Finicky buttholes

[The Budget Angler]

Caught 4 bass, 6 bluegill, and 1 channel cat today.  Two of the bass were on a 3.5" pogy swim shad by powerbait, pure white color.  Both absolutely choked it.  One of the other fish (and one more that spit the hook) was on a yo-zuri jerkbait (not sure what type because I found it snagged on a tree).  The other fish (and one more that spit the hook) was on a size 60 whopper plopper, bluegill color.

 

Based on them eating seemingly everything, you'd think that I would've gotten a mess more of at least a big one.  No!  Only two of the fish were over a pound, and the 2, 3, and 5 lbers that I casted to wouldn't chew or got spooked (even if I placed the bait 18" in front of them.)  It was extremely frustrating.  How do you catch fish you can't cast to?  And how do you catch anything when each fish seems to be eating a different lure?

 

That's how I caught the channel cat.  I figured I might as well try a live bluegill on a Carolina rig.  First one got eaten by turtles, so I got a second one.  This one died super quick, so I hucked it into the middle (sort of a "you never know"), where the catfish ate it a few minutes later.  The third one also got eaten by turtles, so I gave up on live 'gills for bass and watched giant females cruise the shallows.  The fish were being finicky buttholes.

[Pat Brown]

Well for one thing if you can see them that well they can see you 🤣👍🏼

 

Might want to try casting to big fish that can't see you as well or you can't see at all.

 

Might also want to cast past the fish you're fishing for by a good little while and very nonchalantly and slowly work the bait into the area that they're feeding.

 

Big fish are aware of anglers and being caught and the whole lure on a line thing.

 

You gotta stalk them and outsmart them and be stealthy.

 

What you're doing works better for catfish and panfish and smaller less educated bass and things like that as you have found out!

 

Big bass are very smart and very pressured these days so you're going to have to work on your presentation.

[J Francho]

Good advice above. Locate those fish and back off them for a bit. Though I will say, I've caught plenty of bass that I was staring down. They aren't that smart, but they do get inactive at times. 

[The Budget Angler]

@Pat BrownI think I'm going to start drop-shotting because some of the fish I cast to didn't spook, but also didn't eat anything I threw.  Every time I go to this pond I see at least one quality fish and I'm tired of not catching them.  I'll get 'em eventually.

[Pat Brown]

They may not actively swim away when they're spooked they may just not bite LOL

 

You'll get em!