I either slow down alot when throwing a worm or throw a reaction bait.
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Just curious to see what others do when the bass seem to quit biting. I know season and conditions have a lot to do with this choice, but when you can't get a bite, what do you throw?
I either slow down alot when throwing a worm or throw a reaction bait.
Jig or worm and change up the location. Try a pea gravel bank instead of a lead in channel bank. Try to move deeper or shallower depending on water temp or water level rising or falling. Do you homework before you get to the lake and eliminate 80% of the water based on season, water temp and such so you can focus on the other 20% to find the pattern
I didn't know they ever quit bitting....lol. just kidding, I will slow down and switch baits and color and fish a differnt type of cover or structure. Most of the time if your catching fish on a bank or structure and they stop the fish will still be on those type of banks or structure or whatever just need to switch the color of your bait or switch your bait to give them something different but trust me it don't always work sometimes you can throw everything even the kitchen sink and they just won't bite. That's why its called fishing not catching....lol
Slow down and scale down. Turn that trolling motor down to "excruciatingly slow". Lay down that 3/8 or 1/2 oz jig and tie on a 1/8 oz model with an equally small trailer (I sure do miss those 3" Power Craws). Find yourself a nice laydown, weedline or row of stumps and camp out there for a while. The idea is to let that tasty little morsel hang in their face as long as possible and see how long they can avoid the temptation.
I think Hurricane Bob will agree with me completely...If not fishing a tournament, Go home, pop the top on a cold one, and enjoy
I switch to a 1/4 oz jig with tiny paca craw, down size a worm to a 4" senko type worm, if that doesnt work I throw a skinny worm like a shaky head and tie on a buckeye jig head and go wacky.
What do you do to eliminate non-productive water? How do u even start? I end up using old faithful...something that worked years age and just start beating the banks! Wrong I know... Teach me oh great oneJig or worm and change up the location. Try a pea gravel bank instead of a lead in channel bank. Try to move deeper or shallower depending on water temp or water level rising or falling. Do you homework before you get to the lake and eliminate 80% of the water based on season, water temp and such so you can focus on the other 20% to find the pattern
When fish slow down, they are usually deeper than we've been fishing. Back off, fish slow and deep. Shakey head hard to beat.
I will usually go deeper and slow way down... One time I was fishing a tourney and we had three keepers in the livewell and the fish quit hitting. Sun had come over the hill. I told my partner the fish are deeper and I cast next to a stickup on the other side of the boat. This is the side away from the bank. That cast yield a 4.5 lb bass.. We then moved the boat deeper and started catching them again. We kept moving and fish deep to shallow. This means throw at the deeper structure first and then the shallower stuff next. We were using plastic nightcrawler...
You have to know what stage the bass are in, i.e. prespawn, postspawn, spawn, late winter, early winter, summer, early summer, early fall, fall, late fall....This comes from tow(time on water). Go smaller with your bait and slow down.... and maybe deeper for the bigger fish(depending on the time of year). Might try to pick one lake and figure out how the fish are moving throughout the seasons and this experience can be carried over to other lakes. After reading everything I typed, there is alot that goes into it and that is what makes it fun when you figure it out.
I agree with most everything said. However I would throw in the use of quality electronics. When things slow down and the fish pull off the banks I switch to locating them in deeper water with the graph and side scan. Usually a jig or drop shot will pull them out of deeper water. If that don't work go home and drink a cold one.