What do you do when you see them, but they won't bite

[RoldGold]

Wondering what's recommended when you're out marking fish and you can't get them to bite, even after going through the majority of your lure options.  Do you just dig through to the bottom of the tackle box looking for what works?  Do you stay in the same spot and just wait it out?  Do you change locations, hoping the fish are more active in a different part of the lake?  As somewhat of a newbie, I'm happy when I find em, but that happiness ends quickly when I can't get em on the line .  Thanks for the help!

[Naturboy]

dynamite!

[RebelSS]

Go smaller.....drop down in size.....really. Sometimes enough to grab 'em when they're finicky. 

[grasshopper]

Have a beer and tuna fish sandwich

[leech~~]

53 minutes ago, RoldGold said:

Wondering what's recommended when you're out marking fish and you can't get them to bite, even after going through the majority of your lure options.  Do you just dig through to the bottom of the tackle box looking for what works?  Do you stay in the same spot and just wait it out?  Do you change locations, hoping the fish are more active in a different part of the lake?  As somewhat of a newbie, I'm happy when I find em, but that happiness ends quickly when I can't get em on the line .  Thanks for the help!

Mark the spot with a GPS and hope their there next time and hungry.

[Cheers]

what  fish are you fishing for ? Are you sure the marks you see are not another species like suckers or juvenile perch ? I know I have spent a lot of time trying to catch the walleye  I see on my finder only to find out they where suckers after in desperation I put down the camera . Same thing happened with lake trout that turned out to be whitefish !

[DLD24]

19 hours ago, RebelSS said:

Go smaller.....drop down in size.....really. Sometimes enough to grab 'em when they're finicky. 

Or try going bigger, I've had it where crappies won't eat a small jig but will smoke the spoon with waxies...You just gotta try everything and if that doesmy work, go somewhere else

[nofishfisherman]

I'll give show them a lot of different presentations but my best finicky fish lure has been a micro hair jig with some sort of minnow fry plastic. It also works well to catch the tiny perch if that ends up being what you are marking. 

If I find out that its tiny perch I'll move spots.  If I suspect its finicky crappie or gills I'll hole hope moving around to see if I can locate pockets of more active fish.  I will also keep the original spot in mind for other times of the day.  Sometimes there is a certain time of day on certain lakes where the fish turn on. I'll try it at different times to see if I can figure out the timing pattern. 

[jgrimmz]

I usually hole hop in the area trying a lot of different presentations. Recently I've had the best luck switching to a plain hook with a little (tiny) spoon like thing on it.

[rundrave]

I am all run and gun but I have a hard time leaving fish to find fish. I usually just use a flasher but when I keep marking fish but dont get any bites I will drop the camera down to see whats happening.

[pikestabber]

2 hours ago, DLD24 said:

Or try going bigger, I've had it where crappies won't eat a small jig but will smoke the spoon with waxies...You just gotta try everything and if that doesmy work, go somewhere else

I was going to post this same thing... First, I try smaller--if that doesn't work, then I try bigger and flashier. If neither works, I move on. There is almost always an active group of fish at any given time, but you may have to keep moving to find them.

Secondary to that, you may not even be looking at the fish you think you are... Once time specifically I was on a known crappie spot I'd fished a 100 times, and I was marking fish all over. They kept coming up to the bait but just sniffing it. I kept downsizing until I had something ridiculously small on like a #16 hook and half a waxworm. A fish came up again and I didn't even feel a tick but set the hook when it reached the same line on my Vexi... If I gave you ten guesses you still might not come up with the culprit--about an 8 inch white sucker! I had been fishing most of the morning on top of a school of bait.

Edited February 15, 2016 by pikestabber

[RoldGold]

Thanks for the comments.  In the winter, I'm just pan fishing.  Never considered the bait fish as a possibility, looks like I'll be dusting off my camera.  I remember being out once, seeing a steady line on the flasher, ran the camera down, and all that was there was this line of white goo.  Still not sure what that was, probably should stay away from the fish on that lake, lol.  Thanks again for the ideas!

[CamozKool]

I've had this happen many times, usually after dark, what I do is move up out of the cone angle about three to five feet beneath the ice, for whatever reason they seem to come from the side, ambushing I think, and bite... and they're usually bigger than whats closer to the bottom.... when this happens, I slowly drop my jig and pay close attention to the line, if it moves I set the hook... I don't know if this helps but it has worked for me....

[Jim Uran]

Sometimes a move is always the best step! Picky little bastards lol

[eyeguy 54]

I tried something different the other day on the gills. Had a nice mark and it would not hit, so i just let it drop to the bottom. Skandia moonjig with 3 white euros. Was fishing about 2 feet up.  Then a raised it super slow.  not even a foot up and bam.  3 of the 4 nicer ones I got did this.   picky indeed Jim! !  lol

 

[Jeremy airjer W]

re-tie, re-tie, re-tie! Until you find what works. Whether its your jiggin or lure either your going to run out of options, which means you gave it your best, or you find the magic combo.

Personally I like a flutterbug (small jig with tiny spoons) and purple nuclear ants tipped with micro nuggies for tough bites. Especially the flutterbugs. Nut even sure if they still make them (flutterbugs) but I may have purchased a few here and there....

[Search Function]

I try to fish at prime time, dawn and dusk. Once they stop biting and I bored with it, I go home.

[gunner55]

I like a small teardrop  that has wings/spinners on it similar to what Jeremy mentioned when things get tough. Arnolds Fairy Jigs is what they're called available at Stopper Lures on the web or some at the local FF down here. I'll break out the camera too.

[Jeremy airjer W]

[SpearPike]

I would try moving above or below them quickly and if they dont chase at all.  Move or relax and wait for them to turn on.