nothing biting! I'm on vacation in Tennessee next to a 6 acre lake. Water is clear. I can see bass swimming around, even jumping on occasion. I've tried numerous lures and presentations and can't seem to get even a dink to commit! Jigs, plastics, cranks, topwaters, nothing working. Suggestions?

Dropshots around visible cover. Sounds like one of those ponds you gotta finesse them most of the time.

Clear, as in 8-10 ft?   Go natural colors first, then brighter.  The way you describe it, they might be bedding.  Try creatures/lizards and cast away and slow retrieve to the nest. Pause every once in a while, you may see a buck follow.  The closer you are to the nest, the closer you are to a reaction strike.  Do it enough, big mama may follow.  I use to do this, but the more seasoned as a bass angler I become, the more it becomes less sport to me; almost like breaking bass angler proper etiquette.  Some regions ban spawn fishing entirely.

 

However, I think top water is a little more fair game because you're not 'rough-housing' the nest itself.  You may scare off a buck or two, but they will comeback.  

Live Night Crawler!

 

Give the fish a break and use a circle hook.

Clear water, you can see fish cruising, sounds like a wacky rig is in order. 

when i watch buddies struggle in these conditions it's usually b/c one or more of these:  1 they are fishing too fast 2 they aren't casting far enough ie if you can see the bass, they can see you. 3 they are standing in the same place for 2+hrs ie don't fish, hunt fish.  i can virtually always get the skunk off shore fishing by relocating often while slow dragging plastics.

Ned rig.

If youre seeing fish jumping out of the water and flopping loudly  then I dont think they are bass .

Try a hard jerkbait to see if you get any follows along a particular section. If they are active enough, they will commit to it. Also try fishing early AM or late PM. Dim lighting expands their strike zone and allows them to search and ambush better. If that doesn't work, then toss a wacky rigged Senko. You'll get bit, one way or the other.

Don't forget to relax, you're on vacation! I have to go to work today.

Don't forget to relax, you're on vacation! I have to go to work today.

Exactly what he said!

Ned rig.

Tried it. No takers. I will not give up! One of those fish is getting his picture taken before I leave!

Try fishing a smaller jig extremely slow. Like one hop every couple of minutes. Takes crazy patience but works really well when the bite is slow. 

Ned rig.

 

...and today I've learned of yet another rig I need to add to my arsenal.

Try fishing a smaller jig extremely slow. Like one hop every couple of minutes. Takes crazy patience but works really well when the bite is slow.

Trailer or no trailer?

Trailer or no trailer?

 

If the lake is as clear as you see use a natural colored craw trailer but keep it small. Rage baby craw or zoom speed craw 3.5"

Try a hard jerkbait to see if you get any follows along a particular section. If they are active enough, they will commit to it. Also try fishing early AM or late PM. Dim lighting expands their strike zone and allows them to search and ambush better. If that doesn't work, then toss a wacky rigged Senko. You'll get bit, one way or the other.

This is a good option. I fished a local neighborhood lake that had super clear water last summer. Got one on a spinnerbait up shallow in some grass right off the bat. Tried skipping jigs under docks, paralleling the banks with swim jigs and paddle tails. Couldn't get bit. Pulled out a white luck e strike rc stx and started catching them left and right. Biggest was about two pounds.

Light line, and cast to fish that you cannot see.

Light line, and cast to fish that you cannot see.

Exactly! In clear water like that, most of the time if you can see a fish it can see you too. Try casting out a dropshot and working it back to you, I do this alot with a shiner colored fluke and it works great.

Finally!!! Got one on a 4" watermelon red wacky rigged Senko. Not huge, but I was happy.