What to do when you don’t know what to do!

Bass fishing is not always easy and it is not always fun. You ever heard that old cliché? If fishing was easy it would be called ‘catching’? The pros on TV make it look so easy but trust me, most of the time finding and catching bass is a grind.

So what do you do when the bass are not biting?
Mind over Matter - Get that headspace right! If you continue thinking you are not going to catch a fish, chances are good that you won’t catch a fish. Stay positive. Be confident in your ability to catch a fish. Realize that you may have to make adjustments in order to start catching them. Be willing to make those adjustments. Don’t get hung up on what you think has to work. Be willing to take chances! Do not panic! Fight the urge to run around from one spot to another. Pick a spot where you know the fish have been active and pick it apart.
Become a Detective – Now is the time to start using the grey matter. If fish have been biting but for some reason stopped, you need to try to figure out why? What has changed since the last time they bit? The weather? Usually a change in weather will trigger bass to move but bass do not relocate to the other side of the dam when they move! They will reposition close by where conditions are more comfortable. Sometimes they move into heavy cover. Sometimes they move deeper. Fish slower. Be patient. Be methodical and meticulous. Is there more boat traffic or fishing pressure? Find an area where it is quieter or spots that aren’t being hammered by other anglers. Change your focus. Avoid targeting obvious and easy spots because these are ones that every other angler has already fished before you.
Time to take off the Gloves – Look for heavy cover and hard-to-get-to spots. Everybody can fish in areas that provide easy targets but not everybody is willing to put a lure into a spot where it looks like you may need a chainsaw to get into it. Look for anything that looks tough to fish – stumps, logjams, thick vegetation, treetops, etc. Bass buried deep within heavy cover feel safe and secure and are easier to entice if you can present a lure to them.
Slow Down – When you start panicking it is natural to want to start fishing faster and cover more water. Make a conscious decision to slow down. Bass that are not biting need more time to be coaxed to bite. The strike-zone is smaller so you will need to cover every single angle whilst presenting the lure and leave the bait in the zone for longer
periods of time. Make every cast count!
Downsize – When bass have gone off the bite, especially when caused by heavy fishing pressure or cold-front conditions, it is time to switch to finesse tactics. Pick up the spinning rod you have rigged with lighter line and tie on a smaller lure. Smaller baits may get more bites from smaller fish but during a tournament when it is crunch-time, smaller fish are better than no fish at all. This is the time to fish dropshot, shakyhead jigs, mojo-rig, finesse jigs, light Texas-rigs, small crankbaits and weightless 4” senko or fluke-style baits.
The best anglers are the ones who can catch fish even when the fishing is tough. With the right mind-set, patience and a bit of knowledge you could be one of those
anglers too!