Bass follow ups..

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I was fishing bass last weekend and caught a few but had a bunch of followups by bass on my spinnerbait. I have never had so many follows but no bites. I was using a regular stop and go retrieve. I switched up trying to burn the spinnerbaits, nothing. Tried slowing down, nothing. Tried switching to rattletraps, to many weeds. Maybe I should have tried swimming a jig?

I guess my question is has anyone ran into this? What do you do to get them to commit?

[musky hunter]

Did you try the good 'ole figure 8 at the boat? Sometimes a bass, like a northern, will respond to that. At least i've caught smallmouth like that. I suspect that you found plenty of fish, they were just a little negative.

[Deitz Dittrich]

TUTF- If that were the case your first change should have maybe been to another spinnerbiat. I will usually change the size of the lure first. If you had a smaller one that would have been te choice. A change in color may be the ticket some days as well.

This is why its important to have a variety of lures. I have had days like you describe as well. Where throwing a bait all I got were follows, change to the same lure only smaller and load the boat.

Just a thought.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Musky hunter, I actually did manage to get one at the boatside doing a modified figure 8. Most would dart off right at the boat though.

I did try switching colors aswell as blades, didnt seem to matter. I guess Ill have to expand my spinnerbait size selection more.

[musky hunter]

Well, I guess that's why this sport is called fishing and not catching. This year I had poor success with spinner baits but found some with tubes and plastics attached to jigs. There are so many variables, some we are not even aware of. I suspect the bass are now going to go deep and I'll have to switch to something else, hope I've got time for a trip or two before the season ends. Any tips for late season smallmouth?