Anglers will always tell you to find the fish. Or they may say “find the bait and you will find the fish.” But, once you find the fish how do you make them bite?
The truth is it is not as simple as just finding the fish. You have to make them bite. I have been out on the water and found loads of fish. I have even had the bass schooling all around me like crazy but I could not get them to bite. Here are 7 Tips to make fish bite when you find them.
Number 1-Match the Hatch!
Find out what the bass are eating and try to duplicate it exactly. If you find that the fish are eating tons of baitfish you want to mimic that.
However, you need to mimic the exact size of the baitfish also. Sometimes, the bass are so keyed in on a certain size of baitfish. They will not touch anything bigger or smaller. You need to find something in your tackle box that is the same size and color and go to work with that as your first step to catching the fish.
If matching the hatch doesn’t work then always try and downsize. I always find that going a little smaller yields better results.
Having an assortment of soft swim baits paired with a jig head is a great way to easily match the hatch.
Number 2-Find the Depth!!
Using your electronics and finding at what depth the fish are holding is a great way to make fish bite.
If they are suspended then you will want to count your bait down and try and keep it in the strike zone as long as possible. Suspended fish are always a little trickier to catch. When you find them suspended you will always have your work cut out for you.
One thing I like to do when I find suspended fish is to use a drop shot. I will fish it vertically and drop it down through the fish to the bottom. You can watch the fish follow it to the bottom. I feel that bass bite a little better when they are on the bottom.
For more on the drop shot technique and some great baits to pair it with check out this article.
If the fish are on the bottom they will be more likely to bite. I like to start with something fast-moving like a crankbait that gets to the bottom where the fish are.
If they are up top then great. Use a topwater bait and go have a blast.
However, I must say that nothing beats a Livingston Lures Walking Boss. This lure makes electronic bait fish noises that the fish simply cannot resist.
Number 3-Lighten the Leader!!!
We cannot get lazy as anglers. Changing your leader line can be a pain. If you feel that you have the right bait then catching fish could simply be a leader change away.
If the fish are not biting then lighten your line. Learn how to tie a double uni knot if you are connecting your leader to braided line. Here is a video explaining that:
If you are fishing dark water like lake Guntersville you may want to use 15lb test fluorocarbon. If you are on Lake St. Clair with the crystal clear water you may want to use 6-8lb test fluorocarbon. If you are not getting bites that is the time to try and lighten it up.
Number 4-Use Scent!!!!
If you have followed any of my articles you know I love using scent for bass fishing. Anytime I use any type of worm, creature bait, jig, or drop shot I use Bang Garlic Spray.
If I am using a shad presentation I use this.
PRO TIP: If using any type of sunscreen make sure to keep that stuff off of your baits. The fish do not like that and it will keep them away from your presentation. Wash your hands after applying and maybe even give your bait an extra shot of spray to enhance the small.
Number 5-Figure out a Cadence!!!!!
A cadence is important in bass fishing. When you are power fishing (spinnerbait, jerk bait, topwater) you want to find what kind of cadence the fish want.
If you are using a jerk bait for example you want to find out what the fish want on that given day. Maybe it is a jerk jerk pause with a short pause. Or if the fish are in colder water maybe you pause for a little longer. Figure out what the fish want and repeat.
Topwater is the same thing. Sometimes the bass will want the bait to be moved super fast and they will crush it. Sometimes they want it worked slow. You have to experiment early to figure it out and then rinse and repeat as the day goes on.
Number 6-Slow Down!!!!!!
Sometimes all we need to do as anglers is slow down a bit. Not every day is going to be a power fishing day with explosive bites. Sometimes we just have to learn how to slow down.
If the fish are on the bottom an excellent power fishing technique that you can try is a Fish Head Spin.
Pair this with a soft swimbait that matches the hatch as we talked about above. If you stop feeling bottom contact then let some line back out and let it sink to the bottom and reel again.
If the fish are suspended you may want to try and use a spy bait. Count this bait down to the strike zone and reel it painfully slow. Pair this with a very light fluorocarbon line and go to work on those hard to catch suspended fish.
Number 7-Use Red Hooks!!!!!!!
When I am fishing my top waters I like to add one red treble hook to the front of my bait. I simply take off the front hook and replace it with a red hook of the same size. It is unreal how many times the fish with be caught on that front hook when I make that change.
Red may look like blood coming out of a baitfish and draw the strike. I also do this with my jerk baits.
You can also add a red trailer hook to your spinnerbaits.
The other thing I like to do with the color red is add some red spike it to my soft plastics.
In Conclusion
There are a lot of steps you can take to make the fish bite. Also, remember that if you have tried a bunch of these techniques it may be time to move and find some more active fish. Not all schools of fish are in a biting mood. If you find a bunch of bass in a quiet pocket with no wind. Leave and try and find something with some wind that may stir the fish up a little bit.
I also always like to come back later in the day and see if those fish have activated.
Pay attention to what works from the tips above and you will start to have more success when the fish are being picky.
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