Texas Fishing Forum

Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?...

Posted By: i-Fish

Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/12/18 12:09 PM

Fished Sunday from 5:30-2. Shallow fishery. Sun was up and water has been warm for a while now.

Caught probably 20 fish between the 3 of us but our biggest was 3# and we caught a number of TINY bass.
Most were on a square bill, a couple were a little deeper on c-rig.

But every bait we threw was getting short striked. All day. C-rig they would pick it up, I’d set the hook and the fish was gone. Lost several on the square bill and many we boated were barely hooked with the last treble.

We changed color, changed bait size, changed plastics, flipped wacky worms for a finesse bite where they should have been but got no bites.

Would you have done something different with your experience or should I just chalk this up to a tough day of fishing in terms of quality.

If I failed to put 2 and 2 together I sure would like to know.

Thanks fellas.
Posted By: CCTX

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/12/18 12:30 PM

Same thing for us last Saturday. Caught smaller bass and crappie on deep cranks, drop shot, and shaky head. On the shaky head and drop shot, at times you'd feel weird strikes and reel and lift; and nothing.

I think the blue gill are very active right now (feeding up after the first blue gill spawn)

On a 14ft, crankbait I set the hook on something that didn't move. It tried to grab the bait twice and missed, but the third time it was like side setting the hook on a 50lb piece of meat. Didn't get the crankbait back, but my line was all spiraled and stretched out. I think it was a big catfish that crushed it, then rolled.
Posted By: barbarian

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/12/18 12:41 PM

I’ve had lots of gar recently snapping and chasing my bait.
Posted By: Ken A.

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/12/18 12:53 PM

Originally Posted By: i-Fish
Fished Sunday from 5:30-2. Shallow fishery. Sun was up and water has been warm for a while now.

Caught probably 20 fish between the 3 of us but our biggest was 3# and we caught a number of TINY bass.
Most were on a square bill, a couple were a little deeper on c-rig.

But every bait we threw was getting short striked. All day. C-rig they would pick it up, I’d set the hook and the fish was gone. Lost several on the square bill and many we boated were barely hooked with the last treble.

We changed color, changed bait size, changed plastics, flipped wacky worms for a finesse bite where they should have been but got no bites.

Would you have done something different with your experience or should I just chalk this up to a tough day of fishing in terms of quality.

If I failed to put 2 and 2 together I sure would like to know.

Thanks fellas.


You didn't say where you were. Is this a lake known for big bass?
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/12/18 02:08 PM

Lots of small fish involved here. I go to a Short Crig in 1/2 oz with a Big Brush Hog and search for the bigger fish. Slow roll this bait parallel with the cover, across points and on the rocks. Keep the bait coming slowly ticking along the bottom. When it comes in contact with a bush just let it sit in there for a few seconds. The big fish will take it away. This presentation detours most of the small fish; but you will still feel some of the tail bites. Let those go trying not to set the hook, keep it coming ever so slow and wait for the load-up to take place.
Posted By: tricky

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/12/18 02:13 PM

I-fish,
I have been on a very consistent shallow bite the last month on Lewisville. Sat they were gone, just little fish. Gonna have to move out deeper with them.
Posted By: i-Fish

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/12/18 07:35 PM

Originally Posted By: Ken A.
Originally Posted By: i-Fish
Fished Sunday from 5:30-2. Shallow fishery. Sun was up and water has been warm for a while now.

Caught probably 20 fish between the 3 of us but our biggest was 3# and we caught a number of TINY bass.
Most were on a square bill, a couple were a little deeper on c-rig.

But every bait we threw was getting short striked. All day. C-rig they would pick it up, I’d set the hook and the fish was gone. Lost several on the square bill and many we boated were barely hooked with the last treble.

We changed color, changed bait size, changed plastics, flipped wacky worms for a finesse bite where they should have been but got no bites.

Would you have done something different with your experience or should I just chalk this up to a tough day of fishing in terms of quality.

If I failed to put 2 and 2 together I sure would like to know.

Thanks fellas.


You didn't say where you were. Is this a lake known for big bass?


Not a big bass lake but a good lake.
Posted By: BMCD

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/12/18 09:19 PM

Hmmmm..... wonder what lake? I think u missed the dots.
Posted By: outfishdya

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/13/18 12:52 AM

I was out Friday night and Sunday morning on Lewisville. The evening bite is great and has been for weeks now. The morning sucks, and has been for me most trips this year. I can get a few fish early, but until 10:30 or 11, I can not find any numbers or consistency. About then, the deep bet starts up and the fun begins.
Sunday we had 3 fish until 11, then pulled quite a few off 1 spot including a double. We found an active school and most fish had followers with them. I guess the bank beaters have had their time, I am ready for some thermocline action.
Posted By: Squirrely Dan

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/13/18 01:51 AM

Hitting your weight on C-rig. Change your weight to a jig in same weight size.
Posted By: Thad Rains

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/13/18 02:17 AM

Maybe I better change my mind on helping people when I come to Dallas the first part of July. Naa, I will try to help them learn the lake and where NOT to run and fish with them and try to catch some old fashioned fish. LOL.

Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains
Posted By: i-Fish

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/13/18 02:41 AM

Originally Posted By: Thad Rains
Maybe I better change my mind on helping people when I come to Dallas the first part of July. Naa, I will try to help them learn the lake and where NOT to run and fish with them and try to catch some old fashioned fish. LOL.

Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains


I missed you by a day!
Posted By: Thad Rains

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/13/18 02:56 AM

Yeah, but you have BIG PLANS for that weekend. CONGRATS AGAIN on that. I will be back down in early October, temps ought to be a LOT better then, if we can cook up and go fishing. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains
Posted By: Bass Junkie

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/13/18 01:34 PM

Hired a guide on Fork. We were fishing brush hogs and crank baits and all we got were a couple of short bites. I pulled out my go to bait and caught 5 with the biggest being around 5. Almost got whacked in the head because buddy tried to set the hook on a big top water. Best day on lake I downsized my bait. But you also have to know that perch, gar, and small bass could be the culprit.
Posted By: bigfishtx

Re: Tough day or did I fail to connect some dots?... - 06/13/18 03:37 PM

Originally Posted By: i-Fish
Fished Sunday from 5:30-2. Shallow fishery. Sun was up and water has been warm for a while now.

Caught probably 20 fish between the 3 of us but our biggest was 3# and we caught a number of TINY bass.
Most were on a square bill, a couple were a little deeper on c-rig.

But every bait we threw was getting short striked. All day. C-rig they would pick it up, I’d set the hook and the fish was gone. Lost several on the square bill and many we boated were barely hooked with the last treble.

We changed color, changed bait size, changed plastics, flipped wacky worms for a finesse bite where they should have been but got no bites.

Would you have done something different with your experience or should I just chalk this up to a tough day of fishing in terms of quality.

If I failed to put 2 and 2 together I sure would like to know.

Thanks fellas.


Don't feel alone, I've been dealing with this for over 3 weeks now, and an Elite had the same story on Rayburn a couple of weeks ago. Flip in a bush, fish hits it (hardly ever feel the bite) and swimming out, swing and a miss, taking your bait. I've had bushes with 3 baits floating before I finally hooked up. I dropped from a 6/0 to a 5/0 hook last week and didn't have near as many misses. These fish are doing the same with topwaters until you find the exact one they want. I've never seen this kind of stuff go on for this long, usually it's been a few days maybe a week, but they've been doing it to me on different lakes for 3 weeks or so now. For whatever reason, they're not getting the entire bait in their mouth all the time, and it's not just little fish either. It's not just me and not fishing clean, two buddies I've taken out had the same thing happen.
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