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Rank: Commander
Groups: Member
Joined: 4/19/2010
Posts: 316
Location: Enumclaw
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I`m in a huge slump right now and need some help. The bass are down in the thermo right now and real finickey. I can`t seem to catch anything over 2 to 2 1/2 pounds. I`m trying everything and nothing seems to be producing. I don`t have any electronics but that is soon to change. I`ve switched up depth,retreive,color,weight,baits you name it and I`m not catching enough to stablize a pattern. Just wanna know if any of you are having the same trouble and what are you guy`s doing and what seems to be working.
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Rank: Lieutenant
Groups: Member
Joined: 5/26/2007
Posts: 207
Location: Bellingham
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RC, I would like to offer you some advice but I need a little more information. Which lake(s) or type of lake(s) are you fishing? What is the water clarity currently? What is the color of the water? (tannic, green, etc.) What is the primary cover? Is there a lot of boat traffic and/or fishing pressure on this lake? What time of day are you fishing this body of water? What techniques/lures are you trying and under which conditions are you trying each? Please note the size of the lures as well. Without electronics, how do you know the depth of the thermocline and if the better fish are there if you are not catching them? Although, your guess is probably correct at this point in the season. Are you being extremely mindful of boat positioning, trolling motor noise, boat noise, casting accuracy, entry into the water, etc.? If you can answer these questions, I will gladly try to help. The bass in our Western WA lakes can be finicky in the summer, but the quality fish are very catchable.
http://www.wafish.com/photo/album/show?id=2523793%3AAlbum%3A8057
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Rank: Commander
Groups: Member
Joined: 4/19/2010
Posts: 316
Location: Enumclaw
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Water is a more clear green color. Most of the cover is docks with few lay downs and some pad feilds in between docks. Boat traffic isn`t that heavy although in the afternoons when the water sports come out it can be. I fish the morning from dawn till 10 or 11am. It does get pressure fishing pressure but not to bad. Most of the spots I fish I know weed lines and depth due to fishing with guy`s that do have electronics. The places I haven`t seen with electrics your right I`m guessing but I can tell where the weed lines are but don`t know depth. I will start with a crank bait of craw color or close to it jointed with a rattle off points and weed edges and around the few laydowns shallow to medium diving. I thought about the rattle today that maybe it`s to much. I will switch to sencos around docks as well. After that I will back off and fish deeper once the sun comes up with a deep diving crank switching up color from craw to a perch color. I will also use a 1/8 ounce tube weight for senco`s and drag or twitch them back to the boat. Football heads with a hula grub in blue gill or green pumpkin and also work that back to the boat around cover and pads. I`m very careful with the trolling motor and boat positioning. Hope i explained that well enough. Thanks
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 7/18/2010
Posts: 21
Location: Vancouver
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Great post, similar to what I've been facing, looking forward to seeing the replies.
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Rank: Captain
Groups: Member
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Joined: 5/31/2007
Posts: 660
Location: Seattle
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I think you have the case of the Summer Blues. My experience is that the large bass in summer are tough to catch in these blue sky days. In the past I use to fish at night to catch the big ones, or you have to wait for a change in weather, fishing before or right during the rain. Topwaters right at dark can have success. I've also had success using rubber frogs over thick lillypads and scum in the middle of the day. Try using larger plastics, 10 inch worms, large jig n pigs or brush hogs.
Remember the big ones are different than the average size bass, they'll have different behavior and eating times, but they need to eat. Just need to find what/when they're vulnerable.
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Rank: Commodore
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Joined: 7/2/2009
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Location: Maple Valley, Wa.
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PM answered and sent.
Tom.
Occupation: old
Interests: living
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Rank: Lieutenant
Groups: Member
Joined: 5/26/2007
Posts: 207
Location: Bellingham
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Hey RC, Thank you for the info. One more very important question: What is the average maximum visibility depth with polarized sunglasses on a calm sunny day, prior to the watersports madness? Also, are you targeting largemouth, smallmouth or both?
http://www.wafish.com/photo/album/show?id=2523793%3AAlbum%3A8057
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Rank: Lieutenant
Groups: Member
Joined: 5/26/2007
Posts: 207
Location: Bellingham
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I love blue bird sky days in the summer because many of the big fish will be positioned in very predictable locations. You are right, they are not always the easiest to catch, but knowing where they are hanging out is more than half the battle. Periods of stable, hot weather only make the fish more predictable. Without oversimplifying things, big bass seek out four primary things in the summer: FOOD, water with relatively good dissolved oxygen levels, comfortable water temps (cooler) and cover ( which does not always mean tangible cover like we typically think of.) kzoo wrote:I think you have the case of the Summer Blues. My experience is that the large bass in summer are tough to catch in these blue sky days. In the past I use to fish at night to catch the big ones, or you have to wait for a change in weather, fishing before or right during the rain. Topwaters right at dark can have success. I've also had success using rubber frogs over thick lillypads and scum in the middle of the day. Try using larger plastics, 10 inch worms, large jig n pigs or brush hogs.
Remember the big ones are different than the average size bass, they'll have different behavior and eating times, but they need to eat. Just need to find what/when they're vulnerable.
http://www.wafish.com/photo/album/show?id=2523793%3AAlbum%3A8057
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Rank: Commander
Groups: Member
Joined: 4/19/2010
Posts: 316
Location: Enumclaw
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I`m targeting both smallies and largies and the visible depth is right around the 6 to 8ft mark. Some spots off points where the round rock is 10 to 12.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/11/2010
Posts: 99
Location: Seattle
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I had the same problem but I switched up lures.
I started throwing lures im not comfortable with
For me that is spinnerbaits and topwater baits
If your fishing an area and dont catch anything, they are most likely still there.
If I come up to a spot and throw a lure and dont get bit, I dont leave.
I throw another lure until I do, that helps you with patterning them too.
Try all depths speeds and retrieves!
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Rank: Commander
Groups: Member
Joined: 4/19/2010
Posts: 316
Location: Enumclaw
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RL when I pull up to a spot I will pound that spot with everything I have tied on. Work it with different baits lures different depth and retreive. I will also come back to several spots and work it a completly different way. I have a couple spots that usually produce everytime I`m there but right now they seem to be smaller in the 2lbs range and smaller.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/11/2010
Posts: 99
Location: Seattle
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Dang =/
If it is a popular lake, theres always a chance of people keeping the fish
That happened to one of my honeyholes (7 acres)
The lake is dead now...
Little kids keeping them on a stringer then letting it go once they leave after its long dead already
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Rank: Lieutenant
Groups: Member
Joined: 5/26/2007
Posts: 207
Location: Bellingham
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RC, I have to leave in a few minutes to head down to SeaTac to catch a flight. I will try to pop online at some point this weekend and provide a few suggestions to your current dilemma. Real quickly, one thing that will help tremendously is philosophical more than anything, just a different mentality. Especially in the summer, begin thinking of the places you fish in terms of areas rather than spots. Certain days there will definitely be identifiable hot spots on the areas you fish but the key is to think in a more open frame of mind when approaching your home lake. We sometimes think we know more about a body of water we fish frequently than we actually do. We have all been guilty of this and have a tendency to get tunnel vision. You may already think in these terms but it is a mindset that has helped me catch more and bigger fish than I had previously. Will get back at ya soon. Take care and hook 'em hard, Tag
http://www.wafish.com/photo/album/show?id=2523793%3AAlbum%3A8057
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Rank: Commander
Groups: Member
Joined: 4/19/2010
Posts: 316
Location: Enumclaw
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Funny you say that Tag. I was doing very well nothing huge but I was consistently catching numbers. Thought I had stablized a good pattern over the last 4 or 5 times out and it just fell off big time for me.
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Rank: Captain
Groups: Member
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Joined: 5/31/2007
Posts: 660
Location: Seattle
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tagwatson360 wrote:I love blue bird sky days in the summer because many of the big fish will be positioned in very predictable locations. You are right, they are not always the easiest to catch, but knowing where they are hanging out is more than half the battle. Periods of stable, hot weather only make the fish more predictable. Without oversimplifying things, big bass seek out four primary things in the summer: FOOD, water with relatively good dissolved oxygen levels, comfortable water temps (cooler) and cover ( which does not always mean tangible cover like we typically think of.) kzoo wrote:I think you have the case of the Summer Blues. My experience is that the large bass in summer are tough to catch in these blue sky days. In the past I use to fish at night to catch the big ones, or you have to wait for a change in weather, fishing before or right during the rain. Topwaters right at dark can have success. I've also had success using rubber frogs over thick lillypads and scum in the middle of the day. Try using larger plastics, 10 inch worms, large jig n pigs or brush hogs.
Remember the big ones are different than the average size bass, they'll have different behavior and eating times, but they need to eat. Just need to find what/when they're vulnerable. Ahhh! What do you know about bass fishing!  Seriously Tag, it's good to have you on the forum. I know everyone appreciates your feedback, including me.
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Rank: Commander
Groups: Member
Joined: 4/19/2010
Posts: 316
Location: Enumclaw
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I`m looking foward to Tags tips and advice on this topic.
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Rank: Captain
Groups: Member
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Joined: 5/31/2007
Posts: 660
Location: Seattle
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rjn cajun wrote:I`m looking foward to Tags tips and advice on this topic. Having Tag on this site is an incredible resource, we should all be thankful he's willing to share his advice.
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Rank: Lieutenant
Groups: Member
Joined: 5/26/2007
Posts: 207
Location: Bellingham
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Hey Kzoo, Thank you very much for the kind words. With the new job I started in March, I haven't been able to get out on the water this season with the exception of two little afternoon trips this July. I am typing this from a hotel in Salt Lake City where I will be for the next week. Getting on the fishing websites for a few minutes here and there and reading the posts helps me still feel connected to a sport that has brought me a lot of enjoyment over the years. The least I can do is offer some advice that can hopefully help others to be more productive and perhaps enjoy the sport of bass fishing a little bit more. RC, There are many different variables that will affect how I approach a body of water on a given day but here is how I would approach this body of water based on the information you have provided: Part 1First off, invest in electronics for your boat. This will be essential for maximizing your bass fishing success at least 10 months out of the year. Spend a couple days on your home lake and leave your fishing rods at home. This sacrifice will pay for itself many times over with what you learn in just a couple days on the water when you are just exploring and observing. Use your electronics(and eyes) to locate all the major structural features in the lake. In our smaller lakes, 2 days is all you will need. Learn where all the main lake and secondary points are and exactly how they lay out, the major and subtle flats, where they break and at what depth, where the composition changes are on these flats, where the best cover is on the structural features, rock piles, submerged brush, where the weedlines are, but more importantly where the irregularities in these weedlines are, where the humps are, where the concentrations and isolated pieces of submerged wood are, where the deep docks in the lake are, where the shallow docks are, etc. What depth is the thermocline? Are you marking baitfish in particular areas of the lake? You get the picture. Become intimate with the layout of the lake. Mark waypoints and take notes. Next, use your eyes for visual observation, identifying shoreline and submerged cover, emergent and submerged vegetation, lily pads, weed and scum (cheese) mats, water color variations throughout the lake, sunfish and other baitfish activity, moving water such as a creek inlet, docks and other cover with lots of fish holding potential and vis versa, etc. You will be amazed at how much better you know your home lake after this exercise. Literally treat it like a new body of water. Later this week, I will put together a Part 2 which will explain how I would go about trying to pattern the largemouth and smallmouth in this lake, assuming I had the information in Part 1. Take care, Tag
http://www.wafish.com/photo/album/show?id=2523793%3AAlbum%3A8057
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Rank: Commander
Groups: Member
Joined: 4/19/2010
Posts: 316
Location: Enumclaw
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Thanks Tag for the info Tag I`ll be looking foward to part 2. As much as I`ve fished the lake I`d like to think I know where most of the structures,weedlines etc are but without electronics day in and day out your right it`s hard to pin point the other things I can`t see with the eye or have seen the few times with electronics. Electronics are very soon to come.
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