Northwest Fishing Reports

Ok. I've found and located about 10-20 bass that are 4+ lbs. I know they are there and are there every time I fish. I’ve gone through and thrown senkos, rapalas, ribbon worms, ect ect. They won't hit anything. Now I've caught a couple of pretty big bass this year, but have these exact fish scouted out and they are in the same hole each and every time I go fishing. I casted from distances and worked the lure/bait to them but nothing. Nothing hits after several casts. So I think there is nothing there. I move up to check out the hole and sometimes feel like I'm going to have a heart attack by the size of the fish I see just sitting there. The only thing I don't fish with is a jig. I'm wondering if I should go get some and work them.

To make it worse I guarantee I've seen 2 state records this year and thinking I saw a third but didn't get a good enough look to be for sure. I'm serious about guarantee.

What should I do? I'll work my spots again here Tuesday.

Dynamite.

It was a thought:-$ :bom:

drop shot? Dead sticking? Less active retrieves on the baits that you mentioned? The kind of approach depends on the pattern they are on, such as pre and post spawn etc. And how are they relating to the spot? Use techniques that haven't been used before because others have seen these fish and tried to catch them too

The other day I ran into a pair of fish that were exactly that way. Anything that I threw and retrieved would get ignored. I could plainly see the fish resting about six feet off the dock. It was a pair of fish getting ready to spawn.

Eventually I got them both. I did it with a big white fish and fool lure, rigged with a hook slightly off to the side in the front. When it sank right in front of the bass' nose, the way it was rigged made it sink in a circle. It ended up right in front of their nose. Then I simply twitched it ever so slightly. After about five minutes of wiggling it front of it's nose, they started to get irritated by it. The nipped at it. I kept wiggling it. Another minute or so and they'd had enough. They ate the whole thing. The second fish was the same way. It bit my fish n fool off the hook the first time, but the second time I caught it and it spit my lure out for me.

What time of day are you going? Smallies or largies? If the bass are just sitting in a spot in a middle of a sunny day, they won't be too active. Try going super early or very late, or the next overcast day. They're eating, just need to find them in a more active state.

aznfluteboy wrote:drop shot? Dead sticking? Less active retrieves on the baits that you mentioned? The kind of approach depends on the pattern they are on, such as pre and post spawn etc. And how are they relating to the spot? Use techniques that haven't been used before because others have seen these fish and tried to catch them too

AZ is right and kzoo also. Try early and or late. If you`ve seen these fish everyday then I`ll bet someone else has to and thrown the exact same things. Get creative and yes try a jig. If nothing else try and make them mad. I had the same thing happen earlier in the year. Tried everything. They wouldn`t bite in the middle or even late morning so I caught them early. I could see them react to each thing I threw. Caught one on a shakey head with a craw and the other a crankbait. I threw in front and paused right in front of them then ripped it. Three came after it and the big one got it. Not saying this will work but be creative. Good Luck. Post a pic when you catch em.:bounce:

I agree with kzoo and rjn. Big baits is what i would throw. make it worth while for the fish to expend the energy to eat.

Perfect time of the year to go after these fish in the dark, sneak attack. A jig is one of the most popular bass baits around, and has caught tons of huge fish. You need to fish one. Try bigger baits like said previous, try to dead stick, try a fast moving buzzbait. I would try early morning or the last 15 minutes of daylight with a buzzbait if it was me.

Whats your biggest fish so far this year, just curious ? I am fishing the wrong lakes if you are seeing fish that big LOL.

I didn't fish but caught this male bass guarding it's fry on Lake Fenwick today with my camera, hadn't been there for a few years so I thought I'd check it out and take pictures. Now that's catch and release.

ChrisB wrote:Whats your biggest fish so far this year, just curious ? I am fishing the wrong lakes if you are seeing fish that big LOL.

The two biggest smallies of the year were 18" (weighed in at a little over 4 lbs) and a 21" that I didn't have anything to weigh but I think it was between 5 and 6.
I have also caught numberous 2 and 3 lb smallies.

So far this year the biggest largemouth have been 2 in the 5 lb range and about 5-8 in the 4 lb range, and probaly 20 3 lbers, and tons of 1 and 2 lbers.

I've got my eye set on 3 fish though mainly. One of them is on one side of the lake, the other is about the middle of the lake and the other is on the other side of the lake. This lake has had a 12 lber recently found in it but it wasn't caught. And I know these three are going to be pushing the Banks Lake beauty, so I'm stuck dreaming about how to get to em.

I fish some real thick stuff and mainly work the top water with a frog (haven't got anything on one ever but have had some big strikes, I will some day though), and I work the little pockets in the weeds and fallen trees. The lake I fish also has a little "secret" under water island that holds fish on the deep side always and is a huge spawning ground for the bass and bluegill. The bluegill just spawned as well. But back to the gear I use, I fish the pockets with senkos and assortments of rapalas. I also work the weeds with senkos and rapalas. Ive learned to fish rapalas nearly entirely weedless in any cover.

Recently the biggest trouble has been the wind. I fish with with lighter lures because the lake gets fished pretty hard and the slow presentation and less splash going in work best for me. Although it has gone 50/50 with that because 1/2 the time the fish I catch are due to casting exactly on top of a pocket and before the splash makes its way back to the water, the bass in hale it.

went out and caught a 20.5" LMB, it was the fat male, the female still just sat there. 6 other ok sized fish. I'll do a report on it here soon.

12 inch worms early morn,midmorn,afternoon,dusk,night. Toss it out there and let it sit, the fish will do the rest.

Or go with Tom.

You can be like alot of salmon fisherman.
85 lb braid, and a treble hook as big as your hand ! [lol]