At the end of my line 2025
Tweetyfish reply :
Hey guys. New memer here, and I'm in a "rut". I know everyone has good days and bad days, but this year seems to be all bad days as far as catching em. Here's a little more on the story.
I live in eastern ky. I fish from a yak and from the bank. A lot of creek and river fishing as well as what parts of lakes I can get to.
I wouldn't consider myself a newbie, however I'm not in the running for the Bassmaster classic either.
My normal set up that Always goes with me is a 7'0 mh rod with a casting reel (7/1 ratio). I feel like that should be pretty versatile for what I do. I have it spooled with 30lb braid and unless I'm throwing in murky water I use a 10' or so leader with mono.
Now for the business end of the line. I pretty much throw everything from flukes to frogs. I would say my most used baits are flukes, worms (mostly senkos of some type) and craws on a jig or Texas rig. But as I mentioned I also throw lots of different things.
I feel like I fish around good fish holding spots, such as brush, grass, logs, rocks and etc. And I mostly keep simple colors such as watermelon and pumpkin seed, white, and black.
My my confidence is waning, as I've spent hours fishing this year with very little to show for it. I mean I'm not even catching a fish per outing sometimes. I know you can't catch em all everyday, but it just seems like it's that way for me constantly.
I need some of you seasoned vets to chime in with some tips or tricks to get me back in the game. Thanks!
buzzbaiter83 reply :
There’s just not a lot of fish in EKY unless we’re talking Laurel, Yatesville, or Paintsville Lakes. I live in SEKY. Our local lakes have been as tough as I’ve seen them this year. It’s been a weird weather year, especially since May. If I can give you any advice it would be to pick up a spinning rod with 6-8lb test and learn some finesse techniques. Drop-shot, wacky-rig, Neko Rig, & Ned Rigs are the only things producing any fish for me locally right now. Hope that helps.
Brew City Bass reply :
Sometimes it's just like that.
I started taking bass fishing seriously 4 years ago. First year I didn't have a boat and only shore fished. It was often I'd get skunked a week in a row. I'm talking 4-8 hour days with no fish. Next summer I bought a boat and started fishing those same lakes from a boat. I was still getting skunked often. Not as bad, but I'd go 1-2 days without a fish.
The next year was a little better. I did a lot of studying, bought a sonar unit and put the knowledge I acquired to use. It slowly and surely got better. I started realizing patterns and where the fish would hangout pertaining to the time of the day or month. Don't get me wrong, I was still terrible at fishing. I was getting maybe 1-2 bass a day, but it was progress.
The last year and this year have kind of been light bulb moments for me. I started actually working the baits I've been skunked on the previous years with results. I have yet to get skunked one day this year and most days I'm catching 4-5 solid fish if I'm out for 8 hours.
I know that doesn't sound like a ton of fish, and it's not, but I know my lakes aren't numbers lakes and it's going to be a grind for a decent limit. The biggest thing is to keep pushing forward and striving to learn more. Bass fishing seriously isn't as easy as the pros make it look. What we see on TV is them fishing for 45 minutes and catching bass. What actually happens is they pre-fish that lake for 3 days with the best technology and boats money can buy, along with a decade or more of experience in their noggin. Then they grind for 8 hours the tournament days to hopefully catch a 5 bass limit. Sometimes they do, sometimes they catch none.
I am still so far from where I want to be it's not funny. I just love this sport so much all I want to do is be better. Nobody is ever done learning in this sport. All you can do is absorb as much knowledge as you can and spend as much time on the water as you can. Even on bad days, weeks, or months, you can learn and practice.
I have no idea how good the fishing is where you're going, it sounds pretty tough, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Keep grinding. It's so rewarding when you realize what works. I don't claim to be a good fisherman, but I do know what it's like to grind for so long with nothing to show. But it gets better and the reward is amazing.
CroakHunter reply :
My only advice would be to slow down. It sounds silly and simple, but If you want to catch fish from shore in the summer (in the "Midwest" region) and they aren't eating the frog, you've just got to down size and slow down to get a few bites and to get your confidence up.
TnRiver46 reply :
I haven’t fished that area much either but I might echo what @buzzbaiter83 said, never heard many positive Fishing reports from that part of the world. I have had some good luck on the big south fork of the Cumberland river in ky but that’s about all I have ever tried or explored. Fishing in East Tennessee (for me) was much better prior to May than after it, and that holds true for me every year. Summer Fishing is just tough, especially with the volume of rainfall we have had this year. Summer is a lot easier during a “drought,” although we never really have a true drought in east tn/east Ky. Are there any dams near you that you can fish below?
Pickle_Power reply :
Chin up, buddy. I had a very discouraging spell during pre-spawn, normally when I clean house in certain waters near me. I was really down on myself and my skills. I kept grinding, and finally had a few days with nice fish including a close-to-PB in June.
As mentioned: It's been a weird year for weather, which I believe has made it more difficult, especially in spring. Also mentioned, slow it down. Maybe even plant your butt in a chair and force yourself to slowly fish a bottom oriented bait. In my local lake, docks(especially the big ones with 6+ boat hoists) are a life saver in the dead of summer, offering shade and food for bass, and making them easily accessible for the angler.
Or, try the opposite, and be stupid aggressive with power baits like buzzers, spinners, flukes, and walking baits. Sometimes you gotta trigger that killer instinct!
Darren. reply :
Welcome aboard!
Sounds to me like you ought to try varying up what you're
showing the fish. Try some "finesse" presentations like Ned,
mojo with a tiny fluke, wacky rigs, etc.
And as mentioned already, slow down your retrieve.
roadwarrior reply :
SDoolittle reply :
On 7/10/2018 at 11:04 AM, buzzbaiter83 said:If I can give you any advice it would be to pick up a spinning rod with 6-8lb test and learn some finesse techniques.
Good advise! I always considered myself a power fisherman until I spent a few years in KY.
Tweetyfish reply :
I will give the finesse technique some more thought. Thanks guys!
Tennessee Boy reply :
Welcome to BR. Growing up I waded small creeks. I caught fish all summer long. Rarely, caught anything over a pound. Sometime when the tough Summer fishing get's me down, I'll drive my aluminum bass boat as far up a creek as I can go. I can usually catch a few small bass on UL tackle to lift my spirits.
the reel ess reply :
On 7/10/2018 at 10:26 PM, Tennessee Boy said:Welcome to BR. Growing up I waded small creeks. I caught fish all summer long. Rarely, caught anything over a pound. Sometime when the tough Summer fishing get's me down, I'll drive my aluminum bass boat as far up a creek as I can go. I can usually catch a few small bass on UL tackle to lift my spirits.
You can do this without other people pressuring the fish as well. That's more important than you think. It's hotter than hades, fish are stressed by lower oxygen levels and they see more artificial lures. In smaller bodies of water, you can show a lure to fish that haven't seen one in a while and you know you'll drag it by some because where are they going to go? They can't go deep when deep is 3-4 feet.
Another good tactic is going in the evening until dark. You'll just get more bites during low light periods in the summer. And since I'm a topwater nut, that is my favorite time. I also work, but there are still 4 hours left of daylight when I get off at 5:00. Also, downsizing will get you more bites. I like the Zoom 4" Finesse Worm. Try it on a small jighead or dropshot or a "finesse Carolina rig". That's a splitshot rig with a fancy name. I'll use more natural colors when the bite is tough. Less bubble gum and chartreuse. I'll also keep a craw on a plain Arky jighead handy. A Yamamoto Hula Grub gets some bites as well. Something about the craw when they aren't active can be too much for them to ignore. But if they aren't biting the big baits, the whole skirted jig might be too much.
Tweetyfish reply :
On 7/10/2018 at 10:01 PM, roadwarrior said:
You said no variations but will this work with my current setup if I attach a 6lb leader to my braid?
WRB reply :
Welcome to the BR site.
Your 1st post is long and detailed with a thought provoking title.
Understanding basic bass behavior and you have several species to study; northern largemouth bass, Smallmouth and northern spotted bass are in the areas you are fishing.
Understanding seasonal periods to determine location and some knowledge of the lake classification along with current in rivers and streams.
Lots to learn to determine what to what to tie on the end of your line and where to cast it.
I am not knowledgeable on kayak fishing or bass fishing streams and rivers, lots of experience with deep structure lakes. Where I may be able to help is basic bass behavior and seasonal periods.
Largemouth bass are not as active as Smallmouth or Spotted bass preferring slowing moving water and a wider variety of prey and the bass most bass anglers target.
Based on your tackle choices LMB are the bass you primarily fish for in lakes and possibly rivers. From your introduction you stated you are a bank and kayak fisherman and discribe mostly shoreline cover as targets typical of LMB angler.
It's the warm water mid summer seasonal period, the spawn is over and adult size LMB are now scattered to locations that provide sanctuary for them to rest about 80% of the time and abundant prey sources to feed on about 20% of the time, active vs inactive bass behavior. We need to focus effort on catching bass when they are active.
Location and timing comes before what to tie on the end of your line. Lures simply need to be effectively presented to bass where they are located and that depends on depth, structure and cover. Very active bass will strike nearly anything, active bass may be more selective and neutral bass very selective, inactive are not feeding.
Your 1st task is to elimates the areas that are not holding catchable bass and target high % areas that have active bass. Select lures that are effective where the bass are located. Use tackle appropriate for the lures you need to catch the bass where they are located.
There Isn't a panacea or magic bullet to tie on the end of your line.
Tom
Squarebill79 reply :
The other day I was fishing a local pond, I threw some sqaurebills in the shallow....nothing, tied on a senko and fished the deeper water.....nothing, tied on a frog and worked it over the weeds......nothing, tried a popper just outside the grass line....still nothing.
I decided I had enough bass fishing so put away the baitcasters, got out my ultralight to fish for panfish instead. I tied on a jig and 2" gulp minnow, proceeded to catch about 5 bass just working it really slow. Now, Im not saying go out and try minnows for bass, thats doesnt sound like much fun to me, but the point is maybe try downsizing a little bit.
WRB reply :
Instead of what to tie on the end of your line lets think about when to tie it on.
Mid summer period is known as the dog days of summer because we tend to believe bass are lethargic like other animals when it's hot but that isn't true because bass are cold blooded sunfish that thrive in warm water, higher metabolism requiring more food intake to grow, so they are active eating somewhere.
What can slow down bass activity is low dissolved oxygen levels caused by hot water over 90 degrees without any current or green aquatic vegetation. Because we are uncomfortable fishing mid day in the hot sun doesn't mean the bass are. The bass have an abundant of prey to select from during the mid summer; young of the year fish of all types, crayfish, insects, terrestrial critter, frogs, worms, mice, rats, small birds etc. we are competing with all that's available.
Low light gives bass the advantage over the prey so they are more active during that time period, night is your friend, it hides your lures flaws and bass tend to be more active. Mid summer fish at night if possible.
Tom
Tweetyfish reply :
Well guys, I busted out my old Shimano saros I bought in college. Cleaned it up, oiled and greased it, spoiled with 8lb test mono with a 6lb leader. Went to the pond to test out weightless senkos and drop shotting. Skunked again! I put in about 2.5 hours on the bank from 7pm until I couldn't see. I guess you eventually have to laugh at it and try it again another day. Thanks for all the replies!
Chris at Tech reply :
Get out of your own head for a few trips.
Leave the bass stuff at home. Bring an ultralight and some inline spinners, beetlespins, maribou jigs, etc and have some fun with the panfish.
After a few trips, come back to the bass fishing with a clear mind and a clear slate.
A-Jay reply :
On 7/10/2018 at 11:56 PM, WRB said:Welcome to the BR site.
Your 1st post is long and detailed with a thought provoking title.
Understanding basic bass behavior and you have several species to study; northern largemouth bass, Smallmouth and northern spotted bass are in the areas you are fishing.
Understanding seasonal periods to determine location and some knowledge of the lake classification along with current in rivers and streams.
Lots to learn to determine what to what to tie on the end of your line and where to cast it.
I am not knowledgeable on kayak fishing or bass fishing streams and rivers, lots of experience with deep structure lakes. Where I may be able to help is basic bass behavior and seasonal periods.
Largemouth bass are not as active as Smallmouth or Spotted bass preferring slowing moving water and a wider variety of prey and the bass most bass anglers target.
Based on your tackle choices LMB are the bass you primarily fish for in lakes and possibly rivers. From your introduction you stated you are a bank and kayak fisherman and discribe mostly shoreline cover as targets typical of LMB angler.
It's the warm water mid summer seasonal period, the spawn is over and adult size LMB are now scattered to locations that provide sanctuary for them to rest about 80% of the time and abundant prey sources to feed on about 20% of the time, active vs inactive bass behavior. We need to focus effort on catching bass when they are active.
Location and timing comes before what to tie on the end of your line. Lures simply need to be effectively presented to bass where they are located and that depends on depth, structure and cover. Very active bass will strike nearly anything, active bass may be more selective and neutral bass very selective, inactive are not feeding.
Your 1st task is to elimates the areas that are not holding catchable bass and target high % areas that have active bass. Select lures that are effective where the bass are located. Use tackle appropriate for the lures you need to catch the bass where they are located.
There Isn't a panacea or magic bullet to tie on the end of your line.
Tom
There's so much in this one ~ Easily an Instant Classic !
The underlined text rings especially clear to me.
Bold portions are the foundation of most every trip I make.
Nicely Done Tom.
A-Jay
scaleface reply :
I dont know what the fishing is like in Eastern Kentucky . Have you looked at all your options on places to fish . Are there any small lakes managed by your conservation dept. irrigation ditches ...Kayaks can reach remote places not accessible to the bass boat crowd . Around here good public fishing spots abound for anyone with the drive to find them . The guys with the bass boats are the handicapped ones .
thinkingredneck reply :
If you don't already have one, get a cheap depth finder. Find offshore structure. Also look for bairfish, birds, etc. What is the forage?
Tweetyfish reply :
On 7/14/2018 at 11:50 PM, thinkingredneck said:If you don't already have one, get a cheap depth finder. Find offshore structure. Also look for bairfish, birds, etc. What is the forage?
I definitely need to grab one. There are a lot of wood type structures around but in most the places I fish I'm not aware of any type of grass or lily pads. Maybe sparse sections.
Glaucus reply :
1. Timing matters. Just last night I went out from 8pm-9pm and caught 12 LMB. 1 bass every 5 minutes. I went out today from 7am-12pm and caught 4 LMB. Less than 1 bass every hour. Same pond, same place, different time.
I'm in North Central Illinois. We aren't known for our big bass or amazing populations of bass. The ONLY thing I could get these bass to hit on last night and this morning was a 4 inch Green Pumpkin Senko, Texas Rigged. No other color I had, no other size I had, and no other bait I tried. Just this. So that's another thing you have to figure out. Sometimes you'd think there were no bass in some of my ponds until you figure out that one bait, fished that one way, at that one time.
2. Power fishing isn't always rewarding. Fact of the matter is, unless you're in Florida, Texas, or California, or on a true, reputable bass lake elsewhere, taking a MH casting setup and power fishing isn't going to do much for you when the bite is tough; and in some places, the bite is always tough.
You must figure out when the bass are active in your area, and then you must downsize and finesse your way through it on spinning gear. In creeks and rivers, I wouldn't normally mess with Senkos. I would fish the Ned Rig. If the Wacky Rig isn't working in the lake that you can get to, fish a drop shot. Slow down, scale down. Big, fast, in your face fishing isn't what your fish want, apparently. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result...well, we all know the saying.
I would go to a pond and try fishing the Wacky Rig again. This time, go even slower than you did previously. Cast to a juicy spot, and let the Senko do its job. A long, slow flutter. Cast to the same spot a dozen times. Sometimes that's what it takes. Do this, familiarize yourself with finesse and going slow, and boost your confidence by catching some bass. Then move out to the creeks, rivers and lakes you like to fish and try other finesse techniques, remembering to be slow.
woody osborne reply :
shoot me a pm and i'll be more specific- even to the point of walleye location. i've fished eastern ky for decades.pike and letcher co. in letcher county there's really spooky bass in a certain lake. good fishing in streams in pike county with spinners(any color), gold rapalas, small crankbaits(under 1/4 oz.), Rebel craws, tiny torpedos(ghost/clear). 1/8 oz spinnerbaits. put your baitcaster up(for now). spinning gear is the way to go. stealth is a key part of fishing streams. breathitt county you have pan bowl lake but, the river has some fine fish in it. carr fork bass will go for model a bombers in fire tiger.
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
On 7/10/2018 at 10:29 AM, Tweetyfish said:Hey guys. New memer here, and I'm in a "rut". I know everyone has good days and bad days, but this year seems to be all bad days as far as catching em. Here's a little more on the story.
I live in eastern ky. I fish from a yak and from the bank. A lot of creek and river fishing as well as what parts of lakes I can get to.
!
Hey Tweety, I also live in eastern KY and I’ve been fishing here seriously for 20 or more years. Don’t feel bad, this happens more often than any fisherman thinks it should, especially in Eastern KY. I fish Paintsville, Dewey and Yatesville lakes mostly and some days they will humble the best fisherman I know. If you are in a Kayak, I would suggest fishing some of the backwaters of these lakes, especially when spring gets here. I’d also suggest that you do as is advised above and throw a LOT of finesse techniques. Weightless Senkos, weightless flukes, shaker heads and small worms, crawls and lizards on Texas dogs often produce year round here. What lakes do you fish here man?
Big Rick reply :
On 12/23/2018 at 3:25 AM, Hillbilly Bennett said:Hey Tweety, I also live in eastern KY and I’ve been fishing here seriously for 20 or more years. Don’t feel bad, this happens more often than any fisherman thinks it should, especially in Eastern KY. I fish Paintsville, Dewey and Yatesville lakes mostly and some days they will humble the best fisherman I know. If you are in a Kayak, I would suggest fishing some of the backwaters of these lakes, especially when spring gets here. I’d also suggest that you do as is advised above and throw a LOT of finesse techniques. Weightless Senkos, weightless flukes, shaker heads and small worms, crawls and lizards on Texas dogs often produce year round here. What lakes do you fish here man?
Tweety hasn't visited this forum since July 25. His stay was very short. Just 16 days....
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
On 12/23/2018 at 3:42 AM, Big Rick said:Tweety hasn't visited this forum since July 25. His stay was very short. Just 16 days....
I saw he wasn’t active after I posted that. Oh well, maybe someone else will read it and get help.
related Fishing Tackle topic
previous topic
© 2025 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.