Okay, so every summer I head up to my favorite mountain lake, called Pierre Lake. It is tucked away way up in the mountains and is a pristine, beautiful, clean lake. It is small, you can row across the whole lake in probably 20 minutes or so, but is pretty deep. 60 feet or more in one spot. Anyways, every year the largemouth bass in this lake skunk me. You can see them in the water and almost reach out and grab them! They are BIG. I see schools of them that are in the 5 pound range or bigger. They fill the lake. The problem is I can never catch them! They don't hit anything. Oh sure, I have caught a few tiny, dinky ones, the dumb ones. But the giants just look at your bait and swim away. I have tried everything; swimbaits, crankbaits, senkos etc.  Often the bass will come at the bait after a cast in a fury at full speed then just turn and swim away and other times they just totally ignore it all together like it isn't even there. It is infuriating! I even tried to just get the net out and scoop some up they came so close to the boat! They were almost taunting me! How do I catch them? Anyone have a secret? Or even a reason WHY the bass act like this at this particular lake? Oh, and I will probably end up doing what I always do, focusing on targeting the trout in the lake instead! At least I can hook them!

Ever tried a fly setup on em? They might be looking for something really subtle or minute, that lake looks virtually untouched and glass calm. And have you ever tried a topwater? If you can see them coming close to the boat, that tells you they're near the surface, maybe that's where they prefer to feed too. Just tossin some stuff out there.

My guess is the reason they are so skittish is the water is probably very clear. If this is so, skewl has the right idea, you'll need to go subtle. Maybe try some fluorocarbon...as light as you can go. Keep the lure colors subtle too. With conditions like this, the night time might be the "right time"...try a black jitterbug after the sun sets.
                                                

since bass are sight feeders you should probably make sure your offering look super ultra realistic to fool them in the extremely clear water.

I agree with skewl about the fly idea. I recently caught a 5.53 pound largemouth on Canyon Lake here in Arizona. The lakes here are usually gin clear too and very pressured. I use fly tackle a lot now to show the fish something different that they don't see coming at them all day long. And with flies you can let them just sit there for as long as you have the patience!

try fly lining a senko and be very patient even in 20 ft of water if you get them breaking top water but wont eat anything take a 4 in white senko with no weight and skip it across the water like a topwater bait. slow it down downsize the lakes here in cali are over pressured and gin clear. good luck. Scott

Wow, some good tips here. I have figured out already that if I can see the bass then they can see me! Mo you are right the water is crystal clear in this lake. I'm sure the fish can see for a mile. I have tried top water a little but maybe gave up on it too soon. You may be right skewl, if they are near the surface maybe that's what they want. And I don't know how to fly fish and don't have any gear like that. I do have A LOT of really good poppers and walking dawg lures though and even some really awesome top water frogs I can try. Oh, and the fish species in the lake are Largemouth, trout, bluegill, and even rumors of pike, crappie and walleye, but I find the last three hard to believe! Never seen them!

Use live bait , shinners or crawlers cant go wrong , If that dont work maybe you can seranade them wit a bottle of wine and some frank sinatra LOL

Posted By Dbrasco3 on 18 May 2012 03:13 PM
Use live bait , shinners or crawlers cant go wrong , If that dont work maybe you can seranade them wit a bottle of wine and some frank sinatra LOL

Ha ha I love Sinatra! Maybe i'll try that!...

When all else fails, live bait on a fluoro leader.

Posted By Pegsguy on 19 May 2012 09:52 AM
When all else fails, live bait on a fluoro leader.

They won't even hit live bait! I'm leaving on Monday so I will let you guys know what transpired when I get back!

I sure miss that part of the country, 3 years USFS in OR and WA as fire-fighter/forestry tech, fishing little lakes like that. You probably don't have the right salmon type jigs, but maybe a Champion blade, or spoon with a feathered tip is what will work best for those bass. The bass have seen the artificial baits, seen you, and won't bite out of curiosity, hunger, or for any reason other than being made mad. Try outraging them with something fast and furious, too fast to get a good look. The bass are obviously well fed, so there isn't incentive to eat your offering. They are probably doing just fine eating young panfish.

Good idea ouachitabassangler. Try burning a spinnerbait so fast they have to hit it or lose it.
Also, you needn't be a fly caster to fish flies....use a clear plastic bobber about 24 to 36 inches above the fly on spinning gear.

you could go in the opposite direction and drop shot a tiny worm on some 6 or 8 pound flourocarbon

Posted By ouachitabassangler on 20 May 2012 09:11 AM
I sure miss that part of the country, 3 years USFS in OR and WA as fire-fighter/forestry tech, fishing little lakes like that. You probably don't have the right salmon type jigs, but maybe a Champion blade, or spoon with a feathered tip is what will work best for those bass. The bass have seen the artificial baits, seen you, and won't bite out of curiosity, hunger, or for any reason other than being made mad. Try outraging them with something fast and furious, too fast to get a good look. The bass are obviously well fed, so there isn't incentive to eat your offering. They are probably doing just fine eating young panfish.

Yeah, its beautiful here! I love it! And I think you may be right about what you said. It is clear that the bass are well fed and have seen pretty much every lure there is. And with the water being so clear and so little underwater structure in the lake, the bass can see an angler coming from a mile away. You are alos right about panfish. There are blugill, I have only caught 1 ever, and rumors of crappie in the lake so maybe that's what the bass have been eating. Maybe a bluegill colored lure will work too.

Catch a small bluegill or crappie and use it for bait. Also try a crayfish if u havent already.

It seems that this lake your fishing is gin clear and if you can see them, they can see you as well, and it's very easy to spooke them. Have you ever considered fishing for them a night. A lot of the lakes in my area are the same way, so I fish them at night with topwater baits. Poppers,buzzbaits and frogs. It works for me and it may work for you as well.

Welp, just got back into town. Fishing trip was a bust! I got skunked! I did get a few bites from trout but no bass. The bass didn't bite in the day or night. Although one did strike my Rooster Tail on my second cast but after that its like they all new we were there! They totally ignored my lures after that. Oh well. Had some fun drinking and sitting around the fire. I don't think they stocked this lake this year because the fish activity was dead. Maybe next year!

just a heads up you dont need flyfishing equipment to flyline a senko, rig it texas rig with no weight and 3/0 or 4/O hook and no weight and be very patient as it falls or rip it across the water like a topwater bait. good luck Scott

If its that clear, you need to fish slow and as natural looking baits possible. LMB are extremely skiddish in clear water. Get natural color worms like watermelon, june bug, green pumpkin and fish on light line on a spinning set up. You want to make as far casts as possible. More than likely you're spooking the fish too much. They won't bite. Stay quiet...stay hidden and finesse worms, creature baits. Hope you catch something.