Could use a bit of advice with bass, in particular bait. Usual go-to's havent worked.

bored2deth · Jun 9, 2015

So, I could use some advice with baiting bass. Typically I manage to get strikes and bites, but lately those boogers wont touch ANYTHING. Ive tried just about everything. Caught a nice one on crawlers, as well as a few smaller..but after those..not a bite. Caught quite a few trout, dozens of sunfish, some cats..but the bass are playing hard to get. Usual methods arent panning out as well as they did. Tried crawdad, minnow lures, plasti worms..fresh slimey crawlers. Thanks in advance!

Ulf Krogstad · Jun 9, 2015

Where and how are you fishing them? Boat/land , north/south? What size lake or river? Lots of the time if you aint getting them ,they aint there.

druid189 · Jun 9, 2015

You almost need to focus on what's their most common food source. I have always had great luck using leeches as natural bait and a small Rebel as the artificial...

http://www.rebellures.com/rebel-tracdown-minnow-td49

bored2deth · Jun 10, 2015

Ulf Krogstad said:
Where and how are you fishing them? Boat/land , north/south? What size lake or river? Lots of the time if you aint getting them ,they aint there.

Large lakes, from banks and pier. I try to target areas with plant growth, logs, etc.

bored2deth · Jun 10, 2015

druid189 said:
You almost need to focus on what's their most common food source. I have always had great luck using leeches as natural bait and a small Rebel as the artificial...

http://www.rebellures.com/rebel-tracdown-minnow-td49

Ill try those lures when i get a chance. Leeches? Hmm..where would I find those. Leeches could be interesting..

PatrickKnight · Jun 10, 2015

Keitech Swing Impact Fat that matches the size of the baitfish in the lake fished on a weighted swim bait hook also if you have a good amount of crawfish in the lake try green pumpkin or watermelon tubes, grubs, and Senkos. Throw the grubs and tubes on jigheads (tubes put the jigs inside the bait) and the Senkos either weightless Texas rigged or wacky style.

Odds are if you cant catch fish on these baits there are no fish where you are fishing.

druid189 · Jun 11, 2015

bored2deth said:
Ill try those lures when i get a chance. Leeches? Hmm..where would I find those. Leeches could be interesting..

Leeches are best when bought at the bait shop. Hook them in the lips or they will explode in your fingertips. trust me....it will look like a bloody boogerclot if you don't

Ulf Krogstad · Jun 11, 2015

bored2deth said:
Large lakes, from banks and pier. I try to target areas with plant growth, logs, etc.

Id target rock piles during the summer. Logs are great too though. You can catch some huge ones off shore.. Caught some big ones last week using jigs fishing for crappies. When im actually fishing for them use crawfish/leech shaped lures in orange or purple. But theyll bite on anything just have to find them. Good luck.

AndreLinoge · Jun 11, 2015

Walnut hulls and a net...?

aarongb · Jun 11, 2015

I've been fishing for crappies using jig heads, with and w/o spinner blades, with light colored soft plastic grubs, 2" minnow and 2" tubes. Can't catch a single crappie, but the smallmouth love those combinations this year for some reason.

bored2deth · Jun 11, 2015

Black walnuts or English? Black walnut juice removes oxygen from water, so I could see what black walnut hulls would do lol.

druid189 · Jun 12, 2015

bored2deth said:
Black walnuts or English? Black walnut juice removes oxygen from water, so I could see what black walnut hulls would do lol.

yep...black walnut. Remove the husks and using Everclear, make a nice tincture. Other than shocking fish, it is a digestive tract pesticide, a wood and leather stain [as well as your hands

] and is a topical antiseptic.

bored2deth · Jun 12, 2015

Thought about drinking some hull juice after eating raw fish once...didnt poop worms, so I guess it wasnt needed. That stuff does stain...used to hull them bare handed for an old farmer, cracking the things open was even worse.

22-rimfire · Jun 16, 2015

The bass may have moved out away from the shore since spanning season is past (or at least it is in my area). You may have some trouble reaching the fish from the shore unless you are fishing for crappie or something similar. Could be the weather too? Could be water temp? There are lots of variables.

bored2deth · Jun 17, 2015

22-rimfire said:
The bass may have moved out away from the shore since spanning season is past (or at least it is in my area). You may have some trouble reaching the fish from the shore unless you are fishing for crappie or something similar. Could be the weather too? Could be water temp? There are lots of variables.

Ive tried it right in the middle of the lake too. Not one bass. Ugh..starting to hate crappies.

lazy otter · Jun 18, 2015

I fish ultra light gear and can usually get a bite on any day just may need to change the color of my lure but that's about it.

B34NS · Jun 23, 2015

Curious if anyone has had good luck with panther spinners out west for bass?

I've been catching them since I could walk on nightcrawlers and minnows, kinda looking to freshen up my game too!

druid189 · Jun 23, 2015

I've actually never caught Bass on any kind of spinner....Trout, Pike and Pickerel yeah, but not Bass.

bored2deth · Jun 23, 2015

Well...was trying to catch a big catfish...thought I had one. -_- it was a very confused bass, and a large one. It nearly took my pole while my back was turned, and finally took my line as a souvenir. My LAST piece catfish bait..and he stole it....lol.

Bon appetite, mr.bass.

B34NS · Jun 24, 2015

druid189 said:
I've actually never caught Bass on any kind of spinner....Trout, Pike and Pickerel yeah, but not Bass.

Yea, same luck here with trout, crappie, salmon. Just been eyeing them for a more lightweight "non-smelly" tackle for backcountry rivers, streams, and lake fishing. Noticed they have a trout and bass spinner kit now too.