I suck...

[DitchPanda]

 So my bass fishing has been fruitless the past several weeks. In fact in the past 5 outings I've caught 2 and lost one...Last 3 times I've been completely skunked. I lost it...if I ever had it to begin with. I switched over to catfishing recently just to stop the a#$ beatings.

 I'm going out tomorrow for pan fish but I'm bringing along 1 bass rod rigged with a trick worm. Ain't expecting much but 1 bass would be a miracle. No real point to my post I guess...just needed to vent.

 

P.S. it hasn't been a total loss...I rediscovered my love for catfishing! Also I'm looking forward to fall walleyes.

[Finessegenics]

Don't let it get to you, this seems to be a tough time of the year for everyone, no matter where you fish. August into mid september is usually pretty rough for me too. With the temps seriously dipping over the past week or two I think it'll pick up for me soon. Hoping it does for you too

[DitchPanda]

6 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

Don't let it get to you, this seems to be a tough time of the year for everyone, no matter where you fish. August into mid september is usually pretty rough for me too. With the temps seriously dipping over the past week or two I think it'll pick up for me soon. Hoping it does for you too

Oh I know ...I've been thru this for 20+ years. Mid August until mid\late September is brutal for me, always has been. Think i just needed to ***** about it!Then we get to October and its completely different. My issue now is finding anywhere with biting fish. A month from now when walleye, bass and catfish are all going my issue will be what to target! That's a good problem to have. Often ill go in the morning and catch bass, head home for lunch and a nap then head out for evening walleyes and catfish. Great way to spend a cool fall day.

[Jmontgomery87]

When the bite gets tough for me my go to skunk beaters are a wacky rig, drop shot, or shakey head. Hang in there, Fall is almost here.

[TnRiver46]

Come down south on a vacation! September is 20” smallmouth season year after year 

[DitchPanda]

16 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Come down south on a vacation! September is 20” smallmouth season year after year 

I'd like to but we are going in our shutdown season...I'm working 60+ hours the next two week. The upside is ill make a bunch of money so ill go shopping for Flannel and a new catfish rod soon!

[Darth-Baiter]

16 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

 So my bass fishing has been fruitless the past several weeks. In fact in the past 5 outings I've caught 2 and lost one...Last 3 times I've been completely skunked. I lost it...if I ever had it to begin with. I switched over to catfishing recently just to stop the a#$ beatings.

 I'm going out tomorrow for pan fish but I'm bringing along 1 bass rod rigged with a trick worm. Ain't expecting much but 1 bass would be a miracle. No real point to my post I guess...just needed to vent.

 

P.S. it hasn't been a total loss...I rediscovered my love for catfishing! Also I'm looking forward to fall walleyes.

i feel your pain.  i have been in a funk as well.

 

i am about to go full Ned Rig on them.

[Swamp Girl]

My catch was just about cut in half my last two outings. And the last outing, the average size was down too. I haven't lost all my mojo, but half of it for sure. No mo' mojo. Just 'jo.

[padlin]

Pretty much the same here, but it's like this every year. It cools down at night and the bite goes with it. I did go out today after a couple warm days and nights and did better. In the next few weeks it'll drop to nothing, at least the LM part of it. Sometime in Oct I'll call it quits for the winter.

[Swamp Girl]

1 minute ago, padlin said:

Pretty much the same here, but it's like this every year. It cools down at night and the bite goes with it. I did go out today after a couple warm days and nights and did better. In the next few weeks it'll drop to nothing, at least the LM part of it. Sometime in Oct I'll call it quits for the winter.

Palin, I'm fishing my first New England fall. How will the LM fishing be in the second half of September and the first half of October? Will it have to be warm for the bass to bite? On Wednesday, after several days in the fifties, it will reach 68. Will that nudge the bass to bite? I know you don't know for sure, but I'm asking for your best guess.

[gim]

16 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Mid August until mid\late September is brutal for me, always has been.

 

I'm not that far away from you and the fishing here has been quite good since late July.  Although water temps are a little warmer than usual, the fishing hasn't suffered at all.  The last two years August has easily been my best month.  Bear in mind I am boat fishing and your bank fishing, so maybe that's part of it.

 

The northern pike have really started to get on a rampage the past couple weeks with these cooler nights.  Just the other day I caught 19 of them in mixed in with the bass in a few hours.  Mostly the small annoying variety but a few over 30 inches, including a 35 incher which is the biggest I've caught in years.

[Blue Raider Bob]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Come down south on a vacation! September is 20” smallmouth season year after year 

Caught one yesterday. 20-3/4" Smallie!

Tennessee river about a mile down river from Nickajack Dam. 

[padlin]

46 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Palin, I'm fishing my first New England fall. How will the LM fishing be in the second half of September and the first half of October? Will it have to be warm for the bass to bite? On Wednesday, after several days in the fifties, it will reach 68. Will that nudge the bass to bite? I know you don't know for sure, but I'm asking for your best guess.

 

I'm probably the last person to ask.

 

For me, it gets harder to catch LM once the surface starts to drop in temp, usually in early Oct. But... I've gotten all my biggest in Oct, so I stick it out till roughly mid month, which is when I get down to one or 2 fish and it's just not worth the time to me.

 

I fish shallow ponds, average about 5', 10'ish at the deeper channels, deeper waters probably differ.

 

I read 63-65 surface temp the other morning after a couple nights in the 40's, 3 small bass in 4-5 hrs. I believe the bite shuts down once the water drops below 60.

 

Might try afternoons as opposed to early am.

 

 

 

 

[T-Billy]

58 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Palin, I'm fishing my first New England fall. How will the LM fishing be in the second half of September and the first half of October? Will it have to be warm for the bass to bite? On Wednesday, after several days in the fifties, it will reach 68. Will that nudge the bass to bite? I know you don't know for sure, but I'm asking for your best guess.

I know you didn't ask me but... Northern strain LM are the same wherever you go. They'll bite late into the fall. 38 degrees seems to be the magic number for me. I struggle to get bit on artificials below that. I caught this 6#,

Flippin this,

Into this, 

last December 13th. 40 degree water. 40 degree air temp. Bundle up and get after 'em!!!

 

[The Bassman]

Some of my best bass fishing has been at times when ponds had partial skim ice in the morning and  open water in the afternoon.

[DitchPanda]

Was gonna say last October and November I had several days of better than average fish. I don't catch huge numbers that time of yeah but I've caught some giants.

[Team9nine]

12 minutes ago, The Bassman said:

Some of my best bass fishing has been at times when ponds had partial skim ice in the morning and  open water in the afternoon.

Here! Here! And some days the ice never leaves and you just have to catch them on the drop after pulling your bait off the ice shelf ? Happens way more than most would imagine.

[The Bassman]

1 minute ago, Team9nine said:

Here! Here! And some days the ice never leaves and you just have to catch them on the drop after pulling your bait off the ice shelf ? Happens way more than most would imagine.

And I still stick to the belief that ice shelves are "break lines" that attract bass.  

[scaleface]

Yesterday was the first time in two years I failed to catch a  limit of 15 inchers at a local lake . I    didnt  even catch one keeper . Caught 18 fish under 15 inches .For the past month I have been noticing huge sores on the bass and several dead ones floating . Saw a dead 5 to 6 lber yesterday . I contacted the lake biologist and he stated there was some kind of bacterial infection going around . 

[galyonj]

On 9/19/2022 at 1:43 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Come down south on a vacation! September is 20” smallmouth season year after year 

 

This man sits on a throne of lies. There are no fish here.

 

In fact, the south is closed. The bear out front shoulda told ya.

[galyonj]

On 9/19/2022 at 4:33 PM, The Bassman said:

And I still stick to the belief that ice shelves are "break lines" that attract bass.  

 

Even though I've never fished water with an ice shelf, I 100% believe that to be true. Works the same as a shade line, right? Little bit darker water under the ice?

[new2BC4bass]

On 9/18/2022 at 9:25 PM, DitchPanda said:

 So my bass fishing has been fruitless the past several weeks. In fact in the past 5 outings I've caught 2 and lost one...Last 3 times I've been completely skunked. I lost it...if I ever had it to begin with. I switched over to catfishing recently just to stop the a#$ beatings.

 I'm going out tomorrow for pan fish but I'm bringing along 1 bass rod rigged with a trick worm. Ain't expecting much but 1 bass would be a miracle. No real point to my post I guess...just needed to vent.

 

P.S. it hasn't been a total loss...I rediscovered my love for catfishing! Also I'm looking forward to fall walleyes.

I could make you feel real good by telling you the length of time I've gone without catching a bass.  But then I might feel so bad that I'd quit fishing for another 23 years.

 

Grab a 3wt or 4wt fly rod, and get after those panfish!

[scaleface]

I caught the suck bug too .Hooked the boat up yesterday and fished  Mark Twain lake   . 8 hours and one  bass . That was humbling . Did manage a 5 lb flathead .  

 

I kept a close eye on the gulls and pelicans and fishing sucked for them too . The wind was coming from the east . Hows that saying go . "Wind from the east fishing sucks"

[Blue Raider Bob]

7 hours ago, scaleface said:

I caught the suck bug too .Hooked the boat up yesterday and fished  Mark Twain lake   . 8 hours and one  bass . That was humbling . Did manage a 5 lb flathead .  

 

I kept a close eye on the gulls and pelicans and fishing sucked for them too . The wind was coming from the east . Hows that saying go . "Wind from the east fishing sucks"

Tough day on the river Sunday as well. Not a cloud in the sky and 15 MPH winds with gusts. Caught some dinks but at least I got to go! Wind blew so hard that I would cast towards bank and wind would bring lure back!