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Old 09-05-11, 03:48 PM   #1
toppwatr
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Question Whats wrong with me?

There is a lake if fish at, a nice sized 1500 acre lake full of 3 plus pound bass and many many larger ones. I know theyre in there because i see people catch them and i have caught and seen a few. But i can never seem to consistently catch 3 plus pound bass out of this lake, where for other guys a couple 3s is a bad day. For instance i was there yesterday fishing a frog in the pads and something kills it and typically i rip the bait free from the fish too soon and it pops up to the surface. A guy goes past me in his boat. He's tossing a fluke. I hear, "Oh its a big one!", as he yells to the guy with him to get the net. He pulls a four right from where i missed the fish. Typical, and yes i know i should have thrown something else in there after it missed the frog, but the hookset left me with a backlash that took 5 min to undo and i figured it was gone by then. Any way, my biggest bass this year there is ab out 4.5, which isnt really that big at all considering what is in there...(8.5 is the biggest ihave seen there). But my question is, why cant i seem to break the 2.5 pound mark. All summer the biggest i got out of this "Great" lake was a 2 pound 12 ounc fish. I went out nice and early this morning. A guy passes me telling me he just landed a 5.5 pounder, which i did see him land from a distance. A fluke was what he was throwing, of which i had none in the boat, typical. Left em at home. Anyway i ended up with 6 bass biggest around 1.5 maybe. I am fishing weeds, inside, outside, in, and deep weededges, although probably wrong with the deep ones. Anyway i tossed a 5 inch senko all day, a 3.5 inch hollow belly, a spinnerbait for a while, a jig for a few casts and a couple with the frog. Am i using the wrong baits? am i fishing the wrong kind of stuff? I honestly dont understand why people can yank fish out of a spot i just thoroughly worked over a few minutes ago. I mean is a white fluke really that different from a watermelon pearl senko? Any advice? Oh and by the way, i know there are fish in the spots i am in, that is where i know and see people get fish out of so its not like i am fishing totally wrong spots. I hope....

thanks and sorry about the long description.
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Old 09-05-11, 04:59 PM   #2
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Wellll, ok. First question. You mentioned you got a back lash on the hookset fishing the frog. You should never get a back lash from setting the hook unless your drag is dialed wayyyy back. So I would suggest tightening your drag up, especially if your fishing a frog in cover. Now you also mention you were using a 5" Senko while the guy who caught a 5.5 # bass was using a fluke. There is your first clue. The two lures are typically fished very differently. While a Senko is usually fished very slowly, a fluke has a much more agressive presentation. The bass are probably chasing the small baitsize fish that are very plentiful this time of year. Therefore they want a presentation that is baitfish like in presentation. Something a Senko does not offer unless you fish it faster like a fluke. The key to success in any type of fishing is paying attention to all the clues you can see, and understanding the biology of the water your fishing for the time of year it is. The other lures you mentioned could very well be good choices provided they are fished in the proper areas and at the proper speed. Try both speeding up and slowing down untill you find a presentation that starts to click. If your fishing the same areas others are having success in and yet your not, watch to see what they are doing that your not. I'm guessing retrieve speed may have a lot to do with it. I don't know how you fish a spinnerbait, but try speeding it up and bouncing it off cover like pads, logs, rocks, whatever. If that does not work, try fishing it slow. In mid to late summer a smaller spinnerbait often out produces a larger version because the baitfish are smaller. By mid to late fall, upsize your spinnerbaits. How were you fishing the jig? If the bass are chasing baitfish, a normal jig presentation is not the best option. Try swimming your jig with a swimming type trailer. Work it fast and irratically to imitate a fleeing baitfish. There are many other variables that could come into play, but I suggest varying your presentation, paying close attention to what the other guys are doing that your not.
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Old 09-05-11, 06:41 PM   #3
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Son Ain't nothing wrong with you...just keep at it, and I would have to agree with everything Keith just said. But while I've got my fingers on the keys I think one of the first things I would have to know (assuming your mechanics are ok) is what is the primary food those fish are eating? You don't say where in the country you are but its almost a given Blugill meat is whats making those fish fat. Even if this lake is loaded with shad and crayfish, you should never overlook the "brim factor". A 5.5 lb LMB is about 23 inches long.......she will prefer to eat a fish that is 1/3 of her length...thats something over 7 inches! Yes-yes I know...I've caught big bass on tiny crappie jigs and I've caught 10 inch dinks that managed to get their lips around a 10 inch Culprip.....BUT your post would indicate you are looking to catch bigger fish, so maybe bump up your size just a little. Good Luck................Ken
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Old 09-05-11, 07:24 PM   #4
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One sure way to catch nothen is on the couch at home
As long as your on the water
you got a shot a Boss Hogg
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Old 09-05-11, 07:27 PM   #5
toppwatr
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Main forage is alewives in the lake, although in the pads maybe gills. The reason I got the backlash I forgot to mention was because I was trying to fix something on the reel and I had loosened the drag a bunch and forgot to retighten it. I flipped a half ounce jig into a tree embedded into the pads and got no bites. At least that's what I think I need a better rod which I'm getting this winter. Yeah I was fishing the senko dead slow just cast out weightless sinking waiting and reeling in. Although I was buzzing the swimbait on the surface. I know this sounds dumb but I hesitate to throw a spinnerbait most of the time because I feel like they see a million every day, that's why I would rather use a swimbait. I guess I have to get over that though.
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Old 09-06-11, 08:36 AM   #6
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I hate to say it, but it's called fishing, not catching. Some guys catch big fish and some guys catch small fish (see Bama...). Just keep working at it and it will happen. Change lures, color and size and just keep at it.

Just wondering, but are you fishing from shore or a boat?
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Old 09-06-11, 01:03 PM   #7
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I feel much the same way on my local lake, (and alewives are a main forage for our fish too.). Quick tip I learned from another site on fishing top-water frogs, bend the hooks out a little bit, and trim the skirts a tad, you'll end up getting better hook up ratio. Two, don't want to fish spinner's (I'm the same way for the same reason), switch to a swim jig, slightly different lure, and for the most part, fish really haven't seen it as often as a spinner. Third, I learned a lot from getting into the back of boat with one of the locals that I knew was successful on the lake.
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Old 09-06-11, 02:56 PM   #8
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I am fishing from a boat so its not like i am casting off a fishing dock. And i think i will have to try a swimjig, i like chatter baits too, i bet they havent seen as many of them.
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Old 09-06-11, 02:57 PM   #9
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Hey dog matic- What lake are you fishing? Whats the name of it?
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Old 09-06-11, 03:49 PM   #10
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Lake Nockamixon, in eastern PA. Familar with it?(You need to fill out your profile info so we know where you're from.). It's a good fishery, with healthy LM, SM, Walleye, Striper, and Tiger Musky populations, but it's a tough place to fish, and this is the first year I'm really starting to figure it out(mainly because I have a boat now)...+1 on the chatterbait too.
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Old 09-06-11, 03:54 PM   #11
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No way thats exactly what this whole page is about! Thats where im struggling. Yesterday i hit the three mile area in early am, thats where the 5.5 was. Got some there and then went out to the weedbeds on the southern shorelines across from tohickon launch. I have caught tigers there, one this year, smallmouth and largemouth. This is my first year with a boat too.
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Old 09-06-11, 04:09 PM   #12
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Small World!!!Are you on the cronan Nock site too? I am AKA "PerkasieFrank", on the other site. It jus' show's ya what that lake can drive a man to do.
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Old 09-06-11, 04:12 PM   #13
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Cronan Nock site? Im on epfr.
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Old 09-06-11, 04:16 PM   #14
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hey i just joined. Cool site! nice post about the spillway!
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Old 09-06-11, 04:24 PM   #15
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Man! I had terrible Sunday, it was to steal a phrase from Kevin on this site, a "Dinkfest" out of Haycock Launch. So bad, that we stopped by the Spillway on our way home and it totally changed, water dropped 2 feet and nothing was biting, not to mention that there is a log stuck, so once it's fished out, there won't be any more fish coming in. Ended up hitting one of my private ponds just to catch some fish of size, landed a 9 lb cat, along with some 4 and 5 lb bass that saved the weekend. Real quick advice that makes this site valuable, subscribe to Kevin's newsletter.

Last edited by Dogmatic; 09-06-11 at 04:31 PM.
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Old 09-06-11, 04:30 PM   #16
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I wanted to try the spillway for walleye but i never got any of them to bite. Interesting on the other site about the eyes on the bluffs and how the snorkeler saw them. Thats pretty cool.
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Old 09-06-11, 04:45 PM   #17
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Now that I know what you're specifically talking about, I can specifically address some of your questions. My success this year has come mainly from getting a detailed map of the lake(From DelawareValleyOutdoors.com), and starting to fish that lake deep, using deep diving cranks, and c-rigs, in 15'-25' of water off of the bluffs and dam points. Punching the pads with heavy jigs, and punch rigged beaver tails, along with top waters in the early mornings and late afternoons. By far and way this year, my biggest fish have come using crank baits, with only one quality fish over 5 lbs. coming on topwater. Although, a lot of guys throw zoom super flukes, I just haven't had the success with them that others have had, other than a small 36" tiger.
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Old 09-06-11, 04:54 PM   #18
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ok i see what your saying. I have a friend that got a 7 off the bluffs by the dam point. I will be getting a better jig rod this winter as mine is terribly unsensitive. I want to learn how to fish jigs better, i think i am doing it right, but my rod is a piece of junk and i can feel nothing so this winter im getting a very nice rod for that. i should probably get a cranking rod too. Are you casting to the bank bluffs and retrieving to the boat? or are you doing ALL offshore with ALL fishfinder work? Have you tried the strike king 6xds? i had been wanting to try them all summer but i dont have the rod and whenever i thought of fishing that neck of the lake i always just fished the pads instead. With my new rod i can fish that area. I like that big point by the dam, i would think the fish would too with the weedgrowth on the dam side of it the bass have access to weeds and deep water. i should have fished it more.
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Old 09-06-11, 05:06 PM   #19
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+1 on the KVD 6xd's, along with the 5's and regular 6's.There are a couple pieces of structure I found that I fish off-shore, but mostly cast to the "bank" back to the boat. Right now though, from what I heard, the fish, are on the move coming up to the offshore points outside the coves. Maps and a FF are crucial to finding the fish on The Nock, but knowing their seasonal patterns is the key. You might want to check C.L. for rods, there's some good deals to be had, and if you haven't checked the DVO.com DVD out yet you should.
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Old 09-06-11, 05:11 PM   #20
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yea i have seen the dvd and ill check some of the points. i know of a few offshore points outside of the 3 mile cove that i could hit. i need a better ff though ill have to get one.
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Old 09-06-11, 05:21 PM   #21
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Old Bethlehem point, nearly opposite the Lake House Inn, that whole section is money.
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Old 09-06-11, 05:58 PM   #22
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i know where u mean. Thats a nice sized point. Do i fish the weedbeds near the bank on it or do i cast up the spine out into open lake?
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Old 09-06-11, 06:18 PM   #23
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WELCOME TO MY WORLD TOPP!! HAHAHAHA!!! yes i AM the dink master. everyone has given oyu the proper advice. jsut keep on fishing pal, oyur day will come i promise. i DO manage to get a 4-5 even 8 pounder once in a while. it's what keeps you going back buddy. if oyu caught 8-10 pounders everytime oyu went, you'd get bored with it.
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Old 09-06-11, 06:29 PM   #24
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Lake House side fish the weed beds, all the way down to the ramp. Point side, you want to be fishing the sides, if your looking at it, fish the deep edge on the right, mainly in the transition zones, where the road comes in.(there is a small ledge on the left side too, where the creek channel comes close to shore, but with all the rain it hasn't been very productive.). If you follow the road directly across, it crosses diagonally, from east to west, northeast to south west, the creek channel comes close to shore, where the road and that channel meet, down that bank, to the east, is killer. Back to the point, the right hand side all the way to the next small secondary point that leads to a small cove has always been my "go to" bank when I only have enough time to fish a small area of the lake. Good Luck, hope to see ya out there.
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Old 09-06-11, 06:42 PM   #25
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thanks bama i will definetly stick to it they wont win i promise. haha i feel bad for you because of everyone calling you the dinkmaster you should go to some mexican lake or something and catch a couple 12s and then photoshop the background to make it look like you were on you home lake. that'd be funny.

yea i caught a small one on a crank there to the east. yeah i should fish that area more often. theres a nice tree along the deep shoreline of that cove. ever get one out of there? i also caught one on that tree at the tail end of that channel shoreline right before the mini cove. You got me so excited to try there. i cant wait....
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