Fish following the bait during retrieval.

[Mr.Lamy]

The waters I've been fishing are pretty clear with about four foot visability. Many times on the retrieval I can see the bass following the bait, but if I slow down they take off and if I speed up they take off, if I keep it the same they will follow it almost to me and then disappear. I'll pitch the same bait out there again and sometimes they will follow it again and sometimes they won't, but usually if I pitch it out there more than twice and they haven't hit it, they will just ignore it from there on out, no matter how many ways I change up the retrieval.

Am I doing something wrong or are the fish just being finicky or skitsh?

Is there anything I can do to turn these bait followers into bait biters?

[ernel]

Try changing the color or size of the lure. Sometimes a slight change will make them bite. One other thing you can do also, twitch the lure hard so thebass thinks that his meal is trying to escape. This will sometimes provoke a reluctant bass into to striking.

[BigbassBecker]

They are following and not biting because they know somethings up. Maybe they see you line or you or your boat or the bait doesnt smell right. Or maybe they know your lure is a lure. This is a very comon occurance when fishing swimbaits. This happens alot with the more generic looking baits. They usualy only hit those in low light or conditions where they cant see as good like wind or rain. I use the most realistic baits I can find and it makes a world of diference. I can get some of those followers to bite. sometimes it takes me leaving and coming back with a more stealthy aproach. The best thing I have done when a big fish is following my swimbait is to give it a fast jerk like its trying to get away than if that doesnt work I will kill it and let the bait fall to the bottom and twitch it. If that still doesnt work I move on and hit the spot later.

[Chris]

Every other baitfish that bass has ever eaten showed fear. Your crankbait did not appear injured or scared. It could be that the size wasn't right or they where on another bite.

[FutureClassicChamp]

Figure 8 at boatside!!   ;D

[senko_77]

make your retreives more erratic from the beggining of the retreive.  dont make it crazy once they follow it.

[nwgabassmaster]

The biggest thing that I see is that you are probably using a lure that is wrong for the situation given.  

There is a Zara Spook that you can buy that is clear.  It is meant to be used in clear water situations.  I would give that a try.  

Also, I would try a suspending jerkbait.  If they keep following it, kill it right in front of them, and let it sit there.  More times than not, if they see the bait just sitting there, it will really tick them off and they will hit.

Do not be afraid to try a soft jerkbait like a Fluke.  I would twitch it near the top of the water column, and when I get a bass to follow it, I will kill it also, and let it go down about a foot or so, and then, start swimming it back, and kill it again.  I have had bass literally KILL my soft jerkbait when I have done this.  

[froggy]

try a weightless rig with a plastic lezard, it's really one of the best lure for this kind of situation

[DDbasser]

I've had the same problem for the last couple weeks.

I fish a lake in northeastern Ok, that is clear I've been fishing a watermelon seed fluke and have caught several small 14" bass by killing the bait when I see them following it back to the boat.

they'll slowly sink with it and when it dissapears from my view they hit it.  

[Nick]

I've seen this many times as well.  Often you can't do a darn thing about it. Bass moods change and some days, they just bird dog the bait esp. if poor weather conditions prevail or highly pressured bass are targeted. Also, smallmouth react differently than largemouths do. One rule of thumb:  if at least two bass are following, you should be able to catch one.  That competition makes one strike. If it's a single fish in clear water, often a good bass is less inclined to strike.  That's one reason this bass is still swimming! If this occurence occurs during the spawn, that fish can be caught nearly 100%.  At other times it can't be. Enjoy those followers!  I have had success using a soft plastic bait like a fluke, trick worm, or senko fished very slowly around the sighting.  I have waited a couple of hours and caught the fish later.  Mostly, I've scratched my head, and thought.  This is a great game, and I'll catch you one day!

Once I appeared on a nationally run fishing show and the host (pro) had no idea how to make a big smallie strike in a stream.  He would kill the topwater bait and of course the bass would turn away. No matter how I tried to tell this fellow how to catch those lunkers, he wouldn't listen until I got a big follower to strike!  An aggressive smallie heading towards the bait will usually strike if you kep the same rhythm going with a topwater.

[Madhouse27]

I've been getting the same "late chase" senario. I usually bounce a grub or tube and it seems that I am getting chased after I am done working the cast and I'm just burning the lure in for the next presentation.What I think is going on is that I am initially working them a little too slow. The water temp is low 70s and I think the fish's metabolism is all cranked up and here I am crawling soft plastics along the bottom. I tried speeding up my retrieve and swimming my soft plastics with some success. I also try to have a rod rigged with a crankbait or spinnerbait to throw at chasing fish. I also think that my usual slow deep presentation is giving the fish a little too much time to inspect the lure up here in the clear water. I'm learning some new approaches on here that I'm hoping are going to give me a more complete arsenal.

[Curado]

I would try changing color, changing size, and maybe line size also.

[abelfisher]

The waters I've been fishing are pretty clear with about four foot visability.

Out here in California, that would be considered "dinghy" water.  I wish our water was not so clear out here.  There is some water I fish that is clear 15+ feet.  It makes it tough....but I still seem to get out every weekend and give it a try ;D ;D

[Matt Fly]

The bass has given you a clue.  something isn't right.  After the first few followers, you should make  changes.  lure color, line size and color,  bait size,  change retrieval speeds,  baits too noisy.  Solving those little puzzles in a short time makes for a real good tournament angler.  Most guys don't make the changes soon enough or not at all.   This is why the 10% rule applies.  10% of the fishermen on the lake will catch 90% of the fish.     90% of the fish are located in 10% of the lake.

[Raul]

The bass has given you a clue. something isn't right. After the first few followers, you should make changes. lure color, line size and color, bait size, change retrieval speeds, baits too noisy. Solving those little puzzles in a short time makes for a real good tournament angler. Most guys don't make the changes soon enough or not at all. This is why the 10% rule applies. 10% of the fishermen on the lake will catch 90% of the fish. 90% of the fish are located in 10% of the lake.

Excellent advice Matt !

The fish are telling that they are interested enough in your bait to follow it but that the bait is lacking of something, it may be size, it may be presentation, in clear water it may be you ( you can see them they can see you ), so the key is altering the size and/or the presentation; what you can do in the YOU side of the equation is to lower your profile so the fish take you as part of the surroundings, if you 're standing up sit down or kneel, if you are using bright colors use more natural colors like greens and browns, don 't cast your shade to the area you 're fishing, avoid drastic movements, drastic movements scare more the fish than sounds.

[bassackwards]

yep. some anglers troll their motor to a spot and get right on top of the fish and slam their motor down and fish from there. all that noise, those fish aren't biting. its not that they know a fisherman is there (maybe some do), its just that their environment isn't "right".

they live in a secluded area, quiet. or noisy in fact. its quiet, so noise makes alot of sound.  aside from noise traveling faster. a boats shade may turn them off. but let that boat sit there for 5 mins without any noise coming from it. they will feel secure again, giving better chances to the bite.

same with casting. make quieter casts.

[Mr.Lamy]

Well guess what?.................They didn't just follow the bait today

Thanks to y'all and your tips I not only landed fish, but I landed three that range from 16" to 18",(not sure of their weights because I can't find my scales), I also landed 4 or 5 others that were not keepers.

I changed my line from 10# mono to 12#florocarbon that is so hard to see, I can barely see it.

Then I went with a weighted plastic jerk bait that more or less ressembles the bait fish I've been seeing. I'm not sure the name of it but I have to pick up some more today because the fish tore up the last two I had this morning and when I do I will post here what they are.

I also hooked up on one with a weightless watermelon/char lizard rigged weedless, It looked and felt like a nice fish but he was able to spit the hook out before I could land him. :-[

[AceHigh]

You are very lucky! Finding fish is by far the hardest part of the game, and following fish are a strong indication they want to bite and a good indication there are many fish nearby.

Here's a few other ideas:

- switch between a rattle and a no rattle bait,

- following fish generally will hit a bait if you stop it dead, suspending baits work best,

- try a bait that dives deeper and floats, then use a retrieve that sends it down and then lets it float back up.

Keep in mind that there may be many more fish observing what is happening and since they can see in the water at least twice as far as you, you won't see them.  If you hook a small fish let him flop on top of the water at the side of the boat for about 30 seconds; you may have his big momma come try to take his meal away.  

[bassaddict62]

I fish mostly clear ponds, and this happens a lot to me too. If you can, have a second rod handy, and rigged with a different lure. For example, if they are follwing a plastic worm, then use your second rod to cast an in-line spinner, or a jig. Just try to make the back-up lure as different as you can. In other words, if they follow a surface plug, then cast something that crawls on the bottom. Some people just say to change colors, but I try to give the bass something completely different. I'll bet I catch about 1/3 of my fish using the "second rod" trick.