Smallmouth on Livescope

[mebass71]

 

I'm newish to bass fishing and have only been really fishing for Smallmouth the last year or two.  I've been fishing a well known smallmouth lake in my area and I can locate what I think are smallmouth.  I'll throw multiple baits at them trying to trigger a bite and am struggling to get a bite.   I'm wondering how long you stick around fish that seem inactive trying to get a bite?

[Tennessee Boy]

10 hours ago, mebass71 said:

I'm wondering how long you stick around fish that seem inactive trying to get a bite?

If I can see them and they never react to my bait,  not more than 5-10 cast.

[gim]

I don't have livescope but I have to imagine that if I did, I would not give it very long.  Probably similar to stumbling across a bass on a bed.  A few casts and then move on.

[Dwight Hottle]

I think what you are seeing are not smallies. Usually even when they are turned off you can get some bites or follows if your really trying. Try a fast moving bait. 

[mebass71]

Yup definitely a possibility, I've been wondering if they weren't small mouth.  Usually I'm rotating 4-6 baits trying to get a bite.  It's easy to see them and get stuck wasting time trying to get them to bite.

[casts_by_fly]

A 2" grub jigged through a livescope school should tell you pretty quickly.  if they are perch/crappie/white bass there will be at least one that will eat it.  Eventually you'll get a feel for the size of the fish on the screen vs what it is in real life.  You just have to catch a few that way first.  The other thing is to note how they are schooling.  If they are stacked vertically off the bottom then they probably aren't bass.  

[FryDog62]

For me, Livescope is extremely important in terms of helping to identify the right structure for where smallmouth are vs. seeing actual fish.  360 Imaging is key too - between those 2 you can ID the high percentage spots and develop a strategy/game plan.  But you will rarely see a fish or group of smallies to cast to. 

[Hollada]

On 9/20/2023 at 10:58 PM, FryDog62 said:

For me, Livescope is extremely important in terms of helping to identify the right structure for where smallmouth are vs. seeing actual fish.  360 Imaging is key too - between those 2 you can ID the high percentage spots and develop a strategy/game plan.  But you will rarely see a fish or group of smallies to cast to. 

I’ve got mega live and have had days where every fish I caught, I saw.  There’s no structure per se on my home lake.   Some rocks in the southern region, but mainly it’s just a huge bowl with perch grass, eel grass, and cabbage - and lots of areas with nothing but sand.   Typically if I can see the fish, I can get a reaction.   Many will follow a drop shot to the bottom, but not bite.  Same thing that was frustrating the MLF and BASS guys when they were up here this summer.