Hello All,

This is my first post. I am posting because it is apparent that I suck at freshwater fishing and I can�t seem to figure out why. ( I have no problem saltwater fishing)

I spend 12 hours on the lake and I get a few bites or none at all and come home with nothing. I am using worms, dead shad, shrimp, crankbait. For the longest time I am like well I guess they are just not biting, I am in the wrong spots. But over the last few days I started paying more attention to people around me and saw people pulling in fish. This frustrates me when I am out there all those hours and don�t catch anything.

So here is what I have. A regal 18ft ski boat. Lowrance Fish Finder with down scan and side imaging. $800 model nothing real fancy. I go to where I see a lot of fish. I anchor and drop a bunch of lines in the water. Each one with a different bait. Shrimp, chad, worms and catfish bait. 12 hours and all I got was a perch or whatever it is on a jig. I spend 15m to 1 hr at each spot. If I don�t get anything I move. I move either a few 100 yards or move across the lake. I fish where I see other fisherman as well and I get nothing.

I don�t know what I am doing wrong. I mean when I used to fish as a kid anything would bite on a worm. I can�t get anything to bite on a worm.

So what could I be doing so wrong that would cause me to not catch any fish? I am starting to think it is my sonar or something causing fish to just not bite but I know that is pretty far fetched and most likely something that I am doing.

I live in the Dallas area and mostly fish Lake Lewisville.

Don't feel too bad, I suck too.

what sonar if its cheap garmin I feel your pain.

Maybe you and a friend could hire a guide in your area to help you learn faster how to set up your rigs and what to look for to catch the species you want to target.

I forgot.

I sent you a pm.

Try using minnows.

Don't anchor, drift until you get bit then drop an anchor.

There is a reason it's called fishing and not catching.
Next time go catching and not fishing.
Sorry, that's all I got.

When i wake up in the morning if it's laying over to the left I fish from the bank. If it's laying to the right I take my boat out. If it's standing straight up, well it ain't no day for fishing anyways.

Yes to both of these. It might be helpful if you mentioned what type of fish you're after. Lewisville has good populations of black bass, white bass, and is well stocked with hybrids, so drifting with minnows can be very productive if you're after any of these.

Watch for the three B's - birds, boats, and bait.

Me too but I don't worry about it. I go out, have fun and try to learn a little here and there.

There's someone always on them. Unfortunately, it never seems to be me.

Go up cottonwood. Find a tree in 15-20 feet of water. Throw out soured grain. Catch channel catfish. Bait a few spots before starting. Shad should work very well. Avoid heavy weights.

Throw 1/4 oz rattle traps along main dam rip rap. Let it sink a few feet befor starting retrieve. Catch white bass and the occasional black bass. Watch out for wake boats.

Fish around bridge pilings with 1/8 oz crappie jig(crappie nibbles help). Straight down and try to figure out depth they are hanging. They should be there soon. Keep moving looking far active fish.

Don�t feel bad. Some days I feel like I couldn�t catch water if I fell out of the boat

Good luck, even when you are in the right place sometimes they just do not bite. But then when you hit the right spot and the right time .............