Hey ya’ll,

 

Just curious what you guys do when a technique you’re using is not working. I’m not looking for the answer “change places/change depth/keep moving.” If you know that whatever lure you are throwing is not getting bites period, what do you change? Do you switch lure type entirely (e.g jig to crankbait)? Do you switch colors? Do you switch the action on whatever you are throwing (ribbontail worm to straight tailed worm)? Do you change weight? What goes through your mind? 

All of the above.

Yes to everything you listed . If I think there are bass there and not getting anything at all I'm apt to make bigger changes like switching lures , going with less action , fish tighter to cover , slow down , speed up . If fish are flashing at it then I might do something minor like changing color or size .

When nothing is working I break out the bait of last resort.....NED?

I just don't fish spinnerbaits anymore if that's what you're asking.

   If you're throwing above the bottom, no matter which lure you're using, and you're not getting fish, then go ahead and change to what you're NOT doing; go to the bottom.    jj

25 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

   If you're throwing above the bottom, no matter which lure you're using, and you're not getting fish, then go ahead and change to what you're NOT doing; go to the bottom.    jj

What He Said!

 

Karl

42 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

   If you're throwing above the bottom, no matter which lure you're using, and you're not getting fish, then go ahead and change to what you're NOT doing; go to the bottom.    jj

Love this answer. Except I’m almost always throwing something with bottom contact ??. I’m even reluctant to throw a topwater in low light situations right now unless I really really think they will hit it based on what I see happening on the surface. 

I just throw a weightless senko on if nothing else seems to work. 

3 hours ago, scaleface said:

Yes to everything you listed . If I think there are bass there and not getting anything at all I'm apt to make bigger changes like switching lures , going with less action , fish tighter to cover , slow down , speed up . If fish are flashing at it then I might do something minor like changing color or size .

Ditto

 

 

 

 

Mike

Depth, speed, vibration, sound are all variables that you can use to change it up. 

 

Vibration and sound I usually base on water clarity. 

Depth and speed of the presentation are based on the fish that day. 

I found color, within reason, rarely makes a difference on quicker moving baits, more on slow presentations. 

 

 

3 hours ago, Glaucus said:

I just don't fish spinnerbaits anymore if that's what you're asking.

The bane of my existence. Unless it's a beetle spin, I'm hardly catching fish on it.

Rage then throw everything in the trunk and go home

4 hours ago, NHBull said:

When nothing is working I break out the bait of last resort.....NED?

Live free or Ned.

 

If the lake allows (not all grass) I will also throw a squarebill or wart and just try to let the fish tell me what they want. 

Today I was out at a local pond for 5 hours. Threw a weightless senko, texas rigged baby brush hog, spinnerbait, Ned rig, and a weightless trick worm. Nothing, not even a nibble. It happens sometimes. Focused on high percentage areas such as under overhanging trees, lay downs, deep pockets, etc. I guess they didn't want to play today. 

I'm kinda in the senko as a last resort for bass guy. If that doesn't work I'll sometimes try a small grub for anything that bites. And if that doesn't work I'll pick up a 6pk go home...drink...and feel sorry for myself.

I go looking for active bass to catch.

Tom

I'll have somewhere between 2 - 18 rods rigged up on any given trip. I'll throw them a variety of different speeds and depths. If I receive no love I go find hungry fish. If I'm throwing BIG swimbaits I make 3 cast , change angles and make 2 or 3 and move on.

Try your best to land some fish . A good bass angler knows that there are feeding times , and there are factors that also diminish bite opportunity. Know when to walk away .

Sometimes the bite is on, sometimes it is not.  One case in point...I've fished the same lake three weekends in a row...

 

First weekend (Saturday): Caught two small bass, worked hard to catch em. Both on a t-rig worm. Hot humid, bright sun. 

Second weekend (Saturday and Sunday): caught one bass on a spinner bait. Hot, humid, bright sun. 

Third weekend (this Saturday): logged 63 bass, two crappie and one bluegill. The bite was ON! They were small, just 9-12" bass with one 14" that was little over a pound. Most caught on a swimming jig, white power grub. Temps were lower and had some cloud cover. 

 

Since the bass were biting, I tied one some lures that I had little confidence in...and caught fish.

I'm not a consistent bass fisherman by any stretch of the imagination... When i'm seeing fish and not getting anything to hit I will switch from hard to soft or vice versus.  Before I do that I try and vary depth and speed.  But lately it's been very slow going.  My excuse is that I am fishing in high pressure lakes and reserviors, so I go home and clean the kayaks and take a nap!

First of all you must have confidence in what your throwing and how your doing it.  After 50 years fishing I have learned some Do's, and Don'ts.  Especially this time of year, with high water levels, high water temps close to 90*, and heat index in the 105* range, I will fish early or late in the day.  When the sun gets high the bite stops especially when there is no cloud cover.  After a early morning topwater bite, usually a HB frog back in the thick stuff, I will go to a down sized plastic, usually a senko, and fish very slow.  I usually target a drop-off close to thick cover.  Bass will move up and down the drop off seaking either thick shade, or cooler water at the base of the drop-off.  Many a slow outing has been saved by downsizing and crawling baits very slow.  It can be boring, but effective when nothing else works!  I have caught many 8 pounders on a 4" W/M red senko, just crawling parallel along the base of a drop off.

I downsize with the same type of bait. Plastic worm to smaller plastic worm.  3/8 jig to 1/8 jig.

Basically, I don't worry about the lure.  I worry about the environment.  And when I switch locations, I usually have to switch lures to match the new depth and cover type.  If you're stuck in one place and can't really move, then I'd at least choose new lures to fish different depths or new lures that allow you to cast in different areas from your location.  But I wouldn't waste too much time fishing the same place over and over with every piece of tackle you own.  Fish aren't that picky when it comes to the lure.  So you don't need to go through every iteration of a jig to know that they're ignoring jigs right now.  Plus, you'll wear the spot out if you throw 100 different lures in there.  

You could just go home and try again another day?  Sometimes the conditions simply warrant that fishing is likely to be poor on any given outing and returning when conditions seem better may prove to be the key to success.