Lunkers In Cross Hairs, Need Help

[bassking1976]

Local lake is very clear and ive seen some giants of late but cant get them to hit any thing got a six pounder 3 weeks ago on a hollow body swimbait but believe it was merly a reaction bite... dont believe these huge bass are spawning as they are no where near beds actually around rocks and small bridge... what should i try? what should i throw? any suggestions?

[Avalonjohn44]

Local lake is very clear and ive seen some giants of late but cant get them to hit any thing got a six pounder 3 weeks ago on a hollow body swimbait but believe it was merly a reaction bite... dont believe these huge bass are spawning as they are no where near beds actually around rocks and small bridge... what should i try? what should i throw? any suggestions?

I would go out on a limb and throw the hollow body swimbait again.

[Crestliner2008]

The Golden Rule is, if you can see them, then they can see you! And that more or less ends the bite. Try a different, more subtle and quieter approach; long casts, light line. Keep your profile low. If you are fishing from a boat, kill your engine long before you approach the area they are in. Drift in and shut off your sonar(s) as well. Sit down, have a cup of coffee. Let the area "settle in". Then make your cast/presentation.

A small finesse style jig or 4" Senko should give up one or two big ladies.

[bassking1976]

yeah i forgot to mention that im fishing from shore and trust me ive warn out my arm casting that swim bait again and again with no takers since the sixer

[1nstinct]

try standing back on the shore so you cant really see them and they cant see you,(maybe just me but i dont like to cast a shadow on the water, i feel it freaks them out more) when sight fishing i just a jig and cast it about 10-15 feet away from them and slowly creep it in toward them till its about 2-3 feet away and just creep it along the bottom, usally gets a nice strike. is there any wood or logs in the water near them?

[grimlin]

yeah i forgot to mention that im fishing from shore and trust me ive warn out my arm casting that swim bait again and again with no takers since the sixer

Perhaps the reaction bite died down. Try slowing down with a big worm or jig.

[deep]

I have no tips on what baits to fish, but do try slowing down. The water is pretty clear you say, and a big bass is acutely aware of her environment. She knows your bait is out there. Almost all the big bass I ever caught hit the bait after I let it sit still for 10 to 15 seconds, and all of them were feeding bites. Or maybe they were guarding their "territories". Either way, they weren't reaction bites. A 5+ bass, especially a spawning bass, won't probably chase a little rattletrap far. She will have to expend way more energy to get that bait, than she will get from eating it (the huddleston philosophy).

I mostly fish from the shore too, and I do believe that the spawning time is my best chance to catch the bigger ones.

Good luck!

[Scorcher214]

Yesterday I was shore fishing in an area only about 1ft deep, I could see about 10-15 LM and they wouldn't hit a thing, even though I was taking as light of steps as possible, they would scatter when i got close enough to see them. I would stand back from the shore about 3-4ft and make your casts if possible. It helped me a few weeds ago.

As for lures, try something slow, like a jig or a big worm.

[Hyrule Bass]

i would try a lizard or creature bait. but if you just want to catch the fish instead of toying with it all day, throw out a live night crawler and i bet they wont refuse it...

[J Francho]

The Golden Rule is, if you can see them, then they can see you!And that more or less ends the bite.

I cannot begin to count all the fish I've caught that I've spotted. it isn't whether they see you that matters, its what you do when you see them that does. Stealth, man stealth!

[bassking1976]

try standing back on the shore so you cant really see them and they cant see you,(maybe just me but i dont like to cast a shadow on the water, i feel it freaks them out more) when sight fishing i just a jig and cast it about 10-15 feet away from them and slowly creep it in toward them till its about 2-3 feet away and just creep it along the bottom, usally gets a nice strike. is there any wood or logs in the water near them?

no wood or logs just rocks and concrete from bridge bass actually suspending near concrete wall of bridge standinding pretty far back gonna try 10 in worm next time

[dhami013]

Brush hog. Plain and simple. I've caught my biggest bass from using those bad boys. Caught some big ones sight fishing with brush hogs too.