Lures for hard bite days?

[Bazoo]

This has played out for me a few times, and I want to figure out how deal with this situation.

 

This is likely bank fishing (but not necessarily), and could be one of several spots from a heavily pressured large lake shore to a small private lake with minimal pressure, to the river. I've had this happen in all of these spots, including from the boat.

 

It's a day that the bite is tough. Nothing is working/worked. So I figure I'll throw a soft plastic, let's say a split shot as that's most likely for me.

 

I start with a Berkley Power worm in pumpkinseed, that don't work, so I go to a Zoom Finess worm in green pumpkin, that don't work.

 

Am I correct in thinking soft plastics is the way to go on a day like this? 

 

Advise me on where to go from here.

[gim]

My last resort when the fishing is tough is a ned rig.  Sometimes it comes to that.  I hope it doesn't though.

[casts_by_fly]

I've also come around to the ned rig as my first finesse rig.  Any day on the water I want to figure out two things- where in the water column (high medium low) and how aggressive they are being/willingness to chase.  Obviously 'topwater/high' and 'aggressive' are the most fun.  If I find I'm in the 'medium/low' column and 'non agressive' then the Ned comes out (like it did last night).  I don't prefer fishing it but sometimes that much smaller profile is less intimidating to a fish and they just inhale it because they can.  I'll try a couple different profiles if they aren't hitting what I'm throwing including a stick worm (TRD/senko), a creature type thing, an 'action tail' type of bait, or a craw.  Sometimes they want one over another.

 

The alternative in that scenario is to go big and overaggressive to trigger a reaction bite.  Something like a big swimbait that's fished slow and looks like an easy meal.

[Brian11719]

Probably the mag2 w/ a 3/0 ewg and a 1/8oz bullet weight for me. Maybe a drop shot if they are lower or a senko if they are higher but the nice thing about the mag2 is you can pretty much fish it anywhere in the water column.

[Bankbeater]

I'll try a Zoom finesse worm or a 6" Creme Scoundrel either weightless or on a split shot rig depending on the wind.  If the cover is more on the patchy side I will fish with a 1/8 ounce jig, or a Texas rigged UV speedcraw.  If I can get a moving bait through the cover then I'll try a small wakebait or a small floating minnow.  If all else fails I will put on a 3" BPS Stik-O on a split shot rig. 

[TOXIC]

Normally I would say a Senko but I find myself downsizing even more to a Ned with a Yamamoto Yamatanuki.  That’s a new development for me.  

[Spankey]

Maybe fish a 3” grub, tube, craw or a baby brush hog. Fish slow. Drag it. Pop it. Maybe throw Slider. Throw a smaller/micro jig. 

[RRocket]

Weightless Deps Cover Scat 2.5"!! 

 

These get bit! 

[GreenPig]

TRD on a wobblehead, Nikko 3" Hellgrammite T - Rigged, Sukushi Bug on a wobblehead, Nikko 4" Hellgrammite, and for a weightless weedless presentation a Bass Assassin baby shad.

[WackyWormNedRig]

Wacky worm and ned rig never fail.

[Pat Brown]

Every day is hard bite days here:

 

In the summer - you got two choices (basically one choice)

 

Sneaky slow baits and/or make them react.

 

Sometimes you sorta have to do both at once.  Like make them react with sneaky slow baits.  It's definitely a very summer time thing in my mind.

 

Baits that are fun to fish this time of year that kinda make them react and/or are sneaky:

 

BuzzToad

Hollow Frog

Swim Jig

T Rig

Big ribbon tail worm

Fluke

Senko

Drop Shot

Carolina Rig

 

I can just go down a bank on the hottest days on the most pressured week of the year and catch bass on these baits if I make good casts and keep moving.

[king fisher]

When spinnerbaits and crankbaits wont work, I have to finesse them with a T rigged Zoom Ole Monster, and if they want an even more subtle presentation, I throw a wacky rigged 7 inch Senko. 

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

If I really out time into something aggressive and cant get bit, I go directly to a something really small that will catch fish pretty much anywhere.  I like using the keitech mono jigs with a 3" bubbling shaker.  If I want to be able to cast a little farther Ill use something a little bigger like a 3" rockvibe or easy shiner on a 1/16 darter head or ball/mushroom head if I'm fishing on or close to the bottom.  Both are similar to a ned rig, but I can stroll them much slower than I can with a ned rig or at least the baits I generally use for neds. 

Once I get dialed in with the micro jig or finesse swimbait ill upsize a little bit and use a small sahkey head or jig worm.

[Mike L]

14 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

The alternative in that scenario is to go big and overaggressive to trigger a reaction bite.  Something like a big swimbait that's fished slow and looks like an easy meal.

Totally agree

 

The “normal” thinking as evidenced by the majority of responses is to down size and throw some finessey type bait. 
 

Relying on slow, light line, small bait techniques to get a hit makes me crazy!

 

 

 

Mike

[casts_by_fly]

45 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Totally agree

 

The “normal” thinking as evidenced by the majority of responses is to down size and throw some finessey type bait. 
 

Relying on slow, light line, small bait techniques to get a hit makes me crazy!

 

 

 

Mike

 

me too.  I've always hated slowing down in the first place and only would fish the usual power fishing lures regardless of conditions.  I've forced myself to slow down a little the past couple years and this year I've been fishing the ned rig more.  Its downsized but I'm still not fishing it 'still'.  It's more of a waggle and swim retrieve, more like swim jig retrieve, though slower to keep it down.

 

I still can't slow down enough to throw a wacky rigged senko for any length of time.  If I even tie one on its because I don't have a better idea or I want to have a follow up bait on.

[gim]

13 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

It's more of a waggle and swim retrieve, more like swim jig retrieve, though slower to keep it down.

 

I still can't slow down enough to throw a wacky rigged senko for any length of time. 

 

A wacky rig can be fished no differently than how you're already fishing the ned.

[casts_by_fly]

Just now, gimruis said:

 

A wacky rig can be fished no differently than how you're already fishing the ned.

 a slow reeling twitch through grass?  I can't imagine how many senkos would break in half (and become ned trailers) doing that through cover.

[gim]

Its not any different than normally using a wacky rigged stickbait.  They wear out over time and/or every time you catch a fish.

 

A ned is obviously going to last a heck of a lot longer especially if you're using elaztech.  But a ned has an exposed hook too, therefore increasing the chances of snagging.

[softwateronly]

@Pat Brown @casts_by_fly and @Mike L are saying the same things that I've noticed too.  If I know fish are there, but uninterested I lean toward making sure I check; big/small, fast/slow, high/low and all the combos of the above.  I'm a firm believer that finding the right profile at the right speed in the right spot can dramatically increase your odds of getting a bass to react when they might otherwise might be content to let your offering go past.  I don't always think it's efficient to camp out on a spot and do this, but I've certainly had to do it before and will have to do it in the future.

 

scott

[casts_by_fly]

On 7/24/2024 at 5:56 AM, gimruis said:

Its not any different than normally using a wacky rigged stickbait.  They wear out over time and/or every time you catch a fish.

 

A ned is obviously going to last a heck of a lot longer especially if you're using elaztech.  But a ned has an exposed hook too, therefore increasing the chances of snagging.

 

I'm using mostly non elaztech, but I do have some Zman stuff.  I'm also using weedless hook rigs, either Bass Union heads or zman chinlock hooks.  I could never fish an open hook here from May to October.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike L]

11 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

Every day is hard bite days here:

 

In the summer - you got two choices (basically one choice)

 

Sneaky slow baits and/or make them react.

 

Sometimes you sorta have to do both at once.  Like make them react with sneaky slow baits.  It's definitely a very summer time thing in my mind.

 

Baits that are fun to fish this time of year that kinda make them react and/or are sneaky:

 

BuzzToad

Hollow Frog

Swim Jig

T Rig

Big ribbon tail worm

Fluke

Senko

Drop Shot

Carolina Rig

 

I can just go down a bank on the hottest days on the most pressured week of the year and catch bass on these baits if I make good casts and keep moving.

Other than the Senko and the drop, all of those plus a few more is what’s needed down here on The Lake. 
 

This is mid summer with relatively higher than normal temperatures all over the country which is prime feeding. 
Thier metabolism is the highest it will ever get. 
They not only need to eat they want to eat. 
 

In my neck of the woods if you can find them (which really isn’t that hard if you know your waters) and time it right bigger and faster is key. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Jig Man]

We had one of those tough bite days yesterday.  Jigs are the normal bait in the clear waters of Beaver Lake in North Arkansas.  We fished  several different weights, trailers and colors.  Nearly no bites.  We switched to Carolina rigs, Neko rigs, drop shot, Ned rigs and top waters.

 

Among the tries was finally swim baits.  They worked but only in the 2.8” size.  They saved the day for us.  So plan on having several things to try until you find the one that works.

[scaleface]

Neds and tubes. I'm using tubes a lot lately. They are the best things I have found for riprap banks. They dont get wedged as much. Been experimenting pitching them in cover with  good success. I can rig them with a normal offset worm hook. Not have them slide down the hook and get a high  hookup ratio. Its still a work in progress.

[Functional]

A ned is my absolute last resort and luckily I havent had to go there for a quite a while.

 

I start with my favorites, if that doesnt work I get more deliberate with my selection and move to a more thought out profile/size/sink rate. I'll go for reaction before I go to a Ned though and swap into a crankbait. If that all fails I'll go to the ned.

 

Its very rare I even have to resort to even a crankbait though, usually its just a matter of me finding the right spot rather than stray from the few techniques I'm most confident/enjoy. 

[TOXIC]

If I want to fish a Ned style bait in heavier grass, I switch to a slider head weedless.