Okay... I give.... Where have all the bass gone?

[gadawgsr1]

For the last month I have really struggled to find fish that will bite. Multiple bodies of water here in the Charleston, SC area and nothing seems to bite but pan fish and even those are slow to hit. I realize temps are up but I cannot remember the last time I found myself in such a slump. Let me know what has been working for you and help me get past it. I have thrown just about everything I have at 'em. With the water temps in the upper 80's, I would expect them to be deep but most of the fresh bodies of water around here are not that deep. What gives?

[Taylor Fishin 4 life]

I fish in Georgia and I know what you mean by lakes not being deeper than 10 feet. In lakes like those there is much structure so look for your grass and figure out what kind of grass there on.

[Triton 186Mag]

our lake around here don't have a whole lot of cover and deep is 15-20ft, this time of year they are usually holding at the mouths of creeks or if there is current look for mudlines.  I'll usually make 20-30 cast a each creek mouth or channel  with a crankbait or 2 and fan cast a jig in the same areas.

[NateFollmer]

^ Agreed. I was just at Faylor Lake yesterday and it's pretty low and coverless (some grass in about 6 inches of water, but the bass don't usually hold there because of the Northerns). The fish were all hanging out in the creek channel, mostly right at the mouth of the creek. It was still a slow and tough bite, but weightless plastics did the trick!

[scbassin]

Where have you been fishing? Early last week I was catching them shallow. Water temp was 88 to 90. I have not been out since last Tuesday because of my knee but that is going to change in a day or two.

[gadawgsr1]

Where have you been fishing? Early last week I was catching them shallow. Water temp was 88 to 90. I have not been out since last Tuesday because of my knee but that is going to change in a day or two.

I have been fishing the Goose Creek Reservoir, Bushy Park, and the Hatchery.  I have not tried weightless yet.  I must admit it hasn't crossed my mind.  The only bite I have felt is the rock my prop found at the hatchery.   >

[Paul Roberts]

My waters are shallow too. When the water gets into the mid-80s here, daytime action slows. I try several things:

-Fish at night, or crack of dawn. I've found an amazingly strong first-light bite on some of my waters during hot spells. Unless the issue is simply around bright sun and spooky bass, evening pans out less for me during hot periods -at least in terms of notably strong bites.

-"Couch-Time": Time to find an area you know/suspect holds bass and fish plastic worms slowly. I've done well this way, although during such periods I also reduce my expectations during daytime.

-Fish using a herky-jerky retrieve. Some over-heated bass respond to erratic baits. I like a SB, a rapidly jerked swimjig, or a crank bounced off stuff. This is hard work in the heat of the day, and results in such heat have not been spectacular for me -but it has shown that there are fish there and willing to bite. If it doesn't pan out, it doesn't take too long to find out.

-Springs, if there are any, could be a really great find. I have several ponds I fish that receive ground water: One has a lot of it and it can be actually 58F at the 10 foot bottom in mid-summer! The bass are excluded from much of it and are found under shoreline vegetation, where the slop bite is usually very good. You'd never know all those great offshore weedlines would be better suited to trout, if you didn't drop a thermometer down. Another pond is shallow and weedy and gets hot in mid-summer, shutting down the daylight bite during hot spells. But there is a small spring seep (I found while fishing in a float tube I could feel the cool water on my legs) that gives up big bass at mid-day.

Finding springs:

-Mist on the water esp in early AM.

-High banks that might seep ground water

-ponds near stream beds

-topographically low areas.

-Find new water -- that are either cooler, have enormous preyfish populations, or offer deeper fishing. At your latitude you'll need to be deeper than 15ft to hit cooler water probably. And the lake should not be too productive (fertility) or it may be devoid of 02 in the depths.

[Wayne P.]

Number one tactic, get away from the bank.

Number two tactic, fish slow presentations.

Number three tactic, fish the mid-day hours.

If you have healthy submerged vegetation, fish that at mid day, that is when it produces the most oxygen.

I've been fishing surface water temps from 84 to 92 degrees in depths from 5' to 20'.  My catch rate is higher than prespawn. The thermocline is just starting to form and it will be even easier catching.

I caught this one Friday in 4'-5' with the surface temp of 89 degrees. The lure is a wacky rigged finesse worm.

[Paul Roberts]

Great post Wayne.

Maybe I should readjust my expectations for my "couch-time".

That bass' mouth looks huge compared to your hand. And it is further from the lens . That's the opposite of the way it's 'spose to be. ;D At least in my neck of the woods.

[Bass Junkie]

     If you have any rivers/creeks feeding into these lakes, even if they are from a resivour above the lake you're fishing, fish them. It is amazing what you can do in these rivers when the bite is dead on the lake. Also, get out early, and target the shady side of the lake. Around here the shade extends quite a bit into the water, so it keeps the water cooler for quite a bit. Throw topwaters past every dock, tree, rock pile, whatever you find, and you will find the fish. Once you've found them, mark the place, then keep on fishing. You can come back later in the day and fish the closest deepwater structure, with a more finesse approach. Twitching and walking a jointed wakebait is a good approach for the shade. Hope this helps

[Wayne P.]

Paul, it was a pretty good one: 9 pounds and 6 ounces, 25 1/2" in length. I noticed that the line attached to the hook did not show in the photo, it was a 20# fluorocarbon leader.

I caught one that was 3 ounces less and 1/2" shorter a week earlier about 300 yards from that one, the water depth was 6' but the fish was suspended in the limbs about 1/2 way in a standing pine tree. Same water temp, tactics, and presentation. I didn't do a mouth shot of that one since I didn't have my camera with me. A fellow angler took a picture of it with my cell phone.

[Paul Roberts]

Very nice.

That looks like one busy boat.

Wayne,

Curious...How many have you seen over 25"? And I should also ask, do you have any FL largemouths where you fish?

[gadawgsr1]

Number one tactic, get away from the bank.

Number two tactic, fish slow presentations.

Number three tactic, fish the mid-day hours.

If you have healthy submerged vegetation, fish that at mid day, that is when it produces the most oxygen.

I've been fishing surface water temps from 84 to 92 degrees in depths from 5' to 20'. My catch rate is higher than prespawn. The thermocline is just starting to form and it will be even easier catching.

I caught this one Friday in 4'-5' with the surface temp of 89 degrees. The lure is a wacky rigged finesse worm.

If it is working for you I will definitely have to give it a try; especially since everything you suggest I do is opposite of what I have been doing.  At least in theory, that should be the case.

Thanks so much for the tips.  You guys are awesome.

[scbassin]

Fish the ditch that goes around the hatchery.  I fish it with a weightless Senko. Make sure to try the dike between  the hatchery & trash dump landing also. I have only fished the reservoir 1 time & that was in the earlier to mid 70's & have not fished the river in 25 years. You might try the rice field on the left as you come out of Durham Creek into the river. I use to get well there.

[Wayne P.]

Paul, sometimes I have more than a dozen rod/reels laying around with different presentions and several versions of the same presentation. That way I can be the most efficient at a particular location in determining a pattern.

I guess I have seen around a hundred 25" or more bass. Some were mine and some caught by others.

There are no pure Florida bass in Va. that I know of but the lake where I caught the pictured bass was stocked with a cross of Florida and Northern strains. There are a couple more.

From what I have heard, Florida strain bass can't handle waters that get iced over in the Winter.

It is not ususual at that lake for bass to be 27" or longer. I've landed a couple of those and have pictures of some of them sent to me from successful anglers that I have helped with tactics/patterns.

PM sent with additional comments

[Nitrofreak]

Paul, sometimes I have more than a dozen rod/reels laying around with different presentions and several versions of the same presentation. That way I can be the most efficient at a particular location in determining a pattern.

I guess I have seen around a hundred 25" or more bass. Some were mine and some caught by others.

There are no pure Florida bass in Va. that I know of but the lake where I caught the pictured bass was stocked with a cross of Florida and Northern strains. There are a couple more.

From what I have heard, Florida strain bass can't handle waters that get iced over in the Winter.

It is not ususual at that lake for bass to be 27" or longer. I've landed a couple of those and have pictures of some of them sent to me from successful anglers that I have helped with tactics/patterns.

PM sent with additional comments

And just where was that lake you are speaking of that you caught that wonderful bass at ?

It wouldn't be close to your home would it...Say maybe less than an hour?

Nice fish!!! By the way.

[Wayne P.]

LOL, Nitrofreak, no it's over 1 1/2 hours. Exactly 80 miles to the Rt. 701 ramp from my house.

[Eddie Munster]

Good tips Wayne.

NICE FISH! 

[Paul Roberts]

Ah! I responded to your PM, before seeing your post.

I've read that FL genes tend to end up naturally culled out of the northern systems they are planted in. I asked bc I was wondering about body length for northern strain LMs in different regions. Thanks.

[WRB]

I haven't witnessed any real difference in length of pure northern LMB verses pure Florida largemouth bass and they are two different species of LMB. The pure FLMB has fine scales and more lateral line scales.

The major difference in growth potential is in the girth verses length, both can reach about 29 inch length (mouth closed to center of V of the tail).

The debate over F1 intergrades; off spring of to pure 2 sub species like female FLMB and male NLMB creates hybrid vigor and potentially giant bass, may have merit?

In California FLMB and F1 intergrades haven't survived in lakes that freeze over. The bass in Virgina are more than likely northern strain LMB or a distant intergrade. Whatever they maybe, they are big bass.

Learning to fish outside deeper water is the key to summer bass. Then Tommy Biffle shows up and wins a tourny on the bank....that is why bass fishing is so much fun! Those green fish can't read and do whatever they want.

WRB

[brushhoggin]

i'm the same way. this fishing rut is annual, and right on time this year. > Is it possible that shad are still small from their spawn and aren't really big enough to excite schools of bass? And fishing the same schools they're bound to wise up, which just adds to the frustration. I'll go fish if it's over cast, but it's almost like it's winter again

[Wayne P.]

WRB, the Va. lake was originally stocked with Florida strain bass and Northern strain bass. It is in the southern part of the state where another lake was stocked with Floridas several years before with excellent results.