sight fishing

[zbigbadaaron]

Does anybody got any tips for sight fishing?                      

When I sight fish the fish never bite.

[bassassasin260]

o man, theres nothing like sight fishign a golf course lake by foot.

just the other day we had a little "tournament" between me and a couple buddys and my team of 2 ended up with 50 fish in about 4 hours of sight fishing with a trick worm.

id say top water a trick work or a senko, horney toads would be good too. i love to use a jitter bug as well but sometime with all the weeds and cover a trick worm is the only way to go

[wisturkeyhunter]

Does anybody got any tips for sight fishing?                  

When I sight fish the fish never bite.

Thats cause your to loud.

[Rob.Atl]

use a jig and pig or a senko and just deadstick it once u get 5 feet away from it and just twitch the hell outa it ull get that tap tap trust me

main tip though just annoy the hell outa that bass untill he gets so ticked off he anihilates ur bait

[Sam]

First rule of sight fishing...if you can see the fish then the fish can see you.

So stay back far enough to see the fish without spooking them and from throwing your shawdow over the area where he is swimming.

Second rule....you need some very high quality polarized sunglasses. Great investment for all bass fishermen.  Secure your sunglasses with one of those soft bands around your head to keep them secure and not go overboard.

And use your peripheral vision to sight fish, too.

Third rule...use a Senko or a Zoom plastic and throw in front of him so he can see the lure hit the water (softly as possible) and then take the bait.  Other baits can work, too, but for me either a Senko (Texas or Wacky rigged) or a Zoom finesse worm does the best.

Now, if they are on their beds, it is very difficult to have them take your bait and there are loads of posts on bed fishing on this site so search "bed fishing" and see what you can find.

And you have to be very quiet when sight fishing.  Some guys put their trolling motor on low and let it just run while others use the stop and go method.  

Remember, if you drop anything in the boat the sound will travel over 40 feet from the boat through the water column and this can spook the fish.

Some pros think the stop and go trolling motor method alerts the fish that you are around while others say there is no difference in the way you work your trolling motor.  So go figure?

So be very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very quiet and don't move around.  In other words, have everything ready to pick up easily so you will not have to walk and open a compartment or tackle box or make any unnecessary noise.

Sight fishing is a lot of fun but it can be aggravating when the fish you see just will not take your bait.

I know.   ;D

[Catt]

The biggest misconception is that bedding bass are easier to catch; they can actually be harder to catch than any other time of year. You are dealing with bass that is not readily or actively feeding during the actual spawn. The bass are more intent on building a nest, laying their eggs, then protecting their fry and do not feed very much during most of the spawn.

Catching spawning bass is a specialized art, because it includes the unique challenges of fishing shallow, clear water; it is visible bass fishing at its best. Brightly colored baits essential because if you see the bait disappear set hook, stay back far enough to see the nest but not close enough for the bass to be aware of you. Cast past the bed, pull your bait into the nest and give it subtle movements with plenty of pauses. Above all it will take tons of patience so be prepared to stick it out.

[PooNug]

First rule of sight fishing...if you can see the fish then the fish can see you.

So stay back far enough to see the fish without spooking them and from throwing your shawdow over the area where he is swimming.

main tip though just annoy the hell outa that bass untill he gets so ticked off he anihilates ur bait

I find these two points are the most important in sight fishing.  First I throw different lures at the fish and see which one annoys the fish the most.  When the fish chase but don't bite that's a good sign.  Now get out of sight and throw that lure repeatedly over and over again using a slow retrieve with very subtle twitches.  Most fish will eventually get annoyed and bite.

[HesterIsGod]

I have been really getting into sight fishing this year and last year. Here is some things that have given me success and will do the same for you:

1. Be selective with the fish you sight fish for. If a fish bolts off a bed as soon as you spot it, it probably will not be catchable.

2. Bed fishing is basically ticking off the bass as much as possible. Some lures do this better than others. I do things that tick the fish off faster. For example, I will change colors randomly, Use heavy line (This usually makes them very angry for some reason), and I'll even hit the bass with the lure (Carefull, do not snag them).

3. Also, I wait till the fish is so ticked off, that he/she is hitting the bait on every pitch I make. Then, I switch from what I call my "agitation" lure to my "business" lure. My agitation lure is the lure that gets the bass angry, and my business lure is what actually catches the bass. It is usually a jig with no weedguard.

[.dsaavedra.]

i did a bit of sight fishing at the heavyily pressured local park today. every once in a while i'd see a pretty small bass (15" and under) just cruising by in the shallows, and what i would do is take a senko or small ribbon tail worm and cast it about 5 feet away from the bass, but not directly in front of him, put it infront but toward deeper water. i caught 2 bass this way today.