"fishing Slow" 2024
Dylcook91 reply :
With the weather going down hill, and many folks having to change their fishing habits to adjust for fall fishing, I have been seeing many post that say to fish SLOW. Now for some reason I just cant seem to fish slow, its like I cant keep my hands off the reel haha. letting a worm, jig, or swimbait sit for a minute to me feels like an eternity. But comparing my catch statistics now from that of summer, I have had a big decline at producing fish(none in two weeks). It got me thinking, what does everyone here individually consider slow? And how long is too long on any giving cast? What is your go to bait to fish slow, around cover and which for open water?
Any other tips or tricks that may help, I'd love to hear. I better try to get the hang of this, cause if I'm not doing to well in fall, then I might as well sleep all winter hahaha
Bankbeater reply :
Once the bait is on the bottom I lift the rod from about 10 to 12 and then lower it back down to 10. A good way to do this is get a watch with a second hand on it. Count out how long it takes the second hand to move from 10 to 12. That is how long it should take you to raise the rod.
Sam reply :
1. Google "dead sticking."
2. Use 5:1 baitcaster for crankbaits
3. Patience - Patience - Patience. Very hard to master.
As stated above, throw plastics; let sit for at least 10 seconds, more if possible, and move back to you very slowly.
If you are "dead sticking" let sit for at least 60 seconds. Keep finger on line at all times to feel for a bite. Just let it sit there. Give it a twitch after 60 seconds and let it sit again. Then go crazy!!!!
You also need to get a swimming pool therometer to check the water temperature. The lower the water temperature the slower you have to fish. For water between 40* to 60* think Rat-L-Traps and tight wobble crankbaits.
Good luck.
LgMouthGambler reply :
Brush hogs T rigged work pretty good.
papajoe222 reply :
The speed of my retrieve doesn't slow down much until the water temps dip into the low 50's. What I do change is my lure selection, or should I say lure profile. Larger baits appear to move slower than smaller profile baits. Take a spinnerbait for example. If you switch to a larger blade or an Indiana or Colorado, on the same lure, it will appear to both you and the fish to be moving slower. Same goes for a crankbait. A larger, or fatter lure, with a wider woble will also give the appearance of moving slower.
Add the larger size factor into the equation and you have a win, win situation when it comes to choosing a larger bait in the fall. Almost all of a bass' forage has reached maturity going into the winter, so larger prey is the norm for a bass at this time.
Although my retrieve speed won't slow much now, I do pause more during the retrieve and most of my strikes come as I start the lure again.
Don't get me wrong. You can, and will catch fish by slowing down and going smaller. But covering water is as important now as any other season so, until the fish slow down, I don't.
As far as lure selection, for a 'slow' lure in cover, you can't beat a jig/pig combo and for open water structure, a crank will keep you at the depth you want to be with longer pauses than a spinnerbait which would be my second choice
roadwarrior reply :
Hmm...
Cast, let your jig or soft plastic settle and sit for a minute or two, Move it slowly 6" or so and sit for
another thirty seconds or a minute. Repeat until you feel you are "out of the zone". One cast can
last ten minutes or more.
scaleface reply :
This time of year the bass are active, I agree with papajoe. No need to slow down now. I set aside the worm rod in favor of the crankbait rod.
CPBassFishing reply :
I was on the potomac for an hour today and caught two 1-pounders on a 5" Senko with a 1/0 hook, just letting it sink, reeling slowly for about 5 seconds, letting it sink again, and so on. I also tried a fluke, a wiggle wart, and a redeye shad, which all got nothing.
EvanT123 reply :
I feel your pain. All summer i worked top water cranks an t rigs and caught fish any way and everyday. For the last month it's been real tough and I have slowed down and realized you need to change spots especially for smallies and patience counts. Instead of looking for that top water explosion u wait for that bottom bite and that patience might help you in the long run
Tuckahoe Joe reply :
As far as fishing slow, T-rig worms. Cast, let sit, twitch it on the bottom a bit, let it sit, twitch, sit, twitch sit, repeat. However, all I've caught on T-rigs the last 2 weeks or so has been pickerel. Never caught one before and then all of a sudden 4 in the last couple trips. My last few bass have all been on crankbaits that dive 4-8 feet.
Dylcook91 reply :
Thanks guys, tons of great info!
I haven't slowed my fishing down yet as I am incapable hahaha. Right now I am throwing mostly spinnerbaits, swimbaits, jerkbaits(hard and soft), topwaters(buzzbaits, spooks). But they have all seemed to stop producing fish, so I figured I gotta change something. I would love to try crankbaits but the water I fish has lots of vegetation that make it impossible. Maybe the waters I'm fishing are still going through transition and putting the fish off. I guess all I can do is to try and slow it down. I'm definitely gonna give dead-sticking with T-rigged worms a shot cause I'm at a loss. I just picked up some jigs/trailers so I guess I'll also work them in structure and see how that goes.
As for pickerel, I did fish some Zoom flukes today and the pickerel were exploding on them, thankful they somehow managed not to get hooked.
thehooligan reply :
Im in south jersey and its been slow for me as well. I went from catching a dozen bass a night on topwater, to 1 or 2 here and there on random cranks and dropshot. I think the water is turning over and its making the bass super lethargic.
Im going to continue throwing lipless cranks, squarebills, topwater, jerkbaits, dropshot, and spinners. I gotta throw senkos, t-rigged worms, and swimbaits cause there the only baits i havnt used in a while...
wisconsin heat reply :
I went our last weekend for a few hours on both sat and sunday. I primarily used a BOOYAH pad crasher frog. I casted parallel to the bank about 10-20 feet off the shore, and worked that frog SLOWWWW. It was exactly like fishing a suspending jerkbait, except you could see your lure. cast, let sit for 20 seconds. 1 twitch 10 seconds 2 twitches 15 seconds 1 twitch 10 seconds. I got a bite within my first five casts on saturday and caught one an hour or so later that day. I also got a hit sunday, but that was it that day. Fishing slow can be lots of fun too.
Shewillbemine reply :
I prefer to start off with "fast" lures and fast retrieves because if the bass are hitting, I feel the most productive and involved.
The slowest retrieve I've tried (and been successful with) is RoadWarrior's suggestion to count to 10 between cranking the reel on a Senko or worm.
To deal with my impatience, I try to distract myself mostly by talking to clients on the phone. That way, I can apply dead sticking without focusing on how little activity I'm practicing.
CPBassFishing reply :
I also listen to music because fall fishing can get pretty boring sometimes.
Jim_M reply :
The slow thing has been the single most difficult aspect of angling for me no question.
It has also yielded my best numbers and weight. If results are important it must be mastered.
As mentioned the use of a wrist watch has helped me.
Clint C. reply :
I agree, fishing slow is near impossible for me. I'm going to start bringing a wrist watch. Great idea!
BassAssassin726 reply :
I agree with some of the other posts here in that its only fall and theres no need to slow down. This time of year I use my crankin and spinnerbait rod more than anything else. Fall is spinnerbait time!
Alpster reply :
It's a struggle for me to fish real slow also, but like others posted above, it will get you bit if you have the patience. I will some times eat a snack or even a sandwich to bide my time.
Ronnie
Dylcook91 reply :
Well, skunked again
Went out fishing today after work, tried everything from my usual habits to dead sticking. I started off with a Zoom fluke around lilly pads, in both shallow and deep water. I cast it out, let it sink really long and slow with a twitch every now and then...nothing. Then switched to a single colorado blade spinner, threw that into and around cover then in open water varying speed and depth...nothing. Then jerkbaits...nothing. Rigged up a weightless t-rig, let it sink and sit for 60 seconds(stop watch lol) move it and then wait again, once out of the zone(which is non-existent at this point) reel in and repeat. Still I got nothing. Its to the point I'm not even looking to catch fish, I just want to feel a bite so I can be reminded they do exist. I'm gonna pick up some jigs and trailers then try again tomorrow, but I feel as if I know how that's gonna go hahaha
Jim_M reply :
Take one rig with you next trip. Fish that one lure or bait type for a few hours. Your brain wont be wondering off thinking about some other lure or presentation. Cant, cuz u ain't got one 
. Spend the time feeling the bait on the bottom or wherever it is in the water column. Prepare yourself in advance to work that bait in all the ways it can be. Experiment.
deep reply :
Fishing ultra-slow is a very productive technique, BUT, I have to have confidence/ know that there's fish where I'm fishing..
Ratherbfishing reply :
Fishing slow can mean different things. Sometimes I will "jiggle" a soft plastic for a few moments and then let it sit still for awhile, repeating this as often as is necessary to get a bite (or until I'm satisfied that there isn't an interested fish there). It doesn't necessarily mean you just cast a bait out and let it do nothing-although sometimes that works too.
Dylcook91 reply :
I give every lure I fish at least 30 minutes before I call it quiets and switch to another. I went again today and tired using only one as suggested. I went with a spinner bait, as its what I was using when I last caught a bass. Fished for about 2 1/2 hours, all through out the water column, slow roll, fast, stop and go, and even as a jig hahaha. I bet you all can guess my results.
Not gonna stop till something gives, and thankfully I have off work tomorrow so I'll be out there all day 
Dylcook91 reply :
Went out today for about 3 hours, but I picked up a bag of 5" Senkos before hand. T-rigged them weightless and just let them do there thing, AND I finally caught a few bass though they were only dinks. Tried a few other lures, but only the Senkos produced. Now I can sleep a little better tonight with high hopes of better fish in the future.
Clint C. reply :
Glad you got some!
HeavyDluxe reply :
This was my first full season of targeting bass... After reading RoadWarrior's post that guaranteed I'd catch fish (linky), I decided to focus on slowly fishing soft plastics at the start of the season. Whether it's t-rigged or weightless, this has become the most productive technique for me.
I'm sure some of that has to do with confidence now, but I think there's some logic there as well. For one thing, I've learned to be a far more patient, methodical fisherman and - as another posted mentioned - that has benefits for me regardless of technique.
In addition, I think that active/feeding fish may be keying on one particular bait sometimes. But, more often, I would think that they are actively feeding and will strike almost anything that looks like food and enters the strike zone. But, when fish are passive, you need to keep a bait in the zone and tease or provoke them into biting. By fishing more slowly in general, I think you increase the likelihood that you will get bit all around.
I'm sure I've missed fish on days when I 'should have' thrown one thing or the other. But I have rarely smelled the skunk this year *and* I've caught both numbers and quality fish.
Patience, as they say, is a virtue.
SirSnookalot reply :
It's just my own priority, I prefer fishing moving baits, I have a hard time keeping my interest up fishing slow for bass. I don't have as much problem fishing a little slow in saltwater, but sill prefer moving baits there too.
HeavyDluxe reply :
On 10/21/2012 at 3:11 PM, SirSnookalot said:It's just my own priority, I prefer fishing moving baits, I have a hard time keeping my interest up fishing slow for bass. I don't have as much problem fishing a little slow in saltwater, but sill prefer moving baits there too.
Worthwhile clarification... To me, fishing is either done for food or for fun. I'm not fishing competitively, so there's just expenses in the hobby - no profits.
Therefore, like any hobby, do what you enjoy. My grandfather used to fish a worm-and-bobber only because it reminded him of being a kid in the mountains of NC. Likewise, if anyone just enjoys fishing [insert bait or tactic here], have at it! However, if what you enjoy is catching fish, odds are you will have to learn to vary your presentations and setups in order to produce more consistently.
Bottom line: Have fun. If you're not having fun, change it up!
Bluebasser86 reply :
I'm glad it's fall so I can finally stop fishing so slow! Now is the time to get out the cranks, spinnerbaits, traps, and chatterbaits now that we have water temps around 60 instead of the high 80's like we had a couple months ago. Once the water gets down in the low 50's I'll start slowing it down. I'm with Deep on this one, I can do it but I have to have confidence in the area I'm in.
Curved reply :
Been trying a Roboworm straight tail in Margarita Mutilator (neon blue) on a dropshot and caught some decent fish Saturday. Deadsticking is easy mode fishing. Just have to find the fish and they'll be catches. Finding them is the hard part.
WRB reply :
I tend to fish slow year around, however it's where you fish that counts, not how you fish. Most bass anglers fishing from a bass boat have a sonar unti and a trolling motor, they do not use their sonar unit effectively to locate where the bait is, what depth, and where the active bass are located....before they start fishing!
It's easy to fish slow if you know the bass are in the area you are fishing. Find the bass, then catch the bass with lures and presentations that the bass will strike.
If you prefer to fish faster moving lures and like to move around a lot, then do this very early in the morning when active bass tend to be up near shoreline cover. If you catch bass your day is already good, if not than it is time to locate the bass. My ritual is locating the depth of baitfish and bass when I launch my boat, before I start fishing to eliminate as much unproductive water as possible. Look for baitfish around the launch ramp and docks, with your eyes and your sonar unit. I have had some exceptional days and never left the marina!
My next ritual is metering the first major point near the marina, between the 2 areas you should have a good idea what depth the bait and bass are located.
Tom
craww reply :
I'll slow up and slowly finesse a plastic or jig along if I'm confident a fish could be looking at it or is nearby. Definetly not my favorite way to fish.
Deadsticking works, no doubt about it. I think its one of the most underutilized techniques in bass fishing. Probably due to the tournament mindset everyone has. I've caught alot of bass while working out a professional overun lol. Ive also had GREAT results working 8", 3oz topwater plugs and dead sticking for minutes at a time. Its HARD though.
Anyone whos ever watched a gill hooked fish dieing after release has noticed that they're usually still more than struggling.
Darren. reply :
On 10/20/2012 at 8:18 AM, USAF-16 said:Went out today for about 3 hours, but I picked up a bag of 5" Senkos before hand. T-rigged them weightless and just let them do there thing, AND I finally caught a few bass though they were only dinks. Tried a few other lures, but only the Senkos produced. Now I can sleep a little better tonight with high hopes of better fish in the future.
There ya go! Hey, a dink is a fish and not a skunk!
Given I fish soft plastics most of the time, I consider myself fairly proficient at "slow" fishing. The bite has been quite good this fall using soft baits. I haven't thrown any cranks or spinnerbaits, but I s'pose I'll have to take a rod for those techniques just to try it out again. I just can't seem to get into that stuff though. Fairly one-sided fisherman by those standards, I guess. But it works for me, so I keep doing it. Don't fish tourneys, just for fun.
RB 77 reply :
In some instances you can never fish to slow. Slow down, just when you think you have slowed down enough, slow down even more. A soft plastics cast fished slowly can last anywhere from 5-10 minutes, maybe even more. Dead stickin’ can be one of the most effective presentations on a lake any given day. My go to technique for this would be a “fly lined” stik bait or t-rigged straight tail worm for cover and a c-rigged lizard or creature for open water.
haydenf96 reply :
Fish at different speeds
Let the fish tell you what speed to fish <-- Probably the number one mistake by all anglers.
I do have trouble fishing slow, I am a run and gun fisherman. I fish fast, its just my style but I have taught myself how to fish slow. It just takes patience.
Trust me it is hard!
merc1997 reply :
one thing that i noticed several times in this thread is that several people have mentioned that their catching has slowed down going into fall. next, they are wondering if they need to slow down their presentations. my first thoughts about not catching fish right now would be that you might be dealing with turnover. once you get through turnover and the water o2 levels stabilize back out, you should see the bite pick back up. also, remember that as bass break up their summer schools, they tend to be scattered for a period of time until they settle back into their fall patterns.
tom gave some very good advice about seeing at what depths the bait fish are holding. remember it is not very often that you will find bass without food. there are times that you can find bait and not any fish, but very seldom will you find bass without food nearby.
bo
geo g reply :
I try for figure out what the fish want by fishing different weights and different speeds until I get something going. Livivng in south Florida our bass are effected by drops in water temp more then northern bass. Its December now so I down size baits and slow down. It has been very productive recently especially when bank fishing. With heavy vegitation and shallow water your stuck fishing plastics from the bank. I will dead stick it on the fall and then jerk and stop back to shore. Zoom centepedes in watermelon red have worked very well with many fish in the 4 to 8 pound range. Also trick worms fished slow have been productive. When you think your fishing slow, slow down even more. We are starting to see signs of bedding fish south of Orlando. Fishing slow will save many a nonproductive day. Good luck.
Gangley reply :
Here in south east Texas, water temps are still in the mid 60's. There is no reason to slow down unless the fish have lockjaw because of a pressure system or some other external factor. We wont slow down until the water drops another 10 degrees so it's rattletrap,crank,spinner bait time right now for the most part. Jigs and worms get it done as well right now, but they aren't worked with a slow presentation. Each cast of a worm or jig takes about 1-2 minutes to complete which is average for me. A slow presentation may take up to 5 minutes.
If your a football fan and listen to the game on the radio while you fish, a good way to go about moving your worm or jig as the water temps drop into the low 50's is to cast and let it sit during the game and move it slightly at the start of the radio commercials. That way your mind doesnt focus on the fact that your lure is just sitting there, and the time is enjoyable and passes quickly. That is unless your a Cowgirls fan.........GO TEXANS!
BassWhole! reply :
I find I catch more fish if I don't fish slow, also in cold water fish tend to stack up, so once you find them, you can catch a few. Once they won't hit a spinnerbait and crankbait consistently, I'll switch to lipless, finesse jig, chatter, jerk, and blade in that order. I'm sure you could dig a hole in the ice and catch them with a blade. I find a swift but short jerk works best, most bites occur as the lure stops, or begins to flutter down.
tnriverluver reply :
Water temps are around 49-51 here in W. Tn right now and fishing slow is the name of the game. With 15-30 mph wind blowing here nearly everyday this year for some reason, fishing slow is sometimes very difficult 
related General Bass Fishing Forum topic
previous topic
most viewed General Bass Fishing Forum topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.