Woke up at 5 this morning to try a newish pond. Hit the water by 5:30 and fished it for about an hour. I planned on spending the whole morning fishing this pond, but we had a good rain last night, and everything was really soaked. So, rather than fill my shoes with water and saturate my jeans, I drove a few minutes away to a pond I'm more familiar with and spent the rest of my time there. 

 

I don't know what it was this morning, but I couldn't get any fish interested. I even saw some lazily chase my bait back to shore, only to turn away in apparent disgust. The local carp kept leaping and splashing, mocking me with their activity. 

 

Some days are just skunk days, but it hits extra hard when all the signs point to it being a good morning, and you walk away empty handed. I got 4.5 hours of sleep last night, and I know I'm gonna feel it in my body this afternoon. 

 

At least it's no longer cold in the mornings. 

 

This year has been really slow fishing for me. Finding time to get out to the water is a big enough challenge, and then when I do, it's even tougher to find a bite. 

Everybody has skunk days. Even the best of 'em. Keep at it.  

Good Fishing

I skunk all the time - fishing has been the toughest this spring of the past 4 years without a doubt.  When it finally got to rolling it was much better but it's still slow.

 

We are way behind where we were the past few years and I can only imagine it's worse up North.

I would put this spring as my toughest I can remember in the last decade. Maybe the fishing gods determined I was getting a big head and need to humble me?
 

Tough springs have never equaled tough whole years for me though, so I know I just gotta keep at it. The fishing will pick up. It will for you too. One day of good fishing or one bite from a PB will make you forget about the bad fishing you’ve had. 

Allow me to quote #the reel ess" on another post thread (here) that I think is relevant to this post.

Quote, "One thing I've come to realize is it's not so much the bait as it is simply locating the big fish and that fish being in a feeding mood."

That is the challenge and I've said this myself. The fish are there I just have to figure what they want. Sometimes the fish don't want to cooperate

Skunk days do come but time on the water is still good.

 

My time on my small inland lake this spring has been a consistent butt kicking compared to what it usually is.  March started out great, but April/May have been grinds.  Conversely, shore fishing lake michigan has never been better for me than this spring.  I don't have answers, but you're not alone.

 

scott

It's called fishing, not catching 😂Keep at it. EVERYONE has days like you had. It's taken me 2 months to find what's working post-spawn and get a groove again. Better luck next time!

2025 has been my first full spring of hard fishing and it definitely was not what I expected. March was terrible, but I fared way better in April and May. My fortune came in waves, One week of trash fishing followed by a week of lights out action. Moon phases didn't really matter for me like I thought it was going to. Last summer and fall the moon phases absolutely factored into my success but the past few months was honestly the opposite. Both the full and new moon were not good fishing but the in between stages were awesome. Gosh there is so much to learn. 😅

35 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

Conversely, shore fishing lake michigan has never been better for me than this spring.

 

It was great for you. I remember scrolling through your THICK smallies.

 

1 hour ago, Angler Andy said:

Skunk days do come but time on the water is still good.

 

So true. If I'm struggling, I turn my attention from fish to other critters...and the sky...and trees.

 

1 hour ago, Jar11591 said:

I would put this spring as my toughest I can remember in the last decade.

 

The weather was rough.

 

1 minute ago, AverageAngler said:

Gosh there is so much to learn. 

 

There is, isn't there? One thing I've learned from @Pat Brown is that the most consistent anglers earn it. Pat goes fishing again and again and AGAIN. Heck, he fished a wedding event. And Pat fishes like a father and husband, that is he fishes with Jake and his wife, so the Venn diagram of his family life and fishing life have major overlap. 

 

1 hour ago, GreenTrout said:

Everybody has skunk days.

 

Yep, I did this year...and I always share when I do because it's part of the angler's journey.

 

2 hours ago, IcatchDinks said:

I don't know what it was this morning, but I couldn't get any fish interested.

 

There are anglers who believe bass are simple creatures and that one can predict where they'll be. Whereas there is some truth to such predictions, bass are more complex than many assume. LMB have been swimming for 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 years. We've been here a mere 300,000 years. Give Mother Nature eight million years and she'll fine tune a creation as well as Enzo Ferrari. So, when I launch, I have Plan A and Plan B and Plan C. If you read "The Right Stuff," I try to fish like the test pilots flew...with backups. Even then, I fail. We all do. I'm just amazed that you're juggling young fatherhood, your work, and fishing. That's like juggling a greased newt, a feather, and a red hot bowling ball.

 

 

Fishing IS hard!  I appreciate that fact.  If it were super easy, not sure I’d do it the same.  The bad days are a necessary thing to make the good days feel awesome.  
 

same goes for hunting.  
 

all this would be different if we had to do it to eat.  

I got skunked earlier this week. Even managed to fall in the water trying to free a lure, from the shore, and cut my leg. Sometimes the fishing gods need a good laugh.

I've done well on the Grand River bayous, but the inland lakes have been pretty tough.  I got a total of 2 this morning on Big Pine Island lake (site of the 1934 state record largemouth) that weren't really worth a picture.

 

Seems like the cool weather and constantly changing wind has maybe moved them offshore and buttoned them up until things stabilize and warm up a bit for more than a day at a time.   

5 hours ago, Rucksack said:

 Even managed to fall in the water trying to free a lure, from the shore, and cut my leg. Sometimes the fishing gods need a good laugh.

 

Same! Except it was my arm that I cut on a tree branch. 

I got skunked a lot more often when I lived on the East coast compared to out here in the PNW.

 

One thing I don't miss about the East coast is how variable the weather is and how much it affects fish behavior. The Columbia river flows and clarity don't vary hugely for a given time of year. That makes fish behavior and fishing a lot more predictable (and easier).

 

I wish you better luck on your next trip!

 

 

I’ve heard it said that a good fisherman never gets skunked. They only run out of time.

 

Fishing can be tough some days, but even the tough days fishing are more fun than work. Take care of your family, yourself (you’re probably tired), and keep casting my friend.

11 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Fishing IS hard!  I appreciate that fact.  If it were super easy, not sure I’d do it the same.  The bad days are a necessary thing to make the good days feel awesome.  
 

same goes for hunting.  
 

all this would be different if we had to do it to eat.  

Your username is amazing 😂😂