In a slump 2024
clark9312 reply :
I've been out 2 times now without a bite! I've had plenty of bad days but I don't think I can ever remember going 2 trips in row with out a bite. Any of you guys experienced this?
Sword of the Lord reply :
I would frequently experience multiple skunk fests if I didn't fish multiple bodies of water nearly every time out.
38 Super Fan reply :
September and October are always tough around here.
BassB8Caster reply :
Maybe you are forcing things too much? Relax and slow down. Think back over those 2 days. What are you using? Maybe you are using "the same routine"? Think outside the box. The last few times out prior to yesterday were a grind. Fish were not where they should be doing what the should as the water cools. Yesterday i had the best day ever. It can change in one day....in one cast.
Koz reply :
That's just part of fishing and it happens to everyone at one time or another. For weeks I was pulling out 4 and 5 pounders every time I went out and then last weekend not even a nibble. But I'll be back out next weekend.
Be thankful you're fishing for sport and not for food.
geo g reply :
It happens to a lot of good fisherman this time of year. Slow down with your plastics and fish them painfully slow. Don't panic! The senko, or Zoom u-vibe, fished slow has saved many a day for me, this time of the year.
TOXIC reply :
Happens a lot more than I would like but we call them "Dues paying Days" sooner or later the payoff will happen. Just gotta keep grinding it out and approach each day new. As a guide, I use the following mindset every time I hit the water....Fishing is like a 500 piece puzzle, the more pieces of the puzzle you can put together, the better your day will be. No mater where or how I caught them yesterday or the day before, I re-think the puzzle every time I dunk the boat. 
frogflogger reply :
Having gone over 12 days without a fish I would advise keep fishing - the ned rig will usually cure those ills.
Spankey reply :
It happens don't sweat it. Get away from your normal routine. Sort of fish your way through it. There is most likely a good explanation for it. It's a matter of how deep you want to think about it. Let it go, and fish through it. I was out on Saturday and the Smallmouts were nonexistent with a case of lock jaw. Managed two greenies fishing an area I had no plans on fishing. Was gonna call it a day. Felt lucky and blessed to get them. Covered a lot of productive water and threw a lot of productive lures. Thats fishing.
kickerfish1 reply :
Sounds like you need to find a slumpbuster
bigbill reply :
Sounds like you need to fish different baits? Try a scent? Wash your hands like I do with big orange before going fishing. Don't touch the gas pump while on the way to go fishing. Change your ways. I follow a routine exactly.
remember I said we can have different water conditions as the water column goes deeper. Chartreuse can be our friend. Yup been there.
it about attitude too. If we say we're not going to catch anything while on the way there stay home. You jinx yourself. I'm so up beat nothing can touch me when I'm in the zone not even the bears.
JustinJ reply :
Tough few weeks for me l. Keep fishing!
clark9312 reply :
On 10/10/2017 at 8:03 PM, frogflogger said:Having gone over 12 days without a fish I would advise keep fishing - the ned rig will usually cure those ills.
I picked up a pack of ned rig hooks the other day but never tied one on.
The water conditions have been pretty good and everything tells me they should be feeding up shallow or in cover but just can't seem to find them. Going to try and find a tourney Saturday. I'm due for a good day lol
TheFishingFool reply :
I went through a slump in August. I found my way out of it by just fishing through it. I switched from my go to baits and went with some other stuff and it made the difference.
burrows reply :
I usually will hop some farm ponds, that always gets the skunk out.
JRez reply :
Drop shot roboworm (morning dawn) usually gets the job done. Just choose a good spot with some cover. I'm sure one of them will crush the roboworm.
DINK WHISPERER reply :
I recently got skunked for the first time ever (fishing from a boat). I tried everywhere on that lake. But, i was trying to force them to bite what and how i wanted. Next trip out I took weather conditions into consideration and a little logic and I we able to make a decent day out of it. Sometimes you just have to go back to basics.
Gundog reply :
2 times without a fish isn't a slump. That happens routinely. I agree with the comments above that say slow down, fish soft plastics slow and eliminate what was not working the last 2 times out. BTW my personal record for fishing days without a fish is 12.
scaleface reply :
Skunkings just dont happen to me unless under extreme circumstances . Early and late in the year can be tough . Also during extreme weather or water changes like flooded conditions, muddy... This time of year , the places I fish that have good populations of bass , during normal weather, I'm going to catch some . I pick times and locations with the intent on having a good day and put in an average of eight hours on the water . Are you fishing from a boat ?
If fishing stable weather , stable water and a good population of fish there should be some biting .
Catt reply :
Slumps are something we all deal with; I've found through the years the best way to handle them is to get back to basics. I know what my strengths are and fish towards them; I suggest you should do the same. If you are good at Flipping/Pitching, Texas Rigs, Cranks, Spinners, or what ever concentrate on those techniques. If you are good at shallow water, deep water, or grass concentrate on those areas.
I've learned to down size my tackle to just the basics, it is extremely hard to be a master of all the available techniques. I'm very good at Jig-N-Craws, Texas Rigs, & Spinner baits so I fish where I can maximize these strengths. I'm not that great with Crank baits so when in a slump I don't waste time fishing them. I don't try new techniques either when in a slump.
The most common mistake I see my students make when in a slump is with the hook set. They are not sure if they had a bite & so they use somewhat of a lazy hook set. I cannot over stress the importance of a solid hook set; speed is the key not strength. If you are a smaller person or woman use a heavier rod to gain the speed needed, if you are a larger person use a medium heavy rod to limit pulling the bait away from the fish.
So when in a slump I would look for small things to change, like timing of the hook set, speed of the hook set.
TOXIC reply :
First off, stop considering it a "slump" bad term with a bad meaning. I like "struggling" better. You have to break a slump......you succeed in figuring out the pattern when you are struggling. It's a mental problem.
NHBull reply :
If your getting Skunked at this time of year, you are probably fishing to fast or staying with a presentation to long. Slow down, relax, and don't be afraid to change it up. Many of my Summer go-to's are now sleeping for the Winter and Fall top waters and buzz baits are on deck.......oh, and big jigs too ?
Columbia Craw reply :
Bass are driven by two factors, feeding and reproduction. They need to gain weight going into winter but many bodies of water are in transition, water levels, temperature, vegetation die off, algae blooms and so on. Find the bait as best as you can. For me this means rock rock and more rock. It's a time when cranking shines but that's my area. It will come together.
Russ E reply :
If a lake has a lot of vegetation, the die off in fall can drive fish away.
I have found bass in these type of lakes in the fall, In the back of coves that have a feeder creek.
this brings in fresh water that attracts baitfish.
geo g reply :
On 10/12/2017 at 9:46 PM, scaleface said:Skunkings just dont happen to me unless under extreme circumstances . Early and late in the year can be tough . Also during extreme weather or water changes like flooded conditions, muddy... This time of year , the places I fish that have good populations of bass , during normal weather, I'm going to catch some . I pick times and locations with the intent on having a good day and put in an average of eight hours on the water . Are you fishing from a boat ?
If fishing stable weather , stable water and a good population of fish there should be some biting .
You probably just haven't been fishing long enough. Getting skunked isn't abnormal, never getting skunked is abnormal. If you do it long enough, it will happen. It happens to tour pros, so it will happen to average Joes!!!!!!
scaleface reply :
On 10/13/2017 at 5:30 AM, geo g said:You probably just haven't been fishing long enough. Getting skunked isn't abnormal, never getting skunked is abnormal. If you do it long enough, it will happen. It happens to tour pros, so it will happen to average Joes!!!!!!
So you go fishing for 8 hours in a good lake during good conditions and not even catch one bass ? Not one ?
clark9312 reply :
On 10/13/2017 at 5:30 AM, geo g said:You probably just haven't been fishing long enough. Getting skunked isn't abnormal, never getting skunked is abnormal. If you do it long enough, it will happen. It happens to tour pros, so it will happen to average Joes!!!!!!
I've been fishing for years and tourney fishing for about 3. I have been skunked plenty of times. Mainly the first trip or 2 out. I don't get too bent out of shape because often times the water is barely 50 degrees. Now when the water temps are in the low 70s and pretty clear and I go 2 trips with out a bite I start to get aggravated. I'm going out again Saturday on my home lake so hopefully I can get on some fish!
geo g reply :
On 10/13/2017 at 5:47 AM, scaleface said:So you go fishing for 8 hours in a good lake during good conditions and not even catch one bass ? Not one ?
Lol, you missed the whole point. It happens to everyone once in a while, and the member who started the post, should NOT worry about it. End of story!!!!!!!
Spankey reply :
On 10/13/2017 at 5:30 AM, geo g said:You probably just haven't been fishing long enough. Getting skunked isn't abnormal, never getting skunked is abnormal. If you do it long enough, it will happen. It happens to tour pros, so it will happen to average Joes!!!!!!
That's for sure. Very well put.
scaleface reply :
On 10/13/2017 at 10:19 AM, geo g said:Lol, you missed the whole point. It happens to everyone once in a while, and the member who started the post, should NOT worry about it. End of story!!!!!!!
Sorry but I cant ever recall getting skunked this time of year under good conditions when putting hours on the water . It could be lost in my memory but it would still be rare . Thats what the OP asked . Now, I've been skunked plenty of times late and early in the year , or under adverse conditions . My home lake is subject to extreme flooding at any time , I've completely blanked bunches of times in those conditions .
bigbill reply :
As the vegetation dies the PH changes. The fish can be tight lipped, it's not us. Move around the place looking for baitfish.
Go back to basics a split shot rigged black rubber worm fish it slow. Run a floating crankbait parallel to shore. Getting froggy with it?
the north end of the body of water stays warmer because it gets more sunlite longer like in the springtime try fishing there.
the more we learn to adapt to the changing conditions the less we get skunked. Also use the down time to practice your presentations.
Spankey reply :
At times I'm my own worse enemy. I go out and have my self fishing to my own game plan. The way I want to fish. Fish a bunch of confidence baits that generally produce. I don't let the fish tell me what they want. I've had this happen. I've went home shaking my head. But I try to reason with what is going on on the water. Change something up and continue to fish hard .
clark9312 reply :
Finally got on a few yesterday. I fished a small tourney? Even though I didn't place I still caught fish. I had a limit quick but when the top water bite stopped it started getting tough. It felt good to get a few bites!
Sword of the Lord reply :
Said it before and I'll say it again: I rarely get skunked any day I go fishing. But! That's because on days I go fishing, I go out several times. In the morning, take a break. In the afternoon, take a break. In the evening, end my day. And I almost always fish 2 or 3 different bodies of water each time I'm out. If I didn't put in hours, go multiple times a day or stay out all day, or change waters, I would get skunked often. You just have to first find fish, and then put in the time.
mrmacwvu1 reply :
I carry with me what I call a dummy box. It has a few lures that catch multiple species. In is an original rapala, a few roostertails, some grubs and small stick baits.
Usually I can get bit with those. If it seems that it is going to be a really bad day on the water. I will go do something else such as golfing or drink a beer on the back porch. Fishing is supposed to be fun.
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