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Buffdaddy54 reply :
Im about ready to throw in the towel. 7 outings in a row no fish no bites and on different lakes. I have no idea what I am doing, obviously since I'm not getting any bites. Ive thrown everything but the kitchen sink out there and nothing. I'm so close to calling it quits and packing up my stuff for the year. No fun gettin skunked every time out.
Road Warrior I have followed your advice and walked the bank throwing Senkos first, nothing, then I've thrown the Fat Ika, nothing, worms, nothing, chatterbait,nothing, buzzbaits, nothing. Can someone explain to me what you would throw and in what order? From the bank, first cast of the day what are you using first and why? Most water I go to is stained with vegetation, fishing from bank so am limited as far as structure. I do not have the ability to fish early, early, early. Sometimes I can get out just before dark but not often so most of my fishing is done mid to late morning. Temps are going to be near 100 the next few days with no chance of rain.
Desperate for a bite!
Jonathan Evans reply :
Tell me the conditions of the spot you are fishing. I am new to bass fishing as well but With help from guys here I have an a handful of tactics that have made my fishing much more successful.
bigturtle reply :
use live worms to see if theres actually fish where you are fishing.
Turkey sandwich reply :
1. Don't jump off a cliff.
2. Take a deep breath.
3. Learn.
Anything can be frustrating for beginners, especially without hands on guidance. Forget everything that's complicated and make things as simple as possible. This also means you need to forget your ego. Conditions, forage, and the body of water itself dictate where and how to fish, nothing else.
So, here's the likely deal with your conditions... It's going to be very hot and the days are going to be long, so that means lower oxygen content in shallow water. Some of the days coming up are showing lots of sun which means fish are going to relate to deep structure or cover that provides shade. It also means that your early morning and evening bites are going to be best. You might get decent pockets of activity during the day, but it'll likely be deep or in the weeds. If you're fishing from shore, these aren't likely to be the easiest days.
When your confidence sucks, you're going to struggle, period. This might be a good opportunity to hire a guide and learn something on the water. A good guide can sometimes teach you more about conditions and a body of water in one day than you'll learn struggling on your own for an entire season.
riverbasser reply :
Its hard when you try to force fish. Fishing is suppose to be a relaxing hobby, if its not then its not fun hobby. If I was fishing strictly from the bank I wouldn't only be targeting bass. Don't forget the reason your there. Relax and catch some fish. Throw out a catfish line and bass fish while waiting for a bite. Have fun and just learn as you go.
DogBone_384 reply :
I've been in your shoes. Listen to the membership. Grab some live bait like worms or shiners and verify there are fish where you're casting. Keep your artificial baits simple. A Texas rigged worm, spinner bait, or even in-line spinner if need be.
It's also Summer, which is the slowest time of the year in places.
Lastly, there's plenty of support here from the membership. Things will turn around for you.
Good luck out there.
wnspain reply :
If ya don't catch the bite on top water EARLY, then you might as well fish deep. Unless you have depth charts, or some other means of determining depth, summer fishing can be frustrating to say the least. Try night fishing and see if changes your luck..you may be pleasantly surprised 
MassYak85 reply :
On 7/22/2016 at 9:14 AM, Buffdaddy54 said:Ive thrown everything but the kitchen sink out there and nothing.
Clearly the problem lies here. Try this.
All joking aside I would say either
- Try live bait for a little bit just to make sure the spots you are fishing can produce at least some fish
- Try to get on an early morning topwater bite (if you can, you did say you can't get out super early)
- Fish deep during the day, I know you are fishing from the bank but try to find spots from shore where the bank is steep, and fish can come up to feed while still having access to deeper water.
We've all had days where we "should have been catching fish" but it just didn't happen. It is frustrating, but keep at it, the guys above have posted good advice. And remember, a bad day of fishing is still a day of fishing, it's good to just be out there.
Kyhokie reply :
find someone who is better than you at fishing. Might be a friend, might be a guide. Go with them and watch/imitate what they do. I learn a lot here and on the water by myself, but I almost always learn something new with a better fisherman. Keep your head up and when in doubt, 8 lb test, ned rig tied directly to your line, med light spinning gear. If that dont work, buy an R/C car. Tight lines man.
NorcalBassin reply :
Agree with the live bait recommendations. Not necessarily a "sporty" way to catch bass, but it should be a slumpbuster.
Jonathan Evans reply :
On 7/22/2016 at 9:14 AM, Buffdaddy54 said:Im about ready to throw in the towel. 7 outings in a row no fish no bites and on different lakes. I have no idea what I am doing, obviously since I'm not getting any bites. Ive thrown everything but the kitchen sink out there and nothing. I'm so close to calling it quits and packing up my stuff for the year. No fun gettin skunked every time out.
Road Warrior I have followed your advice and walked the bank throwing Senkos first, nothing, then I've thrown the Fat Ika, nothing, worms, nothing, chatterbait,nothing, buzzbaits, nothing. Can someone explain to me what you would throw and in what order? From the bank, first cast of the day what are you using first and why? Most water I go to is stained with vegetation, fishing from bank so am limited as far as structure. I do not have the ability to fish early, early, early. Sometimes I can get out just before dark but not often so most of my fishing is done mid to late morning. Temps are going to be near 100 the next few days with no chance of rain.
Desperate for a bite!
This is advice that came from the people on this forum. You need to remember its hot and we are bank fishermen. This is the hardest time of the year for us and it can get a bit hopeless at times. I take 3 poles with me when I go and they all have a soft plastic on them. I use one for a Texas rig Sinko, one for a Texas rig worm and one for a weightless fluke. I just asked around on here what people used the most in summer and those 3 are always mentioned. Ever since I started doing this i have not had one skunk day at all. I might only catch 1 or 2 on a slow day but I am fishing a pressured pond in the middle of summer so I can live with those numbers. Use as little weight as possible and WORK IT SLOW! let that worm sit for 10 seconds and give it a little pop or drag it really slow. Also, Every fish I caught from the bank was caught while I was standing more then 10 feet from the water. Fish spend most of the time looking up for forage so they will see you before you see them. Remember this is a Apex predator that has been perfected over 3.5 million years. They are good at what they do and are intune with their senses like you cannot imagine.
Molay1292 reply :
Just go have some fun, if that means taking some worms and bobber and sitting under a tree catching bluegill. Fishing is suppose to be fun not frustrating.
Hogsticker reply :
I agree with MassYak85. I'm always looking for areas where fish have quick access to deeper water. Look at the landscape you're standing on. If it isn't somewhat steep, move. How bad is the vegetation? Can you navigate away from it? You need to find out if fish are indeed in the area. When I'm fishing a new spot from the bank I always start with 2 presentations. A small paddle tail swimbait and a flick shake style worm. Fan cast the paddle tail. Work it on top and then the bottom. Fan cast the wacky rigged flick shake on the lightest weight possible and let it sink on a semi slack line. Try dead sticking a small stick bait in areas you feel in your gut fish should be. Lastly, split shot a small creature / craw imitation. You just have to keep experimenting until you get a strike and the light bulb goes off. If you get nada after all that it's probably time to find a different spot. Getting frustrated won't help. You gotta be zen man, dialed in and in tune. Don't give up. When you figure it out it will be that much more rewarding.
Acerty reply :
Are you fishing into the night, or do you leave as nightfall starts? A lot of the time, any bite there is or was can shutdown as the sun sets until the sky turns completely dark, and in the dog days of summer the night bite can be better than the day bite all together.
You mention that there is a lot of vegetation in the water, does this extend straight to the top of the water? I know you've tossed buzzbaits, spinners, etc. Have you running a hollow body frog around the lake? Also, have you gone finesse style on the lake or used over sized worms?
Also, if you are fishing a well cleared, common, everybody fishes spot that can hurt your chances of a bite too and you need to find different angles or different spot. Even if that means something as simple as walking in the water a few feet to open up new angles of retrieve.
crypt reply :
On 7/22/2016 at 9:49 AM, Turkey sandwich said:1. Don't jump off a cliff.
2. Take a deep breath.
3. Learn.
Anything can be frustrating for beginners, especially without hands on guidance. Forget everything that's complicated and make things as simple as possible. This also means you need to forget your ego. Conditions, forage, and the body of water itself dictate where and how to fish, nothing else.
So, here's the likely deal with your conditions... It's going to be very hot and the days are going to be long, so that means lower oxygen content in shallow water. Some of the days coming up are showing lots of sun which means fish are going to relate to deep structure or cover that provides shade. It also means that your early morning and evening bites are going to be best. You might get decent pockets of activity during the day, but it'll likely be deep or in the weeds. If you're fishing from shore, these aren't likely to be the easiest days.
When your confidence sucks, you're going to struggle, period. This might be a good opportunity to hire a guide and learn something on the water. A good guide can sometimes teach you more about conditions and a body of water in one day than you'll learn struggling on your own for an entire season.
slow down.........use smaller baits........like Turkey sandwich said take a deep breath and learn. we all go through it. now if we only had a 12 step for people like us...........
frogflogger reply :
throw a topwater - they're fun
scaleface reply :
You need some sort of water craft . I've fished from 10 foot jon boats on up , plastic boats , canoes , kayaks and bass boats .
Fishinthefish reply :
Find stickups, find lay downs, find cover, shaded areas, go to the side of the bank that you can fish with the wind to your back so the cooler bottom water is churning up and the hotter water is being pushed away from you. Throw texas rigs into the lay downs and stick ups, throw ned rigs as close to them as possible, hit holes in any weed beds, or hydrilla areas you can find. Fish slow, fish smaller.
Cgrinder reply :
Bank fishing during the day in summer can suck. Downsize your presentation and work your way up. Sounds like you need a few dinks to get the confidence back.
OCdockskipper reply :
On 7/22/2016 at 9:36 PM, scaleface said:You need some sort of water craft . I've fished from 10 foot jon boats on up , plastic boats , canoes , kayaks and bass boats .
Don't forget those little pedal boats, they are a pain in the wind, but they can get you where you want to.
trick worms reply :
Summer is a VERY tough time to fish from the bank. Try fishing small ponds or places you know have bass in them.
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing reply :
On 7/22/2016 at 9:58 AM, riverbasser said:Its hard when you try to force fish. Fishing is suppose to be a relaxing hobby, if its not then its not fun hobby. If I was fishing strictly from the bank I wouldn't only be targeting bass. Don't forget the reason your there. Relax and catch some fish. Throw out a catfish line and bass fish while waiting for a bite. Have fun and just learn as you go.
On 7/22/2016 at 11:24 AM, Kyhokie said:find someone who is better than you at fishing. Might be a friend, might be a guide. Go with them and watch/imitate what they do. I learn a lot here and on the water by myself, but I almost always learn something new with a better fisherman. Keep your head up and when in doubt, 8 lb test, ned rig tied directly to your line, med light spinning gear. If that dont work, buy an R/C car. Tight lines man.
great ideas ^ i fish a small pond with a dock. I bring 3-4 rods. I leave my tackle bag on the dock. set out 2 03 rods for catfish or (if I'm UNlucky) a turtle. then i bass fish by covering water. Tie on a 1/0 or 2/0 EWG Worm hook, get a pack of zoom finesse worms 4.5" get a 1/8 oz worm weight, use this aka texas rig. cast shallow to cove and work slow. then fish small cranks or topwater shallow and in the middle. soft bodied swimsuits work too
slow down
small baits
patience
=fish
Buffdaddy54 reply :
Thanks everybody for the encouragement and advice. Quick question, you get to the place where you are going to fish say just after sun rise, what's the first thing you throw and why? Besides top water. My method was to go top water (frog,pop r )and when that did not work I went to a wacky rigged Senko. I have NO confidence in worms. I want to use them but not sure I would feel the bite. I guess why not though right? Nothing else has worked.
So again, let's say you get there after sun up, what's the first thing you throw and why?
Thanks again for the help
Kyhokie reply :
@Buffdaddy54 I enjoy all types of topwater, but when I first started, I threw mostly moving lures (buzzbaits and jitterbugs). I gained confidence in these, then moved on to more challenging presentations. It may not look like it but there is a lot going on when fishing poppers and spooks. That being said one of the first things I throw if I get to my pond in the morning is a tex rigged salamander.
Turkey sandwich reply :
Dude! You can't complain being frustrated if you aren't throwing arguably the best confidence bait of all time! I'd wager pretty heavily that if polled, the members of this forum, from total novice to sponsored tournament fishermen have caught more fish on Texas or Carolina rigged worms than any other presentation. Personally, 1/2 of all largemouth over 20" I've ever caught have come on Culprit ribbon tails, Power bait curl tails, or similar worms Texas or Carolina rigged. Fishing from shore, you NEED to learn to fish T-rigs and finesse/light C-rigs. If I'm fishing for largemouth, unless the conditions are really ridiculous, I'll always have a T-rig tied on at least one rod.
primetime reply :
I would buy some shiners and take them out to a lake known for producing a good volume of fish, find a nice area that offer's what Bass need. Cooler water, shade, structure, bait etc...
I would free line them on plain old Mono as light as possible. If you can use 10lb test, use 10lb test mono.
If you want to use lures, I would get out early or late and fish a plastic worm on light line, light as possible, and use a smaller bait, and smallest hook possible to make it look natural. I love a 4" Berkley Power Worm curly tail or 4" Senko or sluggo fished on a split shot rig and 8lb test.
If you get out early or late, even during the day, If you can't get strikes on a Floating Rapala F-9 Size on 6-8lb test then maybe the fish are suspended at the thermocline and not feeding.
I would ask for info when buying shiners, you can always get some action on live bait if in the right area....Good luck.
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing reply :
throw confidence baits, moving ones too
blckshirt98 reply :
I'm a 100% bank guy and I'm taking a break until the weather/water temps cool down some, so I probably won't go back out until early September. You're picking a tough time of the year to fish, especialliy with this heat wave hitting the entire country. Take some time off and wait for the Fall bite!
papajoe222 reply :
It isn't you.
The biggest downside to bank fishing is the limited access to spots that are productive year round. The fewer places that offer you access, the more your chances of getting skunked increases. It sounds to me, like there is no reason for the fish to be where you are fishing. Deeper water near by? Signs of forage using the area? The presence of isolated cover? In the absence of these, there is no reason for bass to frequent the area or even use it as home base.
Just because a spot produced in the past, isn't a reason to probe the area over and over with no results. We call this fishing 'history' For whatever reason (spawning, forage moving into the area, etc.), at one point the area was productive. Seasons and conditions change. To be successful on a fairly regular basis, you need to both, be able to recognize when change occurs and change along with it. Often, that means changing tactics. Sometimes, it means changing locations.
bigbill reply :
When it's tough fishing and you used up all your skills go firetiger in color. If your spot is deep go deep with firetiger.
I refused to go home skunked one-day. I threw everything in my tackle box twice but I didn't throw the bomber crank in firetiger. One bass hit it. I landed it and went home. Never give up. I do regret staying with crankbaits and not switching to plastics. Time to change up the baits. I know the bass are there.
JigMaster4 reply :
I suggest fishing real early in the morning or later at night because in the summer that is when the best bass bite will be. Also maybe you arent giving the lures a chance. When I first started fishing I would throw something for 5-10 minutes without a byte, then change lures. Now I give my confidence lures more time and usually they will produce.
Mosster47 reply :
Spring and fall are easy. Summer and winter suck.
Stick with it and you'll start to figure out the retrieves, bait sizes, time of day, etc. of summer fishing. Then in the winter fish the exact same way, but do the exact opposite for time of day.
Hogsticker reply :
On 7/26/2016 at 1:00 AM, blckshirt98 said:I'm a 100% bank guy and I'm taking a break until the weather/water temps cool down some, so I probably won't go back out until early September. You're picking a tough time of the year to fish, especialliy with this heat wave hitting the entire country. Take some time off and wait for the Fall bite!
I'm with you on this one. I'll hit it this last week and probably won't return till the 3rd or 4th week of September, maybe even wait till October. I'm getting 1 to 2 good fish bites just before the sun goes down in the deepest water I can reach from shore. Been throwing the Jackall Rythm Wave and those few good takes I'm getting are hitting it on the drop just before it touches bottom.
Ratherbfishing reply :
The plus side to the summer is that a fish's metabolism increases and therefore they have to feed more often. The bad news, however, is that their food source is also more readily available and bass are more likely to feed at night and/or will move to locations harder for you to find or to fish. Shore fishing (especially from larger impoundments) can be rather limiting in this regard. But some bass will remain relatively shallow-which is good for you.
If you absolutely have to feed when the sun is higher, find weed edges and shaded areas where bass are more likely to hold. Put away your fast moving baits for now. Slow down and fish soft plastics (worms, crawdads, lizards) methodically. If you can reach matted vegetation or moss, cast out to it with a hollow bodied frog or mouse-but be sure to use a stout rod and heavy line as pulling the fish through the stuff is three quarters of the battle. If you haven't had so much as a bite, though, catching may be less critical than just getting bit.
Summer fishing is a challenge for most fishermen but especially for bank fishermen. Between the heat/humidity/bugs/stinging nettle, poison ivy, etc. it can be maddening. Determination is good but not if it means a case of heat stroke and not if it means throwing out the baby with the bathwater if it isn't working out. Maybe it's time to put up your gear for awhile. Find another hobby.
Choporoz reply :
@Turkey sandwich is right...once you determine there's nothing going to hit your topwater, you need to put some plastic out there, IMO. Rigging depends on depth, grass, bottom, etc. But, a finesse worm on a 1/16 trig or jighead (or a ned rig) worked SLOW will either get bit or tell you to go home and play Call of Duty.
I HATE getting skunked, but I'm old enough to have gotten to the point where I can still enjoy fishing even if there's not a lot of catching. That hasn't always been the case, but if you get to the point where you can really just enjoy the fishing, every bite will seem like a bonus.....I won't tell you it took about 50 years to arrive at that attitude, however 
fishwizzard reply :
OP, bank fishing in central MD is awful right now, anywhere that isnt pressured is going to be overgrown with thorns and swarming with ticks.
Get yourself to the upper Patapsco River and wade for some (small) Smallmouths. Use a Ned/MFW stlye lures, or a small tube. If you hit an uncrowded section and can find some shaded pools, it would be hard not to catch atleast a few.
Buffdaddy54 reply :
Thanks everyone! I will keep at it. Going to be throwing worms and creature baits for awhile.
snake95 reply :
On 7/27/2016 at 7:03 AM, Buffdaddy54 said:
Thanks everyone! I will keep at it. Going to be throwing worms and creature baits for awhile.
Another vote that you are not alone in terms of slow to no bite lately. I would say I've reliably caught 1-4 bass in each 1/2 hr - 1 hr outing, once every few days for the last two months. The last week: one dink in 4 outings. Last week my son caught one of our biggest fish yet. Since then, the bite has completely died off fishing the same spots, using the same methods, at the same time. It's not you.
YoTone reply :
MD should have some monster snake heads right active right now. id start targeting them, well i have but im not in MD.
scaleface reply :
Summer is the time to catch lots of fish . If you're stuck on bank then find steeper banks or like previously mentioned streams . .
bigbill reply :
The inline spinners work great in rivers, streams and lakes/ponds too.
Mepps, panther Martin's, joesflys ext.
dday07 reply :
Tough this time of year for a bank fisherman with not a lot of structure to catch fish mid morning or late morning...usually by that time they have either gone deep or if shallow found some cover..my buddy has the same problem and very tough for him..before dark not too bad a time but still need an hour or so after dark for it to really kick in...don't be too discouraged...come Fall will be a better time for all day chances of catching some fish
Jonathan Evans reply :
Get some clothes you do not care about and some old shoes. Get a kiddie float from Walmart to hold gear. Now wade out to about the waist line. That is what I plan On doing Saturday.
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