Persistence if you know a fish is there?

[Bazoo]

A year ago I read an article, I believe if was a BR article, but I ain't sure, and it said this, paraphrase:

 

The author was co-angler with a pro, Bauer I think was the pro. The author cast at a log a few times and stopped, the pro commenced to cast at it and on the 28 cast pulled a 6 pound bass off it. The pro said... "boy you stopped too soon, if you know there is a bass on that log you cast until you get him."

 

Does anyone know that article and could share it?

 

I've somewhat had the mindset that I'll cast a couple of times to a stump and move on, either changing lures or spots. But I keep thinking of this article. 

 

What do yall think about the premise of the article I described?

[A-Jay]

Most times I'll continue to revisit a spot a few times through a trip to try and get a biter.

But every once in a while I'll camp out and try a few different presentations to see if that will work.

It did on this fat brown bass.

A-Jay

[Spankey]

If I feel that strongly at that particular time, it may just happen at that log, I’ll hammer it. With more than one bait. If a hookup doesn’t take place I’ll circle above it and come back down to it. I don’t feel I wasted my time if nothing occurs. 

[Tennessee Boy]

If the fish is on bed then persistence might pay off.   Otherwise,   I think it’s a very bad idea.   I’m convinced that a very small percentage of bass that are aware of your lure actually hit it.  

[Catt]

When fishing offshore structures I've been known to "camp out" all night on one spot. Now I ain't talking about staying anchored on one GPS way point but rather one piece of structure. 

 

I'm a firm believer in next after location come timing. 

[Americanzero]

If I’m fun fishing I might toss at one spot 30 times, but if I’m in a tournament that seems like a waste. I’d fly fishing has tought me anything, it’s that some fish just aren’t hungry, and nothing you toss at em will catch them

[GRiver]

I haven’t got it figured out. … I feel I didn’t spend enough time there, or I’ve waster too much time here. I go back to those  spots when I’m in the area. 

[king fisher]

If I know a fish is on a particular log, I usually give up after my third lure gets snagged and lost on the log.  I usually don't waste much time on one spot, when I know I can spook bass off of multiple pieces of cover.  I prefer to make random casts at places I hope bass are, and depend on luck.

[Swamp Girl]

I would never cast 28 time at one log. I have places to go and other bass to catch!

[Zcoker]

Moving around has always been my style. I just can't stay put. I've returned to the same spots later on and have gotten into some great fish. Timing is everything. If they're not biting at one spot, well, they're simply not biting and will probably not bite no matter how many cast are made. But they might be biting somewhere else! And the only way to get into that action is to be on the move.

 

Moving around also creates an image or a roadmap of the ENTIRE bite for the area fish. Once I make my rounds, I have a solid idea where the fish are staging. I can then spend more time in that one general area, usually catching fish after fish. 

[Mike L]

15 hours ago, Catt said:

 

I'm a firm believer in next after location come timing. 

One of the best pieces of advice you’ll ever get!

 

 

25 minutes ago, Zcoker said:

Moving around has always been my style. I just can't stay put. I've returned to the same spots later on and have gotten into some great fish. Timing is everything. If they're not biting at one spot, well, they're simply not biting and will probably not bite no matter how many cast are made. But they might be biting somewhere else! And the only way to get into that action is to be on the move.

 

Moving around also creates an image or a roadmap of the ENTIRE bite for the area fish. Once I make my rounds, I have a solid idea where the fish are staging. I can then spend more time in that one general area, usually catching fish after fish. 

 

This is me also

It’s a prerequisite going in when the intent is get on a punch bite. 

 

My only exception is when sight fishing bedding bass because we both know I’m there, there is no guessing or hunting.
 I’ll hang there until one of us just gets PO’d enough and leaves for good. 
 

 

 

Mike

[scaleface]

Depends on the cover. If its a simple laydown with just a few limbs I will fish it well then head out. The more complex , like a brush-pile of fresher laydown , I'll spend some time on it.

[Choporoz]

14 hours ago, Americanzero said:

If I’m fun fishing I might toss at one spot 30 times, but if I’m in a tournament that seems like a waste. 

Funny.... as I was thinking about this question, I was developing the exact opposite answer.

 

   If I am in a tournament, I am fishing for five bites.  No time is wasted if I make a conscious decision to cast at a place where I think there is likely to be a fish that will be in my bag.  

 

   I also think it depends a lot on the log.  I tend to imagine bass in current move into and out of cover more often than in still water.  So fish relating to a log in a river, especially a tidal river may move in (or out) several times an hour, but in my head I don't imagine the log fish changing as frequently in a pond or low/no current lake. 

    What is the surrounding environment of the log?  If it is the only wood within 50 yards, but has depth change close, or some other structural feature nearby, I might throw at it for a long, long time.  There is a lake log I know that is in the middle of the bass' highway.  Bass pass by moving in and out, shallow and out, several times every day in most seasons.  That log gets a lot of my attention some days if I feel the conditions are right.

  Some logs and laydowns have earned a reputation for me of always having good fish in or around them.  Right or wrong, I will fish wood that has produced for me in the past a lot longer than logs that never did.

   28 just doesn't seem unreasonable to me in a lot of situations. 

[Pat Brown]

17 hours ago, Catt said:

When fishing offshore structures I've been known to "camp out" all night on one spot. Now I ain't talking about staying anchored on one GPS way point but rather one piece of structure. 

 

I'm a firm believer in next after location come timing. 

 

 

I fish shallow clear ponds where the 'offshore structure' is often visible from the bank (and the bass relating to it also) and I can tell you - timing is everything after location.

 

Case in point: there's a point that sticks out into a ditch next to a culvert where lots of red ear make their beds.

 

Like clock work - regardless of who's fishing where or what is happening with the weather - if those sunfish are in their beds - every few minutes a 6+ lb bass will SMASH through them and push them up and into the hard high sandbar that comes up off the point where they make their beds.

 

They use that spot to push bait so many times it's worn bare.

 

Just be there and wait and you'll at least have a shot!

[Zcoker]

It should be agreeable that bass feed in cycles. Figure out the cycles to figure out the bass. There's this one corner spot thick with hyacinth in about 6 feet of water. Like clockwork, I can go there and catch a big bass. It's almost as if they're waiting there for me. Right as the sun starts coming up the fish will slam a punch bait. After a few minutes the bite dies and will not resume until later in the afternoon. This sorta cycle has repeated itself many times over, so much so that it's almost like a guarantee! Sometimes, even, with the same fish. That's another way to figure them out. 

 

This is just one of many from the exact same spot.

 

[Catt]

This is the kind of spots I camp out on. That island just happens to be where Kyoya Fujita camped out to win the Bassmaster Elite event.

 

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

There's a difference between camping out on structure that hold lots of fish and camping out on a log that has a fish. 

[Catt]

@Tennessee Boy yeah I highly doubt I would throw that many times at one log unless i knew Nadine lived there.

[LrgmouthShad]

On 7/24/2024 at 9:56 AM, Catt said:

This is the kind of spots I camp out on. That island just happens to be where Kyoya Fujita camped out to win the Bassmaster Elite event.

 

 

 

I found it. Everybody and their mother is probably fishing it now. Since this spot is now in the public eye, would you mind sharing with us why you think this spot is so good? How did you find this spot? Was it by accident? Did you notice it in map study? Did you immediately start catching large bass there or did it take a few trips? If it took longer, why did you stick with it? 

 

As I've structure fished longer, I kind of suspected without you explicitly saying it that "camping" on one spot does not mean never moving. I suspected that from a message you sent me in PM a while back. Just kinda hints on what you look for. 

[WRB]

Live bait trophy bass anglers double anchor for hours on known* big bass spots and wait until the bass become active feeders.

I preferred making a milk run on several known* big bass spots rather be mobile then anchored down.

The advantage of the anchored boat the bass are not alarmed by an approaching boat. My technique was to approach along the shore in lieu from mid lake to reduce spooking the bass plus making long casts.

I would spend enough time to determine if anyone was home and return when they were.

28 casts to specific structure elements isn’t unusual targeting big bass.

Tom

 

 

[txchaser]

30 minutes ago, WRB said:

28 casts to specific structure elements isn’t unusual targeting big bass.

 

On 7/24/2024 at 8:55 AM, Choporoz said:

  What is the surrounding environment of the log?  If it is the only wood within 50 yards, but has depth change close, or some other structural feature nearby, I might throw at it for a long, long time. 

 

34 minutes ago, WRB said:

approach along the shore

good stuff right here

 

[Catt]

@LrgmouthShad I've been fishing that Island since 1984. Found it through map study but really got to know it after countless hours graphing & casting.

 

The island & the land behind it is actually one point. When the lake was flooded it created the island. There are two creeks one on the east side (to the right) & one on the west side (to the left). Three well defined point & a road bed. The south & east side has a mixture of Hydrilla, Milfoil, & stumps. The whole area has a fairly firm sandy/clay bottom. The bass move up out of both creeks to feed on shad & bream. 

 

Right from the first time fishing it I was catching nothing under 3#. Can't tell y'all how many 7-9# bass came off that island. My biggest was a 10.3# but I lost one was probably bigger than my PB of 12.5#. 

 

If y'all notice the purple line at the bottom that's a boat lane running towards the main lake & is where you turn into Hurricane Bayou. It will surprise y'all how many people blow by that island at 70 mph. The ones who do stop head straight for the bank ignoring everything else.

 

Do I catch everytime, no but its one of the places I check out 2-3 times a day or night. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

I’ll cast a lure 28 times at a lay down , but it’s going to be from a lot of different angles. 

[Junk Fisherman]

I'm more likely to come back to a spot rather than cast at it 28 times.  I would definetely change angles and presentations within those 28 casts if I was that persistent.  I'm of the mindset that I fish spots too long and should fish faster since the majority of the time, you catch the fish quickly and not after multiple casts.  Granted, after saying that I realize that my biggest fish earlier this week came after I had picked apart a spot and was just about to leave.  There are just so many examples of catching fish quickly, never catching the fish after spending a lot of time on the spot, and occassionally catching the fish after saturating the spot with multiple casts.    So I guess I don't really know.  It also comes down to confidence and having other spots and areas to target.  If I have other spots, I'll move faster.  Also, fishing pressure plays a role.  I have local spots that on the weekend, if I move off an area someone will immediately jump on the spot.  That will always make me fish a spot/area longer.  Basically, I'm just winging it out there.    

[Fried Lemons]

I would not camp on a piece of cover like a log but structure can definitely be worth making repeated casts on. More often than not with a solitary fish it is better to return at a later time instead of conditioning the fish to be uncatchable with repeated casts.