frustrating day on the water

[louisianajeff]

So I finally got some free time from school and other obligations to spend alot of time on the water.

Turned out to be one of those days where you really have to tease the panfish up. All the fish were sluggish, kinda floating around near the surface of the water, from 10am til dusk. I was getting an occasional fish on a sparkle nymph, then decided to go to a small deer hair diver, fished VERY VERY slowly.

I suddenly had fish rolling on my fly constantly. Problem was, though, I could not for the life of me get a decent hookset. I do fish barbless, I checked all my points, sharp as hell, couldnt hook em. I tried setting as soon as I saw anything, I tried waiting for them to pressure me, I tried counting to 3, I tried everything. Could. Not. Get. A. Hook set.

Every single time I found an aggressive fish he'd roll on the fly but I just couldnt hook them. I changed fly sizes several times, getting down to a #16 dry, and it was always the same thing.

Now, there were more lethargic fish out there, and I'd see them come up, investigate, then just mouth the fly, and I'd hook them fine.

What the hell was I doing wrong! Lol, it was just extremely frustrating to see many large bass/panfish roll on the fly, only to escape. I normally catch and release, so its not like I went hungry from losing so many, but I do like to see what I've managed to atract from the depths.

Anyone got any tips for setting the hook when using popper/diver style flies?

[Eight Thumbs]

Jeff,

You're describing an early season behavior that I run into all the time with brim and other sunfish. The fish are not yet on a heavy feed and instead roll their body over the fly to sink it. They don't take the fly in their mouth so you can't successfully set the hook. Swatting the fly with their tail is another early season non-feeding trick. When the fish are in this mood you can go the whole afternoon without a good hook up. Strangely enough, the fish don't seem to get hooked in the body either. If you find the solution, be sure to share it with the rest of us. 8T

[peregrines]

Louisianajeff-

Hey, any day on the water is a good day.

Only thing I can think of off hand is to check the gape of the hook and the bottom of the spun deer hair head to make sure that there's enough bite to set the hook.

On muddlers, sliders etc, I've gotten in the habit of using a razor blade to CAREFULLY trim off the bottom of the spun deer hair as close to the bottom of the shank as possible, (without cutting the thread and having the whole frickin' thing unravel).

Can't honestly say whether it helps me with hookups or not, but I still do it 'cause it seems like it should help, and I need all the help I can get in the unlikely event a fish ever decided to taste one of my ugly flies...

Good luck!

peregrines

[louisianajeff]

Jeff,

You're describing an early season behavior that I run into all the time with brim and other sunfish. The fish are not yet on a heavy feed and instead roll their body over the fly to sink it. They don't take the fly in their mouth so you can't successfully set the hook. Swatting the fly with their tail is another early season non-feeding trick. When the fish are in this mood you can go the whole afternoon without a good hook up. Strangely enough, the fish don't seem to get hooked in the body either. If you find the solution, be sure to share it with the rest of us. 8T

ah. well. there it is. ha

the only thing is though on one pond in particular since winter broke ive slammed all species with divers. Until today, that is. Seems strange that the fish fed more aggressively while the water was still somewhat cold...now that its warmed they seem to have altered behavior. There has been a full moon in the past week though..plus the warm water...I'm wondering if since the water warmed the fish are gorging at night, plus the effect full moons have on night feeding..HMM


oh, and on trimming the bottom. I do make a habit out of doing it. during times of extreme frustration I may also be observed bending the hook shank down to widen the gap further O_O. I do appreciate the tying advice though.

[lee s]

Could the moon and water temps have their interests going more to spawning than eating?
...lee s.

[Gardenfish]

Eight Thumbs has it right. I can recall hours of frustration. The fish were merely bonking the flies, not really mouthing them. They often swat them. Why is a mystery to me, but they do it. It looks like a take but it is not. It was nothing you were doing that was wrong. The fish just had your number. Tomorrow or next week will be different.
Paul

[peregrines]

Sounds like you covered all the bases.... only thing left--- Change your hat...?

[white43]

If you're fishing in Cajun waters, why not scent your offerings with Tabasco? I almost always scent my fish with Tabasco ? although by that time they're scale-less. JGW

[Rick Z]

This works part of the time for me in this situation.
Don't move the fly. When they swat at it, wait zand see if they will turn back around and take it.
If not I go to a pattern that will go deeper in the water.

Rick

[Micropteris]

Ahh finicky fish, just when you think you got them figured out.

Ain't this game we play great.

That situation sounds more like a change in tactics not a change in flies. Fish aren't feeding so you have to induce them to feed or at least attack, drastically slowing down or drastically speeding retrieves and presentations up would be two ways to trigger a strike, no so much to feed but to trigger an aggressive response, a just to kill it strike. As I see you have been doing make sure you keep those hooks sticky sharp.

Good luck