Bass bypass my lures

[Onthebank]

Hello - first post here. I'm new to fishing as an adult (close to 40). Last time I fished successfully I was about 5ish and I caught a 10 lb largemouth in blackwater using a Mickey Mouse kiddie rod/reel that didn't snap (dad had to reel it in). Wondering if I should go back to the trusty ol' Mickey pole right about now...

I've been pretty unsuccessful since I started back, which is perfectly fine. It's called fishing and not catching for a reason, right? I've caught loads of bream with earthworms, but I want a bass and I want to use the right lures.

Is there a trick to catching a bass when you can see them in shallow clear water? Dropping a lure in front of these bass doesn't seem to phase them. They stalk it for a bit and swim away only to return to the same spot a few minutes later. What should I be doing with the lure to make it more appetizing? I move it occasionally, but they just watch it. When I say shallow water, I'm talking about less than 3 feet deep and it's as clear as the waters of the Cayman Islands on a sunny day. It's a bit frustrating.

Most of the time, I'm using a watermelon trick worm on a Texas jig. Here's a list of what I've tried:

Soft plastics:

Mixture of Zoom, Yum, and Berkley

Crawfish:
black w/red glitter
watermelon and orange, tiny
1970s pea green and orange

Worms:
purple/red
watermelon trick worms
Gulp nightcrawlers (they RAN from that!)


Lizards:
Black w/blue glitter (it was a cloudy morning when I used this one)

Rigged Shad:
holographic

Hard:

All Bagley

Shallow Sunny B
Sunny B
Rattlin' B
Rattlin' Honey B
Minnow B
Balsa B
Small Fry Crayfish B

They were on sale at Walmart for less than $2 each.

Spinners:

A handful of different types of Mepps and Ozark

In deeper water I've tried "floating" the worm, not sure if that's even a legit term. I clamped 2 very light splits about 6-8 inches apart and I had a hook that ran free between the two w/ an egg sinker about a foot below that. I think that's when desperation for a bite set in. I've also used something that looks like a buzzbait, but without the extra metal piece.

I'm using a Cabela's tournament zx2000 spinning reel w/10 lb test. Not sure if that matters though.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[fish hawk]

If you can see them they can see you,try backing off a bit and downsizing your bait or use a reaction bait like a fluke,with a reaction bait they dont have a lot of time to study the bait.

 

[Alcaraz]

Sometimes, when I can see the fish, I cast suspended jerkbaits.
Try to find a good pace of jerks/stops. If you see the fish running fast to the jerk but then she stops in the last moment, don’t wait her to stop, move it immediately before this moment. Perhaps you will need to do this a few times in the Cast, so present the lure to have enough water to do it. Usually, this movement triggers an attack from the fish.
This doesn’t always work, but it is a good thing to try...

 

[JonathanG2013]

Like the others said below.

With stubborn fish that you can see. I have also had look with a weight less fluke and trick work. If you do a twitch and pause tecnique it seems to trigger a reaction strike to the bait. Also down sizing does help as well. Did you also see if you can get a bite on top water like a buzz bait, pop r, zara spook?

 

[catch22]

clear water is tough. try downsizing your line to the smallest size you can get away with

 

[Onthebank]

Thanks for the tips! I went to Walmart this morning and loaded up on about $50 on new tackle. I bought small, lifelike color lizards, plastic shad softs, 3 frogs - 2 with legs and 1 with something that looks like green tinsel. The bream were VERY interested in everything, the bass...well, the little coffee scented soft plastic minnow seemed to catch their eye. Still didn't get a single bite!

I stood in the shade, I held back from the shoreline. I crouched down, I even hid behind a tree in the shade and kept my rod down. Instead of my bright orange shirt, I opted for a sky blue one to blend in with the environment. Maybe I need a ghillie suit.

Unfortunately, my environment was NOT ideal. It was landscape day at the reservoir. Note to self: avoid reservoir on Thursdays. That explains why the place was dead. Only 3 boats there. My fault for not realizing that, I would have left, but I wanted to get my $5 worth (parking fee). My son used bread and caught the biggest bream I've ever seen. I should have used bread. Apparently, Martin's bread is a delicacy.

I think I've figured out what I need, besides a ghillie suit, I need a boat. :/

 

[sully1]

Hey there, Onthebank
I suggest you simplify your life, Google "drop shot", get some roboworms or similar, 10# braid w/a 6# fluorocarbon leader on your spinning reel, weedless hooks (I use small weedless wacky rig hooks). This rig'll likely git-r-dun. Oh yeah, and get a boat.

 

[catch22]

regardless if you catch something or not, sounds like your spending some quality time with your son and really thats the main thing.....good on you for giving this a try and your son sounds like hes having fun!

 

[Coenen]

Copy/pasted from the other thread...

Try a pearl white Fluke, or maybe a watermelon seed Zoom trick worm. Use a spinning rod with a fairly soft tip, light line(8lb or even 6lb), and maybe a weighted hook so you can really sling it out there a ways. Then experiment with your retrieves until something clicks. Start out painfully slow, and gradually add more speed and action. Check out the Wacky Rig, and it's cousin the Neko Rig as well, paired up with that same trick worm, or a fat worm like a Senko or Yum! Dinger in watermelon candy, or watermelon red.

Active as that lake is, it'd be hard to imagine those few simple lures and rigs not producing something.

If you're throwing everything in the box, you're changing lures too often to be effective. Those few basic techniques should deliver just about anywhere bass swim.

 

[JonathanG2013]

Copy/pasted from the other thread...

Try a pearl white Fluke, or maybe a watermelon seed Zoom trick worm. Use a spinning rod with a fairly soft tip, light line(8lb or even 6lb), and maybe a weighted hook so you can really sling it out there a ways. Then experiment with your retrieves until something clicks. Start out painfully slow, and gradually add more speed and action. Check out the Wacky Rig, and it's cousin the Neko Rig as well, paired up with that same trick worm, or a fat worm like a Senko or Yum! Dinger in watermelon candy, or watermelon red.

Active as that lake is, it'd be hard to imagine those few simple lures and rigs not producing something.

If you're throwing everything in the box, you're changing lures too often to be effective. Those few basic techniques should deliver just about anywhere bass swim.

This what Coenen said. Do not know, but twitching a fluke or trick work weightless seems to tick off a bass to attack them when it comes around.

 

[Batjack]

Looks like you need to check your P.M.'s.

 

[mwood1985]

Sending you a pm

 

[hopper]

This what Coenen said. Do not know, but twitching a fluke or trick work weightless seems to tick off a bass to attack them when it comes around.

I agree with this. I catch alot of bass with the fluke by site fishing clear water. If I know they are hanging out in a spot I will back off some then long cast to it.
You will figure them out in time.

 

[baddave]

i can feel your pain . clear water can be a problem for anyone . seen it many times where they'd see the lure coming and take-off ..those days are tough .. definitely wear camo clothes and stay low .. try casting in the shade and try to make your lure come in low and hit softly .. try going on breezy days where there's a little ripple on top to deflect the light .. when my pond needs fertilizer it sometimes gets real clear and it's hard to catch them .. you might could fertilize now but it's really getting a little late - good luck .. other tips on here are spot on