it is all chance, bass are completely random creatures, and our abilities, skills, and knowledge have little influence on our success.

 

I’ll say it again, though I don’t know @A-Jay, I have a lot of respect for his fishing knowledge and skills based on a lot of the feedback he provides on this site.  I also think that the previous post he referred to rubbed him the wrong way for whatever reason and his comments here were more of a vent.  I apologize @A-Jay if I am wrong.

[Catt]

3 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

My findings...I have come to realize that I don't know much

 

The more I think I have them figured out the more they prove to me I don't!

 

[DaubsNU1]

10 minutes ago, RDB said:

To the comment above, is it luck?  I say no.  Bucks follow patterns, just like bass.  I’m not suggesting the patterns are always the same and never alter but IMO, it’s much more than luck.  Scrapes, rub lines, staging areas, edges, etc., etc.,…there are many things skilled hunters utilize to put themselves in high potential places, same for bass fishermen.  There is a reason most anglers have marginal fishing success.  IMO, the biggest thing that separates marginal from good from great fishermen is the ability to find fish, put their offering in the right place, and get them to bite.

 

Excellent points @RDB!  I agree with you...bucks / bass / waterfowl / turkeys, they all follow patterns, for sure!

 

Agree when hunters and fisherman put themselves in good position, high potential places, they have more success.

 

I'm likely a much better deer hunter than fisherman. And even when I play my cards right, pick the right ridge, on a good weather day, right time of the day, best time of the month...there is a chance that buck will simply walk the other way.

 

That's where I'm talking about "luck."