clemsondds

Can you maybe expound on that a little? I'm sure I know what you mean by that, but I would love to hear more about it. Thanks

Thank you all! Very good answers! Here’s another question. When I was covering water and hitting high value areas, I think I spent too much time trying different baits. I’ve noticed several anglers mention that you spend 5 min or so at each place and then move on. So my question is, do you try multiple baits when looking for these active fish or do you stick to just one or two? I think I might have been trying too many baits at these areas which caused me to be at these spots for 20+ min.

So how would you have handled that day of fishing? My point was, if you aren’t getting bit, do you slow down or keep moving with reaction baits? I have no doubt that better fisherman could have gotten a bit that day, and I’m just trying to learn how. Getting skunked is no Bueno.

Ok, so went out yesterday and blanked. I fished for just a few hours on a small lake I had never been on and just couldn't buy a bite. I found out later that overnight they had gotten a downpour of rain and had risen the lake quite a bit. So maybe that had something to do with it...who knows. Clarity was about 12" and water temp was 57-59 and wind was 2-4mph. Anyway, my plan was to just keep covering water and "find the active bass." Well, I threw chatterbait, lipless, squarebill, balsa flat side, spinnerbait, z1, and a 110...and got nothing. I covered main points, channel swing points, flats, secondary points, backs of a cove with deep water close by, and shallow humps. I could see them on livescope but they were mostly suspended. I did try a few brushpiles as well. So my question is, when do you keep a moving bait in your hand and keep searching for those active bass, and when do you realize it's going to be "that kind of a day" and switch to slower presentation techniques? I feel like I covered most of the lake and just never found them, and so when trying to process what happened...I'm wondering if it was something with my technique, or maybe it was that I just needed to switch to finesse. What are your thoughts?

Ha see it’s easy to do! as for the squarebill/jb…might want to try a shimano poison adrena 6’11M/MH. Great rod! For buzzbaits…I’m trying to think of a rod I would use in the morning (or at least less likely). I’m thinking maybe a swimbait rod…like a 7’4MH/mod action. What do y’all think? Or would you prefer a fast action for buzzbaits?

haha that was supposed to say buzzbait...

How about water clarity? Does it ever influence your decision? For instance, if less than 6" visibility, do you still use your ffs?

Yeh, I guess I just get tired sometimes of looking at a screen...hard to get in a rhythm like you can going down a riprap bank with a crankbait. It's tricky, bc that's my favorite way to fish...but now after using electronics for awhile (esp ffs), I'll be going down that bank and if I don't get bit within the first 20 min or so, I start wondering if there's even bass in the area and start thinking about going back to ffs ha.

So you use your ffs up shallow to look at structure and pick out spots to pitch/cast to?

Yeh definitely! anyone who has livescope/ffs care to chime in?

Ok so I have livescope and various other graphs on the front of my boat. I have become obsessed a little with being able to see the fish before I fish for them. But I also miss just going up the bank and doing more traditional fishing. So, my question is, do you guys that focus primarily on off shore electronics based fishing….do you ever choose to fish shallow and if so, when/what occasion (eg prespawn, muddy water, post-front…) just love hearing everyone’s thoughts.

Yeh I use the same for that rod. What does everyone throw their buzz air with? And what else do you use that rod for?

Humminbird helix 12

Yeh that makes sense. And no I don’t believe so.

Ok thanks. Yeh I wasn’t sure if it was bait,, grass or small fish. Most of the bait in the area were in bait balls.

Can you tell me what this is?

Yeh that's true...I stayed in one main arm of the lake...so I learned that area a lot better. So I got that going for me ha. And yeh...I fished the worst part of the day 9-12:30...water temps were starting to rise when I was leaving...so I'm guessing the bite was probably better between 3-6pm. Who knows though.

Ok…soo who was it that said I should have stayed home?! Lol you were the winner. Ha. Nah it was still a beautiful day but only had one bite. I only got to fish for about 3.5 hours. Water was worse than I thought…only about 4-6” of visibility and that was down at the dam where it was the cleanest water. saw bait all over the place. Started off pitching jigs to structure and working a football on points. Tried a double Colorado spinnerbait, a-rig, 110, 110+1, Ned rig, lv500 and a finesse jig. Tried fishing secondary points, bluff walls, island tops and the back of creeks. But just couldn’t get a bite. I’m still trying to learn livescope…saw several suspending but couldn’t get them to engage. Still…beautiful day!

Thank you! When starting in a particular area, would you only start if you saw a Bait or do you think cleaner water is more important? So another words, if you found clean water, but didn’t see any babe would you still start fishing and that area?

Any opinions on Ned rig vs jig in these type situations?

Last time I fished cold muddy water, several ppl had mentioned not to try fishing deep (eg brush piles…) do you feel that’s true? It would almost seem opposite to me where those fish seem like they would be less affected by changing conditions

I understand that. But the question was…on the first day of a post front, how would you fish it? Slow and shallow or secondary points or what? Or stay home ha Just curious

Yeh that’s kind of what I’m asking. 4 or 5 days of warming weather and then two days of drastic drop in cold and rain…how will that affect the third day when it starts warming back up. Will they be in a funk for a few days? I assume so, and so trying to think what’s the best way to find them when it’s like that. Also if the water is pretty murky from the rain. I’m thinking just running banks fishing really shallow and structure. Maybe flipping jig and big spinnerbait. Thanks!

Ha yeh prob a good idea. But don’t get to go out much so gotta make the best of what I got. River fed reservoir. I guess my main question…is this “post front” conditions? I assume water coming in the creeks will be cold

Ok so going out fishing Monday. Where I am at, it's been 45-60 for the past 5 days. But tonight it's been raining and the temps are dropping. Tomorrow it's supposed to drop down to 33 and stay around there all day with rain. Then on Monday it will start out in the 30's and slowly rise to mid 50's, sunny and with winds 5-8mph out of NW. So my question is: how would you go out Monday morning and try to catch them? Water will be 1-1.5ft visibility with water temps prob in mid 40's. Slow way down? Look for baitfish? Stay shallow? Go deep? What would you do?