Frustrated with big bass just following

[fishnislife]

Tag,
no doubt. I agree with what your saying and will say. I know deep to shallow is the "ideal" way bass can trap their prey. I'm just saying in this case either they could have a channel they ambush from or a piece of structure a little deeper out to consider. Or this is the living room and their just chilling/cruising after they've feasted . The kitchen is near by and Eoso just needs to find it. I can't tell you how many times I've fished an area doing exactly what I thought was right and knew big fish were around but couldn't get any activity until I switched up my angle on the spot or considered fishing a different weather condition. Just saying. That was my short and skinny reply to it all. Only other bad suggestion that I could offer would be fish the spot at night if you can. Other than that.....I'll leave this one alone.





fishnislife

[tagwatson360]

Fishnislife,

I didn't say you were wrong or that your suggestion was "bad". And I agree with your further explanation including the living room/kitchen analogy. You are a very good, smart angler and certainly know your stuff. I know people will not agree with all my suggestions and advice, and nor should they. There are no absolutes in bass fishing and these discussions are just that: discussions. And the suggestion to fish at night couldn't be more spot on.

I could have chosen my words much more carefully on Friday night and I apologize if I came off too argumentative or "know it all". Please forgive me if I did. I have fished less than most people on this site the past three years (especially this year), so take my advice with a grain of salt. When I have a decent amount of personal experience with a technique or approach, I will offer an opposing opinion if I am not in agreement with a previous post. This is solely for the benefit of the angler asking the question and those reading, not because I thrive on confrontation. The reason I jumped in was because your reply had started with "wrong angle." I thought it was often times the "right angle", so I chimed in.

I was pressed for time and fired this post off pretty quickly. I personally enjoy reading your tips and posts, especially when you give Dez a hard time. Please keep posting on this thread and others. If we all did the same thing and approached the fish the same way, this sport would not be as dynamic and exciting.

Hook 'em hard,

Tag

[Anonymous]

ohh you know me well enough Tag. I don't get butt hurt. Expecially over your advice. We are all still novices. And the day we think we know it all (like Dez) is the day we should hang up the pole. I like being told to shut the f....... well at least told that something else may be better or at least considered. Reminds me I don't know much and can never know enough.
You don't have to apologize for nothing bro. If anything I was trying to razz you with that last comment. Get your goat ya know. I stop and listen when you post or talk about fishing because I know you've been there and done that. And have the pigs to prove it. Time on the water is all I can say. Expecially for Eoso sake.
I am by know means saying "do this" and it will work. I am just offering some suggestions to try and consider something different. You know, the "If I was in this situation this is what I would try" statement.
Let me lay this out. I have a similiar situation at a lake North of Seattle. Many shorebound trout anglers have had a pack of 6-8lb. bass swiping trout off their line as they fight their fish. This has taken place for years and the bass keep getting bigger. So what do I do? I get out there and check out the situation. I put myself where these trout anglers are seeing these bass and toss a swimbait out and reel in at different angles, depths and speeds. I found one spot and angle where I could get the pack to come out from the depths and follow the bait back to me. Beautiful looking pigs. After many casts and getting frustrated I came to the conclusion that it is not my bait or angle. It could be that my bait is not exactly what they are looking for. Or use to. When they hunt in this spot think about how that trout is acting when it is on the line right before they go after it. It is fighting, dipping and diving. It's like they know that trout is in a struggle and take advantage of it. I can't do this with my swimbait. *side note - i have also witnessed on a couple of occasions where the stocking truck backs up to a lake and bass line up as that "beep, beep, beep" goes off. then when that truck starts dumping trout in, the bass just pluck them off while there dazed and confused.*
In the case of this lake north of Seattle that I have fished many times, I have finally found the spot that they are coming from when these anglers see this pack coming after their trout. But I had to be on the water and out away from the initial spot to see it. Sometimes you just have to go through the motions to find it. Or get lucky and stumble upon it. Needless to say there is an old river channel running perpendicular to the trout anglers fishing spot with a huge stump sitting in between the two. Perfect. More in depth for this situation......is the trout struggling on that anglers line the "natural way" these bass feed? No. But it is a situation they have obviously taken advantage of. Now you have to analyze the natural spot and figure out a whole different set of circumstances. Or a guy could just plunk some powerbait, wait to hook into a trout, hope that this pack is around to see it and is interested, then play the trout until one of those beasts inhales the trout. Ya, exactly, I'd rather try to figure out their ambush/feeding spot and hookem legit. Last time I was out at this lake I had a 6lber come after a Hudd and swipe at it. But no stick. Hung a 4lber and couldn't get the big ones to come out. Wrong time, conditions or angle? That's what plays over in my mind until the next time I can get out to fish this spot.
That's another thing all together that I will mention to anglers on this forum. Besides time on the water, another thing that seperates good and great bass fishermen is the amount of off the water "mind fishing" that they do. I have fished more in my mind then I have fished on the water. Analyzing and criticizing. Thinking of new things to do or try. Fishing a spot in my mind over and over. Thinking about all possible situations and what to do at different times of the day and in different weather conditions. Seeing the lake from the bottom up and not just from the surface. It's a whole different world when you view a lake inside out from under the water and not just from on top of it.

Anyways, we won't even discuss my time on the water this year. I could cry just thinking about it. I have almost forgot what a bass smells like.
Ok now I will leave this one along. Tag and I are done making rough forum love.:safe:





fishnislife

[tnj8222]

Lake boron is like that. Bass eat trout and perch off fisherman's lines a lot. I use big rip baits in that situation. Sometimes it works wonders with multiple fish sometimes just follows. My bro got his biggest bass perch fishing there. Bass got the perch and hook.

[ChrisB]

Heck of a post J. You really figured out that lake, and it must be a blast every time you go to it. Just to know that if conditions are right, its going to be an amazing day. Just reading your post when you said I couldn't get my bait to act all spastic, I was thinking Hudd Hudd Hudd all along.

TNJ, I remember you telling me about your experience with that. I haven't made it to that lake yet, but hope to. Any chance you are going this week, hit me up with a text.

[Bigbass Dez]

ohh you know me well enough Tag. I don't get butt hurt. Expecially over your advice. We are all still novices. And the day we think we know it all (like Dez) is the day we should hang up the pole. I like being told to shut the f....... well at least told that something else may be better or at least considered. Reminds me I don't know much and can never know enough.
You don't have to apologize for nothing bro. If anything I was trying to razz you with that last comment. Get your goat ya know. I stop and listen when you post or talk about fishing because I know you've been there and done that. And have the pigs to prove it. Time on the water is all I can say. Expecially for Eoso sake.
I am by know means saying "do this" and it will work. I am just offering some suggestions to try and consider something different. You know, the "If I was in this situation this is what I would try" statement.
Let me lay this out. I have a similiar situation at a lake North of Seattle. Many shorebound trout anglers have had a pack of 6-8lb. bass swiping trout off their line as they fight their fish. This has taken place for years and the bass keep getting bigger. So what do I do? I get out there and check out the situation. I put myself where these trout anglers are seeing these bass and toss a swimbait out and reel in at different angles, depths and speeds. I found one spot and angle where I could get the pack to come out from the depths and follow the bait back to me. Beautiful looking pigs. After many casts and getting frustrated I came to the conclusion that it is not my bait or angle. It could be that my bait is not exactly what they are looking for. Or use to. When they hunt in this spot think about how that trout is acting when it is on the line right before they go after it. It is fighting, dipping and diving. It's like they know that trout is in a struggle and take advantage of it. I can't do this with my swimbait. *side note - i have also witnessed on a couple of occasions where the stocking truck backs up to a lake and bass line up as that "beep, beep, beep" goes off. then when that truck starts dumping trout in, the bass just pluck them off while there dazed and confused.*
In the case of this lake north of Seattle that I have fished many times, I have finally found the spot that they are coming from when these anglers see this pack coming after their trout. But I had to be on the water and out away from the initial spot to see it. Sometimes you just have to go through the motions to find it. Or get lucky and stumble upon it. Needless to say there is an old river channel running perpendicular to the trout anglers fishing spot with a huge stump sitting in between the two. Perfect. More in depth for this situation......is the trout struggling on that anglers line the "natural way" these bass feed? No. But it is a situation they have obviously taken advantage of. Now you have to analyze the natural spot and figure out a whole different set of circumstances. Or a guy could just plunk some powerbait, wait to hook into a trout, hope that this pack is around to see it and is interested, then play the trout until one of those beasts inhales the trout. Ya, exactly, I'd rather try to figure out their ambush/feeding spot and hookem legit. Last time I was out at this lake I had a 6lber come after a Hudd and swipe at it. But no stick. Hung a 4lber and couldn't get the big ones to come out. Wrong time, conditions or angle? That's what plays over in my mind until the next time I can get out to fish this spot.
That's another thing all together that I will mention to anglers on this forum. Besides time on the water, another thing that seperates good and great bass fishermen is the amount of off the water "mind fishing" that they do. I have fished more in my mind then I have fished on the water. Analyzing and criticizing. Thinking of new things to do or try. Fishing a spot in my mind over and over. Thinking about all possible situations and what to do at different times of the day and in different weather conditions. Seeing the lake from the bottom up and not just from the surface. It's a whole different world when you view a lake inside out from under the water and not just from on top of it.

Anyways, we won't even discuss my time on the water this year. I could cry just thinking about it. I have almost forgot what a bass smells like.
Ok now I will leave this one along. Tag and I are done making rough forum love.:safe:





fishnislife

SHOW ME YOUR FISH PERCH BOY !! THE MICKLESON WOULD BE A EXCELLENT VENUE FOR YOU TO SHOW US YOUR SWIMBAIT SKILLS

[Amx]

What's he gonna do, put on swim fins and 'go for it'?

[bassmasterderek]

Eoso,
A year ago I was in your same position. I got so many follows. This year i have dedicated my time to learning more about my swimbaits.

First listen to tag and jeremiah's advise. They are spot on. Most of the time it is not a follow up bait that will do the trick. If they follow they are interested but not committed. Trust me if they were committed they would have bit before you saw them follow. But since you saw them follow they are wanting that thing but a little differently.

Here is what I have learned this year:
I have had fish follow a SB to the boat every cast from different angles. They know i was there but I kept changing the angle and eventually get them to bite. Now if you think you have the angle right and they still wont bite then they are looking for some type of action that triggers a reaction. I have used a floater and just stopped it. I watched a pig sit there for two minutes eyeballin that SB and suddenly swim under it and suck it in barely causing a ripple in the water, and I didn't even move the swimbait. Another thing to try is a quick jerk that spins your SB around starin down the bass. But the must productive has been when I have a follow on a fast sink SB I give it a quick and tiny jerk and let it fall into the depths. I have my most confidence in a fast sink because of this. And don't be afraid to use a fast sink in a shallow lake just keep your rod tip up in the shallow areas.

Now I know there are some people that would disagree with this. But, if I know I am on a good lake for SB's and should be getting follows or hookups and I am not. I put my SB up. I believe those times are times where there is something going on under the surface that turns off the SB bite. They are either not very active or some crawfish feeding is going on else where.

I know it is frustrating to be shorebound but I hope you start hooking up more pigs. I had absolutely no confidence in swimbaits last year and that is the biggest difference right there. Throw that SB and know that you are gonna get hooked up on your next cast.

Now the last thing I need to learn is how to get tag in my boat to show me all his tricks!!!!

BMD

[Eoso]

Thanks to you and everyone else for taking the time to reply. I am going to hit the different angles very soon on my pontoon and hope for that hook up. Just waiting on a fish finder to arrive so I can make the most of my next outing. I'm not shaving until I've succeeded.