Any tips on how to get these bass to bite?

[VABasser]

Hey everybody, I'm new to this site but not necessarily new to fishing although I know I'm no pro. So let me try to lay this out short and sweet. Me and my dad went out fishing at a local reservoir (we live in Northern Virginia) today. Last night a front moved through with some thundershowers and rain but the air temp was still in the upper 70's today with wind gusts around 10-15 mph. We got on the water about 9:00am and fished to 5:00pm. Water visibility about 4-5 feet (with polarized sunglass on ;D). Trolling around close to the shore and on some shallow flats, we saw a lot of big bass. Just big 3 pounders on up to maybe 7 pounds or more. The majority were cruising around or holding next to weedbeds or stumps. A few were on beds though. The only problem with this is that they wouldn't hit a thing. We threw texas rigged worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, senkos and even a buzzbait or two. I was able to finally agitate about a 1.5 pounder to hit a spinnerbait as I drew it across her bed. Looking for beds we were close to the shore at times but we pulled off and tried longer casts too. I literally dragged/swam baits within inches of some bass' noses and they just looked at it or turned away. Even the bass on the beds ignored what we were throwing at them. I don't know if they sensed we were there or just not biting. These bass get fished but I wouldn't say they are HIGHLY pressured, there actually wern't many boats pounding the shores considering it was the weekend. So my question to you all is this, do you have any theories on why the bass would have nothing of us today and any other techniques/lures I should try to catch some of these hawgs. Thanks. Sorry if I didn't keep this as short and sweet as I had planned. :-[

[5bass]

Since you mentioned "grass",I know you werent talking about Smith Mtn,but the bass here are doing the same thing.They are cruising shallow and looking for that special spot to do the deed.Those bass have one thing on their mind and that is finding and clearing off their spot.In my experience with bass in that state of mind is that it becomes a timing thing as to when they are catchable.

Whenever I see bass cruising but wont acknowledge any baits,I leave them alone and keep checking back during the day.Most times,they will be somewhat close to where you saw them before but could just be out suspended,relaxing,if you dont see them.The fish have to eat but the stage they are in now,it's all about timing.You can either stay and make 700 casts to no avail,or leave,catch fish somewhere else,then come back and check again.Once they get the bed cleaned off,the males will start hitting anything that gets near it.Until then,it's a waiting game.I'd go look for hungry fish until the others settle in.  

[basser89]

Welcome to the boards VABasser! Great name by the way!

Did you happen to check the water temps? Here in MD, most of the places I've been fishing, the surface temps have been running in the mid sixties. Just coming off a full moon, those bigger bass you saw cruising may have already spawned and are just starting to recoperate from their spawn (that is if your water temps are running about where mine have been). The bass you saw on the beds, I would have thrown lizards, crawfish or jigs. Something that you could move onto the bed and leave it there, moving it only a little to give it a little action. Multiple casts may have also been needed (10-20, maybe more) to provoke them into biting. One other thing you could have tried is switching colors to see if they preferred a different color over another. The bass the were cruising may have wanted an easy meal (again, if they were recoping from the spawn). Did you try weightless t-rigging a Senko and casting it in front of the cruisers and dead stick it? When they came close, I'd give it a soft twitch or two and then dead stick it again. I've tricked cruisers before by doing that. That's about all I can think of right now. Hope this helps!

[Whopper-Stopper]

The bass have been doing that here for a week; I have seen several 5 lb+ bass. Just use a 3" crawdad or tube. If they won't hit that, leave them alone. I know it's hard to leave a 3 lb+ bass alone; but do it. Your only wasting time that you could spend catching other bass that are interested. I have done a lot of good this week with a 1\2 oz rattle trap. Be careful not to fight them to hard and loosen your drag because these bass aren't slamming into it; they are just bumping it. If you pull to hard you'll jerk loose.

[VABasser]

Thanks guys for the replies.  We were mainly working a shore of a pretty big cove that we saw all these big bass on.  We would slowly work up it, casting from a distance and then moving in closer and casting directly to the beds.  Then we might go fish the other side to give the bass a rest and come back later on, but it was still the same.  We fished the same water on Friday and I caught a nice 3-4 pounder off a bed (dont know exact weight, didnt want to leave her off the bed but for a couple seconds) and my dad caught a 2-3 pounder in some grass.  We didnt see as many beds that day or as many big bass in the shallows, but I know they can be caught.  The fish finder we have hooked up to our boat now doesn't give temps, we have one that does but just haven't found the time to rig it up.  But from all the reports I've read of lakes in this area, I'd say the water temps are in the 60's but thats just a guess.  I was actually planning on making a trip down to Gander Mountain on monday and picking up some lizards, tubes and jigs so I will give them a try when I go back to the reservoir this week.  Whopper-Stopper, where were you working the rattle trap.  My dad briefly tied one on yesterday but didn't have any luck with it.  Thanks for all the suggestions and if anybody else has any, I'll gladly listen.

[AINT TEXAN 2]

Me and my partner have been doing almost the same thing you talked about and it is on a big cove also.  We could see the bass making nest but they wouldnt hit so we just left them that morning and went and worked some points and such.  Came back just after noon and they werent there.  So we backed off into deeper water, and started throwing a crankbait, rattle trap, and a soft plastic jerkbait.  With that we put 11 nice ones in the boat including one that was around 7-8lb.  So my sugestion to you is to wait till the sun gets high in the sky and back off into deeper water on points and drop offs and try those lures.

[VABasser]

Sounds like good advice AINT TEXAN, one question, how deep did the crankbaits you were throwing run.  Thanks

[Whopper-Stopper]

VABasser, fish the rattletrap anywhere you can cast it; and make sure that you cover alot of water.  

Aint Texan 2, did you have any problems keeping the bass hooked on the rattle trap or is it just me that this happens to?

[BAMA_BASS]

What about Paitence?  

When I come into contact with fish like this I fish that spot where they are for 5-10 minutes sometimes until I catch (since they don't spook)   And throw everything in my tacklebox (BAG now) until I find the lure that works.  In my case tubes have worked really well and just the other day a Big jig landed me a 4 pounder that was sittin on the edge of lilly pads in 2 foot of water.

So what I am trying say is throw patience.

[Madhouse27]

I've seen the same thing up here with smallmouths. Groups of similar sized fish cruising in the shallows. They are incredible to watch but catching them at this stage of the game is somewhat futile. A week earlier these same fish were postioned of points and ready to bite. Now they are preoccupied. I guess what I would do is try to find a different area of the lake that may be at a different temperature. You may end up finding some fish that are either before or after this tough stage.  You'll end up pulling your hair out on these fish for a couple of days.