What Do You Do When You Can't Buy A Bite? 2024
jacob2000 reply :
We all know that there are days when even the greatest bass fisherman can't buy a bite with there usual techniques. So, what's your favorite bait to fall back on when the going gets tough?
deep reply :
"What Do You Do When You Can't Buy A Bite?"
I go fish a different reservoir where the fishing is (comparatively) easier and get my confidence back up to where it should be.
Tuesday: Scratched 4 dinks (and I do mean dinks) on a ned rig after a whole lot of time on the water.
Thursday (Today): 15+ keepers in ~3 hours on a different lake I haven't fished in over a month.
bcarter261 reply :
Crack a brew
Catt reply :
Texas Rig! Aint been skunked in 12 yrs 
scaleface reply :
T rig .
Hanover_Yakker reply :
Don't forget to bring along an ultralight rod with a beetle spin, some rooster tails or maybe even a bobber and some earthworms or crickets. You'd be surprised at what a little panfish activity can do to stir up the bite.......
Personally, I'm now carrying my fly rod with a small popper or cricket tied on. Even on the hottest and slowest days, a bluegill fight on light gear can be just the ticket to fight the doldrums.
Senko lover reply :
My go-to "not get skunked lures:"
-T-rig
-Shakeyhead
-Inline spinner
-Tiny popper
If those can't get you bites, well, it's probably time to go home.
Sam reply :
Sometimes a cold front moving through an area will turn off the bite when you have clear blue skies.
Other times the heat will dissipate the oxygen and the bass will go deep looking for oxygen.
Rain causing your body of water to become dirty can ruin your day.
So what to do?
As Hanover_Yakker penned, scale down in bait size. Rooster Tails, small white one-inch grubs and crappie crankbaits can catch all types of fish.
Then, as Senko Lover wrote, the Texas Rig with a color of your choice can produce results. Zoom finesse worms in various shades of Watermelon, Green Pumpkin and Junebug need to be tested.
Remember, if you have caught bass in a specific area previously they are still in the neighborhood. They have moved deeper or left or right but they usually remain in one geographical area unless the water quality is so poor that they vacate the area.
bighed reply :
Put on a shakey head, eliminate water, and grind
wytstang reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 11:39 AM, bcarter261 said:Crack a brew
1 Four Loco to ease the pain and a 2nd one to forget the day lol
HoosierHawgs reply :
Eat a sandwich
WIGuide reply :
When the bite gets super tough, there's only a few options:
1. Slow down and downsize. Things like weightless t rigs, drop shot, shakey head, very small profile baits in general. Fish them very slow and make them either look natural enough to coax a bass into biting, or keep them in the fishes face long enough it annoys them into biting.
2. Pull out the power fishing gear and cover water. By fishing fast, you are trying to force a reaction strike and/or find some feeding fish. It's a numbers game, but it can work.
fishblitzer reply :
Shakey head or drop shot for me! I always hear how drop shot is a vertical presentation but I have a lot of success actually casting it out like I would a t-rig and then fishing it the same as I would a shakey head. Only difference between the shakey head and drop shot for me is the worm is up off the bottom.
einscodek reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 10:47 AM, jacob2000 said:We all know that there are days when even the greatest bass fisherman can't buy a bite with there usual techniques. So, what's your favorite bait to fall back on when the going gets tough?
Change it up .. and keep changing.. presentation, lure, location
Even if it dont make sense.. change it up
Record.. you'll learn to fish "out of the box" that way
Fish dont read those articles and books we write about them sometimes.. theres too many factors out there.. such as "how they feel" .. aint no books about how they feel
scaleface reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 9:37 PM, einscodek said:Change it up .. and keep changing.. presentation, lure, location
Even if it dont make sense.. change it up
Record.. you'll learn to fish "out of the box" that way
Fish dont read those articles and books we write about them sometimes.. theres too many factors out there.. such as "how they feel" .. aint no books about how they feel
Several times when I wasnt catching fish like I thought I should. Slowing down , just made it worse. Sometimes the bass dont bite because they are getting to good a look at the fake bait. Speeding up was the answer . Dont let the fish study the offering .
BrownBear reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 9:37 PM, einscodek said:Change it up .. and keep changing.. presentation, lure, location
Even if it dont make sense.. change it up
Record.. you'll learn to fish "out of the box" that way
Fish dont read those articles and books we write about them sometimes.. theres too many factors out there.. such as "how they feel" .. aint no books about how they feel
So agree, cause what you are currently doing isn't working!....lol
FishHard247 reply :
I fished one day for 3 solid and I was about to give up. I moved further to the deep for no reason at all and then BOOM! It seems that they were not on the bank but rather 20 feet off. Mid summer, hot, no rain, not sure but this big girl showed up hungry. yes, I was in a boat but still. I fished an area that I had not fished ever at this pond. 23" 6.0 on the nose
A-Jay reply :
What Do You Do When You Can't Buy A Bite?
Go Home and come back at Night.
A-Jay
NathanW reply :
If you have the luxury stop fishing, get on the graph and find fish out on the ledge. Don't make any casts until you locate a whole bunch of fish. When I do this it seems like it takes an eternity while I am not fishing but in reality I don't think I have ever spent more than 20 minutes on the graph at one time. 20 minutes on the graph to find fish beats three hours of no bites while fishing. Its amazing how fast time feels like it is going when you are fishing and how slowly it seems to go when you are not. I fish vertically with a drop shot. I think its been two complete seasons since I have been skunked but we have lots of smallmouth in our area which can always be caught deep.
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 9:32 PM, fishblitzer said:Shakey head or drop shot for me! I always hear how drop shot is a vertical presentation but I have a lot of success actually casting it out like I would a t-rig and then fishing it the same as I would a shakey head. Only difference between the shakey head and drop shot for me is the worm is up off the bottom.
Aaron Martens said he also does this a lot too.
OntarioFishingGuy reply :
Accept it and go home.
Raul reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 6:56 PM, Senko lover said:My go-to "not get skunked lures:"
-T-rig
-Shakeyhead
-Inline spinner
-Tiny popper
If those can't get you bites, well, it's probably time to go home.
T rig and Shakeyhead are not "lures".
Turtle135 reply :
Tie on a 3/8th ounce jig with a small craw trailer and practice pitching to shallow cover items. I fish the jig in cover like I am trying to lose it. It's good practice if nothing else and is remarkable in managing to pull out a bite or two on a difficult day.
K_Mac reply :
I've always been the guy to go deeper using lighter line and smaller baits, and that is still my go-to when it gets tough. Turtle135's approach has become a close second though. A small jig and craw or a t-rigged smallie beaver pitched into the nastiest cover available will often produce when nothing else will.
Catt reply :
With a Texas rig I can go
Weightless or up to 1.5 oz
I can fish it on top, mid-depth like a swim jig, or goto the bottom.
I can select from dozens of lures in a multitude of colors.
It's effective winter, spring, summer, or fall
the reel ess reply :
If I can go to a different place where the fish are less educated, I will. That usually, but not always, means smaller fish.
If I only have time for one spot, I keep on trying different things. That takes a deep tackle box and patience. If it's the summertime blues that you're talking about, go very early or for the last couple hours of daylight. Man, I really love fishing topwater anyway. I'll end up with three topwaters tied on.
My personal best was the only fish caught that evening by me or my buddy.
the reel ess reply :
Oh, and an 1/8 oz Roadrunner
And a T-Rigged Zoom Speed Craw (black/sapphire)
RUSS9999 reply :
Put the color-C-lector in the water.
clh121787 reply :
Last 2 days this very thing has happened. Wednesday all day 1 black bass. Yessterday nothing. Marked alot of fish all at around 20 foot. No bites.Fork can humble your butt in a hurry. So we salvaged the day by tying on a 6xd And a spoon and got a quick limit of sandbass. Had alot of fun.and got fish for the freezer.
the reel ess reply :
My friend just starts trolling for crappie or bream fishing. But he likes to catch those as much as I like to catch bass. I'd rather catch 1 bass than 5 panfish, especially good bass.
olegs reply :
Flick Shake Wacky Jig Head + 4.5" worms
Neko Rig
Ned Rig
T-Rig Rage Baby Craw
Redlinerobert reply :
Drink.
Senko lover reply :
On 7/18/2015 at 12:35 AM, Raul said:T rig and Shakeyhead are not "lures".
Lure: something that tempts or is used to tempt a person or animal to do something 
*Hootie reply :
Can't buy a bite? Rent one. Sorry, it's just one of those days
Hootie
RoLo reply :
On days when bass seem to have 'lockjaw', I might relent to a wacky worm or shaky head worm.
In all honesty though, neither of those techniques light my fire.
Anglers come in different forms; some simply go bass fishing, others target trophy-bass exclusively.
If you're a trophy-bass hunter, your self-confidence should be affected one iota by an occasional skunk.
After all, the fish have to win once in a while too 
Roger
Jay Marx reply :
If your using colors that try to mimic prey in the water. Such as silver, gold, shad, baby bass, etc. I try bright colors like fire tiger, red crawdad, and chartreuse colors. I've noticed this summer, I have caught more bass on a red Crawdad colored square bill crank bait more than any other lure. If you're taking a kid fishing, nothing is more exciting than bass going after live minnows.
poisonokie reply :
Use finesse techniques and keep moving. Float like a Zara Spook, sting like an Owner treble. Angle, young man, angle.
papajoe222 reply :
That's why I carry my trusty Visa card. I just put a few on charge. It may take a while to pay them off, but it beats the snot out of getting skunked.
CeeJay reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 6:18 PM, Hanover_Yakker said:Don't forget to bring along an ultralight rod with a beetle spin, some rooster tails or maybe even a bobber and some earthworms or crickets. You'd be surprised at what a little panfish activity can do to stir up the bite.......
Personally, I'm now carrying my fly rod with a small popper or cricket tied on. Even on the hottest and slowest days, a bluegill fight on light gear can be just the ticket to fight the doldrums.
^ This ^
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 7/18/2015 at 8:44 AM, papajoe222 said:That's why I carry my trusty Visa card. I just put a few on charge. It may take a while to pay them off, but it beats the snot out of getting skunked.
Do they take Discover? 
Canyon explorer reply :
Downsize to a Shakey Head baby brush hog pitched under the docks.
desmobob reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 6:18 PM, Hanover_Yakker said:Don't forget to bring along an ultralight rod with a beetle spin, some rooster tails or maybe even a bobber and some earthworms or crickets. You'd be surprised at what a little panfish activity can do to stir up the bite.......
Personally, I'm now carrying my fly rod with a small popper or cricket tied on. Even on the hottest and slowest days, a bluegill fight on light gear can be just the ticket to fight the doldrums.
If things are REALLY tough, and down-sizing/finesse doesn't work, then out comes the UL spinning gear or 5-wt. fly rod.
The great thing about it is, even though I'm expecting to catch panfish (which I'm completely happy to do), I usually end up hooking into something interesting. Last night, before the bass turned on, I caught a channel cat and two freshwater drum each over four pounds in about a half-dozen casts with a 1/16 oz. yellow marabou jig on a 4 lb. test UL spinning rig. And it was FUN!
Some days, the early morning bite is good and the evening bite is good, but the whole day in between can be really slow. Fishing ultralight with the spinning or fly gear is a fun way to take up the time until the bass change moods.
Tight lines,
Bob
CeeJay reply :
On 7/18/2015 at 9:44 AM, desmobob said:If things are REALLY tough, and down-sizing/finesse doesn't work, then out comes the UL spinning gear or 5-wt. fly rod.
The great thing about it is, even though I'm expecting to catch panfish (which I'm completely happy to do), I usually end up hooking into something interesting. Last night, before the bass turned on, I caught a channel cat and two freshwater drum each over four pounds in about a half-dozen casts with a 1/16 oz. yellow marabou jig on a 4 lb. test UL spinning rig. And it was FUN!
Some days, the early morning bite is good and the evening bite is good, but the whole day in between can be really slow. Fishing ultralight with the spinning or fly gear is a fun way to take up the time until the bass change moods.
Tight lines,
Bob
Yeah I went fishing for smallmouth yesterday on the river. Little did I know that the river was still muddy and high from weeks and weeks of crazy weather.
Anyway I brought only my bass tackle...caught a little smallmouth on an inline fairly quickly, which was encouraging. Yay I located some active smallies, I thought to myself. But then absolutely nothing after that first fish.
I normally bring along my panfish tackle as well, but I figured since it was finally a couple "nice" days in a row the water and bass would cooperate...nope.
Should have brought my Bluegill gear. Lesson learned: I'll never leave home without it from now on 
And this from me, someone who often gently/jokingly chides anglers who would rather catch zero of their target fish than a bunch of a different species.
Bass fishing has been slowwwww here lately. The ability to adapt and broaden ones views certainly helps one become a better angler.
jacob2000 reply :
Great replies everyone. So most people seem to enjoy bringing panfish tackle when bass are slow. So how would you go about fishing for these panfish if the bass were Lockjawed?
Bluebasser86 reply :
Ned rig, wacky rig, shakyhead. Sometimes I'll just sit down and take a step back to run through everything I've seen and done that day to come up with a game plan. I've had a few times that I went from zero to hero by just taking a step back and looking at the big picture.
CeeJay reply :
On 7/18/2015 at 12:01 PM, jacob2000 said:Great replies everyone. So most people seem to enjoy bringing panfish tackle when bass are slow. So how would you go about fishing for these panfish if the bass were Lockjawed?
Definitely check out the "Other Species" forum here on BR and ask away with any question about panfish
A few BR members have recently caught some massive Bluegill.
jacob2000 reply :
Alrighty, so also, I was wondering what would make some of you use live bait for bass and why?
HoosierHawgs reply :
Because it catches fish...........On 7/18/2015 at 2:49 PM, jacob2000 said:Alrighty, so also, I was wondering what would make some of you use live bait for bass and why?
K_Mac reply :
On 7/18/2015 at 2:49 PM, jacob2000 said:Alrighty, so also, I was wondering what would make some of you use live bait for bass and why?
For those who use live bait, more power to ya! Live bait for bass has never appealed to me. I may go to a light jig and grub or a roadrunner, but that is a rare thing. Exploring using my electronics is a better use of time in my opinion.
deep reply :
Using live bait is just as much an art as fishing artificials. It is so much more than throwing out a half dead nightcrawler and drinking beer until a poor fish takes a bite.
I don't do the live bait thing (personal choice).
Y'all ever hear of Bob Crupi?
P.S. Bill Murphy's book has a lot of stuff on crawlers, crawdads and shiners. Read it and you'll see the intricacies.
the reel ess reply :
On 7/18/2015 at 12:01 PM, jacob2000 said:Great replies everyone. So most people seem to enjoy bringing panfish tackle when bass are slow. So how would you go about fishing for these panfish if the bass were Lockjawed?
It depends on the body of water. If it's a pond, you know they're there, within your grasp. Sometimes they show themselves by splashing in the shallows chasing bugs. Sometimes it's a mayfly hatch and they'll be all around that. Sometimes they're on the bed near full moons from May-July. When they are, nearly any lure designed for them will catch them/ Mayfly hatch it a great time to use a flyrod and Betts poppers.
If it's a lake and you don't see visual clues, try to hit spots that have brush in 7-15 feet deep.
Beetle Spins, Roadrunners, small grubs, crickets and worms all work well.
ww2farmer reply :
About the only time I get skunked for bass is when largemouth fishing VERY early in the year before the water is out of the mid 30's temp wise....I mean like the day after the ice has left, or very very late in the year after the water temps drop below 40.
What I do about it? In situation #1...............I either go home and just be glad to get out of the house after a long winter, or I go smallmouth fishing, and even that is hit or miss for me so early. If I get really desperate for some action I go looking for perch, which co-operate, but it's boring, and they are small.
In situation #2............put the boat away for the year. That really is my measuring stick for when it's time to quit. The first time I get skunked when the water drops below 40, is time to call it a season.
the reel ess reply :
I got skunked first two times out this year. No bites first time out. But I lost a monster on a spinnerbait second trip. But my buddy caught a monster when I got no bite. Haven't been skunked since. That time of year you're fishing for one, maybe two bites from big fish.
But you can fish year-round here. No ice, just slow fishing.
HoosierHawgs reply :
I'd still be fishing! Here these last few winters we've gotten snowed in our house more than once.On 7/18/2015 at 11:12 PM, the reel ess said:I got skunked first two times out this year. No bites first time out. But I lost a monster on a spinnerbait second trip. But my buddy caught a monster when I got no bite. Haven't been skunked since. That time of year you're fishing for one, maybe two bites from big fish.
But you can fish year-round here. No ice, just slow fishing.
WRB reply :
The bite is usually tough where I fish in SoCal, just ask anyone who bass fishes here. It's a special day when the bite is good! I don't rely on getting into a good bite, instead my routine is determine what is going on; how deep is the bait, how active are the bass and what are they eating....before leaving the marina if possible.
In the summer we have thermoclines that directly affect how deep the bass will be. If the thermocline is 20' don't fish deeper. If the life zone is is around 8' to 12' then you have lots of options depending on the bass activity level. Look for any signs of active bass feeding or the opposite bait fish puddling ( dimpling the surface like rain drops) lazy near the surface without being chased by bass.
Use your sonar and think about what the bass are doing, then select a lure that works under those conditions.
Soft plastics worked near where less active bass are located usually saves the day, as long as you fish at the right depth where they bass are located.
Tom
FishTank reply :
Drop back and punt.....
Really though, I fish slower. It make take me 5 minutes a cast. I just pretend to be patient.
jacob2000 reply :
On 7/18/2015 at 7:00 PM, HoosierHawgs said:Because it catches fish...........
and i meant why that over artificial lures.....
HoosierHawgs reply :
Because the artificial aren't catching fish.....On 7/19/2015 at 3:08 AM, jacob2000 said:and i meant why that over artificial lures.....
Fishing Rhino reply :
RoLo reply :
On 7/19/2015 at 7:31 AM, Fishing Rhino said:
You've become a man of few words.
reb67 reply :
I have not been on for awhile but I am surprised at all you guys when this happens it's not a negative thing it is a golden opportunity to go home and tell your wife that you did not have the proper lures or equipment for the conditions you were faced with today TIME TO GO TO THE TACKLE SHOP.
Neil McCauley reply :
I used bait a lot as a kid. Crawfish, shiners, nightcrawlers... I pretty much never went out without some sort of bait. It's good to have as a back-up while you're still learning artificials because at least then the day is salvaged and you can learn some fish locations and movements.
But sticking to learning the lures game eventually pays off. Eventually you will get good with choosing lure style/size/color, appropriate retrieve, etc, and lures start to out produce livebait. It's usually just more efficient.
zachb34 reply :
On tough days I think it becomes a mental game to catch fish. I find some shade, anchor, have lunch or a snack, rehydrate, retie new baits or simply relax and think up a new plan. Often times I'll grab a bait I don't have much confidence in or try a new technique. It forces me to refresh and forget about the tough fishing and hopefully be ready to start over without calling it a day. Worst case scenario you just have to fish painfully slow.
MrBigFishSC reply :
You gotta know where the fish are first and then slow down. I see guys fishing especially this time of year where the fish were in April. It's July, hot, water is down, pretty clear, and the fish have aren't fired up during the daytime. Go where you know they should be or find them and slow down with finesse tactics. Check very early for surface activity and throw a Spook. Afterwards go deeper and straight to drop shot or shakey head. You ain't gonna get a lot of bites but you can pick up some good fish if you are patient. These times make the good times in spring and fall mean that much more. Plus you are becoming a better fisherman.
Alternatives are go fish someplace entirely different. This is fun and you don't put pressure on yourself.
Fishing Rhino reply :
On 7/19/2015 at 9:49 AM, RoLo said:You've become a man of few words.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
RoLo reply :
On 7/20/2015 at 8:11 AM, Fishing Rhino said:A picture is worth a thousand words.
I'll give you 500, but that's as high as I'm going.
Mr. Bassin II reply :
Crank up the SHO throttle it up to 6,000ish RPM and tour the body of water I'm on at 70 or so MPH. You ought to see the look on some jet skiers face when pass them. Getting a little payback on these fools is a good consolation prize for not catching fish.
CeeJay reply :
On 7/20/2015 at 10:26 AM, Mr. Bassin II said:Crank up the SHO throttle it up to 6,000ish RPM and tour the body of water I'm on at 70 or so MPH. You ought to see the look on some jet skiers face when pass them. Getting a little payback on these fools is a good consolation prize for not catching fish.
Just be careful of us waders and bank anglers
Cuivre reply :
I downsize ad use smaller soft platics. I also just change parts of the lake- I'm a firm believer that on larger bodies of water, they are always biting SOMEWHERE!
looking4structure reply :
Break out the spinning gear and finesse them.
blckshirt98 reply :
When I can't buy a bite I'll usually just pack it in early. I may stop by the tackle shop and buy some stuff because it relieves the frustration of being skunked. If you can't catch fish you can always catch tackle, and you can never have enough of either.
the reel ess reply :
On 7/20/2015 at 11:13 AM, Cuivre said:I downsize ad use smaller soft platics. I also just change parts of the lake- I'm a firm believer that on larger bodies of water, they are always biting SOMEWHERE!
And someone can always catch 'em. I don't know of any tourneys where no one catches anything. But then I'm not in a local club. Maybe it does happen.
But I take the opposite approach and fish a place I can cover in a day. That way I KNOW there's a captive population of bass and that some of them will see my bait. That solves one part of the equation. Then if it's getting really hard, I can play my ace in the hole and go to a place that's overpopulated (stunted). They're almost always hungry.
RMcDuffee726 reply :
Cry.
BASS MERICA reply :
I've been fishing here in NJ where most of these local lakes are very shallow compared to my KY roots. My fall back lures are even giving me disappointment as of late.
1. small crank baits
2. small white or green grub worm with spinner
3. T-rig
4. anything I haven't tried yet lol
Planning on t-riggin some 8 or 10 inch worms and finding the deepest spots in the shallow ponds around here.
tiredbobmarley reply :
On 7/17/2015 at 11:39 AM, bcarter261 said:Crack a brew
d**n straight
flippinbassinKY reply :
Whenever I'm in need of a bite to get my confidence up, I go to my confidence baits. ill downsize from a jig or craw type bait to a senko or finesse worm Texas Rigged (smaller profile). ill slow down my presentation to a slow drag with maybe a few pops here and there. keep trying different things to get your odds up. A shakey head and drop shotting is another good way to hoax a fish into biting. But when I am getting skunked I will throw what I am confident in which is a 5 inch senko in watermelon red or junebug (wacky rigged of course) and when that still isn't working I will downsize my hook, line, and rod and put on a 3 inch senko and fish it as slow as the terrain lets me. im not going to say that ive never been skunked because I have, but its not very often.
So: Be versatile
let the fish tell you what they want
change location, colors, baits, try things that you haven't before
be confident because if its that tough of a day im sure that its tough on everyone there
Balshy Fishing reply :
Sue the restaurant for not serving me!
Lol not funny, I know.
I just chalk it up as a normal day and cool myself off with my tears.
BASS MERICA reply :
Keep up the change up, avoid all the hungups, and simmer down on the crank up!
Crank Bait Nut reply :
Enjoy Your Time On The Water , If The Bass Have Lock Jaw , We Target Perch , Pickerel and/or Pike.
Mike
NoLuck reply :
Don't ever lose hope in the T Rig!!!
the reel ess reply :
On 8/29/2015 at 10:01 PM, NoLuck said:Don't ever lose hope in the T Rig!!!
Lately I've only caught fish on the T-rig. Here's the only one I caught today in 3 hours. T-rigged Berkley Chigger Craw.
Bankbeater reply :
Every once in a while I end up on a body of water that will just shut down. Not even the bluegill and sunfish bite. If I'm pondhopping I will go to a new pond. If I am in a boat I will look for the deepest part of the lake, and hope my luck changes.
RoLo reply :
If you can't buy a bite, do as *Hootie suggested and 'rent' a bite.
That failing, do as Warren Buffett would do and sell bites 'short' 
Roger
bigbill reply :
In a boat for me its trying to eat a sandwich i get a strike everytime.
I try to eat a p&j quickly.
the reel ess reply :
On 8/31/2015 at 9:17 AM, bigbill said:In a boat for me its trying to eat a sandwich i get a strike everytime.
I try to eat a p&j quickly.
It used to be light a cigarette. That would cause a bite that made you waste the cig. But I quit more than 20 years ago.
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