FS Digest

Just started fishing again after a 12 year hiatus ( not counting a few charter trips a year for fluke). I am in North Jersey and have had zero luck finding bass. Have tried countless ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. Tried all different hours to see if any difference and still failed.

Using a bait caster and have rotated multiple lures with no luck. Rotating between a Texas rigged Senko, Jigs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and tried a top water frog once. I’m trying hard to convince myself that’s just the nature of the beast and summer is just awful for fishing but it’s hard to believe it.

I only really fish from shore but rented a kayak a few weeks ago for 4 hours and still had no fish. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated because I don’t know what to do next.

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by pmac5220

FS Digest

Wall of text incoming

What times are you fishing? Early morning and just before sunset are prime bass feeding times as it's cooler and bass move shallow to feed on smaller fish.

Where are you targeting bass? Look for structure such as downed trees or branches, docks, walls, and weeds in the water. Bass like to hide in order to ambush their prey while avoiding predators. These also provide shade from the hot summer sun so fishing your lures just outside of those structures will produce.

Stay away from where bass are with the kayak so you don't spook them. Look for blowups. If you see one, cast directly to where the blowup was. This will often result in a strike as the bass will be waiting on prey to fall. If not, cast beyond the bass and bring the bait to their faces.

Use a carolina rig with a keitech swing impact 3" to find the bass. Crank slowly until u get bites. When you find where the fish are, switch up the lures. Try a wacky rigged finesse worm (zoom trick worm or yum finesse worm) or a ned rig (Zman shroomz jig head with a finesse TRD worm). These r best fished slow (twitch your rod tip a couple times, let it sit for 10-20 seconds, repeat). These presentations have produced for me even when a T-rig won't get bit. The reasoning is that your subtle presentation looks like an easy meal to a bass, and they go for it. Make it look like it's dying or easy to get to and you'll find them.

As for your crankbaits, try to entice a reaction strike. This means making the bass hit out of pure instinct. Jerk your bait hard, then let it drop. If you hit the bottom or a structure with the crank, stop reeling and let the crankbait sit there. Bass think that this is an evasive maneuver from a baitfish and they strike at it. Speed is key here so the intervals of cranking fast or jerking the bait followed by a pause will result in bass biting.

One thing I learned is to try and cast a lure to the same particular spot 5 times before trying a different area. Think of it this way: if I flick your ear once or twice, you'll let it go. 3-4 times you'll be irritated. Any more and I'll take a good beating. Bass are the same. Piss them off enough and they'll strike at it out of anger. Using this tip with the above techniques should buy you bites.

Good luck and tight lines!

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by SamuraiPineapple

FS Digest

Not much else to say, you try these things and if you don't get bites I'd give up 🤣

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by jasper181

FS Digest

Fishing either early morning or late afternoon.. haven’t tried nighttime fishing much at all.

I try to fish structure as often as it’s accessible but I seem to snag a lot of grass whenever not using a Texas rig. Will continue to target those areas.

I’m going to try all of your advice and I really appreciate you taking your time to type that all out. Tight Lines!

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by pmac5220

FS Digest

Of course, thanks and you too!

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by SamuraiPineapple

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Don't give up. Consider a guide service and learn from that experience.

plumbob

Big A Loc: Mesa, Arizona

If you're having some difficulty catching fish with lures and/or rubber baits, try going back to basics ! Although I have caught my share of bass with crankbaits, rubber worms, grubs, crawdads, frogs, etc., live bait is still my go-to bait when the bite is off ! I've caught more and bigger fish over the past several decades with night-crawlers, shiners, small (live) frogs and crawdads than I ever did with any artificials ! 'Crawlers will catch most anything that swims, frogs are great for bass, and crawdads are not only good for bass, but bigger 'bows and browns like them too ! The live action and scent are why natural baits generally work better/more consistently than any lure ! A good many of my bigger catches have been on either the 'crawlers or frogs with just a #6 'baitkeeper' hook and a split shot or two ! Also, if you run out of bait in late summer, I've often gone to any nearby grassy field and caught a half-dozen or so grasshoppers or crickets, which are also a good all-around choice, especially late summer/early fall !

Blackjack4295

The Worm weedless lure. natural or grape color. fish it slow with a split shot a couple feet up. I get mine from custom jigs and spins. Don't get the junior size because it doesn't have a hook in the rear and it misses too many fish. buy half a dozen or more because the bass tear hell out of them.
Use unscented soaps, make sure you don't have gas or anything on your hands. I started only using unscented and not filling up before fishing. no colognes and unscented bug sprays if absolutely needed. I bet you catch something the first time out within an hour. just cast out the worm (I use a swivel leader because the line will twist up if you don't.) once cast let it sink all the way. watch your line a lot of fish grab it on decent. once its down slowly bring your roc up 3 or four feet and stop for 10 seconds reel up slack and pull it back again. keep repeating until you see your line running and set the hook. Keeping your rod tip up and use your drag.

Judge32 Loc: Vidalia, Ga. 30474

Try Golf!!

Hollywood Loc: Ohio

All these fisherman have given you sound advice, all their ideas may work at any given time. However, there is an aspect of the fishing conditions which may affect your ability to catch bass and most other predatorial fish.
Colder water has the capacity to hold more oxygen than warm water. The month of August can be a very difficult time to fish, especially for bass. Due to decreased oxygen levels many types of fish will not be consistently active. Their feeding activity can be sparse and very limited in duration. When the water temps are high fish deeper. The mid and lower end of the water column produces cooler temps. Use baits like curly tail grubs and swim baits. Work them slow and cover your target area thoroughly.... warm water temps with slower retrieval
Speeds will often produce more strikes...good luck!

Hollywood Loc: Ohio

A last note...During the heat of the day I take my boat to areas of lakes that have deep rock facings with larger rock at the base in 12 - 17’ of water. Using an 1/8 ounce jighead with a 3-4” grub, brown with black fleck... I slowly bounce the jig off the rocks with a slow retrieve always keeping slack out of my line. I have caught many 2-4 pounders and an occasional 5. Catching these bass in that water depth is challenging and very exciting! Great play!

Joey L

I live and fish NJ. It is different then anywhere else. The fish are small you have to throw smaller stuff. The Curly tail grubs some of these guys have told you to use are right on. Just go small jig head 1/16 or 1/8 oz or go marabu or buck tail if you can find some.

spoonplugger Loc: goldsboro,nc

trees, rocks, docks, laydowns, grass, these things are not structure! only a type of cover. Structure is the bottom of the lake that is different from the surrounding area. Points, humps, under water roadbeds,these things are structure . there is about 17 different types of structure.

TheKoz Loc: North Jersey

Your first mistake was moving to NJ. Our fish are very lure shy and hard to entice. If you want to catch them, wait till Spring when they spawn.

Big A Loc: Mesa, Arizona

Query; does anyone ever really catch anything with
lures such as Super Dupers, Z-Rays, Little Cleos, Al's Goldfish, etc. ? Just wondering if they're worth the expense !