Catching Bass In A Rough Environment

[ROBZILLA]

Catching Bass In A Rough Environment.
Ever been to a lake where the water is to clear?
A new lake you never fished before?
No cover that you can see?
The water is to high?
To muddy?
The water is too low or lowering?
The wind is blowing to hard?
Yes, I think we all have at some time or another.
One thing is for sure when these conditions apply to the lake
you’re fishing it’s tough to catch bass. So, let’s minimize the
effects these conditions have on your next fishing trip.
The water is to clear.
I’m talking about where you can see your lure even at 4-6 foot deep
or more. The good news is the bass can see your lure and will
chase it more often than in murky water. The bad news is they can
see you too.
There are things that you can do to help the cause. One is wear
white, blue or grey this will help you blend in with the sky. Try
smaller lures with a fast retrieve. Fish on cloudy days and low
light periods. Try night fishing. Make longer casts and use lower
pound line where the diameter isn’t as visible.
A new lake you never fished before.
Here’s a word you should remember, ready…………ask?
Ask the local tackle shop, lake marinas, ask any fishermen you see,
ask the game warden or ranger. What do you ask them?
Best areas to fish?
Do they catch many bass this time of year?
The depth they’re catching bass?
Get a map of the lake and mark the spots that should hold fish.
Look for any cover than you can see like points, drop offs, trees,
stumps, grass or any type of cover that is visible. Try trolling
to cover areas faster.
No cover that you can see.Ever been to a lake that looks more like a desert than a lake. I
mean there aren’t any visible cover anywhere. No trees, no stumps,
no docks, no grass, no lily pads…….so what do you do?
Well, my first thing I do is turn on my fish finder and look for
underwater structure like flats, drop-offs, points, timber, steep
banks, and stumps. See if you can see any points above the water
too. Many times what you see above the water is also below the
water to some degree. Look for sandy shores and hard bottoms.
The water is to high.This condition usually occurs in the spring here in Ohio, but of
course, it can occur any time there is heavy rain and some lake
flooding. First thing to realize is the bass are going to be
suspended. They have a lot more room to roam and a lot more new
structure to hide around. They won’t be concentrated in one place
but scattered doing an exploration of the new territory they have
found.
Here is what you want to do is this condition. Cover lots of
water. Try fishing jigs, worms and deep diving crankbaits. Use big
blades on a spinnerbait and use your fish finder and make a note at
what depth the bass are located.
The water is too muddy.
My favorite lake gets muddy quite easily and fishing gets tough
during this time. Let me give you one thing not to do, don’t use
the new Vanish fishing line in muddy water, it matches the water
and you can’t see the line at all. Ok, now for what you should
do….use lures that rattle and vibrate. Fish a slow retrieve. Try
using scent. Fish ledges, stumps, trees and flip or jig. Fish
sunny times of the day. I like to fish from noon to 3 pm in muddy
water when the sun is high. Try and find a place where the water
is a little clearer than the rest.
The water is to low.Ever been to a lake that has dropped several feet? I went to lake
Berryessa in California and the lake had dropped more than I ever
seen it and the fishing was awful.
I had to find out where the bass were located if I was going to catch
anything that day. One thing I knew for sure it is highly unlikely
that the bass would be in shallow water. So, I looked for deeper
water where there might be timber, deep points and channels. I
also knew the bass would probably be suspended hugging the cover.
My next step was to downsize and to fish slowly. That seemed to
work best.

[ROBZILLA]

The wind is blowing to hard.

This is fun fishing, you cast your lure and the boat is past you
before you take any line up on the reel. What a pain!
Look for coves and any place there is less wind, that is just
normal. I fish against the wind and let my trolling motor do some
work. Most that I see fish with the wind and let the wind blow
them and their boat a 100 mile per hour down the lake. I like to
fish spinnerbaits when the wind is blowing hard, for one thing it
is easier to detect a strike. I fish it more like a worm though
then the usual method of a spinnerbait. I let it drop and use the
tip of my rod to move it then let it fall again. I work it just
fast enough to keep it from dragging the bottom. I also use this
method during a cold front. I like to fish jigs and tubes at this
time too.

Try these methods and tips in rough conditions and I think you’ll
find they work.

[zooker]

water is to muddy..

i would like to note that at times the surface of the water may look like mudd fence but the clear water may be advailable underneth it..

zooker

[bassnman30]

Zook,
Your right about that. At Highrock, the water appears to be clear but if you look back behind you, a mud trail will follow.
Granted, thats only at certain times of the year.

[flbassman]

Wind is blowin too hard- Do what zilla said, and if that isn't catching, pull into coves and fish ambush points with rat-l-traps.