I have been fishing on the lake behind my house for a couple of months now, on a typical trip, I/we caught and released 3-4 pounders using plastic worms. The fish weren't bitting as usual in the last few days but the strangest thing is that they seem to spit out the worm and get unhooked as soon as they get lifted above the water. Does any one know why?
Can't bring in the fish
- Thread starter Mach1
- Start date
REWahoo
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Mach1 said:
Just a guess, but I think maybe it has something to do with a survival instinct.
haha
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Is the lake too polluted to eat the fish? If not, why not catch only what you want to eat?
OTOH, you could switch to fly fishing, and then you won't catch so many anyway.
Ha
OTOH, you could switch to fly fishing, and then you won't catch so many anyway.
Ha
Good idea, Cut-Throat. I'll try that 'trailer' hook some time.
Haha, The lake is a man made, 14 Acres, only 3-4 years old, stocked with Bass and Brim. I like to eat fish but no one else in the family does so I don't bother cleaning them, but I may need to start if the dang fish can learn like Cut-Throat said.
Haha, The lake is a man made, 14 Acres, only 3-4 years old, stocked with Bass and Brim. I like to eat fish but no one else in the family does so I don't bother cleaning them, but I may need to start if the dang fish can learn like Cut-Throat said.
Are the fish really hooked? Sometimes a fish will bite and hold onto the plastic worm. When they get lifted out of the water, that meal doesn't seem as important to them and they spit it out.
It's a real problem with flounder.
Also, use a net and you'll be happy they spit the worm out.
It's a real problem with flounder.
Also, use a net and you'll be happy they spit the worm out.
I'm not sure where you live, but a lot of it has to do with the season, water temp, lunar phases and weather conditions which effects the aggressiveness of the fish.
During the spring spawn, the fish are more aggressive and seem to have a harder strike. As the water warms up and it gets too warm (the oxygen content may drop) -- the fish usually become less aggressive. There's more bait fish -- so guess they can become picky as to what they'll take.
Using a trailer is a good suggestion. I find top-water plugs tend to work really well this time of year especially at dawn/dusk, unless you're fishing heavy cover -- then I'd do some finese fishing.
I doubt that their learned behavior would be that different in only a couple of days. However, we've all fished areas one day and did great -- go back the next day and they just won't bite.
Never a bad time fishing.
dwk
During the spring spawn, the fish are more aggressive and seem to have a harder strike. As the water warms up and it gets too warm (the oxygen content may drop) -- the fish usually become less aggressive. There's more bait fish -- so guess they can become picky as to what they'll take.
Using a trailer is a good suggestion. I find top-water plugs tend to work really well this time of year especially at dawn/dusk, unless you're fishing heavy cover -- then I'd do some finese fishing.
I doubt that their learned behavior would be that different in only a couple of days. However, we've all fished areas one day and did great -- go back the next day and they just won't bite.
Never a bad time fishing.
dwk
