Fishing bass in CLEAR water?

Question

hello i live in california and i fish in dixon lake.

There are HUGE bass in the lake but since the water is soo clear they refuse to bite at almost everything.

Crankbaits and spinners dont work. I've even used baby bass, small bluegill, and sculpin as bait. All the bass do is chase the bait, and once they get very close to it, they inspect it carefully and leave once they see it's a fake.

i usually fish from 6:30 to 11:30

what do you think im doing wrong?
Give me advice on how to catch them in clear water.

o yea because rubber worms and real nightcrawlers have been used sooo much as tackle in the bait, the bass have learned to avoid these

Answer 1

First of all either switch to fluorocarbon line or at least use a fluorocarbon leader. This line has the same refractive properties as water and is virtually invisible. Then I would try some of the popular "west coast techniques" like drop shotting . This involves tying a bait hook between 6 to 24" up from a sinker (1/8 to 1 oz.) with a small plastic worm(2 to 4")You may want to try some of the yamamoto baits like senkos or tiny craws. Just cast it out or a lot of times its just fished verticle from a boat,either way just leave it in one place and shake it using a very slight wrist action. I would also retry all the methods you mentioned again using tyhe fluorocarbon. Good luck and tight lines!

Answer 2

For clear water lakes I would be looking for structure like rocks and stump beds in a little deeper water. Plastics that imitate natural forage would be my first choice. Salamanders, worms, gobys and things like that. My next choice would be any stained water near vegetation, the staining could be a simple as the waves washing away at a bank. But here I would be using crank baits, spinner baits and depending on the thickness of the vegetation jigs. Also look for trees, stumps and other cover that you can cast to from a distance using all of the above mentioned baits. Top water baits, while effective, I only use on overcast days when the water is smooth. Good Luck I hope this has helped you some.

Answer 3

Fishing clear water can be tough. Use light line 4-6 lb test and experiment with lure selections. Use light colors on sunny days, darker on cloudy days. Here we have clear water and I've had trouble adapting, but I've found that trolling a deep diving crankbait works really well for bigger fish. One clear water bait I like to use is a tube jig rigged Texas style with no weight, I also like a rattle trap. Good luck.

Answer 4

If you like fishing with spinnerbaits, buy Kevin Van Dams advance spinnerbait tactics DVD (10 bucks) from Bass Pro Shops. He talks a lot about using spinnerbaits in crystal clear water. BTW, if you can see the fish, they can see you..... make longer cast. If the water is warm, fish real fast and don't let them get a good look at the bait....

Answer 5

I used to fish for bass in a pond that was spring fed, so it was really clear. The bass went nuts over black and orange rubber lizzards. If you are using baby bass as bait, that's illegal, and you should stop doing it. If you get busted, you will get a huge fine.

Answer 6

its not that fish don't know its real or fake you gotta keep try harder keep throw and wheel back like i did before i saw big norther pike i used spoon lure some time they follow some time they not then one time they bite or try to used buzz bait its really cool bait american people call buzz bait is number one lure thats why i am using now you should try it its spin ontop of the water and making noise specialy fish early in the morning when the is not moving so the fish easy to see you will catch alot of big bass trust me i gotta wait till summer so i can used it again

Answer 7

The first thing to do if you are fishing very clear water is to go with as light of line as possible,the smaller diameter line is less visible in clearer water.You may even want to go to flourocarbon line,it's expensive but virtually dissapears in water. Fish have excellent eyesight and are spooked by the long "rope" pertruding from their dinner.Also try reaction baits such as rattle traps and buzz-baits.Experiment with retrieves on various baits till you find what they are after.remember dark colors on cloudy days and bright colors on clear days.

Answer 8

Try a rubber worm (I like Culprit brand) in a natural looking color, rig it weedless and retrieve it very slowly. I find this works well in clear waters or heavily fished waters.

If that doesn't work try a faster retrieve or a brighter color to induce an instinctive strike.

Answer 9

Live bait, worms or minnows

Answer 10

try using worms. different colors & they even have plastic crawdads. that bass really like. if this isnt working try a rooster tail, rattle trap.