Hey everyone, I went out fishing today on my boat, and I saw about a 6lb bass just roaming around in a cove. He stayed within a 50 foot radius moving along the bank, and down in deeper water. I threw jerkbaits, lipless crank baits, medium diving crank baits, jigs, brush hogs, and a jointed swimbait. She had no interest at all. What would you all recommend using if I come across this situation again?

Rage menace weightless 

in a situation like that I will usually throw a weightless fluke and fish it painfully slow. just jerking it once in awhile and then let it sink naturally.

Whatever you decide it’s going to have to be a soft plastic and your going to have to fish slow wacky rig senko would also be a good approach. Dead sticking.

Rage Bug or even a Zoom Z Hog may work. Might even try a light weight jig head pushed inside a Tube with the line tie eye out the side of the head with the hook sticking out the bottom and the point along the side(pic below is one I have used effectively it has a shaky head stuck up in it) and drag it really really slow across the bottom.

Soft plastic. Ned, tube, lizard. Treat it like bed fishing

Another thing to try is a small spinnerbait with little blades and retrieve it as fast as you can .

I would try the wacky senko or a drop shot fished painfully slow as well, no shaking just holding it on a semi tight line. Bait choice would be a roboworm or gulp minnow

On 10/29/2017 at 11:00 PM, FishOnLMB said:

She had no interest at all.

Mark the spot, and wait her out, or come back later.  Big fish are usually a timing deal.  The important part is you found her location.  I have no recommendations for magic baits or techniques.  Use what you know, and wait it out until it's not in a suspended, negative feeding mode.

Largely uncatchable in that situation. 

If you spotted her under a log or lily pads then she is in a feeding position.

 

Can you catch a bass roaming...yes.  Most effective way Ive seen and heard of is a wacky senko thrown far ahead in her path...preferably where the bass would be out of sight.  Then deadstick it and hope she finds it.

 

Once you have the location just wait and go back. When i see them roaming like that i rarely catch them. As for the lures just throw whatever the conditions dictate.

nightcrawler hanging from a #4 hook

Don't fish moving baits in that situation. My go-to is a neko-rigged 6in Roboworm. Pitch it a few feet in front and work it slow and you might get bit, if not move on because the fish is lockjaw. 

Come back when she isn't roaming.  You won't see her, of course, but she'll be a lot more catchable.

The reason this bass is moving around is you spooked it and she wants to return but see’s you.

Return in 20 to 30 minutes and stay further away. You have located a big bass, now catch it.

Tom

I try to force myself to stay in 1 spot where the fish will keep replenishing, and fish something similar to what they are likely feeding on. Sometimes Roaming bass in shallows are hard to catch, so sometimes I will alternate a slow soft bait with a fast moving rattle trap. If fish are in a cove and roaming right now, food is not always what is on their mind, sometimes casting over and over in the same spot is necessary cause if you keep moving to chase each one you see, you drive yourself crazy. I really try to stay in one area and just have 2-3 different presentaions ready-Baitfish, Craw, Reaction strike bait maybe loud or big.

 

If its sunny I downsize my line and make sure I stay far back as possible. I find that if I can see them, I rarely catch them, or it takes too much time.