Decided to go fishing on the river (Susquehanna) today. From everything I have read and heard, it should have been a great day. We have had 3 days straight of a stable high pressure system, with temperatures in the high 60s to mid 70s during the day, and 48-55 at night. Today had the leading edge of a cold front moving in with barometric pressure starting to drop. Air temp started at 48 in the morning and climbed up to 58 at noon, and then gradually started cooling off until it hit 51 at 5:30pm. Skys were mostly cloudy with a few very light scattered showers, and wind pretty steady at 8-10 mph, with a few gusts to 15mph. Water temp was 58 degrees. All of that said to me that fishing should have been great. Well, fishing WAS great, but catching was non-existent. I could not throw any topwater other than frogs and unweighted flukes, as there was a massive amount of leaves floating around, Neither of those baits got any attention. I tried just about everything else in my tackle box (spinnerbaits, crankbaits of all types, jigs, several different jerkbaits of different sizes and depths, swimbaits, weighted fluke baits, carolina and texas rigs with different plastics.).You name it, I tossed it. I tried fishing wood, weeds (though they were dying off...some still green but most not), rocks, shallow, deep, mid depth, slow fast....well you get the idea. All I managed in 4 1/2 hours was one small Walleye on a jerkbait. I have no idea why I could not get any other fish. I am open to suggestions or thoughts from anyone as to what I could or should have done differently. Oh....I forgot to say that I was bank fishing. Anyway, what do you all think?

I think this time of year the weather and moon phases have more to do with it. The fish know winter is on its way

If I were bank fishing, I would leave that area after a couple hours of no bites and drive a few miles to a different section of the river

You’re right, looking at it on paper it was an ideal day. I’m sorry to say, this time of year, I think the problem is you are bank fishing. Fall, IMHO, is the time of year that you find the perfect spot with no fish, then the perfect spot with no fish, then the perfect spot with a bunch of fish. That’s extra-tough when you don’t have a boat. When the water is colder and the baitfish have moved to the backs of the coves I think you’ll be able to get in them better and more predictably from the bank. Good luck!  This is my favorite time of year. 

I agree that bank fishing was why you didn't catch fish. There simply weren't fish where you were fishing. If you'd had a boat, you'd had been able to keep moving until you found them. 

 

I've watched YouTubers in boats fish the Susky and they frequently fish two or three spots before they find them. 

In some of my reading in past B.A.S.S. magazines there were Professionals who fished all day in the tournaments and did not even get a strike.  

15 hours ago, The one that got away said:

If I were bank fishing, I would leave that area after a couple hours of no bites and drive a few miles to a different section of the river

Tried 3 different locations. No luck at any of them.

It's a rough time of year to be on the bank, bass are lazer focused on following their food and their food moves quickly. I had a great hot streak this week in like 1 acre of water, but the weather changed (high of 45 today!), lake came up a foot, and now that spot is a ghost town. Can't buy a swipe. I am back on the hunt for a bite, but what a week. It's not you

Move around or just find another place with another bank. Fish don't stick around to any particular spot unless for good reason. The spot that you were fishing was obviously fishless. Things are always changing. Best advice that I can give you is to change just like the fish, or at least be willing to change. Moving around and hunting them down, ironically, I find the hunt just as exciting as catching the catch! 

Had a screwy day here yesterday as well - went through about half a tank of gas before putting the first fish in the boat. 
 

This is the time of year to chase them down, and be willing to move constantly. 

It is very hard to catch fish during this in between stage of the fall but it is also a great time for a big one.  I'd try some weightless plastics on lighter line if you really really think there's a fish or two around the areas you have access.  Another really big deal is timing.  I find that the late afternoon is when the lions share of fish seem to go nuts and it's usually the sunny bank not the shady bank this time of year.  If you don't see big schools of small stuff and medium sized stuff darting around in an area, I'd keep moving.