Can't locate 'em, I am at a total loss

Ok guys and girls I hate to sound desperate, but I am at a complete and total loss right now. I can't get on the fish to save myself. Here's the scenario, i am fishing a 200 acre lake, water temp is 84 degrees and the lake is relatively shallow being about 15' max. This lake has plenty of cover in the form of lily pads and timber. This morning I get on the lake at 5:30 am and fish hard until noon and picked up 7 fish and they were around 14". I can't find the big fish and for the life of me I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I know they are in there and I am using big bass producing lures, but the big one's just won't react.

What would you guys do in this case?

I fish the lilies with frogs and trick worms, just dragging them across the top. I will also fish the outsides of the pads with a buzz bait, texas rig, bandit 300 crank, and a 1/2 spinner bait. In the open parts of the lake I crank till my arm hurts and nothing comes of it. I have used every trick in the book to get these fish to bite and it seems like they just have lock jaw or something. If you guys would please toss me a few idears I would surely appreciate it. Oh and btw this lake isn't easily accessed by big boats, so it isn't heavily pressured at all.

Thanks in advance,

Jason

[QUOTE=JGrimes;518104]Ok guys and girls I hate to sound desperate, but I am at a complete and total loss right now. I can't get on the fish to save myself. Here's the scenario, i am fishing a 200 acre lake, water temp is 84 degrees and the lake is relatively shallow being about 15' max. This lake has plenty of cover in the form of lily pads and timber. This morning I get on the lake at 5:30 am and fish hard until noon and picked up 7 fish and they were around 14". I can't find the big fish and for the life of me I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I know they are in there and I am using big bass producing lures, but the big one's just won't react.

What would you guys do in this case?

I fish the lilies with frogs and trick worms, just dragging them across the top. I will also fish the outsides of the pads with a buzz bait, texas rig, bandit 300 crank, and a 1/2 spinner bait. In the open parts of the lake I crank till my arm hurts and nothing comes of it. I have used every trick in the book to get these fish to bite and it seems like they just have lock jaw or something. If you guys would please toss me a few idears I would surely appreciate it. Oh and btw this lake isn't easily accessed by big boats, so it isn't heavily pressured at all.

Thanks in advance,

Jason[/QUOTE]

It may be that the big girls are feeding at night in this heat. They're probably watching Andy Griffin re-runs during the day. Try fishing with a 10" worm or jig at night if you can.

[QUOTE=JGrimes;518104]Ok guys and girls I hate to sound desperate, but I am at a complete and total loss right now. I can't get on the fish to save myself. Here's the scenario, i am fishing a 200 acre lake, water temp is 84 degrees and the lake is relatively shallow being about 15' max. This lake has plenty of cover in the form of lily pads and timber. This morning I get on the lake at 5:30 am and fish hard until noon and picked up 7 fish and they were around 14". I can't find the big fish and for the life of me I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I know they are in there and I am using big bass producing lures, but the big one's just won't react.

What would you guys do in this case?

I fish the lilies with frogs and trick worms, just dragging them across the top. I will also fish the outsides of the pads with a buzz bait, texas rig, bandit 300 crank, and a 1/2 spinner bait. In the open parts of the lake I crank till my arm hurts and nothing comes of it. I have used every trick in the book to get these fish to bite and it seems like they just have lock jaw or something. If you guys would please toss me a few idears I would surely appreciate it. Oh and btw this lake isn't easily accessed by big boats, so it isn't heavily pressured at all.

Thanks in advance,

Jason[/QUOTE]



I used to fish a lake similar. Use a weightless senko. Those big fish like the lily pads but sometimes suspend and like a slow moving bait. I found that the faster the fall the harder it was to get a bite. good luck

Try a heavy jig through the pads. I also have had a lot of success on swimbaits on the outside of weeds or pads(go big). Finally, if you have a fish finder, look for baitfish or schools and stay on the with a crankbait that runs just over the top of them. Good luck.

With the lake being 15ft I would look for shady areas or fish at night with jigs or big wormsworms

Have you tried trolling to locate them? 200 acres shouldn't be terribly hard to cover when trolling. Hey at least you are catching some while you search for the big ones :) Good luck!

I appreciate the replies everyone. I tried the heavy jig in the pads as recommended by RADRJP and no luck, not even a bump. I threw into the shade lines created by overhanging limbs and bushes as bigbasscatcher mentioned and got a few dinkers but the big fish weren't there. I did do some trolling trying to locate the fish like SLP said and even with that they seem to elude me. I haven't tried the senko, in fact I don't even have any senkos :eek: , so i might try that next time out.

I have saw several 6+ lb fish caught at this lake and heard tale of an 8 and a 12, so i know the lake is producing them. The lake is a shad free lake, so the primary forage is bluegill and bugs from the nearby tree lines. I struggle to no end with these clear water reservoirs. There is little irregularities in these lakes like humps and cut backs. i almost feel like I am fishing in a bowl, it's like the first 5 feet from the shore is really shallow like the rim of a bowl and then it's straight to 15' like the bottom of a bowl. Seeing as how there is little off shore structure I would imagine the bass, big and small, would flock to what's avalable.....THE PADS.

I am just beside myself after today. I''m no KVD, but I can usually do pretty well wherever I go, this has me pretty boggled!!!

Jason

Since nothing else is working I have an idea that might be worth at least a shot. Since the water is not very deep and getting pretty warm they may just might not be wanting to work hard to eat. Try going small, maybe try using one of those small Shad Raps with an ultra light. A big fish will still bite on those if they are lazy and the view it as an easy quick meal. The down size is that you will have to deal with catching more small fish while trying to get to the bigger ones, but you just might entice a nice one.

I'd try a really small jig along the edges of the pads - something like a 1/8 ounce Strike King Bitsy Bug with a Tiny Paca Chunk trailer, both in natural colors because of the clear water. I've seen plenty of times when that slow fall rate was just the thing to trigger them to come out of the weedbeds.

I used to fish several 75-150 acre lakes growing up. The largest bass that I have put on a scale (9 lb. 2 oz.) came from one of these great "little" lakes. While the advice to go small is a good one, I have found the opposite to be true. If you are really looking for that big bass, go BIG. Fish this time of year want the most reward for the least effort, and a large morsel fits that bill. (That big fish hit a large Zara Spook.)

Since the main forage in many of these lakes are bluegill, try a slow-sinking bluegill pattern swimbait (green pumpkin is a good choice), or a big bladed spinnerbait with a bluegill pattern skirt. You may have to sling those baits all day, but if you are persistent, you may be rewarded.

May be a dissolved oxygen depletion issue. If that's the case there's not a lot that's going to help. I'd certainly hit it at night as late as you can and down size your arsenal. Small jig, finesse worm, drop shot...

Crawler harness with a big night crawler and round split shot will find them. Cast it in the deepest part of the lake and bring it back slow...