Hey all, 

 

  Got into bass fishing a few months back, and am seriously considering giving it up. I fish local lakes in the Elgin area of Illinois. I've been waking up early and getting to the lakes as soon as the park opens, fishing for 6+ hours at a go. I move around the lake, change lures, and get skunked.

 

Since I started, I've caught a total of 4 bass. I spend about 10 hours a week fishing at a minimum. It's not that I'm failing to hook or land, I literally get no bites. 

 

A non exhaustive list of baits/lures I've tried: bladed jig, buzzbait, whopper plopper, frog, spinnerbait, in line spinner, all sorts of jigs, Texas rigged worms/creatures/etc, wacky rig, ned rig, jerkbaits, swimbaits, and more. The vast majority of my time is spent walking and casting. I don't get bites, and get even less fish.

 

Any advice would be wonderful.

Hello and welcome to Bass Resource ~

The great thing about bass fishing is there really are no 'tips.'

But there are plenty of opportunities to read and learn about bass's life cycle, bass seasonal movements, bass feeding behavior, and quite a bit more.

Here is some information to get you started on the right path.

https://www.bassresource.com/how-to-fish

BTW, IME bass really don't care how long we fish for them or how many casts we make.

It never seems to affect whether or not they bite.

Good luck & have fun.

A-Jay 

Night is your friend during summer doldrums or dog days. This is so common that anglers have experienced your situation over the decades we have names for it. You not alone!

Summer period is banquet time for bass so many prey choices they become difficult to catch using lures. You can use live Canadian large night crawlers fly line (no weight) tail hooked using a drop shot size 1 hook. The issue with live night crawler is everything eats them and requires spinning tackle with 6 lb mono to cast. Another option is 5” wacky rigged weightless Senko in lieu of live night crawlers.

Night you can go with Texas rigged 7” to “ inch Power worms with 3/16 bullet weight, one lure all night and fan cast the area.

Suggest starting a dusk and fishing about 4 hours.

Tom

 

 

Is there a lot of pressure? If fishing from the shore, make sure to fan cast and, if possible, fish some type of cover or structure (docks, wood, grass mats, drop-offs etc.). If you have smaller, less-frequented ponds around you, I would probably start there so you can build some confidence. Also, fishing can get a little tough this time of year.

 

Tight lines...

Don’t get discouraged, it’s all part of the learning curve. 
 

I am betting that your park lakes get really pressured, so you should be thinking subtle/natural movements and slow it way down. 

 

50 minutes ago, DontFeedJay said:

I don't get bites, and get even less fish.

 

Any advice would be wonderful.

Describe the lake where you primarily fish. Depth range from the bank. Bottom composition? Weeds? Topped out or subsurface? Lily pads? Laydowns? Deep water dropoffs? Rip-rap? Reeds?

Agreed with 4n2t0. Pressure from other anglers can REALLY kill the bite. Urban ponds can be deceptively tough for that reason. That, and some bodies of water just don't have good bass fishing - from my understanding, due to lack of features like aquatic vegetation/structure/forage/etc. If you can find water a bit removed from the suburbs where you think people don't frequent it as much you may have an easier time getting bit. 

 

The only time I've had GOOD success on an pond in the city was at a public park that only opened the pond to fishing maybe 5-6 days out of the year. Since it was practically untouched 99% of the time, when you were finally able to fish it you could catch a bass on nearly every cast. 

 

When I started out bass fishing I would get discouraged by trying every lure under the sun without really understanding what time/conditions were best for each technique. Over time I learned what lures are my "anywhere anytime" lures and I always pack those for fishing a new body of water to find fish. If I don't get bit on those then I move on. 

 

 

There's a member of the Bass Resource community called @Pat Brown. He also fishes urban ponds and lands BIG bass. He'll probably advise you shortly. Listen to him.

I looked at Elgin on Google Earth.  Leave the pressured ponds.  Fish the Fox River for smallmouth.

Something else to consider is put your bait caster aside and pick up a spinning setup using 6 pound test casting 1/16oz. Beetle Spins and other like lures such as Rebel Critter baits. Think small. Catch a bass. Might work.

Good Fishing 

Seek out some less pressured waters. They're out there even if you have to walk a creek. If you see a place that looks bassy and it's not posted, fish it. Keep looking. Get out of town, look around and ask permission to fish ponds. Unless you look like Charles Manson, some people will probably say "yes". In fact, some people want someone to fish their ponds. Most ponds are overpopulated and thus, great places to practice new techniques.

Ask the other fishermen there if they are catching some.  Fishing success is relative to the quantity of fish in a pond.

4 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Describe the lake where you primarily fish

Are they made made? Do they have inlet and a overflow?

3 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Seek out some less pressured waters.

Hunt around see want else is out there.

Don’t give up….  
What is you approximate location and what are the temp.
 

Have you fished for other species of fish?  If you  haven't maybe you should start off fishing for something in your area that is more willing to bite.  Stocked trout, or panfish will hit a worm under a bobber almost any time.  They can be fun, easy to catch and taste great.  Once you get hooked on fishing then spend some time chasing bass.  If there are bass in your area they will hit the worm under a bobber along with other species.  Fishing is supposed to be fun, but can frustrating at times.  If it gets to be more frustrating than fun, change it up until it is fun again.

 

If you are already an experienced anger who now wants to specialize in bass fishing, than just keep fishing.  Your day will come.

I have been fishing 50 years and fish from the boat on weekends and from the bank 4 days a week.  When things get really tough especially in the hot summer days I slow down.  Long pauses, with slow pulls and settle jerks and then long pause again.  From Maine to Florida a weightless Senko either 4 or 6 inches is a great bait for reluctant bass.  My personal favorite is watermelon red, with a thin wire EWG hook.  Throw it out to some structure or lay downs, weed edges, or ledge drop offs and let it sit on the bottom before moving it.  Then slight movement and another long pause.  Be a line watcher, and that line will move before you feel it.

 

Good luck and don’t give up.  We all go through slow times before they deside to play.  My personal best came at noon on a bright sunny day with no bites for 5 hours straight.  You just never know when that monster will bite.

If by cursed you mean you're being impacted by something out of your control than you are absolutely cursed. You've been fishing the hottest and most crowded parts of the year from shore. The bass have probably moved off the bank to deeper water to escape the heat and fishing pressure. 

 

I'm going to guess you had some good luck earlier on. That's probably because nature hadn't really cranked the temperature up. The bass will return to shore as the temperatures ease and other folks let up the pressure as the summer winds down. 

 

In the meantime seek deeper parts of the lake, heavy shade, or just other water. Also slooooooow is your friend in conditions you're experiencing. Soak a plastic worm for a while. But if you still can't get them to bite, just enjoy casting practice and being outside until fall hits!

Late summer lake fishing can be rough, especially from shore, and especially pressured water in a population center. But things should start getting better in a few weeks. 

Part of me truly wants to say "hang in there" and "it'll get better for you if you keep after it" (though I believe that to be true), but honestly, if you're ready to give up after a few months of trying it out, bass fishing might not be for you. Even the best anglers on the planet have dry spells.

 

There's no 'EZ Button' you can purchase at the tackle emporium. You can learn all the latest techniques and have the ginchiest gear and the latest, greatest baits in town, and you may not get so much as a nibble. This isn't like playing cornhole where you can just get really skilled and you're good to go. The bass themselves are an 'x' factor that can and will humble you on a regular basis . . . for many years, and will still humble you for as long as you pursue them, albeit less often. There are other variables you can't control like the weather, the water levels, or an algae bloom.

 

But:

• If you have that thing in your soul that keeps you intrigued, keeps you hungry to go out and keep after it, even when it seems like there might not be any fish in there?
• If you can fish all day and not have time to take a bite out of a sandwich or even take a sip of water, and you're still trying to figure out how you can continue the chase the very next day?
• If you can imagine that a five pounder is lurking in every nook and cranny, at the foot of every rock and stump, or tracking your bait through open water all the way to the shoreline?
• If you enjoy:
  • being observant when out in 'nature'
  • solving a new puzzle each new day
  • the 'tug' enough to let it carry you through the slumps until you get another one

Pull up a chair, you're among friends.

After reading all the great comments about the only thing I can add is that fishing is not and should not be all about the catching.

 

Its called fishing for a reason.

 

I just enjoy the act of doing the fishing. If the fish cooperate and I catch some then fine. But if I don't catch any I still got to go fishing. And the old saying is a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.

 

I love to put the boat in the water. Fire up the motor and find a nice place. Start up the trolling motor and just enjoy the environment around me as I pass through. The nature of it all.

 

So I would say don't worry about if the fish don't agree in that particular body of water. There are others where catching might be better, but I'd say don't make fishing all about catching.

 

Look at it like a relaxing challenge of you going out and doing something enjoyable while at same time trying to trick fish into biting like it was a virtual reality video game to play. I don't think its about winning. Its about how we play the game.

 

Now tournament fishermen are all about the catching and winning and have to have the biggest fish, but that is turning fishing into something else- competition for profit. That kind of ruins it to some degree and makes fishing more like work for a payday.

 

I think it is all a matter of perspective. Keep it simple. Keep it about the act of fishing. The catching will come. Just don't make that the ONLY reason you do it. Fishing is a passion! Catching is just a nice reward when it comes.

 

I struggle late July till the end of September. It’s a very hard time of year for me. The only time harder is the dead of winter. I have been fishing for most of my life and still haven’t figured it out. 
 

as others have said try to find some less pressured areas. You won’t believe the difference that makes. 

17 hours ago, DontFeedJay said:

Hey all, 

 

  Got into bass fishing a few months back, and am seriously considering giving it up. I fish local lakes in the Elgin area of Illinois. I've been waking up early and getting to the lakes as soon as the park opens, fishing for 6+ hours at a go. I move around the lake, change lures, and get skunked.

 

Since I started, I've caught a total of 4 bass. I spend about 10 hours a week fishing at a minimum. It's not that I'm failing to hook or land, I literally get no bites. 

 

A non exhaustive list of baits/lures I've tried: bladed jig, buzzbait, whopper plopper, frog, spinnerbait, in line spinner, all sorts of jigs, Texas rigged worms/creatures/etc, wacky rig, ned rig, jerkbaits, swimbaits, and more. The vast majority of my time is spent walking and casting. I don't get bites, and get even less fish.

 

Any advice would be wonderful.

 

I think think it sounds like you’re probably walking and casting a bit too much and fishing your baits a little bit too mechanically and expecting the bait to do the work - this is easy to do when we are learning because every tactical bassing video makes it sound like you just throw x during some particular season and you will catch fish - basically in 2025 - it’s way way more complicated.

 

I would actually pick one bait that you’re extremely confident will catch you bass and then fish only that technique every time you go and try fishing it slowly try fishing it very, very, very slow slowly. Try only fishing it in areas you’re extremely confident should hold fish.  Don’t just walk and cast.  It’s so easy to forget to be intentional when we become mechanical.

 

Timing is a big factor in fishing and you can’t just show up to any old body of water any old time and expect to catch fish anymore.  Fish are highly educated and highly pressured and the majority of the time a very nuanced presentation is required to register as potentially something to bite vs definitely not something to bite - fish become conditioned very quickly to things landing clumsily on the surface and feet plodding the banks and tall dark shapes moving towards them in the distance along the water edge and then additionally annoying chatter bait knocking sounds and other mechanical and predictable lure categories get learned fast.

 

I suggest the humble trick worm.

 

It works 365 days a year and there’s 366 ways to rig it that all catch bass from 4” - 24” and beyond.

 

It works in all conditions if you understand the ways you can present it to fish in when water clarity or wind or cover or forage preferences shift around seasonally - because you will absolutely have to understand to have success with just ONE bait category consistently let alone the whole tackle box.

 

My experience is not that fish are biting X or Y.

 

One person will absolutely wreck them on a chatter bait and then somebody else will catch a limit and big ones on a frog while another person does really well fishing a shaky head on ledges and what it really boils down to is your skill set the fish will bite just about anything if you’re good fishing baits around fish.

 

imagine every time you picked up your smart phone, it was a different make and model with a different user interface.  You’d probably go insane pretty quickly and want to throw your phone out the window because you would never remember or know where anything is - the user interface icon’s and branding and the way to access different functions would change every time you picked up your phone. This is what it’s like with lure categories AND bodies of water!!!
 

Start with one bait AND one body of water you’re confident in and you will learn the fish you can catch is my suggestion. And think about high percentage times to fish and locations and structure and cover and don’t just show up expecting to catch fish any old time any old place walking and casting with any old bait because  that doesn’t work for anybody!

Be super stealthy and learn how to cast quietly - it’s worth its weight in gold and it’s more important than any tackle you can buy 😉😉😉

18 hours ago, DontFeedJay said:

Since I started, I've caught a total of 4 bass. I spend about 10 hours a week fishing at a minimum. It's not that I'm failing to hook or land, I literally get no bites. 

I'll advise you to follow up with my first reply to you and describe where you fish as best as you can. Your state DEC might even have contour maps available if you check.

 

Bass fishing is simple. It's boils down to two things. Locating fish and bait presentation at that moment. Get both of these wrong and you'll struggle. Unless you've been fishing truly dead water, it's highly likely that you've missed fish that were right under your nose. This is easy to do, even after you've cracked the code of a given body of water. If you haven't cracked the code, then it's guaranteed.

 

Most cold-water public northern lakes have low population densities per acre. First, it's the nature of the beast, but then throw in over harvesting and poaching pressure. These two factors combined mean you will need to be precise about where and when you choose to fish plus baits and presentation.

 

Tell the group as much as you can about the places you fish and you might get some useful information that could change your fortune.

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

Start with one bait AND one body of water you’re confident in and you will learn the fish you can catch is my suggestion.

X2!

I’m very local to your area.

 

#1 - Fish less pressured waters.

#2 - If bank bound, cast parallel.

#3 - Find spots where you can access drop-offs from the bank.

#4 - Get your lure to spots others can’t.

#5 - Avoid the county preserves like the plague. You will only be left annoyed and questioning society as a whole.

The fishing around the NW suburbs is over-ridden with the casual, weekend anglers (I call them Bobbers). Now that “summer” is over around here, pressure will fall off. Between now and end of October is traditionally some of the best fishing of the year. Good luck.

Forgot one thing…

 

Do your research on bodies of water wherever you can. Pick water that has lots of breem and Largies are at the top of the food chain with no LM predators where possible.