Where did they go?

[ssaamm]

I half to admit that I am stumped. The bass lake I fish has had my number recently. All summer and early fall, I was able to hook into some nice-sized bass on Texas rigged or wacky worms under docks, around docks, and just off the deep side of the weedline. Lately, this has not been the case. Many of the docks are being taken out for the season, but the fish weren't taken with them. I hope. I can pick up the occasional northern, but that's about it. The water temp is about in the mid 50's I have tried deeper cranks and rattle traps in the shallows, but just northerns. Any tips would be appreciated. I don't want to throw in the towel and spend the rest of the year jigging for walleyes in 45 feet of water. Bass are much more fun. Thanks

[Matt Johnson]

I've found my bass on the inside of the shallow weed line lately. Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits have been working pretty good lately. Large tubes are catching fish as well. Rig up a tube with a plain hook and a lightweight split shot about 18 inches up. That tube acts as an excellent finesse approach and has been triggering a lot of fish for me.

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Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson
Pro Staff Coordinator
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Matt Johnson Outdoors
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Guided Ice Fishing and More...

[andy j]

I have caught all most of my bass the last few weeks right on the deep weedline in 5-9 feet of water, a few fish on docks. Try to find some milfol. The weedline fish all on spinnerbaits, a few on senkos but the fish have been more then willing to hammer a spinnerbait. The fish have been bunched in stretchs of weedline 2-3 fish along one stretch move along more along another stretch. I have not seen any schooling fish. just 2-3 fish on a spot at the most. I think when the weeds die off more the fish will school up on the remaining available cover. Good luck

[Deitz Dittrich]

Depending on the lake, fishing can be real difficult this time of the year. Weeds are dying, temps fluctuate a ton threwout the day.. We just have had the weirdest weather that I can ever remember for about the entire summer.

Dont get too down on yourself...

I will tell you this.. I went out on Chisago a little last evening. Managed a few fish, biggest was maybe close to 3 lbs.. but that was not the norm.. Fish came in the 5' range where you could find green weeds.. Did pull a few off wood as well. Best of luck.. FIND THEM GREEN WEEDS!

[Jim W]

If anyone wants "Easy" bass action, hit the rivers now! Especially the medium to small rivers.

I witnessed a non-stop bite yesterday on the Root and it's tribs.

I am talking non-stop here!

Keep the rods bendin'!!!

Jim W

[catchin'whopper]

It's good to hear that I am not in the only boat with tough fishing the past couple weeks. Have been needing to work a lot harder for the bites during that period, I almost think it is the temperature fluctuations that were mentioned that has the fish a little gunshy and that we should start seeing an increase in action soon. I mean, the bass have to have to start feeding soon, right?

Best of luck, they should start biting more aggressively, just a great time to get out with all the less pressure!

[bucketmouth64]

I feel the pain. Was out on Coon Lake Saturday with a friend and we caught about 5 fish in 3 hours. All on cranks. Lots of boaters ripping around and being rude on the water by driving close by or driving where I was casting. Lots of decaying weeds being pulled up. Fish were scattered.

[ChuckN]

I found similar results over the weekend as Exudedude did. These fish have been really finicky this year, toughest year on bass for me.

I've found these fish near the breaks, in the green weeds, near the breaklines. These fish have been most aggressive with primarily crankbaits. I've just lost my touch with the plastics lately.

I've done a lot of crankin in 5-9 feet of water with the new photon lure. The glowbass has been the most productive. Towards dusk they work really well if you glow them. Give them a try!

[grab the net]

We have been finding fish in coontail clumps, but only in limited numbers. Will find samll concentrations of fish. 4-6 in a given area. Most on outside edge 4-7 feet deep. Yesterday took a very specific presentation, 16th weight with small 4" plastics, needed slow fall, sometimes dead sticking, line would just move off to one side. Later in day on a large flat 3-5 feet deep, found bigger fish on edge of vegatation just slamming a spinnerbait and a twin spin. These fish were just eating it up as soon as it hit the water. Water temp 55 to 57. Think it is just a matter of fishing quickly to find first one, then work area with different techniques to get dialed in. I think a dropshot will work well on some of these weedline fish when they get extra finciky. There still there, don't be afraid to down size or experiment a little.

[Juan Grande]

I was fishing up in 50 Lakes (near Emily) this weekend. We had some luck in the shallows with Senkos. Same weekend, same lake last year we killed them on buzzbaits. They wouldn't surface at all this year.

The second day we decided to fish some big sucker minnows under a bobber for pike. We didn't get any northerns, but caught 6-8 bass that were all over 2 pounds. It was kind of funny watching the bass try to take the minnows. The bobber would dance around, lay on its side, but wouldn't go under. Only kept one two pounder to eat and that was because she was gut shot. That's definitely a disadvantage of fishing live bait.

[panolo]

Crankbaits.. got out for a couple hours after work yesterday before it got dark. I caught about 6-7 fish that were all bigger than 17". Been getting them fairly deep in 10-14'. For me the key has been cranking hard till it bumps the bottom let it up and crank hard again. They were hitting after the let up. I have been using a big bill rapala in fire tiger color. I have only been seeing dink bass in the shallows.

[EBass]

If you find them let me know to. The only thing I can catch is a cold. At least we have warm weather, D'oh, that's going to. Time to prep the auger and get my ice rods in order!

[Lost]

You guys gotta get me on some fish soon! I've had very little luck. Sunday I caught one under the dock I was standing on. Granted, it was a pig at 4.5 lbs and 20.5 inches, but that was the only fish I caught in 5 hrs, and it was on a large sucker minnow. Nothing else was working.

[Dan Wood]

Chuck - have you tried the GlowCraw or GlowCrawOrange from PhotonLures? Those are great colors for discolored water or night fishing..

GlowCraw

GlowCrawOrange

[Dan Wood]

Here's a better picture of those... you can see all colors at Photonlures.com...