huge bass won't bite!

[GotBass]

I'm sure she will, but i just can find out WHAT she'll bite. the water is GIN clear. It is a 30 acre pond/lake. I can see bottom in the deepest parts (25-40 feet depending on exact location). weedy bottom all the way down there, with some breaks that appear to be sandy bottom. Was an old rock quarry, steep drops in places, and lots of cat tails on the banks. I saw a MASSIVE bass yesterday, and i threw EVERYTHING at her. Water temp is about mid 60s to low 70s at about 7-10 feet. There are a ton of bluegill and perch in the pond, along with largemouth and smallmouth bass, and even some trout. no minnows or shad (the owner does not want them to disrupt the balance). There are some crayfish in there along the rocky shorelines.

I tried:

jig & trailers
t-rigs (large and small)
c-rigs (large and small)
weightless rigs
cranks
spinnerbaits (5 or 6 different colors and sizes)
spinners
buzzbaits (same as spinerbaits)
topwaters (poppers, prop baits, and cigar type)
hair jigs
nightcrawlers and crayfish

everytime something dropped in front of her, no matter how slowly or how easily it entered the water, she just turned around and looked the other way.

i'm stumped. Bass 1, Rob 0
my grampa said "well, maybe she's just not a hungry critter"

if anyone has a miracle lure, let me borrow it?? ;D

it was not a total loss though, with all the things i tried, i got plenty of 1s and 2s.


Good Fishin
Rob

[fishwitch]

ifu can see them they can see you and a big ole fish is smart light lines and subtle presentations clear clear line

[FishinMommy]

Get some Fluorocarbon line or some 4lb test and say your prayers. Use live bait maybe.

[hershey]

Get a small aberdeen hook 8lb test mono and put a nightcrawler on it. Im suprised it ddint hit the nightcrawler, if the bream and perch didnt get to it first, I would use nightcrawlers all the time, bass usaully cant resist.

[notabassmaster]

Umm yeah-I definitely wouldn't recommend the "night crawler" the previous post mentioned.

In clear water I always have luck with super clear line, natural bait colors, and a C-rig with the longest leader you can possibly get away with. You may also want to try a black jitterbug at night. Also, try that pond when the wind is blowing a little, that helps level the clear water playing field a little. Good luck, and tight lines.

[keeb]

make sure its a bass somtimes when the sun is right carp can look simular to bass.

[GotBass]

yea, it was a bass. there aren't any carp in there. and i was using all spinning gear (finesse in such clear water). and the line was 6 pound test. i think it's just one of them bas that'll never hit ne thing. i mean... the thing was about 7 pounds EASILY... HUGE HUGE fish for New York. Prolly wise WAY beyond her years.

anyway, went back to the pond today and got a bunch of 1s and 2s using a wacky rigged gulp sinking minnow. They were just atacking it on that light line. i'll have a pic up soon of the biggest one i caught.


tight lines
Rob

[macgyver]

Use A Lizard, weightless. If that doesn't work, catch a baitfish, and throw that out there. If that doesn't work, come back later and try again Timing is everything.

Lizards

[NorthNJangler]

Id say catch a bluegill and use that for bait.

[hershey]

[quote author=NCBUXNDUX link=board=MessBoards;num=1119968355;start=0#4 date=06/28/05 at 15:00:50]Umm yeah-I definitely wouldn't recommend the "night crawler" the previous post mentioned.

In clear water I always have luck with super clear line, natural bait colors, and a C-rig with the longest leader you can possibly get away with. You may also want to try a black jitterbug at night. Also, try that pond when the wind is blowing a little, that helps level the clear water playing field a little. Good luck, and tight lines.[/quote]

Why not? Nightcrawlers that I use are usaully 7+ inches, and in some ponds around here its the only thing theyll hit. Ive been in the same situtaion as him except with smaller bass. I threw everyhting and they didnt hit but when I threw a nightcrawler out there I caught 5 Â*fish, one of them 5 pounds. In those sitations, live bait is usually the only thing that works.

[GotBass]

great news... i tried a night crawler... rigged it up all different ways. then finally, on 2 pound line, absolutely weightless with a #6 eagle claw hook, the thing LUNGED at the bait. scared the hell outa me, i set the hook and i guess i set it too hard (i was excited)... 2 pound line broke :-[ :-[... tried again, but the thing had swam off into the abyss :'(

i'll git'r done next time

[randerson52]

[quote author=lizardsrule link=board=MessBoards;num=1119968355;start=0#7 date=06/29/05 at 06:25:32]Use A Lizard, weightless. Â*If that doesn't work, catch a baitfish, and throw that out there. Â*If that doesn't work, come back later and try again Â*Timing is everything.

Lizards[/quote]

I agree, use the lizard!

Try drop shotting it alows you to keep the bait in one spot for a long time use a 4-6" stright worm. Â*Dont listen to powerbass he has only cought one fish on a lizard.

[randerson52]

Normally, I would say use a senko, I have caught 50 plus fish probably on a senko. Buy the 4 inch version, the fives are to big IMO.

I have fished in NJ and cought 5" bass on 6" senkos you wont catch a bigger average fish w/ out moving up your bait size unless you finesse or sight fishing. A good rule of thumb is catch a better average w/ a bigger bait!

[hershey]

[quote author=Rob Mak link=board=MessBoards;num=1119968355;start=0#10 date=06/29/05 at 19:31:16]great news... i tried a night crawler... rigged it up all different ways. Â*then finally, on 2 pound line, absolutely weightless with a #6 eagle claw hook, the thing LUNGED at the bait. Â*scared the hell outa me, i set the hook and i guess i set it too hard (i was excited)... 2 pound line broke Â*:-[ :-[... tried again, but the thing had swam off into the abyss Â*:'(

i'll git'r done next time[/quote]

Yes !! Nightcrawlers prevail again!!!