I'm looking for a few tips or new tactics. I fish a lake that is just not producing very well this year. In the past I've had no problems, but this year everyone I talk to is having problems catching good fish. Good, meaning 15inches or bigger. There is some grass and docks and laydowns and lillypads(not actually up yet) and some riprap. Pretty shallow lake, deepest maybe 20ft. I've been throwing traps and crankbaits and catching some but not many over 15in. I've tried fishing the flats, ripping it out of grass, burning it. Some guys have been throwing chatterbaits, and jigs around docks. Oh and it's still prespawn, so I would think they would be feeding heavily to fatten up for the spawn. I haven't seen any cruisers yet. What should I try? Thanks for any and ALL opinions.

try slowing down

Sounds like you need to maybe do like Chris said and slow down. Try a hard jerkbait with long pauses. If that doesn't work slow down even more. Try a texas rigged soft plastic, shakeyhead, or a wacky worm.

I'll try slowing down. A couple guys suggested a jig. One guy said swim/bounce it just ticking the grass. I assume I'm still looking for reaction bites, since it's prespawn. I would also think they should be feeding heavily to fatten up for spawn.

definately try the jerkbaits with long pauses. and i would also try some shallow diving cranks like a manns 1-minus

1. Wacky Senkos

2. Drop Shot

3. Neko Rig

4. Baby Brush Hog

5. Trick Worm

Go with plastics to see if that is what they are going to hit.

Just some suggestions to have different presentations.

6. Carolina Rig

Sorry, I forgot to add a Carolina Rig.

I fish that same exact lake! I have been fishing it for years and always see these HUGE bass busting the surface but when I go over they are gone. So I thought about it like you and literaly disected this lake. I got a boat and raked the entire thing with a norman DD22 and I found a cinder block on the bottom next to a small creek channel, all by itself.

The block is in 15 foot of water next to this creek channel that leads down from the transition between the riprap and a weedy, shallow flat. This is where all the monster bass play hide and seek all day. The block runs north south parrellel so if you find it, dont tell anyone!