Fishing Not Like Last Year

[basslover12345]

Ok, The ponds I fish often by my house are seriouslty behind this year. Last year by this time the spawn had been long over, the duckweed started to grow and mat on the surface where I could punch a jig down into the thick patches of duckweed and get bit. This time last year the bass were postspawn and I could easily catch a bass by dropping a jig into a trees roots over hanging the water, but now we have no grass, I have seen VERY little spawning and have yet to catch a bloody male or spawned out female this year from these ponds. It just seems like last year everything was on schedule, this year not so much.Any suggestions on what I should use or what stage the bass might be in? Here are a few of my fishing log entries for last year:

June 7th, 2010:

Today I was fishing the Hack attack Jig with a 10 inch anaconda as a Jig trailer and I dropped it into some submerged branches of a bush and I let the jig fall and all of the sudden I feel THUMP- THUMP, but I couldn't set the hook because a branch was in the way and the fish pulled it a little and was gone, I was trying to do what Shaw Grigsby did when he was pitching Hack Attack jigs into submerged bushes, he said to let the bass take it and run out of the bush, then set the hook, but that didn't work. I have a feeling that the bass Just hit the anaconda and not the Hook of the Hack attack.

June 5th, 2010:

I was getting bites in thick patches of Duckweed. The one bass I landed nearley choked on the Jig. I caught him in some vegetation by the Shoreline........ Today I went out and threw a Hack attack Jig in the Bama Craw color with a Rage Craw Trailer and got a few big bites and even landed one. I caught the one bass under a bush/tree that had some Vegetation. I dropped the Jig in and immediately started shaking it and got bit. the bass was about 12 or 13 inches.

[fmoore]

Don't fish in the past. You recognize that this year is different, so why are you trying to trying to fish as if it wasn't? You need to adapt to the conditions and change it up. I don't know where you're fishing/what type of water body you're fishing so I'm not sure about specific advice. Open your mind and try something new. I bet it'll benefit you.

[Grey Wolf]

Don't fish in the past. You recognize that this year is different, so why are you trying to trying to fish as if it wasn't? You need to adapt to the conditions and change it up. I don't know where you're fishing/what type of water body you're fishing so I'm not sure about specific advice. Open your mind and try something new. I bet it'll benefit you.

Great advice !!!!!!

[Missouribassman95]

I'm having the same problems with one of the ponds I fish. Try fishing new lures that mebbe the fish haven't seen. And senkos usually do the trick pretty well, for me anyways.

[ChiCityBasser]

With the weather being up and down here in the Chicago area it's pretty much been changing lures or techniques til you find something they are hitting on for you. Some of the ponds and small lakes I fish the spawn is over but others its just starting or mid stage and just have to change up. Normally I have been fishing shallow running cranks 1-2' but I've also been using plastics and flipping them into beds to get bit.

[basslover12345]

I have been trying everything I have, Im used to fishing this pond when it has grass.

Here is some info on it:

Water is up to 6 feet deep and murky. There is no cover except when the grass starts to grow. There are bass, bluegill, carp, and catfish. The water is low because of the lack of rain we have had.

Here is some more info:

The pond has a silty bottom and it has several shallow flats that slope and gradually lead into deeper water. There is no structure in the pond, but there is A LOT of duckweed and other types of grass. the water is pretty stained and is only about 6 feet deep, maybe more in the middle.

I started to see spawning bass on beds around the end of April. I have tried fishing the conditions I'm faced with, not the past.

[ChiCityBasser]

I have been trying everything I have, Im used to fishing this pond when it has grass.

Here is some info on it:

Water is up to 6 feet deep and murky. There is no cover except when the grass starts to grow. There are bass, bluegill, carp, and catfish. The water is low because of the lack of rain we have had.

Here is some more info:

The pond has a silty bottom and it has several shallow flats that slope and gradually lead into deeper water. There is no structure in the pond, but there is A LOT of duckweed and other types of grass. the water is pretty stained and is only about 6 feet deep, maybe more in the middle.

I started to see spawning bass on beds around the end of April. I have tried fishing the conditions I'm faced with, not the past.

I fish a pond very similiar to what you are fishing but don't think it's 6 feet deep. Shallow running cranks might be your answer as I've been using a Strike King 1XS in Gizzard Shad over the weeds since it runs about 1-2' and ripping it out of the weeds when I hit them. I've also used a BPS XPS Egg in Texax shad with the same technigue as it also runs 1-2'. As I said the pond I fish is very similar with bluegill,catfish and carp as well. Using both has been very successful for me

[basslover12345]

Thanks, Yea these ponds are run off ponds that were built in the 70s.

[splitshot00]

last yr i was having luck on 5in white senko worms this yr no luck on worms. This yr im using all white,chartreause and white spinnerbaitrs with a craw trailer so far its been working

[basslover12345]

Well, I got out to the pond yesterday and saw some spawning bluegill along different clumbs of hydrilla. I tried a Strike king 1XS, but didnt get bit.

[ChiCityBasser]

Ok and what color and what was your retrieve like? making contact with the weeds? I'm getting bit on either the Gizzard Shad, Sexy sunfish or chartreuse/white after making contact with the weeds and ripping it our or with a jerk/pause in the retrieve.

[Hyrule Bass]

try lipless cranks and chatterbaits in that murky water. also try weightless soft plastics like baby rage craws and floating worms

[ChiCityBasser]

try lipless cranks and chatterbaits in that murky water. also try weightless soft plastics like baby rage craws and floating worms

I agree that the Baby Rage craw and any of the Rage line can work as well.

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

Amen.i was excited for the new year and the fishings even worse

[ChiCityBasser]

My fishing when I can get out has been pretty good but our weather here has been up and down. We had 80's for a couple days during the week and then on the weekend its either raining the entire weekend or its in the upper 40's to lower 50's. This will be the first weekend with temps in the 80's and can't wait to see how the fishing will be this weekend.

[Nice_Bass]

My fishing was very slow last year in regards to size. I am now up to 5 over 6# this year and multiple days with 20 plus keepers. Leaving to go out in about 2hours- i am sure it will be slow pickens this afternoon-