Tactics When Fishing Heavily Fished Waters?

[BassFishingMachine]

I have a lake I fish every now and again that is heavily fished, its a pay-to-fish lake. It holds some nice bass but the big ones aren't stupid because there fished for almost constantly as this place is fairly popular. Most people who fish it are beginners just looking to have some fun so they usually just buy live bait. The live bait they sell are shiners and nightcrawlers, so im guessing thats what these bass are used to eating (and the beginners never seem to get any big ones either). I myself can't stand using livebait so I stick with my artificials and I can usually do ok with a senko or a powerworm. Although I can never seem to get a big one to hit, when I spot a nice one I cast right to her and she'll pretty much always turn it down. Any tips on how to get these big girls to hit in such a heavily fished lake? And by big I mean 4-5lbers, theres no 10lbers here in NJ  .

[roadwarrior]

It's unlikely any of those guys are fishing a Fat Ika.  

8-)

[maxke01]

the lake i fish is heavily fished too, i usually cast a t-rig senko out and whack em everytime...biggest fish i ever caught out of there was only 2 1/2 lb though

[Raul]

It's unlikely any of those guys are fishing a Fat Ika.

8-)

or a Kreature or a Flappin Hog or a jighead wacky rigged 4 inch Senko or a weightless, split shot or shakey head rigged Kut Tail.  

[Munkin]

By the time you saw her, she saw you 10 minutes ago and will not bite. Make a mental note of where the fish is a return. Make a long cast with a finesse worm and you may catch her?

Allen

[Bass XL]

I would get a 4.5'' worm with a natural color...and fish it on a shakey head

[Tin]

Finesse fish, little baits and light line. Shakey heads, finesse worms, t-rigged grubs, tubes, and of course senkos.

[JigNBig]

I think you just need to fish deeper water.  Try jigs, worms, crankbaits, and a drot shot.

[5bass]

I think you just need to fish deeper water.

That would be my choice also. Deeper water. I know I'd throw some deep diving crankbaits first. Then probably some big profile jig & pigs. If the bigger stuff didnt work, then I would downsize.

[.dsaavedra.]

try to give her something shes never seen before. look closely at what others are fishing, and fish the total opposite of that. if they dredge the bottom w/ jigs non stop, then try a crankbait or vice versa. if everyone is throwing spinnerbaits, then try using a crankbait, or even a finesse tactic....just whatever you do try to be unique. maybe you could use a common lure but use it in a different way....use your imagination...just try everything.

[Sam]

twin2win nailed it.

Finesse fishing.

Get Ike's "Classic Patterns' Masters Series' Tactics for Tough Conditions" DVD and you will learn how to get bites on bodies of water with a lot of pressure.

But don't tell anyone as this is a fantastic DVD and we don't want all the secrets to be known. ;D

Great DVD to watch in the winter to get you ready for the first spring day!

[HesterIsGod]

Try to think outside the box. use lures and/or techniques that hardly any one else is using. Try a swimbait for those biggies, I doubt many people on that New Jersey lake are doing that. Also, when i face heavily pressured bass that are mostly big, i use finesse tactics with bigger yet subtle baits. For example i'll use a drop shot and six pound line. For the bait ill use an 8 or 10 inch worm, which not many people do. They dont put big baits and finesse tactics/line together. Dont be scared to use light line for those bigger fish. Just play them out carefully. Big bass genious Bob Crupi almost always used 8 pound line. He landed the second biggest bass in the record books on 8 pound line, 22 pounds 1 ounce.

[Big-O]

Throw Texas rigged Rage craw using no more than a 3/16 or 1/4 ounce weight, slower the fall the better and the claws go ballistic even at slower pace. Chances are they have never seen it before cause it's so new and they can't resist it either.  Good luck!

[32251]

Split shot rig. Slow!!!!  

[farmpond1]

By the time you saw her, she saw you 10 minutes ago and will not bite. Make a mental note of where the fish is a return. Make a long cast with a finesse worm and you may catch her?

Allen

I agree with Munkin.  Back off.  Give it a rest for about a half an hour.  Creep up quietly (but keep your distance), use light line and some kind of natural looking soft plastic.  Cast beyond the spot you last saw the fish, and work it slowly towards him/her.  And if you catch it, reward it by letting it go.

p.s. I hope I used this quote feature correctly.

[WRB]

Suggest you get Don Iovino's book "Finesse Bass Fising and the Sonar Connection". Everything you need to know about finesse fishing is there to get you started and learning to use your electronics on pressures lakes is essentail.

To upgrade the size of bass, you may also need to learn to fish 6" swimbaits.

WRB

http://www.iovino.com/donbook.htm

[Avalonjohn44]

I bet a Chatterbait using a Basstrix Paddletail as a trailer, with blood red hook would work.  If you can find a Sexy Shad colored chatterbait, all the better.  And maybe if that doesn't work, a kicktail minnow might do the trick.  

[BackOnTheWater]

By the time you saw her, she saw you 10 minutes ago and will not bite. Make a mental note of where the fish is a return. Make a long cast with a finesse worm and you may catch her?

Allen

I agree with Munkin. Back off. Give it a rest for about a half an hour. Creep up quietly (but keep your distance), use light line and some kind of natural looking soft plastic. Cast beyond the spot you last saw the fish, and work it slowly towards him/her. And if you catch it, reward it by letting it go.

p.s. I hope I used this quote feature correctly.

Here's the right answer, IMHO...

[shimanogloomis man]

try the fat ika with a 4/0 widgape  hook  or a wacky rigged 6 in zoom trick worm

[Siebert Outdoors]

Most fisherman are bank beaters.  Fish deeper water and catch bigger fish.

[FD.]

My goto bait in pressured water is a rapala J-11 in root beer (shiner) or silver (shad).  No one uses minnow baits anymore and I have caught more fish on that one lure than anything else.  Second choice would be a B/B chatterbait with a trailer.

[Redlinerobert]

[Waterwolves]

Ok. I fished Fork a couple of years back. That lake might be the heaviest fished lake in the country. The guide I was with was having a tough time getting me on fish. Well he had me put on a worm but it was different then any other plastic worm I have fished. He had me thread it on to the hook with the head hanging over the top of the hook. He then had me place a nail in the head to weigh it down. He then told me to throw it out and let it hit the bottom them just barely shake it. kinda like a modern day shakey head but this was 6-7 years ago. Try that. We were going right behind other people and slaming them. I didn't kill it but I did catch about 20 fish on a day no one was doing well.  

[mayassa]

I always turn to the Ugly Duckling Never Fails

[Fish Man]

whenever im fishing places that are being over fished i like to throw baits that are new and that the fish havent seen before and try some different presentations