Nothing can spoil a day of fishing more than walking home empty-handed with no catch to call your own.
It’s true that fishing is a sport of patience, and that luck plays in as a factor in whether or not a fish actually bites.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t stack the odds of a catch in your favor. There are a lot of factors out there that can affect the chances of a catch, from temperature, to weather conditions, to even the equipment you bring along for the trip.
But go about it wrongly and you may find no fish even wanting to so much as approach you, no matter how many days you wait.
So, what might you be doing wrong, and what can you do all about it?
1. You are fishing at the wrong place
Not all fishing places are created equal, and that’s a fact. As the old saying goes: “90% of fish are in 10% of the water.”
Sometimes, you just won’t find any fish on that spot of yours no matter how much you wait, in which case it might be better to move on.
To avoid wasting too much time, you should consider moving if you have not gotten a bite between 30 to 50 minutes.
Change spots until you get a bite. When you do, you can settle down and take your time fishing in the area.
Some spots that might be of interest are those with cover, such as rock piles, fallen timber, and weed beds. This might seem daunting, what with the risk of losing your lure or bait and all, but spots with cover are usually where most fish take shelter in, which actually makes them great spots for fishing.
2. You are fishing at the wrong water depth
Not all fish stay in the same depth of water, as some may choose to move deeper or shallower. Factors that can affect this are the current season, time, and temperature.
For instance, during the summer, crappies typically hang around slightly deeper depths in the morning, moving even deeper mid-day, and finally moving upwards to shallower parts of the water in the evening.
Doing your research about certain fish behavior can help in giving you an idea of the best depths of the water to fish, especially if you’re aiming to go for a more specific catch.
3. You are fishing at the wrong speed
Yes, even how fast you’re reeling in matters to the fish. You might be reeling in too fast for the fish to even get a good look at your bait, much less have a chance to strike. On the other hand, if you’re too slow, the fish might not be attracted as the bait does not really look like its prey.
As a rule of thumb, fish are more active in warm waters. That means that “fast” fishing is recommended, especially for the more aggressive ones.
Meanwhile, fish on colder waters are less active and more likely to conserve their energy. Their pace slows to a crawl, making “slow” fishing more ideal.
4. You are fishing at the wrong season
One day, you may find that your perfect fishing spot that once hooked many a bass and catfish a few weeks ago is not even bothering to spit out anything.
No, it’s not because you drained the fish population. What’s more likely is that the fish have shifted spots thanks to a change in seasons. Once a hotbed for bass in spring, your spot may instead be barren and lifeless in the summer.
That means you will have to change your tactics. As mentioned earlier, fish depth and location may change with the shifting of seasons, so it’s time to move on and tailor your approach to the new season.
5. The water temperature shifted
Water temperature affects fish behavior in various ways. For instance, fish that prefer warm water such as bass and trout will start being more active in the spring, while trout and salmon will disappear in search of colder water.
Another thing is their activity. If the water is cold, that means fish that are around may likely be more passive and relaxed than if the water is warm.
Of course, there are also the extremes. If the water is too hot or too cold, fish are unlikely to start biting as they are either not around at all due the water not being an ideal place to be, or they are but they would rather conserve their energy than to move around haphazardly.
6. There is a Cold Front
There is a good reason why most anglers dread this term; it’s basically saying that the fish in the lake is as good as gone.
So, what is a cold front?
The short of it is that the temperature starts dropping rapidly and can go down as much as 15 degrees in an hour.
The fish lurking at the bottom of the water at that point have basically turned off the gas. They do not actually disappear into the depths of the water like we think. Rather, they simply hide in the most comfortable spot and stay there to conserve energy.
Unfortunately for you, this also means that any bait you throw in will likely be ignored, as their strike zone has been reduced by around 99%. This means that you will have to practically be dangling something in front of the fish for it to even bother.
If this doesn’t encourage you to cut your losses and try another day, you can still push on. While on their “resting” mode, fish are likely to be hiding behind cover, so rocks, fallen timber, and weed patches as mentioned earlier are good spots to find them. Usually they will be hidden enough to be conserving energy, but not so much in the sense that they can still ambush a fish for an easy meal if given the opportunity.
7. Not choosing the correct lure color
While not as important as the other tips, choosing the right color for your lure can help give you that extra push in hooking in a fish.
There is no real silver bullet lure, as your best choice will have to depend on a multitude of conditions: The depth of the water, how clear the water is, what other fish (predator and prey) are wandering about, what fish you want to catch, etc.
For instance, in clear waters, using natural colors for your lure helps give fish a better look at your bait. If you are fishing in murky water, brighter colors for your lure will help the fish see it better.
To effectively use the best lure, it might do you good to purchase multiple of them for your next fishing trip.
Wrapping Up
These tips should help you greatly in reeling in your next big catch. Doing as much research as possible on the fish you want to catch is an enormous boon and will greatly help in your preparations for your next fishing trip.
Just remember not to feel too bad if your big catch doesn’t occur immediately. Even the best anglers have their off days when none of the fish they want simply care. Sometimes, everyone gets bad luck.