tips on overcast conditions

[smallieking]

i really like when the sun is out and its really hot unlike most anglers  i know how to find fish and get them in such conditions but i have more trouble getting bites when it is overcast   i know everyone probably thinks im crazy right down but those fish move off of the structure and i have trouble getting them  does anyone have any tips to help me find and get more fish to the boat?  thanks

[Matt Fly]

What do you do when you encounter overcast days?   maybe if you tell us your normal approach, we'll be able to help you better.

I know that when the water is warmer, you are more apt to have a top water bite on over cast days.  

Bass aren't as tight to cover on over cast days.   Some bass may even roam on overcast days depending on seasons.  So search baits on over cast days may help put fish in the boat on days like that.

Just a few,

hookem

Matt

[smallieking]

i pretty much try my best to do the same as i would when its sunny  casting to grass and docks or whatever with senkos or tubes  then i will switch to a jig most of the time and fish ditches and points  then i go with a crankbait  but never do good on that either  i mean i figured out what to do sometimes but most of the time when the sun goes behind them clouds  i suck

[Other.]

Like Matt Fly stated bass are not as tight to cover. So its a good idea to use shallower baits. I really like the Zoom Super Fluke or maybe a Rapela

X-rap depending on the conditions.

[fishfordollars]

Fish tend to scatter and roam when it is overcast. Get in an area you have caught them when the sun is out, back off a little, put the trolling motor on high, use a search bait, and start covering lots of water. When you get bit, slow down and fish the area well. Search baits such as crankbaits, rattletraps, then plastics to pick off the fish that are not as aggressive.

[Shad_Master]

Several years ago when I first started fishing with my local club, I was paired with a guy who made three casts with a top water lure first thing in the morning.  then he put it down and didn't touch it all day long - it was a blue-bird sky day with out much wind.  Late in the tournament one big cloud rolled in and provided some shade - he picked up his top water lure, made one cast and caught a keeper fish.  the cloud rolled away and he put it back down.  Since then, whenever I am fishing over cast days, I always keep a top water handy.

[Catt]

Right now; Rat-L-Traps or Spinner Baits bounced of wood, stumps, logs ect  

[smallieking]

thanks  all the patterns u talked about i tried  i just got to be more precise and not switch as much thanks alot im really gonna try to improve this aspect of my game this year  thanks again for all the tips

[Catt]

#1 confidence killer; Switching baits too often  

[Peter E.]

There are a few tips I would hand out, we'll go by the types.

Location changes:

one general rule of thumb about overcast days is that the fish will move away from tight cover and will be more comfortable roving shallow flats. They are more likely to spend their time in shallow water actively forageing. Since bass are naturally a low light ambush predator the low light allows them a golden oppurtunity to actively hunt their prey.

Hunting Style Changes:

Shifting from ambush to active hunting. Now I know this is repeating myself but this means that the strike zone of the fish has become much larger. When in a normal sunny day the fish have about a foot to a foot and a half that they are willing to go to catch their prey.

Prey info:

One little thought is that forage like shad and other bait fish will develope a gold shine instead of a silver flash when they catch light, just another survial mechanism.

So it is your job to react to the change in factors. You may try moving to areas that are more productive in the sun up and sun down times of the day, fishinf the flats, and or using more horizontal baits to cover larger amounts of water. Shallow back bays may become more productive, faster retrieves and more reaction strike techniques.

One thing though is that even though the fish are actively feeding, how they relate in the water collumn will depend on the barometric pressure, if its too high they may suck into cover to the extent that you have to hit them on the nose.

Learn the habits of your fish then adapt to them.

Good luck, oh and try keeping a journal and when you have days with similar conditions you can relate to a past time.

Peter

[WRB]

You are a bank fisherman, tied to it by the length of your cast. Don't be too alarmed, about 90% of the bass fisherman pound the bank just as you do. The presentations you are confortable with are fishing in heavy visual cover and casting to shoreline targets.

The majority of the bass population doesn't live by the bank, they migrate there during spawning season and at night during the summer warm water period. What you are targeting are a few bass that have set up ambush sites during the day light hours. When it becomes cloudy, the shallow water ambush bass don't need to hold tight to cover to successfully catch prey, so they roam more.

What lure you use is really a matter of choice as long as it is a reaction bait. Surface lures like a buzzer is one of the best for the cloudy condition, if a little ripple is on the water, otherwise a spook type lure works well. Jerk baits, crank baits, spinner baits all work well.

What you need to learn is how to fish for the bass that are outside, on major and secondary points, humps, creek channel breaks, islands and other under water structure that you can't see without using your sonar unit and topo maps. Fish the bank early and late or when it's mid day high sky. Fish the deeper structure and breaks the majority of the time. Presentations like drop shot, slip shot, jigs, deep cranking, spoons, underspins etc. You will learn that cloudy over cast conditions are the best time to catch bass, because the bass are more active.

WRB

[tfisherman]

I've done it for years and live by it!! When it's cloudy and especially rainy a spinnerbait will slay the fish, you can catch them on top waters but you won't catch as many as fast! Now the best time for a top water is bright blue bird sky. I have my best luck with this formula. It's all because the fish's relation to cover. I've even talked to Zell Rowland and he has the same philosophy.

[Guest avid]

try using non flash type finishes on your baits when it's overcast.

They work better SOMETIMES on overcast days.

Theory is that the bass can see them better.

[brgbassmaster]

i like to use topwater like a strike king spit n king. or a pop r . i just picked up some excaliber zell pops to try out this yr. go to points and try the topwater or around docks with grass about 1-2ft under the surface.

[Peter E.]

Avid is dead on when he says to avoid a silver shine, this is one of the reasons why an old rule of thumb when fishing spinner baits and it clouds over, switch to a gold blade. It has a more subtle flash the matches the bait fish better.