Nothing working Help!!!

[ALLEN18]

Been fishing local lake, nothing is working.  You name it I have offered it.  This is a small lake or big pond to be more like it, alot of people fishing on it but I have yet to get even a bite.  Looks to be great area with lots of structure and tons of grass edges, but nothing seems to be working.  The grass is going to overgrow a big part of the pond here in a few weeks, so a large part of it is going to be unfishable shortly.  I know the fish are there but they refuse to accept what I am offering.  Is it possible that it is just over fished during the day?  Have yet to try it at night, but have been their late in the evening.  Any suggestion?

[Sam]

Where are you?

What is the water temperature?

Are the bass on their beds?

We need more details.  

[ALLEN18]

Central Indiana, water temps 65 to 69, have not seen any beds.  Spent couple of hours this morning with a spinner bait, just kept telling myself this is going to work , this is going to work, this is going to work.  It did not work.

[Hammer 4]

We have a local park pond that has some good sized bass, I can see 3-8lb'rs swimin around at any given time, seems like the last 3 days, they refuse to hit anything we toss em..plus this pond like most so. cali lakes, ect see lots of pressure..Like you I'm at my wits end..

[CSB]

Have you tried downsizing your baits?

[ALLEN18]

This morning it was beatles spins, small spinner baits and a rebel ant

[Sam]

Bass are either on beds or just getting off and in either case they will not bite often.

Just be patient. They will recuperate and start to feed, soon.

In the meantime, as said above, downsize baits and consider throwing the following:

Wacky rigged Senkos and Finesse worms.

Shaky Head presentation.

Drop Shot presentation.

Crankbaits that run from 1 to 3 feet.

Texas rigged Senkos and Finesse worms.

Small Rat-L-Trap type lipless crankbaits.

Topwater floating worm, no weight, in pink or white, on light 6 pound test line and a spinning rig.

If you are going to throw a spinnerbait may I suggest a 1/4 ounce size?

Look for any structure (under the water) and cover (above the water) where they will go to rest and ambush prey.  Fish those areas.

In the early AM or late PM throw a buzzbait.  White or white/chart in the AM and black in the PM.

Your goal is to find where they are in the water column and if there is a pattern to their behavior.  Once you find their depth and any pattern (on wood; on humps; in holes; along the shoreline; by grass;, etc.) you can then fish for them using the pattern.

Look for bluegill beds and fish for the bass around the bluegill beds.  The bass will stay around those beds waiting to feed once the eggs hatch.

Once they start to move around you will have a fun time.  Just be patient.  

[roadwarrior]

Here you go, the answer is simple:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1158577137

8-)

[Quinn]

I saw the subject of this thread then I saw RW was the last one to post, and I knew it would be a link to the "Bass guarantee" thread.

This thread has taught me more about finding bass in uncharted water for me than any so far.

Note: I didn't follow the directions exactly, but I used what I had to closely match what Kent is teaching. This technique works to teach you to use plastics and find fish, remember what he said about putting time in to this, especially in new areas.

Thanks RW I enjoy fishing in new areas allot more because I can learn to fish a certain lake or pond

[WRB]

You are obviuosly fishing from the shore, casting out and retrieving back to where you are standing. Every fishermen who has fished this small lake or pond is doing exactly the same and the bass are conditioned not to respond.

What can you do differently to get the bass to bite?

1. Do not use the same lures that everyone is using.

2. Do not present the lure in the same manner as everyone else has.

3. Do not fish at the time as everyone is.

Can you fish from a float tube? at night? different than everyone else!

Does everything include; broken back floating Rapalas? wake bait?Frogs?, Buzzers?

Do you cast parallel to the shoreline a few feet out from the bank? 10 feet out? fan cast? ever tried a slip shot reaper on 6 lb fluoro? 10" power worm at night? big 8" live night crawler nose hooked and fly lined?

Just a few ideas to ponder.

WRB

[CSB]

RW's link is perfect. You should be able to catch fish on a 3" slim Senko wacky rigged, just be patient.

[Hammer 4]

In my case..can't tube it..Done almost everthing you listed Except, frogs, and the slipshot reaper.

One thing I always try to do is, fish unlike everyone else, trust me, I've tried some strange retrives with all my baits/lures, and although I don't have everything I toss everything I have, presentations are always different. I really need to get back on a decent lake again..lol

You are obviuosly fishing from the shore, casting out and retrieving back to where you are standing. Every fishermen who has fished this small lake or pond is doing exactly the same and the bass are conditioned not to respond.

What can you do differently to get the bass to bite?

1. Do not use the same lures that everyone is using.

2. Do not present the lure in the same manner as everyone else has.

3. Do not fish at the time as everyone is.

Can you fish from a float tube? at night? different than everyone else!

Does everything include; broken back floating Rapalas? wake bait?Frogs?, Buzzers?

Do you cast parallel to the shoreline a few feet out from the bank? 10 feet out? fan cast? ever tried a slip shot reaper on 6 lb fluoro? 10" power worm at night? big 8" live night crawler nose hooked and fly lined?

Just a few ideas to ponder.

WRB

[ALLEN18]

Some more info.

1. fishing from a boat

2. what I mean by tried everything, is everything I have-worms,multiply style crankbaits,small and large spinner baits, beatle spins.

3. This is a pond/lake in a park that is closed at night, so that is not possible.(Green Valley Mind Pond--Indiana, goggle it)

4. At this point would like to catch anything besides moss and the sometimes tree branch bass.

How does water temp. effect the fishing. I mean what temp. is best? Is there a chart that states at 65 degrees the bass are active but at 57 they are still in winter mode and not feeding as much. At what temps do they start to really feed and become active? Also, have been told if one more package of fishing equipment shows up on the front porch this spring I can start looking at a new place to live.. I hope she is kidding!!!

[dman]

there is a pond close to work that i always go to on my lunchbreak....I never need more than a spinnerbait and a wacky rigged senko for this place...I was out Monday and could not buy a even a bite...Very strange for this place....Out today and pretty much the same thing is happening except that with the spinnerbait on 2 different retrieves Bass chased it up to within 6 feet of shore and just ran into the bait - never even opened their mouth..wierd , but at least it was interest. I ran to the truck and grabbed a swim jig just to make it less flashy and 3 casts in had a chunky 16 incher....In my last 20 minutes I had 3 Bass just by taking the flash away....Moral = the bite seems tough here too right now but they will hit the right thing...Keep changing it up - good luck

[Dad_Golf_Fish]

Green Valley Mine Pond--Indiana, goggle it)

This is just sad! In a two minute google I found more information (topo maps, satellite photos, etc) on this puddle than I've found on my local lakes and reservoirs in weeks of searching!

I would like to try my hand at this just based off the maps, and would appreciate if anyone thinks I'm way off telling me so I can get better at these skills.

I would try off both sides of the large point on the north side and ther smaller point on the south side. I would also target what looks like some type of inlet on both the northeast and northwest corners. Mind you, this is just my opinion. I am often wrong... :-/

[Chris]

swim a jig or chatterbait or use a soft jerkbait and when the water heats up flip a tube and when the weeds are real bad throw a frog. all of these work well in weedy places.

[WRB]

OK; basic seasonal periods;

winter; 39f to 55f

pre spawn; 55f to 62f

spawn; 62f to 67f

post spawn; 67f to 68f

summer; 68f to 80f (preferred temps)

Fall; 58f to 68f

Temperature apply at the depth of water the are using, not the surface. Transition period range about 2 to 3 degrees between each seasonal period.

Green Valley pond;

Small lake, deep with a dam at the SE, with quarry lake connected on the west side. Ramp at the south corner of the dam area.

Your lake is more than likely in the late spawning stages or post spawn. Forage unknown; minnows, pan fish, crawdads and frogs.

The NW inlet area looks good for the spawn & post spawn. Small lake and the bass will roam during most of the summer period.

Key areas to target; inlet area and points at the quarry lake channel, long points on the east shore, boat dock, ramp, face of dam and corners. Early and late eve; back of coves.

Start to learn this lake by making a few trolling passes around the shoreline using a deep diving crankbait that runs about 10 to 12 feet; Bomber 7A in baby bass or fire tiger. Troll about 2 mph, walking speed, about 75 feet back of the boat. Make lazy S pattern down the bank and follow the points out to deep water, stop and recast to troll int opposite side of the point until you are about 10 foot of water then turn and continue. Check you lure for junk about every 200 yards. Watch your sonar, if you have one, for any fish or rocks piles, Stop and fish the marks with a c-rigged worm.

Let us know that worked and what you discovered.

WRB

[CWB]

Overgrown grass does not make a lake/pond unfishable. It just makes that area fished less. Try a frog over the tops of the grass or jig around the edges and in the holes. Right now maybe try a 4" finesse worm -1/16 oz weight. 4" senko might see more hits than standard 5"

[WRB]

This lake doesn't look like it would be over run with weed beds. Maybe the shoreline, coves and shallow inlet areas. The bass should relate to the weed edges along the steeper banks as the water warms and pushes the better adult size bass into deeper water. Any outside structure, rock pile or humps should hold bass all day.

The lake also looks to be a good night lake, good water clarity and the bass will be very active then.

WRB