Finicky fish

[Ketchn]

I'll try hair jigs and maybe deadstickin' them. If no takers, MOVE!! Somebody's gotta eat somewhere!

We used lil burnt orange tiny “chicken feet “ plastics yesterday on tiny jig unpainted jig heads and destroyed some finicky big crappie in large numbers …..
Suspended them below a swarm of some kind of sunfish fry about 5 foot deep in 7 feet of water …
Those kids just hammered them fish with small floats like fast …..
And to be sure , you would have thought there were no crappie in the area or biting if you used anything else…..because before they got there I tested the water some and it was terribly difficult to get even a peck on standard jigs and a typical jig presentation…

[biskitboy]

Danny,
Sent you a pm

[Danny Lang]

Danny,
Sent you a pm

I answered your post, hope I can help you, the way the good folks on this site has helped me through the years.

[Spoonminnow]

DO NOT READ if BORED BY LONG REPLIES!

Last week I took a friend to a lake I've fished for years. But just because you've fished a lake for many years doesn't mean more fish in the boat. Once I got us into fish, both of us caught fish based on my tips and then he started asking questions why the lures chosed did so well.
What follows is based on theory that supports many of the above great replies but in general:
1. lure speed and presentation matters - always. Why? Activity level. Schoolies may be super aggressive whereas single fish hanging out may need a bit more to provoke a strike. Different lures work at different speeds. For example: A Beetle Spin is usually retrieved at a steady speed same for curl tails; a finesse tail grub-type can be worked very slow - with pauses - & 1/4 reel handle turns.


2. The lateral line is supersensitive! A lure either thumps the LL or tickles it depending on its action. The B-Spin blade thumps it; a finesse action-tail or no tail at all, tickles it, slowly and kept at the depth fish are at. We caught fish in 8' and in 4' after finding fish on the sonar and using finesse tails on small bodies. We had to go smaller @ slower after missing tail-nippers.

3. Jig weight and hook size matter!. My heaviest jig is 1/16 oz with a hook size range from #4 -1/0. I work lures deeper using 1/16 oz and shallower water using 1/24, 1/32 with hook sizes #6, 8 and 4. The weight of the plastic allows a good casting distance to cover all around the boat as well as jigging a lure slowly off the bottom.

4. Color brightness may matter just like ticklers & thumpers affect the lateral line except visually. Subtle color brightness may work better than florescent or bright white but I've usually found very little difference in catch rate. In face, I been using black soft plastics and doing well. But one thing color and color brightness does, is emphasize lure shape & action parts.

5. Fish depth and cover matter - ALWAYS! They determine one or more fish- location patterns. Different patterns may exist on the same water and day.
i.e. fish in deep water may hang mid depth; fish in shallow water may be closer to the bottom; fish along pad edges and in pad pockes; fish on humps or flats. Appy the above tips to see how they fit the pattern being fishd.

Rarely is faster better for panfish and most of the time my lures are 2.5" or smaller. I use 6# test braid on spinning and spincast reels on light-action rods for better strike detection and hook sets started by the fish. Braid doesn't affect lure action and a light action rod avoids fish pulling away leaving the lure hanging.

Last thing: lures contrast with nature unnaturally and fish take notice. Lures push a fish's buttons so to speak. How or when they do that resulting in aggression is anyone's guess. I stopped trying to think like a fish decades ago and concentrate on what aggravates them to strike.

Hope this is helpful.

[bugman]

Sounds like your trying the right stuff. I also change color baits too and fish SLOW. Sometimes they just don't want to bite. Move move move after giving them a sufficient try to fish hopefully more willing to bite.

I agree there are days where the front of your boat is covered with used plastic from trying everything you have and they still won't bite or you pick up 1 or 2 on each spot where according to numbers you should have caught a dozen the best way i have found to have productive trips during the summer in the shallow water i target is to stick and move pick up the active fish on a spot and move on usually if you hit enough spots you will find the one that will have several active fish on it and your slow day can turn into a good trip....at least on my home lake that works for me and all of the color changes and downsizing seems to have zero affect on them as long as you are in the ballpark with colors finding that active school of fish is the key.

[BobC]

Great thread and advice. I have some things to try. Bite here has slowed quite a bit with the heat wave in SE PA.
Bob

[Spoonminnow]

The only thing the heat does is keep me off the lake. Being cold blooded, fish adapt and still have to be ready to turn aggressive at a moment's notice. Water temp. in the Hudson Valley is 84 degrees surface temp. That said, my spots for shallow lakes (deeped being 8') are deeper water that show fish on the sonar, flats near deeper water, under branches that offer shade near shore and better yet, if there are a few pads in the area that have edge lines and pockets. Steep banks are a big plus when trees are present!

Except in water 4' or less, sonar for me is key! No bait fish - no cast.