Help! Skunked three times...

[jboswell]

Welp, I always have trouble during the "ice out" time of year but 0 fish in three outings is ridiculous.

I have mainly focused on rip rap banks with quick shallow to deep transitions either caused by channel swings or man made jetties most are close to shallower spawning areas. Fishing in 3-12 FOW.

The reservoir is pretty typical lowland one located in south west Iowa. Water temps are 37-38 (some ice ~40% still on the lake). Visibility is approximately 1'. The lake itself has very little weed cover, just
rip rap, rock mounds and brush piles.

We have been trying our luck mainly with the 1/8 Oz. Cabela's hair jigs with black chunk Jr. trailers (sometimes without trailer too). We have been using a hopping or steady swimming (' off bottom) retrieve at the locations noted above with zero success (not even a bite). We have also tried jerk baits, blade baits, spoons....etc in the same types of locations.

I have put in about 8 hours now over 3 days (mostly afternoons) and am getting frustrated... I always have trouble with the ice out period and any insight you folks could lend would be great.

[lunchbox]

Fish more slowly. Take an actual finesse approach and slow WAY DOWN. With your jerk baits you might need to wait as long as 20 seconds between twitches. Let those hair jigs hit the bottom and wait before you hop them. Try adding a rattle to the jig if the visibility is 1'. While the "blade bait" is a great choice for early spring, usually it works best in water temps that are in the low 40's. Fish the NORTH and WEST sides of those rip rap areas. Another bait option that many people over look is a Nekko rigged fluke. The only difference i make in rigging is instead of a nail weight i use a rattle in the nose.

[Mike Cork]

Anything below 40 degrees is still brutal on a bass. Their systems are slow and they don't want to move. A swimming action with the jig is way too fast. The bait choice is excellent but you're going to have to let it sit, in water that cold a typical cast should take you 2-3 minutes at a minimum to retrieve.

Let it hit the bottom and shake it in place, trying not to pull it forward what so every. Just make it quiver in place. Then hop it and let it set again, they shake it and a small hop again.

[jboswell]

Thanks for the tips guys... I will slow down. I must have been fishing too fast. I know I am around fish, just need to keep my confidence up and slow down 

[tmwilson]

Where are you fishing at?  I am in the Des Moines area but make it down to Rathbun often.  Still waiting to get the boat out of storage.

[jboswell]

Where are you fishing at?  I am in the Des Moines area but make it down to Rathbun often.  Still waiting to get the boat out of storage.

Icaria so far but I regularly fish Anita, 3 mile, 12 mile, 3 fires and Mozingo

[inNOTof]

You are definitely throwing the right lures....jigs, jerks and bladebaits.

The thing most suspect is your speed of fishing. With the sub-40 temps you have to slow waaay down. No, waaaaaaaaaaaay down! High 30's temps is just above freezing so even if you do catch fish it will not be many so that should tell you everything. SLOOOOOOW DOWN.

If you have rocky areas sloping at a 45 degree angle, try those. If you have decent electronics trust them. If it is showing a concentration of fish just drop back and fish that area slowly.

[mudkings78]

Im not trying to hijack this post but this is why i joined this site over others. All the great tips and helpful people. I get alot of info just by reading others problems cuz alot of there problems are my problems.

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[Shortliner]

I have been out once and had the same situation as you except clarity about 6'. Water temps below 40.  I tried everything as slow as I could and nothing till finally a smallmouth was tricked into biting a gulp minnow on a drop shot in 20' water. Never felt it hit. Just lifted to reel in and was there.

[Shortliner]

I have been out once and had the same situation as you except clarity about 6'. Water temps below 40.  I tried everything as slow as I could and nothing till finally a smallmouth was tricked into biting a gulp minnow on a drop shot in 20' water. Never felt it hit. Just lifted to reel in and was there.

[jocko]

Put alittle smelly jelly craw on the chunk trailer. 

Go fish alittle deeper.  Take 10 minutes or more to retrieve.  Tell yourself - you're not going to bring it back in until a fish is on the line.  Don't hop it or swim it.  Give a 1-inch pull (polish the bottom with it) and wait 20 seconds.  Then repreat.  I would also try something watermelon color, like a bitzy bug jig with a craw trailer. 

[brian_w_watson]

I'm just 30 minutes or so up I29 from you and its cold -- got out for about 2 hours friday afternoon -- air temps in the 50s, water temps low 40s.

Caught one fish, maybe 12 inches on a finesse jig with a yum papi craw trailer -- never felt the strike -- the line just started to move off to the right verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slowly -- set the hook and fish was there -- very cold, very lethargic, no fight at all.

my suggesstion just like the others:   downsize and slow down. 

I think we're going to have to get some night time lows in the 30s for a few days in a row without the drop back into the 20s for stuff to start to get better. 

[jboswell]

I'm just 30 minutes or so up I29 from you and its cold -- got out for about 2 hours friday afternoon -- air temps in the 50s, water temps low 40s.

Caught one fish, maybe 12 inches on a finesse jig with a yum papi craw trailer -- never felt the strike -- the line just started to move off to the right verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slowly -- set the hook and fish was there -- very cold, very lethargic, no fight at all.

my suggesstion just like the others:   downsize and slow down. 

I think we're going to have to get some night time lows in the 30s for a few days in a row without the drop back into the 20s for stuff to start to get better.

Yeah, and quit with the snow already eh! Man... I am so cranky about the weather... tired of winter! 

[bassn1]

Never ever hit 20* today.    Wind was brutal.   Hoping next week will start a different trend. This week is already set to stay below 40* 

[tmwilson]

I'm in Des Moines.  Looks like late next week is the first chance we may have at seeing 50 degrees.  One good thing about the weather so far this year is the precipitation.  I heard that Saylorville lake is finally back to it's normal level.  Here's hoping for a good spawn around the state this spring.  Last year the water in Saylorville got up to 95 degrees in some areas.

However, I just got my first boat last fall and haven't had it out yet, and my Minn Kota 80lbs iPilot Terrova just came in the mail yesterday, so I am ready to pull the boat out of storage.

[bassn1]

Weather news this morning is calling for measurable snow again Sat/Sun. We definately can use all the precip. we can get. However I would opt for 50/60* and rain rather than 20/30* and snow.   

[jboswell]

Weather news this morning is calling for measurable snow again Sat/Sun. We definately can use all the precip. we can get. However I would opt for 50/60* and rain rather than 20/30* and snow.   

Yup, I just told my wife that I was going to finish hanging treestands for deer season next year instead of fish this weekend on the other hand, I will be good and ready for bow season in late October