tips for a newbie

[kayakfisher]

Hi,
I just got back from another day of bass fishing and not even getting a single bite at the lake today. That makes about 30 hours of fishing in the last month and not catching anything. Can any one offer any tips that might allow me to catch something? Thank you.

[Stan Wright]

It's not just you.... it was tough fishing today. We were going for spawning peacock bass. Talked with some guys using live bait and tossing them at the spawners. One guy had 4 and the other had 0....
We got two using lures. Saw lots of fish, and got lots of misses.

I think if I'd been going for red devils or bluegill I would have done a lot better. Wrong size and wrong type of lure.

[Stan Wright]

I hope I'm not making this to complicated... fishing should be fun... and you don't need all the expensive toys to catch peacock bass.

KISS, my teacher use to tell me...Keep It Simple, Stupid.

I got to thinking about when I first started fishing in Hawaii. It seemed like every saltwater fish required different gear and bait to catch it. Some S/W fish feed on shallow flats, others in deep water. Some eat only seaweed, others eat only shrimp on the sandy bottom, some chase little baitfish in the surf near the rocks.
Nothing like just tossing out a lure or bait in a Texas freshwater pond and catching almost anything

I've carried over this S/W mentality to the F/W of Lake Wilson.

For instance:
The Papio (S/W) likes a minnow type lure worked fast and erratic. Near shoreline structure. Could be a jig, spoon, topwater, plastic, jerk bait, or crank bait... just work it fast and don't stop if the papio chases.

The Peacock Bass likes pretty much the same thing. Peacock bass feed exclusively (100%) on smaller fish. They are almost always on the move. You just have to keep looking for them as they cruse the shoreline. They are hunters.

Largemouth, on the other hand, like to stick to one piece of structure and wait for their food to come to them. One Florida study said they eat 40% small fish and 60% anything else they can grab.

When I fish for Largemouth bass I use more plastic worms, lizards, crawfish, and tubes..... rigged weedless. I work them very slow along the bottom and in very thick cover. I also like deep running crank baits. Bass will strike topwater lures, but if it misses, you stop and wait. Work bass lures s-l-o-w.

There are lots of Red Devil in the lake. It's hard to miss a one pound, bright red fish sitting in a few inches of clear water next to the shore. They will eat anything. Small lures like spinners, crank baits, plastic jigs. ....... earth worms, shrimp, minnows, bread..... they are a fly fisherman's dream. The only thing I haven't caught them on is a topwater. Oh yea..... what ever you use to catch Red Devils.... you have to work it S-L-O-W-L-Y.........

I have different saltwater tackle boxes... depending on what fish I'm after.
I just realized I've started organizing my freshwater tackle boxes for the type fish I'm after too. A bass box, a peacock bass box, and a red devil box. I have an ultra-light box filled with tiny lures I use with my 2# and 4# test spinning tackle.

In my "fly fishing" bag. I have fly boxes for large peacock bass, small peacock bass, red devils, and bluegill. There is a topwater fly box, and a bass bug box. There is a leach/crawfish box. (I also have a different box for barracuda, bonefish, papio, trout, and salmon.)

Then each tackle box and fly box is broken down into sizes and colors and style. We won't even get into the spinning, bait casting and fly rods and their assorted sizes.

That sure is a long way from my cane pole, and using an earthworm or grasshopper to catch bluegill.
No wonder people think fishermen are crazy.

[roadwarriorsvt]

Good info weather you're a novice pro or an experienced rookie! Another way I learn is to go up to other fisherman on the water or shore and just ask what do they use that is working. Most all will be happy to share some info.

[kayakfisher]

Hi Stan,
Thank you for the good tips. I have seen many of the red devils on my outings. I tossed a few crappie jigs at them, but I guess the jig was too large for them. I will try and work it slower, and see if that helps me have any luck. Are there many largemouth and bluegill in the lake? It seems like the red devils and peacock bass are the main occupants. I can relate to your comment about Texas lakes. In the midwest if you have the right color, you can pull up bass to fill the boat.

[BASSTRACKER]

stans right keep it simple.low water lotsa fish near the banks, try a 3" senko,sluggo,soft plastic swimbait.working it fast along the trees,good tuc tactic. lots of points,find one with some bait fish on it, if live baits in your arsenal free line one around the points.a small crankbait will get you red devils almost guarenteed and maybe a tuc or bass to boot,keep it in the 5-8ft depth range.try a shakey head or jig deeper on the points for bass.bass and bluegills are there although more elusive than tucs and red devils,keep trying and you will get a pattern that will work for you.weathers stable water is too,odds are a good pattern will last awhile.

[OO7:BASSINASSASSIN]

Kayakfisher, you seem to be an experienced bassfisherman so what you did on the mainland should basically work here. I think the problem is that the largemouth bass population is relatively small so it takes longer to figure them out. In addition, lake wilson is small and heavily fished so you would think they would be smarter. On the other hand, Stan has reported catching the same bass in the same spot several times so maybe our fish are retarded. My sugguestion would be to focus on one species of fish. Learn what works and what doesn't. I think this will steepen the learning curve. You also might want to start keeping a log. Once you develope your style and technique you will not need one, but to start off I think it will be useful. Also if you are thinking of targeting tucs, remember they are spawning therefore what you learn now will be useless when spawning season is over.

[ynototony]

When the fishing gets slow try using live bait. Also I met a guy using chicken liver and he offered me some. We both caught a couple catfish so if you just wanna catch anything try some liver on the bottom. Use a smaller hook then you would on the mainland and a smaller piece of bait.

[OO7:BASSINASSASSIN]

Hey Stan, after reading your post about S/W and F/W fishing, I thought of mine own experience. Mine is the opposite of yours. I took the F/W mentality to S/W and it really helped me improve. I learned to fish in saltwater and I learned how to catch in freshwater.