I'm puzzled...

[noclothes1]

So I was fishing for bass on Silver Lake (Whatcom) on saturday. It was overcast and I don't know the water temp. I paddled my kayak around the edge looking for fish. I saw 9-7 great sized BASS cruising the shallows, several in pairs. I found 5 BASS holding on some rock/sand bottom next to a branch and stick covered bottom in about 1.5 feet of water. I threw every plastic at these BASS I had. I could not get them to take anything.

The lake was also about 2-3 feet over its usual level do to heavy rain and a beaver dam. I read that ph levels may cause bass to stop eating. What can you all tell me about these BASSh and what stage they are in. I can provide more info if needed. I just want to learn as much as I can from this experience. These fish were right there for the taking, and I couldn't convert. It was fun trying though. Also, I saw tons of dead or molted crawfish and my bro-inlaw said that some insect had just hatched ( I can't remember the name but I can find out if needed)

what do you guys think?

[Drewp]

I don't know Silver lake in Whatcom, but that sounds like typical carp behavior you are describing. I'm not sure if that lake has them though, so I could be wrong.

[SnohoBassGuy]

I would agree. New anglers at Banks Lake usually have the same story. Probably Carp. If you rule out the carp thing, go back and try something different.

[bpm2000]

and if they were bass, dont forget, if you saw them, they probably see you too.

[noclothes1]

and if they were bass, dont forget, if you saw them, they probably see you too.

So that's it then.... I lacked stealth, therefore my technique was full of FAIL. They were very visible, and close. I could have clubbed them over the head. I'll try that next time they won't take my baits

[fishaholictaz]

Now is the time bass are cruising prepairing for a big feed but they are a little lock jawed! Time of day is a big factor and so is stealth. What was the temp.? Did you see any fry? Fish could be prepairing to spawn if the water is still under 65 degrees. I see a lot of bass all the time and it is the ones cruising that are hard to catch#-o

[lemagoat]

I would have to go along with taz that the cruising bass are the hardest to catch, but to see them in pairs of 5 or 6 sounds like carp to me.

[A9]

Another vote for carp, but who knows.

They don't bite all the time. If they did, fishing would be no fun. We come back for more in search of those amazing days and big fish, and those bad days make it well worth it....

[Trent Hale]

He may have seen bass I have seen 5-6 hanging around all bunched up and the crusers will bite so when you see them back off as far as you can,even if you can't see them thats best they will cruse in the same areas that you seen them. Make long casts to the bank and slowly pull your bait in to the water.and then you'll pick some up. I will anker out about 35-40 yds and sling away try green pumpkin worms or jigs. Don't give up it may take a while for them to calm down. If you have some craw fish try them also.

[fishaholictaz]

I see big numbers of bass cruising before they seem to team up on the bedding pumpkin seeds! I was at a pond last weekend and saw a whole bunch of bass sharing a shady area one of the only shady areas on the pond.

[fishnislife]

Carp is my guess.
I have seen bass in groups. We call them "wolf packs" and they will hunt this way. They school bait fish up together and then run them into the shallows and crash the shoreline for them. Smallies do it all the time. Usually the same size and age fish hunt together. I have never seen bass hanging out just chilling together though. Give me a school of bass like that and it is on. Non stop action tell the last one is stuck. But like said previously, if you can see them they have already seen you. Next time throw a fat plastic creature bait or jig with some scent on it and deadstick it tell you get bit.




fishnislife

[noclothes1]

Not carp. They were bass. The water was gin clear and I was able to float the kayak right over the top of them. They were not carp. I may not be the best angler on the block, but I definitely know a bass when I see one. I just don't have a clue as to what the heck they were doing. I'm not asking to help identify the fish. I'm asking to help decipher their behavior. I don't get what they were doing all hanging out in clear shallow water.

Thanks for comments

[T Dot]

i ran into a similar situation recently. they wouldnt take any lure i threw at them, and i would lure them out in hurds. they would get really close and do absolutely nothing.

i tell ya what a tease.

:joker:

i 2nd what bpm said, but will add to that. remember the location, and come back another day. back off another 50 ft and make a long cast.

persistance is key, you just have to come back. do yourself a favor and dont chase the lookers. if they wanted it, you would already have them in the boat - its as simple as that.

[tmusky1]

I'm going to agree with the other poster that said they probably saw you and got a little lock-jawed. I know the lake you're speaking of and no, those weren't carp. It's good to hear the bass are thriving in the lake, hopefully they don't poison it

[Gone Fishin]

I have seen bass do this too. On the Pend Oreille River, back in the sloughs when I am Pike/Bass fishing. The water in some of the sloughs is very clear and I will see several bass congregated in certain areas (weed lines, shady spots, grass etc. even just cruising) Most of the time, by the time I see them, they see me and they get lock jaw. If I just assume that becuase I saw them behaving that way in that spot, they are behaving like that in all similar spots, I can usually catch fish out of those groups. If I found them grouped in a shady patch under a tree, I just find another shady patch under a tree. Now I don't get close enough to see if they are there or not, I just assume that they are based on the last shady spot. See where I am going with this? Find a pattern that the fish are following and test it in other spots. Most of the bass I catch are not ones I can see. Although....

On the PO river I saw about a 2lb bass just hangin out in the shade. So I tossed a plastic about 3 feet in front of him and twitched it. He looked at it but ignored it. I just kept twitching and twitching. Then I saw one of the coolest things I have seen bass fishing. Another bass (3lb ish) appeared out of the edge of a nearby weedline (3ft away). This bass was lazily moving towards my plastic. Then another bass (3lb ish) appeared out of that weedline moving a little faster towards the plastic. When the third bass appeared they all got this competitive thing going and all made a very fast dart at the plastic! 3 bass all hit it at the same time and I hooked one of them, a fiesty 3lb LM. Interesting thing was that the first bass I saw that was very not interested, made a dart for the plastic once the others showed interest.

[delyakguy]

I had same thing happend to me few weeks back. I spotted 4 or 5 areas that held atleast 4 lg mouth per spot. They would not bite when I could see them(In turn they saw me) but when I made long cast into group the largest one took the senko, just over 4lbs. But I was unable to get any of the others to bite. I did not see any fry, they did not appear to be on a bed. They would cruise off but return quickly. I had seen others spawning weeks before. I've never seen this big of lg mouth together and not biting.