So its rained the past couple of days here, nothing torrential, but enough that a small lake I go to near my house had the water level go up a bit. Oddly enough too, the clarity of the water increased substantially. I don't know how that happened.

 

I usually catch fish pretty close to the banks in normal conditions, but last night I went out and casted everywhere, even out deep, and nothing was interested, not even a bump.

 

What happened to the fish?

 

I'm sure it's a combination of rising water levels, rain, and water clarity, but more specifically what do the bass do, and why, when these conditions occur?

 

You mean it rained and the water got more clear??

 

around here when it rains the water gets less clear and the bass hold tighter to cover...

Fresh rainwater has very low levels of dissolved oxygen. I suspect the fish

moved out to deeper water.

Yea typically rain will muddy the water, but this time the water became quite a bit clearer than it was this weekend when I was out there (before the rain)

Yea typically rain will muddy the water, but this time the water became quite a bit clearer than it was this weekend when I was out there (before the rain)

I've seen this happen before, generally on smaller bodies of water.  I believe it's usually caused by the rain "flushing" the water out and replacing it with clearer water.  That seems to be the deal around my area anyway.

Any tributaries or moving water in the lake? I have found in the river i fish, that once the water runs clear after the fall rains the bass completely turn off.

That was near the full moon. Fish stay up all night and feed.I catch very few fish after a full moon. That's my story and I am sticking to it. Ha ha. richg

Use different colors of lures preferably more realistic colors such as a shad colored or bluegill colored bait, just experiment with what works for you hope you catchem!

The water clarity probably hurt you a bit, but also the fact that a lot of bass feed heavily before a weather front moves in usually leads them to not feeding very aggressively after a storm. This is only what I have read, I have not experienced this personally. That being said, I have read this is several articles so it's gotta have some merit. Good advice on going with more realistic baitfish colours when the water clears up like that.

The water clarity probably hurt you a bit, but also the fact that a lot of bass feed heavily before a weather front moves in usually leads them to not feeding very aggressively after a storm. This is only what I have read, I have not experienced this personally. That being said, I have read this is several articles so it's gotta have some merit. Good advice on going with more realistic baitfish colours when the water clears up like that.

 

The way I've always saw it is that before the storm there is a low pressure causing bass to feed and after the storm there is high pressure causing bass bite to slow...

I hit the banks of my local pond yesterday and caught only one fish.  And I felt lucky to get that one.  I figured the bass went back to school with the kids around here.    No pun intended.  I'm guessing the heavy rain for the last 3 days had something to do with it.  When you can't catch fish in your normal spot with Senkos, something is up.

I hit the banks of my local pond yesterday and caught only one fish.  And I felt lucky to get that one.  I figured the bass went back to school with the kids around here.    No pun intended.  I'm guessing the heavy rain for the last 3 days had something to do with it.  When you can't catch fish in your normal spot with Senkos, something is up.

 

That's true. Senkos are more or less the "when nothing else is biting" kind of lure.

 

Also, your quote at the end of your post is classic! Banjo players Porsche.....Haha

Thanks.

 

All summer I would stand in this one spot and catch 6-8 fish in an hour on Senkos and other un-weighted stick plastics.  Maybe a dink on a crankbait here and there.  Then yesterday; nothing.  Had two get loose after the hook set, but for me to only land one fish (not even in that spot which is also funny) was a surprise.

 

And....What's the toughest 3 years of a bass player's life?  Second grade.  When it comes to musician jokes, I know 'em all.