SKUNKED

USS Neversail · Aug 12, 2002

Bad night tonight. Nothing in the boat. Nothing CLOSE to being in the boat. Saturday, same thing, except got one 6" bass. And I think he was slightly retarded.

Need suggestions. . .

Salt water/fresh water mix Mildly stained brown water Water temp - approx. 79 HUGE amount of shore cover - tree's, weeds, grass, etc. - you name it, it's there No depth/fish finder (yet . . . know any good deals?) I have tried the following: buzzbaits spinners plastic worms jigs crankbaits floating lures Retrieving slow, fast, intermittant. MANY colors from bright to dark to flourescent I see lots of baitfish swimming around in schools. Carolina rig, texas rig - haven't tried the drop shot, learned that tonight. Will try SOON.

If that doesn't work, dynamite is next.

Any and all help is needed! Thanks! Jason

Ross J · Aug 12, 2002

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Does aniseed work as a fish attractant over there in the US of A? Ross

62_Kiwi · Aug 12, 2002

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...I never knew that worked in the NZ of L but I keep learning.... thanks again Ross. Jason - have you tried any kind of ground bait? Is anyone else catching fish in those waters?

USS Neversail · Aug 13, 2002

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Don't know what aniseed is. (Fish attractant?) Don't know what ground bait is. (Live bait?) Ya'll did give me a thought, though. Spray on attractant. They sell it at wal-mart. Gonna try that.

I'll get you my pretties . . . hahahahahahahaha. The fish don't have a chance. If all else fails, dynamite is still an option. Thanks for the replies. Jason

495v · Aug 13, 2002

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USS, try finding some colder water near deep holes or fresh inlets. I beleive that's really the trick in the summer months. Went out fishing over the weekend on a com-ed cooling lake; I was marking water in the 90 degree range. Not many boats out on the water, but I was locating fish in 17ft of water and they were active. Cold water, cold water, cold water. If all else fails, dynamite is fun!

sloopy · Aug 13, 2002

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YOU GOT TO USE GREEN WORMS MAN!!!!!!

Fishbusters · Aug 13, 2002

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Nothing can be tougher than fishing the brackish water as well at times nothing can be easier. One key is moving water be it tide going in or out. Another is when the tide is up the fish are more scattered and down the fish more concentrated. White, pearl or chartruse spinnerbaits and sluggo or other weightless jerk type worms are the top 2 lure types for this type of water. Look for current blocking cover where fish can ambush bait as it is washed/swims by. Also look for less obvious things like a mid creek stump or perhaps even an oyster bar depending how far into the salt you are. Also look at a flat as it is draining and then at low tide looking for spots where the water is comming out faster or more concentrated. These happen to be the only spots with water at low tide in some places. Mark these spots in your mind and fish them on the outgoing tide especially if some cover is there or nearby. Here we have a lot of old rice fields and they are drained by creeks. The old rice dam is one of the best hotspots I know. My best luck is an outgoing tide washing the bait out of the shallow flats into the main channel and you can follow this tide starting up where it is barely influnced down to the true SW and then follow the incomming back up. My worst time has beeneither side of the high tide as fish scatter out in the shallow flats and such making them harder to catch.

USS Neversail · Aug 14, 2002

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495 - looked for deep water. Even broke out charts. There is one spot where the water is over 6 ft. deep. And that is at the mouth of the inlet, 25 ft from a narrowing passage. The ONLY passage in - pretty busy. Also very salty. Basically ocean water at that point. Of course, I fished it anyway. Just got in the way of everyone else. Ooooppppsss. Nothing, though. Gonna try the deepest spots I can find and fish 'em real slow with a drop shot rig with plastic worms. Sloopy - DUH! What do you think I caught the 6" one on? Thanks for letting me know the importance of green worms!

Peterfishbuster - Great ideas. I have a flat close to the ramp (200-300yrds) that dries up with a real low tide. I'll check it out. I can follow the tides out too, with little problems. Another little tidbit for all - when using a carolina rig, there were several chasers (right up to the boat) that followed the bullet sinker and red then white bead I had suspended about 3' from the green worm. Does this indicate color (gray, red, or white) attraction or rattle attraction (clacking of the weight and beads)? Or should I just test both theories? Thanks, Jason

495v · Aug 14, 2002

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USS, did you try the dynamite.

Getting chasers is a good sign. Means you are on top of fish and active fish at that. Need to change something up though. Consider throwing something that may trigger a reflex strike, maybe a suspending jerkbait. Also, you had mentioned lots of cover in your first post. How close are you fishing this cover? What depth of water is it in?

gnknt · Aug 14, 2002

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USS i live in New Jersey and fish the delaware a few times.. This water to is a fresh/salt water...and controled by tides...very murky brown....alot of guys use a blood worm to catch strippers and night crawlers for cats,minnows too for other fish amd bass...best bet...if they follow in a color try this...u said they folloed in a red and white bead with a gray slip sinker right?? Get a red jig,grub,mr.Twister..ect...find a white jig head with a red eye..and put on line....NOW add a bobber about 15" to 2 ft....depending on depth from lure..cast out or drop over board and let get a ways from boat...then retrieve real slow...slow enough not to make a wake with bobber or make bobber go under....Bobber will be indicator of fish hit...I have used this alot in summer when fish are either inactive or sluggish...Works great once you find your color!

USS Neversail · Aug 14, 2002

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495 - No dynamite yet. Gettin close, though. The cover ranges in depth from 1' to probably 3'. I am fishing the cover several ways. In the general area (swimming it by), semi-close (2-4'), very close (1/2 - 2') and landing on it. I also am trying some pitching and flipping (don't know which is the right word) in tree tops and multiple stumps or pilings. Cap't G - I like the idea - match the colors with a setup - I did that kind of, I used a white spinner with red eye. Never thought of the bobber though. Would make me slow down, too. What is a blood worm? It might be good for me to use a red plastic worm. Thanks for the tips, guys. I have duty tonight and tomorrow night, so no fishing.

But only a half day Friday - gonna try then - I'll let you know what happens. Jason

Fishbusters · Aug 14, 2002

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Read my color selection for spinnerbaits and jerk worms. Also I would throw away the carolina rig and run a texas so my bait would be at the weight. Keep in mind here you are not fishing for typical fish. The baits and such used in fresh water although good are not typical of the forage you find where you are fishing. These things see an abundance of white colored food like almost any s/w baitfish as well as other things like shrimp(pinkish white and somewhat clear) crabs the white with blue and green. Also they may be more orented to hitting easy prey sitting on bottom like a crab or a resting shrimp and not chasing fast moving bait like mulett or menhaden. Aslo it seems any red in S/W adds to a good lure. Red being the color of both a stressed fish's gill and blood. I think the red is associated with prey in trouble and attracts preditors.

derwood · Aug 14, 2002

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Peters right about brakish water....sometimes it's great and sometimes it stinks......In hot weather alot of fish in shallow water will also seek shade....be it under bushes, under hanging tree branches, ledges..... Sea trout will sometimes even go under grass in VERY shallow water because its much cooler underneath it....snook and reds will lie way up under mangrove branches and bushes that hold shade. Deep water is cooler and can hold fish....also shallow water that is near deep water can hold fish....more so if there is cover to bounce back and forth between. I use anise oil in chum when i'm tring to catch bait fish.....Can't say if it works any better than without but i get bait. Thing is....I don't fish for fresh water fish in brakish water....alot of pepole do but not me. You could try power chumming if you have acsess to a bunch of live bait. Is there a chance that when they were chaseing the sinker on your carolina rig that they thought they were chasing small crabs? Alot of fish that hang out in shallow brakish water near the realy salty water eat a bunch of crustations. Reds stomachs are full of small crabs when they are up in the shallow water.....Just a thought. Try a mepps spinner with a gold blade....or the colors you said they were chasing....have some freshwater handy to drop it in afterwords or you might give the fish lockjaw. Derwood.

USS Neversail · Aug 15, 2002

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Peter - Good idea - if they are chasing the weight/beads, put those closer to the hook!!! Duh, I should've thought of that!

I got some red plastic's last night - worms. . . I'll see if they work. Also, a lipless cranker so I can run that through a little more area quickly. With red. I'll read your posting before I go, too. derwood - I got some fish attractant to put on the bait. Maybe that'll encourage them. Also, I am going to hit the shade a little more. Thanks, guys. Jason

USS Neversail · Aug 17, 2002

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OK, guys. Here is the latest update . . . Went out last night. The conditions were barometer falling, partly cloudy, about 75-80 air temp., water temp 81-85. Stained muddy water, visibility about 1 foot. Used Berkly fish attractant. Tried the crankbait, texas rigged worms, drop shot soft plastics, spinners, top water, and many colors of each with different retrieves each. I stayed out and did some night fishing, too, thinking that maybe this would help with cooler air/water temps. NOPE.

I am beginning to think there are no bass in this water. I would think that the other fish in the area would hit SOMETHING !

But, once again, nothing. The fish finder says there are all kinds of fish in the water. Even if it ID's half of them correctly, there should be something. I tried fishing in 1 foot of water, all the way down to 19' (I found a deeper hole, at least) and it made no difference. Any other suggestions? I am about to ditch the artificials and go with live bait, just to try to catch something.

Thanks! Jason

derwood · Aug 17, 2002

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You did'nt already do that? Thats always my first line of attack....go with what they eat on a daily basis and fish with the artificals while your waiting....Just don't do it next to your live bait. When you find out what they are going to hit with live bait try to match it as closely as posible with a lure....and try to make it move the same if you can. Brackish water is a challange to fish....Its easer in the winter....Just curious....why are'nt you fishing in fresh water or farther up into the fresher water for bass? derwood.

Fishbusters · Aug 17, 2002

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Not 100% sure but if you had time to try all those lures I think you may be fishing too fast and expecting too much. Tidal bassin can be a fast and furious thing if everything is right but mostly it is not. I adree that you should have had something like a flounder or perhaps a bluefish or something but since I am not 100% sure where you are fishing and have never been there I can't be positive what to do next except use a cast net and try live baits caught locally.

USS Neversail · Aug 17, 2002

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Hey, guys. derwood - I went as far back as I could. It VERY brackish/stagnant back in farther. I can only fish with one pole, according to the regs.

I am curious . . . why is brackish water easier to fish in the winter? Because it stays warmer than clear water? Let me know, please. Thanks! Peter - I did catch 2 flounder and a croaker, way back when I first starting going out there. Now, though, nothing. Water temp is pretty close to 90 degree's today, so it's pretty hot. You may very well be right, in that I am fishing too hard and fast. Kinda like gettin a woman - they can tell if you try too hard. I am kinda frustratingly desparate. Haven't EVER had a dry spell like this. Did hear from a local that I am fishing in the wrong spot!!!! He said there aren't many fish over where I am. I am going to try the spot he suggested tomorrow AM, as long as it isn't stormin' bad (kinda stormin' is OK). I'll let you guys know if there is a difference. Same area, just a couple of miles downshore. Same type of area though. We'll see. Thanks! Jason

markh60 · Aug 18, 2002

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try usising gary yamato, senko's. they are very productive for me. i use the color, smoke with black flake. try rigging it with no wieght.fish it very slow,using the rod tip, then reel the slack up, then repeat the same motion. very , very productive. good luck

USS Neversail · Aug 20, 2002

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Thanks, I'll give the "no weight" approach a try. Maybe that'll work. Live bait hasn't been successful, either. Worms, shrimp, mullet, shad. I emailed the Dept. of Water guys to see if there are any fish in my area. should've gone golfing . . .

Jason

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