Helps

I'd like to hear your opinions about my experience on the lake this weekend. I went out on Saturday morning and had a really good topwater bite. We caught about 15 fish from 6:00-7:45 with about 7-8 keepers. I was throwing a Japanese shad colored yellow magic and they were really eating it. I only lost one fish that morning. I came back on Sunday and tried to run that same pattern on some new water. I had about the same number of bites but I couldn't hook up. I missed about 7 fish and the ones I did manage to bring to the boat were hooked on the outside of the mouth or in the side. It seemed like they were just slapping at it and not really interested in eating. I tried changing colors on my YM, threw a whopper plopper, jerk bait and crankbait and couldn't really get them to bite. I was fishing only two coves down from where I was the previous day and the weather conditions were almost identical. Any thoughts?

They didn't really want to eat. Just slapping at the bait.

Slow down your cadence of your retrieve

That's what I think as well. Is there something you would change to make them want to eat, or is it just if they're not in the mood, there's no changing it?

Might try a fluke either by itself or donkey rigged. Sometimes having the lure just under the surface will make a difference.

That's a good idea. I didn't think of that. Thanks!

The Fluke works. I always back up my topwater with a Fluke. I use a tiny 1/32 split bullet on the nose so it will spiral downward; but almost weightless. This mimics the dying bait fish that has been wounded. In a couple of tournaments that we won, I would walk the spook into a bush and my partner would throw the Fluke in the bush while the spook was sitting right next to the bush. They were not wanting to break the surface to eat the spook. The topwater was doing it's job exciting the big fish and the Fluke was getting the strikes.

Thanks Donald. That's some really good information.

Donald = GOAT

I second this. I could read his posts over and over. He is a legend.

He is the man.
His info on fishing points was really good.
If he ever gave on the water lessons, I would definitely have to take a couple.

I do the on water teaching; but it has to go this direction with my customers.
- They have me map the lake for them.
- They put the 20 spots I pick on their map card and drop all the waypoints so we can run form one to the other without dealing with papers.
- They fish all 20 spots as directed on my write-up of each spot.
- They have finished the learning curve that must be present for me to come and finalize everything; so I can go with them to show them what they have missed.