Hello! Long time lurker here just trying to read up on how to fish sandies. I'm more of a LMB fisherman, so this is all new to me. I was on Lake LBJ at my uncle's lakehouse and we were hitting up docks with green lights over Memorial weekend. On most of the lights, we were able to catch sandies and some lmb on mini traps and spoons.

We came across a dock that had 2 green lights shining bright and could see big fish circling underneath, but couldn't even get a bite. I tried everything I had in my tacklebox: tiny traps, mini traps, spoons, humdingers, small paddle tails, road runners, rooster tails, marabou jigs, and bigger lipless cranks. Nothing would bite anything I threw at them.

You'd think I get a hit on at least 1 lure, but seems they weren't even interested in anything artificial. Anyone have any ideas what could have worked? Other than live shad of course. That one light has me and my uncle stumped.

That is the one thing that drives me nuts about those lights! My grandparents have them at their canal house in Galveston. I love seeing the fish, but I hate it when you can see them and can't catch em! Are you sure that it wasn't some carp or catfish circling? Could you see what bait had came to the light?

I have two of the underwater lights off my dock and rarely have trouble catching the fish I see off them. The best tactic I have found is to vertical jig a small white crappie jig. Very slow to still presentation. That's harder to do on a boat without spooking the fish though. My best advice would be to stay as far as you can away from the light and cast the little white jig into the edges of the light with a free fall and slow retrieve.

I have had boats pull up to my lights while I was catching fish off my dock and they could not catch any. Fishing slowed down for me also when they arrived. I just go inside, wait for them to leave and go back out once the fish settle back down.

i have fished by lights a number of times and the same happens to me. the trick is to be their at the right time. they may be at the light as soon as it turns on but may not bite till midnight.

Are you casting a shadow, example a light porch behind you
will let them see your body outline, even if there is no shadow on the waters.

Fish the outer edges of the mushroom effect into darker waters, game fish are preditors and prefer to dart in to grab their supper.

cast beyond the light and every so slowly again SLOWLY bring your bait into the light then back out of the light. That way
you will find them hitting in the shadows or in the light.

No, they were bass hitting the shad circle. I saw the dorsal fins on them and they weren't cats or carp. Did not cast any shadows as there was no light behind us, just lake. We were probably a good 5-6 feet from the outer edges of the lights. Fished fast, slow, you name it.

I will conquer that light come July 4th! lol It's probably more of a timing thing as mhorak suggested. We didn't get to that spot until 2am and they were probably stuffed with live shad. I may have to bring a net to catch some live bait as a last resort.

thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Hey Dafluke I sent you a PM