Really Bad Angler needs advice

[donberry]

long, sorry, but I need help.

I need help. I have to be one of the worse fishermen. So many things I could ask, but for now I will just ask about one scenario. Supposed to be a storm coming in at midnight, air temp is low 60’s. I decide to hit the lake for a couple of hours until the storm moves in. I was on the water at 9:00pm, ended up fishing until around 2:30, never did rain until I got back home.
Fishing Tims Ford Lake in Tn. Water temp is a perfect 60 degrees. Lake is as smooth as glass for the most part.
Started by hitting points and the back of creek channels, showing bait fish near the top. I do not hear any top water action going on. I throw quite a few things, don’t get a bite. Some of the things I was throwing
a. Castaic Catch 22 slow sinker, silver shad
b. Rapala DT
c. Rat-L-Trap
d. Original Rapala Floter – 5” and 3 ½”
e. Spinnerbait – mostly white with some chartreuse, 2 blades, with trailer
f. Lucky Craft Flash Minnow
g. Fluke – weighted and unweighted
After a couple of hours, still not hearing any real topwater action, I decide to drop the downrigger. Baitfish are near the top, so I drop a Catch 22 down to about 12’ and a Sebile Magic swimmer down to about 5’. Trolled a while, lines are a good 150-200 feet behind the boat, using trolling motor as the lake is so quiet. I also tried a bucktail jig with a Gulp minnow and the small floating rapala. Did this for about an hour – not a nibble, tried various depths.
Back in the creek channels. Fish start feeding on top. Not a frenzy, but a nice fish obviously feeding on the baitfish at least every 5-10 minutes . Couple of times some would do this 20 feet from the boat.
I basically sit in this channel for a good couple of hours. Baitfish are in the top 5’ and I can hear and see the striper/bass coming up. Nothing, not a nibble. I threw the following
a. Rapala skitter walk – walked the dog. Also just let it sit and make some noise
b. Zara Spook Puppy – walked the dog with pauses.
c. Catch 22 – slow and fast retrieve, occasionally jerks and stops
d. Magic swimmer - slow and fast retrieve, occasionally jerks and stops
e. The original floating rapalas – one about 5” and one small one – floaters and have been my most productive lure. Tried slow, med. Fast retrieves, jerking and stopping on the retrieve and also just jerking it back
f. Zoom Fluke – unweighted so it would not sink too fast. Jerk, let it sink some, jerk etc…sometimes fast jerks, other times slow

Also threw a spinnerbait for good measure - one mainly white, 2 silver spinners and one mainly yellow, 1 gold and one silver spinner.
Now while I am throwing these, again not a frenzy, but fish are feeding on top with some sounding very big making huge splashes (startled me once it was so big). Channel is small now due to winter draw down. I am pretty much in the middle working the lures on either side and down the middle behind and in front of the boat. I would just get done working one area and minutes later a nice fish would come up and hit the baitfish in that same area.
Nothing on top, maybe I can get one down deeper to hit so I start throwing a Rat-L-Trap, chrome and blue on top, a small rapala dt and a medium size one . I also let the Zoom fluke drop down deeper thinking how could one of those fish not hit this "dying" baitfish drifting towards the bottom, struggling to stay alive (jerks)
Nothing. Thinking smaller may do it, I tried using a Gulp minnow, maybe 3” ? on just a jighead. Worked it shallow and deep.
Nothing.
I also threw some 4" Basstrix hollow body paddle tails and my 2nd most productive lure to date the Strike King Shadalicious. Of course when I say my most productive, in September I caught bass in the jumps and a couple of times I was catching one about every cast - but I could have probably thrown out tin foil and caught a fish.
Just a normal fishing day for me.
Oh, tackle – I am using spinning reels, a 3 older shimanos, a Pflueger President and a Okuma Trio 30S. Line is Stren 8 lb clear blue mono (for the blacklights), 2 of the rigs have about 10 feet of clear fluorocarbon “leaders”.
Some I was using small black snap swivels, couple had no swivels, tied directly to the line.
Any suggestions as to why I am so bad ? I used to think I was a decent angler but it turns out I was only emulating my brother and left on my own, I am absolutely horrible. This is a typical fishing day for me.
ANY suggestions, tips, info would be greatly appreciated. Water temps should stay around 58-60 until I get back out there probably Thursday.

 

[buzz]

Ease up on yourself. We've all been skunked at some time or the other. Great report btw.

 

[gobigorange]

Tried throwing any grubs? Smoke Grub with silver flake or white?

 

[derek81]

Have you not thrown the Alabama rig? That is all a fisherman needs, no rod, no reel, just hold the rig in the air and shake it around and fish should jump straight into the livewell! welcome to the board!

 

[Pointer 78]

You're fishing on Tim's Ford. A notoriously difficult lake to fish for the average angler.
Try a Silver Buddy. You can cast them a mile and they match the baitfish well. Try a steady retrieve first. If you're not having luck doing that, try pumping it while you reel.

 

[mallardecho]

What are you fishing for? Brown Green or Rockfish? Makes a big diffrence on that lake.

 

[offshore]

Pointer 78 - 11/22/2011 4:34 PM

You're fishing on Tim's Ford. A notoriously difficult lake to fish for the average angler.

THIS

 

[mallardecho]

Or you could just take up Golf, it can be more rewarding than Tims.

 

[donberry]

grubs - actually I did try that also. Forgot the manufacturer but it was silver/black speckled.

I have read many times where Tims can be known as the Dead Sea, but I was thinking that was more about finding the fish. I am sitting in the middle of a now narrow creek channel with fish feeding all around me. I think it is a safe bet that if any other decent angler was sitting there when they started feeding, they would have at least caught a couple, probably more as it went on for a couple of hours - not fast, but they were there feeding.

What am I fishing for ? Well, whatever is jumping around me feeding on the baitfish. In late September I ran into a couple feeding frenzies and was throwing the Original Rapala and a Shad-a-licious catching them on about every cast. I made the mistake of thinking I was learning the lake when now I know I could have probably thrown tin foil and a hook out there and caught something. I thought it was striper feeding but it turned out to be largemouth and smallmouth both. The smallmouth were small, going around 12-13 inches, largemouth were about the same tho I did catch 2 24" ones.
I didn't think they fed like that together, but apparently it was too good a feast to pass up.
Pus - it was a long "shallow" flat with steep inclines leading to 90' depths. So I was thinking maybe he largemouth always hung out in that area and the smallmouth were hanging on the incline, chasing the baitfish up, feeding frenzy and then back to the incline.

I have caught very, very few fish since. But last night was horrible as I knew they were feeding and I was right in the middle of them but could not figure out a thing to get me a bite.
Only thing left is live bait but again, I am pretty sure if anyone else was sitting there they would have caught fish.

 

[Pointer 78]

Consider hiring a guide. They're kinda expensive, but the experience can give you information and ideas you can use to be more successful for years. Find a buddy to go with you and split the cost.

 

[buzz]

I used to be a Rapala fanactic. Silver/black or chartruse. Now my go to topwater bait is a Blue back/silver Floating Rattling Rougue. Certainly not the best fisherman on here....but that lure has been awfully good to me, esp on those schoolers

On another note, my son and I were on nick awhile back...the schoolers were shoveling the minnows to the shallows. It looked like a shark frenzy....we didn't catch a one. It happens.

 

[dragfish]

derek81 - 11/22/2011 4:29 PM

Have you not thrown the Alabama rig? That is all a fisherman needs, no rod, no reel, just hold the rig in the air and shake it around and fish should jump straight into the livewell! welcome to the board!

emoUpsmile emoUpsmile

 

[brushhog]

iv'e been on tims ford,it can be tough,the last time i was there most of the field blanked ;i had one,,the guy that won the tx had a impressive 5 smallmouth 25.5 lbs,all caught on a area the size of childs small plastic pool,crawfish rap was the bait!! emoBang

 

[SpeedFish]

Sounds to me like it probly looked like a tornado ripped through your boat when you finished the day. Try sticking to only a coup@le baits and put your foot on the trolling motor and keep your head down. You'll eventually figure something out, just stay after it

 

[donberry]

SpeedFish - 11/22/2011 5:47 PM

Sounds to me like it probly looked like a tornado ripped through your boat when you finished the day. Try sticking to only a coup@le baits and put your foot on the trolling motor and keep your head down. You'll eventually figure something out, just stay after it

lol, close. Is actually why i switched tackle boxes. I was using the Plano clear box kind but hated them. If I wanted to switch lures I would have to get out that box, put that lure away and a good chance the lure I want is in a different box as I tried to keep all the same type in the same box, just too much fumbling around for me. Soooo, I went old school since the tacklebox is always on my boat and bought the old type drawer box with 7 drawers. Now I just open the one box and everything is right there and just keep extra soft baits (worms, swimbaits , line etc in another 3 drawer box which I only need to use in worse case scenarios.
Then I have 5 rod/reels that I normally rig up before I hit the water with what I think I'll need.

Now, I do agree that i switch lures too often and have recognized that as a problem. Last night when I was sitting in that creek channel it did take me about 2 1/2 hours to go thru everything. I am sure I was just too impatient but it was soooo frustrating watching and hearing a nice fish feed on something right after I had worked that area. Example would be I would be using the Sppok casting towards one bank and "walk" it back to the boat - alternating between short and longer pauses. Maybe 5 casts in the same general area each one a few feet right or left of the last cast(i was actually casting way past where the fish seemed to be feeding and working towards them).
Maybe the 6th cast i would shoot it over to the other side or down the middle - while I am working that back to the boat I would hear a huge splash right where I had just been working - then the same thing would happen in the other place - obviously not every time, but enough to make me think they were not hitting what i was using.
I never physically saw the baitfish so started thinking maybe they are feeding on smaller minnows - so I switched to the 3 1/2" floating rapala. I just got frustrated that I had found them and was there when they were feeding, but I couldn't have bought a bite (I obviously tried by buying tha Catch 22 and Sebile. I guess throwing money at the problem doesn't work either )
Friday night / Saturday morning is a low of 46 with no rain, so I am going to give it another shot then at about the same time. I've shied away from live bait as I wanted to learn the lake and was thinking learning where/what etc that they are hitting on artificial would make me a better angler, but I am to the point where I just need to catch a fish, although the other day I bought a dozen shiners and trolled, drop lined etc everywhere and again did not catch a thing.
Next time out I will try to use less lures and just stick to as few as possible.

At least in the summer and fall it was pretty on the lake - with the water drawn down so much I don't even have the pretty scenery to enjoy.

 

[gobigorange]

I got an idea trailer to NickaJack you'll catch fish there emoLaugh

 

[mallardecho]

There are alot of carp and buffalo surfacing right now. You may not be hearing game fish. If you are determined to catch some fish on Tims, and it sounds like you like a moving bait, buy you a DT-6 in Olive shiner and a DT-10 in the same color. Fish only these lures on one trip. Paralell the banks up tight and don't throw anything else. You will catch fish.

 

[donberry]

mallardecho - 11/23/2011 7:46 AM

There are alot of carp and buffalo surfacing right now. You may not be hearing game fish. If you are determined to catch some fish on Tims, and it sounds like you like a moving bait, buy you a DT-6 in Olive shiner and a DT-10 in the same color. Fish only these lures on one trip. Paralell the banks up tight and don't throw anything else. You will catch fish.

I have the DT-6 in bleeding olive, will have to get the DT-10. For what it is worth. As mentioned I do know I tend to switch lures too much, so will go with only those 2. I know me tho so I may give them a 3 hour limit .....

Carp and Buffalo - well, now that could be for some of them, especially the ones making the BIG noise as it sounded more like their whole body was leaving the water - couple times it actually startled me it was so noisy, but while we know I am obviously no expert, it sure sounded like a whole bunch of them were feeding - more of that sound they make when they are sucking in water......

I just want to say this is all my brother's fault. 1st, growing up fishing with him I just always expected to catch fish. On say a 6 hour day if we only caught 5 or 6 it was a bad day (smallmouth fishing was done in a river and where we were in Ohio, a 13" one was a nice smallmouth) 2nd - he moved to Cape Coral Florida, bought a boat and became a charter captain so now he never gets up here to teach me how to fish a deep water reservoir - apparently reading about it and doing it are 2 different things.
So as with all my troubles in life - it's my brother's fault emoAngel

I do sincerely appreciate the tips and advice and trust me when I say I am going to follow it. I grew up fishing as mentioned, but took a 15 year hiatus when I moved down here to Tennessee plus I grew up fishing lakes that the average depth was like 8-12 feet and did not have winter draw downs so our targets were always largemouth or crappie unless we hit the river for smallmouths. And my dad LOVED to carp fish so we also did that a lot - no, we did not eat them. In Ohio, to catch nice big carp we would just find where sewage was being released into the water.......never failed.

 

[WOBBLE HEAD]

When fishing get's that tuff

Try a old fasion crank telephone

They will jump right on top of the water for you.

 

[drumking]

Perch colored hand grenades work most of the time. emoPoke emoBigsmile emoGeezer