Not sure what they were eating

Fishing Warm water Forum
1

Was up a lake near me today when I got down the hill to the water there were four visiable bass just hanging out in the shallows like three feet from shore. I was able to get down to the water just near them with out running them off and tied on a wooly bugger and ran it right in between them not one even batted an eye at my offering. I next tried a leech then a crayfish pattern and nothing worked. I then put on a scud and nothing I was able to catch some blue gill and that was a blast but I just couldnt seem to intrest the bass. They were feeding I believe on nymphs reason being they were feeding like trout do as well as they were feeding right off the bottom at times tails breaking the surface. Any ideas (other than clubbing them I thought of that all by myself). One side note its actually more than likely a good thing I didnt hook into them, they were all pushing 18 inches two of them a bit larger, and I was using my 6 6 2wt with the idea of fishing for pan fish. The positive thing is I did find a place where the fish are at and can go back to try again.

wire

2

Good on ya Harve!!
Not much warm water down here and I sort of miss it!

3

wire,
Clubbing sounds interesting! Dino-Mite?
Cast a streamer or mouse fly at them and try to provoke them.
Doug

4

I have seen similiar here in NY. It’s almost spawning season and they are probably on beds getting ready for some action of a different kind. Give them a few weeks. They be out looking for food soon.

5

Spawning fish for sure, probably making nest not feeding on nymphs. Put your fly right in front of em, and let it sit on the bottom. That’s your best bet for em, or others say don’t fish over bedding fish. Up to you.

6

Spawing bass,I prefer not to harass them when they are on the beds.

We have plenty of time later in the season.

Regards,
FK

7

Spawners. Leave them alone to make more bass as you wouldn’t want somone in your bedroom when you are doing it :slight_smile:

8

Thanks for the info on the spawning, I will leave them be for now…As for someone watching while Im doing it Wulff, that just depends on if they were trying to get me with a sharp pointy hook :lol:

wire

9

Ya know… I can’t say I have ever seen bass on a spawning bed. From the wading point of view, I rarely ever see a fish unless I am only a few feet away. I dunno, even in clear water, I just can’t see em.

The other day, I was wading on the water-side of a reed line running along the shore of a local pond. I threw a cast about 20 feet ahead of me, maybe 8 foot from the edge of the reeds (frog popper). It hits the water, i wait a second… pop. A wake comes out of the weeds from about 25 feet down the shore.

In my mind i think “What the heck was that?.. oh, bet I just spooked a fish… sigh”

Pop. BAM!!! 2 minutes later I’m cradling a 2lb + large mouth… not fat… just solid. WOOHOO!! on a 6X tippet no less…

SO… all that to say this. Did I take a Bass off a spawning bed? How would I even know? I’m all for fair sportsmanship, but I’m not the sharpest sportsman in the drawer. :lol:

10

Probably a male. Females seem to clam up on the nest, while males defend the area.

Go fish, if you get one (while fishing normally) great, if you see it on a bed, and lay something right in there, then thats different. IMHO

As for seeing fish, do you use decent polarized glasses?

11

Oh… here comes the glasses issue I’ve been struggling with myself over… :?

I wear a wal-mart pair… $10 - says thier polarized…
I will soon be getting the 50$ cabela’s entry pair. I’ll see first-hand if it makes a difference.

My pair are blue… probably doesn’t help either. Will be trying copper/gold/yellow (whichever they have close) on the new pair.

12

I have Rx Ray Bans, and they work better than the WM ones I used to use w/ contacts. Don’t like contacts… anyway, It was money well spent for me.

EX: 2 days ago in a canoe w/ the 17 YO neighbor kid. I was CONSTANTLY pointing out fish to him. He had on cheapies.