Can I get some tips on fishing very high pressured lakes...we have a few small public lakes that hold very nice fish...and I'm tired of getting skunked

My short take: Dropshot rig on 4 lb mono line with a Berkley twitchtail minnow. You'll catch a limit if the bass are on and you can find them.

My long take: I just read "Knowing Bass" by Keith Jones, a Berkley researcher. Their research showed the optimum shape of a lure for a 2lb bass is around 2.75" by 1/3". Optimum color is black top, light bottom. Bass remember lures and conditions from previous catches for at least months, probably years. Be very quiet, use light line, cast as far as possible to the target location, and use a lure of the appealing size and in a shape they've never seen before, and you up your chances a lot. I used the twitch tail (which happens to be exactly 2.75") since it was released this summer, on a very tough small lake, and it was highly effective.

When say small high pressured lake, how small and what type of bass fishing pressure?

Tom

Around 50 acres....and most common is soft plastic, jigs, and rattle traps

Around 50 acres....and most common is soft plastic, jigs, and rattle traps

I mostly fish in a flat bottom boat throwing towards the shore

You have to learn to adjust the bait and location with the season or you are fighting a losing battle. If you cant produce at least some fish on a jig you must either be missing them or going way too big for the depth.

Thats just a broad start, its more like hour to hour some days. In the heat of summer I can run up into grass flats and catch them for the first half hour in a foot of water. The sun comes over the horizon and theyre GONE!!!

My advise is to not even go near the shore. Fish deep with a C-rigged Eeliminator. Trust me on this. You will not get skunked any more.

Black Trick Worm

I mostly fish in a flat bottom boat throwing towards the shore

My advise is to not even go near the shore. Fish deep with a C-rigged Eeliminator. Trust me on this. You will not get skunked any more.

I'm with Shane. In winter go deep where the warm water is or if there are any underwater springs those are usually warmer too.

Why do you think your 50 acre lake receives high bass fishing pressure? Too small for bass clubs to hold tournaments, how many skilled bass anglers fish this small lake on a daily basis?

If this lake has a good population of adult size bass, the only time they would visit shallow shoreline water is at night, low light periods, during the spawn and occasional feeding periods on young of the year fish.

What type of bait fish does your small lake have for the bass to feed on? Knowing what prey is available and what prey the bass prefer during each seasonal period will help you to determine what lures may be most effective.

Location is everything in bass fishing, you can't catch them if they are not located where you are fishing. Your problem isn't finding the right lure, it's finding the bass.

Do you have a sonar unit on your John boat or a trolling motor?

Tom

I 2nd Curve's advice and would also recommend a 5" wacky rigged senko in green pumpkin/watermelon with black flake. Never met a bass that didn't want either of those.

What kind of water clarity, depth, bottom composition, and cover does the lake have? I fish some very heavily pressured small lakes that are deep, and clear. Some days it's all I can do to scratch out half a dozen bass which is very frustrating because the lakes have lots of fish in them. When it's really tough I usually pick up my shakyhead rod or a wacky worm, if I can't get bit on one of those two baits then I'm probably not going to catch them.

Fishing high pressured lakes to me is just a mind set, like WRB posted it would help you to know a lot more about what he is asking, the next thing is something that Shane J stated "get off the banks" if everyone else is fishing them and not being successful, chances are you won't be either, learn a little more about the structure of the lake and find the fish first and then start fishing.

 

If you are fishing a high pressured body of water then slow down, these fish spook really easy, think about an animal that has been mistreated, how long will it be before it will trust anyone, find out how long it takes for the fish to react to your bait by letting it sit if you know they are there, try and excersise your patience and work your baits a good bit slower. 

Just some general tips... 

1. Fish stealthily! This is very important in highly pressured waters. 

2. Fish the most out of the way areas you can reach in that boat. 75%+ of anglers fish from shore, especially on smaller waters. Reaching those secluded spots can make a difference.

3. The majority of fisherman are throwing spinnerbaits, Berkley Power Worms, or the occasion Rat-L-Trap. Go to your local Wally World or bait shop and ask what the best selling lures are. Then don't fish those. Instead of the spinnerbait, throw a swimming jig. In place of the 7" curl-tail worm, try a 4" finesse worm, or dropshotting. As a substitute for the Rat-L-Trap, find a good one-knocker bait such as the Xcalibur One Knocker, or the Rapala Clackin' Rap. The more "exotic" your presentation, the less likely the bass have seen it. 

4. Drop your line size as low as you feel comfortable.

5. Don't be afraid to hit the middle of the nastiest cover. Most fisherman don't want to lose their lure, and therefore label these spots as unfishable. They aren't, you just have to know how to go in and get the fish.

6. Fish it during week days, if possible. Get there earlier than anyone else, and hit the prime spots then.

Think small,either a shakey head or a wacky style worm.Light line either 6-8lb test.A head weighted worm with a small finishing nail rigged wacky style is a good go to bait when the bite is '' pressured" .

I fish pressured lakes probably 90% of the time.  You need to find out what kind of structure and cover is on the bottom of the lake, and what kind of forage the fish are feeding on.  Don't be afraid to ask another fisherman what bait they are using.  Try using a bait that the others aren't throwing.  One more thing is to make a mental note of when the most people are out on the lake and then try fishing when things have slowed down a bit.

Fishing at night is a good idea also, some of those fish get where they'll come out after the commotion has calmed to feed comfortably. Kind of like deer during deer season.