Where do they hang out

[Steve Flattem]

I am digging down into my bag of ignorance for this one.



A bass jumps, you catch it out of the corner of your eye, or just see the concentric rings where it happened.



If I reel in and quickly cast to the same spot will the 'giant' bass still be there?



Also, from the same bag...my wife believes that if the fish were biting at a specific location on a lake, we should return to that exact spot to find them again...my thought is to just mark an X on the side of the boat.



Most of the lakes we fish in (N Wisconsin) are only 20-30' deep at best...we mostly fish structure, weedlines.



The boat came equipped with the standard Hummingbird XP2000 which probably has a cone of 16" at 20'...I use it mostly for structure.

 

[Gene B]

My experience is if a fish jumps, he's probobly just grabbed something and goes to cover. I've not had any consistant luck casting to where a fish has just jumped. It could be that it's not a bass(Big carp on topwater? Hmmm). I have caught some by casting a little ways away. If the fish are activly feeding, I drop somethin' right on the dinner plate for them.



Gene

 

[Bill Hamilton]

Steve, I also thought about marking an "X" on the side of the boat, except that with my luck I would probably take the wrong boat next time.(LOL)

 

[Texas Transplant]

I think that you are probably right. If they jump, as in taking bait, they likely go right back down and move. Never had any luck like that either. However, if a bass 'swirls' on a bait, that's probably another thing.



If they swirl and miss your bait, then throw right back with another offering.



Tex

 

[Richard Whittemore]

One time in my life I was making a cast and a bass swirled while my lure was on its way to him! When the texas rig hit the water, he hit it! 'bout a 2 lb.er. I gave him a chance to get smarter and not do that stuff, let him go.

Other than that I have never caught one throwing where they have been....

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I have followed a school of 2 pounders around a lake all morning "rising" or feeding on top and boating a very good number of them. Single fish are different. They surface for a reason and you are "after the fact" no matter what you do. It's easier to draw them to the top with a popper, buzz bait, etc.



TOXIC

 

[gone bye bye]

CAsting to a boil (fish boil that is) is a great way to catch smallmouth on flats, especially in the spring eearly summer. Alot of these fish are roaming the flats searching for food and usually are not alone.



Mini

 

[Terry Heydt]

Agree with previous comments. However, one similar situation I have encountered is noticing a pattern of top "blasts" in a localized area (say 10-15 foot circle of activity). Noticed this pattern on a local lake and found a large and isolated weed patch in an otherwise featureless area, about 12 ft deep. Bass were holding in the weeds, coming up, making hits, then returning to the cover. In this instance, I was able to target the "blow-up" area successfully (and very productively) both with shallow cranks over the area, then blades around the edges. After recognizing this, noted a few more consistent jump points at other locations on different mornings. Some I could not determine why, but some were the same situation - isolated features to which the bass were holding/relating. Also only have ever found such a pattern in pre-light/dusk situations around here.

 

[Bruce Freeman]

I have never caught a fish tossing at a spot where a fish had just jumped. I am told (my excuse anyway) is that most of the fish (bass type) that break the surface is becuase they can not stop the forward movement after they take there target? Fish boils on the other hand I learned in NY 2 weeks ago are another story.. Seems the Yellow perch were feeding on the minnows, the bass were feeding on the perch. I followed them down a weed line casting past the boil with a rattle trap and 9 out of 10 cast got a fish..

BF

 

[Larry Harp]

It is very frustrating to have the bass jumping all around and not be catching them. It tells me at least that the bass are active and feeding on the surface. If topwaters don't work I'll usually whoop out a minus 1 or a sub-wart.

Harpo