Triggering Deep Bass

[RHuff]

Not bass chasing bait balls out deep but deep bass on drops say 25-30ft relating to or directly on the bottom… Today I tried dropshot, ned rig, lipless crank, neko worm, and dragging a jig. They’d come right up to or surround the bait but would not commit to it. This was multiple schools on different parts of the lake, too. How do you guys get fish like this to bite? They are relating to deep grass edges with their bellies on soft bottom. I feel like these are the best quality fish on my home lake right now.. I can see them come up from the bottom and cruise around and disappear back into the abyss on my Livescope, but for the life of me cannot catch these boogers lol

[softwateronly]

I'm blind down there, but the only bellies with mud on them that I catch come from blade baits and jigs in the winter.  In your case I would have liked to have tried a damiki rig hung over their heads, lifted a blade bait, crawled an underspin, hopped/ripped both small and large spoons, and a floating minnow/worm on a free rig that I could float up and pull back down in place.  Sometimes it might be easier on the soul to not have electronics . 

 

scott

[RHuff]

Water temp is 62 still fairly warm i’ll throw the blades and jig/minnows when the water gets a little cooler..

[Team9nine]

I’d be trolling a deep diving crankbait at a decent clip and try for a reaction strike. This is one of the prime seasonal windows for doing so.

[WRB]

I don’t like jigs on flat bottom area, needs a structure break.

Difficult to get deep diving crank baits to stay down 30’.

3” to 5” flutter spoons like  Blade Runner work good by ripping and let fall back,

3/4 oz Scrounger jig with 6” Sluggo in Shad color can cover deep depths very effectively at various speeds.

That would my 1st choices.

Tom

[Catt]

Ran into this a couple times this year. Carolina Rig, 3/4 oz, & a Fluke style lure. Slow drag!

 

We didn't kill em but we went from zero to a couple here & there.

[RHuff]

@WRB what’s your go to drop-shot setup and bait of choice?

[txchaser]

Your list feels like you were expecting them to feed down. They might have been feeding up instead. 

[papajoe222]

When I suspect this is happening to my presentations, I break out my blade baits and tail spins. I present them similar to a jigging spoon with more of a slow, steady raise of the rod tip and then letting it fall on semislack line.  The fast drop after the slower rise, triggers any bass that may have followed it up. Steep drops and bluffs get the same treatment most anytime of year.

[WRB]

1 hour ago, RHuff said:

@WRB what’s your go to drop-shot setup and bait of choice?

Currently using St Criox Spinning Victory 7’3” MFX rod with Shimano Vanford 2500 reel.

Drop shot Sunline Sniper 7# FC.

Nose hook or wacky Owner Mosquito  size 1, weedless rigged Owner 5133 size 2/0.

Soft plastics

Roboworm 4” Sculpin, 6” straight tail.

Custom hand pour 5” straight tail.

US Bait 3 1/2” Reaper.

Wacky rigged Jackall 4.8 Flick Shake

Weight Owner drop shot 1/8, 3/16 & 1/4 oz.

Tom

 

[Koz]

If you can see they are interested but not biting, you need to change up your retrieve.

[Alex from GA]

Jigging spoon or doodle and keep on doodling.  If they're not bass the spoon will catch them.

[Choporoz]

16 hours ago, txchaser said:

Your list feels like you were expecting them to feed down. They might have been feeding up instead. 

I suspect this is an underrated comment.   I don't think this gets talked about enough.   When I am seen catching, I am always asked "what are you using".... once in a blue moon, whether they are hitting moving baits.  I am more likely to want to know whether they are feeding up or feeding down

[scaleface]

Heres a different technique  that has worked for me in the past  . I take swimbait on a jighead,   cast out , let it settle   then lift it several feet.  Instead of letting it drop back down, I keep the rod high on a tight line and allow the bait to pendulum back . 

[F14A-B]

On 10/21/2024 at 7:52 PM, Team9nine said:

I’d be trolling a deep diving crankbait at a decent clip and try for a reaction strike. This is one of the prime seasonal windows for doing so.

I was going to say a deep diver being cranked very fast to elicit a reaction strike. It works on Kentucky lake post spawn..  of course be prepared to get worn out doing it 😂

[Spankey]

On 10/23/2024 at 3:05 PM, Choporoz said:

I suspect this is an underrated comment.   I don't think this gets talked about enough.   When I am seen catching, I am always asked "what are you using".... once in a blue moon, whether they are hitting moving baits.  I am more likely to want to know whether they are feeding up or feeding down

Been following this post, it’s a great post. I’ve been fishing in these conditions for the last several weeks where the bass have been in 18-25 feet of water and suspect larger bass are deeper than that. Bluegill and crappie are at those depths also. I’m not finding bass or baitfish to be moving in shallow. At least not in my time slot fishing. 
This response by Chop is making sense to me and falls in line with some of the bass I’ve been catching. Admittedly fishing deeper water is not easy for me. I feel I lack that skill and maybe my electronics/tools are subpar. But I’m trying to fish where I believe they are. Been drop shot, split shot and T-rigging at these depths. I’m not really set up to crank that deep. 
Anyway, at these depths I can differentiate the hits between the bass and bluegill. On a handful of occasions over the last few weeks, I’m getting hits by these bluegill and with a quick rise of my soft plastics, pulling up 3 or 4 feet sharply, I’m getting my bass bites. The bite has been in the upward movement and when the bait was at a dead stop. 
I’m no expert, I just never give up or just try like heck to make something happen. But your comment on whether the bass are feeding up or feeding down has caught my attention. 

[RHuff]

I still don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. Was out again and saw several different schools along the bottom still in that same 20-25ft depth range. It was cloudy conditions, wind current, a few bait balls along the bottom and some in the 10-12ft range. I could see fish cruising the bottom back and forth and could see them come up off the bottom to feed then drop back down again. I threw dropshot, ned rig, jig, blade baits, crankbaits, deep jerkbaits. and lipless crankbaits…  some fish would follow or circle around my bait but nothing would commit to it…  it’s not like it’s massive schools of bait where there is too much bait. The conditions are there and everything set up right except the bass won’t cooperate… I just don’t understand what I’m missing to trigger these fish..

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, RHuff said:

I still don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. Was out again and saw several different schools along the bottom still in that same 20-25ft depth range. It was cloudy conditions, wind current, a few bait balls along the bottom and some in the 10-12ft range. I could see fish cruising the bottom back and forth and could see them come up off the bottom to feed then drop back down again. I threw dropshot, ned rig, jig, blade baits, crankbaits, deep jerkbaits. and lipless crankbaits…  some fish would follow or circle around my bait but nothing would commit to it…  it’s not like it’s massive schools of bait where there is too much bait. The conditions are there and everything set up right except the bass won’t cooperate… I just don’t understand what I’m missing to trigger these fish..

You haven't mentioned anything about 'timing'.  These bass might not be ready to feed when you're ready to fish.

Perhaps consider changing that.  Putting your property presented baits down there at a time when they are feeding, might get you a few.

Also, maybe don't sit right on top on them.

20 ft deep might sound like a good distance but in most situations it's barely the length of your rig. #tooclose.

Good Luck

A-Jay

[Team9nine]

I have to ask - based on what you’ve posted, if you haven’t caught, or even hooked, one of these fish yet, how do you know these are bass? Honestly, they sound a lot like the roaming white perch groups I see on my local reservoir (also soft bottomed).

[F14A-B]

I’m assuming smallmouth. I’m not real good with this fish because we just don’t have many around me. I can say it’s very difficult to convince a bass to eat an artificial bait over live bait as you’ve explained.. Just taking a stab at this but I’d probably jig a gay blade type of bait right in or slightly below the live bait. I’d defer to A-Jay as he’s never seen a LMB but rather Smallies 🤣 ok that’s a joke but I’d bet money on advice from him on all things Smallmouth. I can catch smallmouth when they bed, but who can’t lol. They are just so aggressive at that time of the year. Another thing we use to always say is “match the hatch” Sounds like you’re using ffs? Perhaps a minnow w ball head jig. Finally, don’t get to awfully discouraged .. 

[RHuff]

On 10/25/2024 at 3:28 PM, Spankey said:

Been following this post, it’s a great post. I’ve been fishing in these conditions for the last several weeks where the bass have been in 18-25 feet of water and suspect larger bass are deeper than that. Bluegill and crappie are at those depths also. I’m not finding bass or baitfish to be moving in shallow. At least not in my time slot fishing. 
This response by Chop is making sense to me and falls in line with some of the bass I’ve been catching. Admittedly fishing deeper water is not easy for me. I feel I lack that skill and maybe my electronics/tools are subpar. But I’m trying to fish where I believe they are. Been drop shot, split shot and T-rigging at these depths. I’m not really set up to crank that deep. 
Anyway, at these depths I can differentiate the hits between the bass and bluegill. On a handful of occasions over the last few weeks, I’m getting hits by these bluegill and with a quick rise of my soft plastics, pulling up 3 or 4 feet sharply, I’m getting my bass bites. The bite has been in the upward movement and when the bait was at a dead stop. 
I’m no expert, I just never give up or just try like heck to make something happen. But your comment on whether the bass are feeding up or feeding down has caught my attention. 

 

Care to share what type of jighead, minnow, color etc is working??

[softwateronly]

@RHuff I recently had three mornings of catching on every other cast, roughly 90-100 bass in 9-10 hrs.  But I also put in another 9-10 hrs in the afternoon and only boated 6 or 7 over 2 of the days.  Like @A-Jaysaid timing can be everything for me this time of year.  I also needed to change tactics between mornings 2 and 3.  Moved from slow rolling 6-8 feet above their heads w/ an underspin to reel ripping a scrounger and spoon from the bottom w/ speed and pace mixed in with pauses.  I know this isn't directly helpful, but hopefully you can keep at it till you discover when and what they want.

 

scott

[K1500]

Park on top of them and vertical jig with a jigging spoon. A very underrated technique. 

[Spankey]

On 10/27/2024 at 2:08 PM, RHuff said:

 

Care to share what type of jighead, minnow, color etc is working??

Black and green pumpkin are an overall favorite but I’m throwing smelt, brown back and sexy shad alot right now. Just trying to throw what I have that is shiner like. Can only stick with what I’m getting the most hits and bites on. I’m throwing a few variations of worms. Drop shot, split shot, T-rig and on a jig head. 
My season is winding down here in the north. There are other approaches I like to play with. Approaches I’d much rather fish but I feel I’m doing the right thing to pull off bites.