# What do you do in this situation..



## homepiece (May 11, 2007)

Was having a slow day at AEP, and was on my third pond of the day. Normally you can see a lot of action in the ponds, and see bass moving around chasing lures, etc but there was very little action on Sat.. In the first three ponds, I ended up catching a few in deeper water, but there was nothing going on along the shoreline. A very slow day from what I am used to there. There was an area with a few stumps and a fallen tree and I paddled my kayak over. Casted a few times with Senkos, switched rods and threw a spinnerbait, switched again to a Joshys J5. Nothing. I paddled over closer and saw a 10+ pounder hanging out around the downed tree(you can believe me if you want, I have caught and weigehed 9+ pound largemouths in florida) but it was by far the biggest bass I have ever seen in Ohio. It absolutely dwarfed some of the 5 pounders I have caught this year out there.

So, after throwing senkos, a critterbait on a skirted jig, swimbaits, and a spinner at the area with no movement.. what do you do? 

I paddled away, swapped out the spinner, waited 15 mins, and came back and threw a few other items out of the tacklebox. Could not see it anymore, but I hammered the area again to no avail.. 

What would be your strategy in this situation?


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## kapposgd (Apr 10, 2012)

Called in a vacation day tomorrow


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## Dave_E (Apr 6, 2004)

Weightless fluke or tube?
Also top water popper may have done something.


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## slowtroller (Sep 28, 2011)

Dave_E said:


> Weightless fluke or tube?
> Also top water popper may have done something.


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

If hes not hitting a senko, he's not going to hit much. I woukd have thrown a big jig repeatedly to try to piss him off. When they aren't feeding sometimes you can get a defensive angry reaction bite


Sent from my iPad using Ohub Campfire


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

If a weightless wacky rigged finesse worm doesn't work then it will be a tough day. Probably better off fishing after dark with a buzz bait or pop r


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## homepiece (May 11, 2007)

kapposgd said:


> Called in a vacation day tomorrow


Seriously thought about it.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

I have caught some monster bass in Aep after dark on top water


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## Chinook (Apr 10, 2009)

I would just try to put it out of mind and work my normal program. If there is a bass that big in there and you've never heard about it before chances are it doesn't touch lures. Just like they use big shiners in Florida for trophy fish, the same logic could apply. Big bass get conditioned to pressure over time.

I know I would turn that thing into Moby Dick, anything short of landing it would lead me unfulfilled.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

I'd have chunked a buzzbait at her, then, if she didn't want that, I'd Texas rig a speedcraw and work that slowly through the cover. Shaky head worm also.


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## DL07 (Jul 21, 2011)

I would have thrown a drop shot.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

I use alot of floating rapala's or smaller husky jerks in clear water...and sometimes they can turn on negative fish. i would think the fluke, senko or shakey head would get some attention as well. if it was indeed that big and old, surely it has grown to be selective.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

If you really want to catch that it may take a live bluegill. It takes the fun out of catching her on an artificial but probably the best bet on a twenty year old bass


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## homepiece (May 11, 2007)

I normally have some worms and smaller hooks with me just in case I need to catch a bluegill and throw it on a hook. For some reason I didn't that day. That may be the strategy the next time I head out there though.


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## randymcfishnsfun2 (Dec 24, 2014)

There's a massive bass in a farm pond with clear water behind my father's house. I've thrown everything they've made in the last ten years at it. This thing is too smart! I've tried live gills, caught its attention with creek chubbs. Then finally one day I take a frog from that pond. Hook it through its nose and wham!.. I missed it! Then I think I decimated the frog population in that pond. She won't even eat frogs now! I know for a fact that that fish is over ten years old. Gotta be over 7lbs. Good luck! My first thought was frog...


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

randymcfishnsfun2 said:


> There's a massive bass in a farm pond with clear water behind my father's house. I've thrown everything they've made in the last ten years at it. This thing is too smart! I've tried live gills, caught its attention with creek chubbs. Then finally one day I take a frog from that pond. Hook it through its nose and wham!.. I missed it! Then I think I decimated the frog population in that pond. She won't even eat frogs now! I know for a fact that that fish is over ten years old. Gotta be over 7lbs. Good luck! My first thought was frog...


Big bass don't get big be being stupid and eating everything and getting caught. My first thought is fish for the big girl at night when she cannot see as well, cannot see you, and she won't hug cover as much.

If I were you I would use a darker natural color (or black) Mann's -1 if there is enough room to use a crank bait. You can run it shallow or as a wake bait with a rise of the rod tip.

If weeds are a factor I would use a hollow boddied frog. Pain a dot/strip on it with glow-in-the-dark paint, but only enough that you can ideanetify it on the water. Fish the most likely places a frog and bass would meet.

Now I'm probably talking this too far, but if the pond sits in darkness at night, put a light on the bank, or off a dock, that shines down, not out, so there is a line between the dark and lit up water. Leave it there for a couple weeks so the bass get used to it. Then work the edges and shadows of the light with an appropriate bait. Bass love to ambush and back lighting prey makes then easier to ambush.

If it's truly as big as you say I would bet it will breach hitting a constant moving top water bait. That would freaking rock!


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## chris1162 (Mar 12, 2008)

Try fishin at night for her?


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## randymcfishnsfun2 (Dec 24, 2014)

I've tried for her night and day with literally my grandpa's tackle box and mine. There are 2 other 4.5-6lb bass in the pond next to it that I have caught with creek chubbs. Same situation. It took me a year to catch those. I can catch 12-16" bass out of both of the ponds all day long with tackle. I would have to find them, cast beyond them, go to where I could no longer see them and they would no longer see me and start reeling in slowly(the big girls). In clear water with fish that big it's a whole different ball game. Those fish are huge and they got that way because they are smarter than 99% of the fish in there. An they can see you! She's an easy 7lber I didn't want to say 8 because I don't feel like playing the no she's not yes she is game. Lol. I think live bait is the best option for fish like that in those conditions.


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## The Ghost (Jul 3, 2013)

I would focus on big lures at prime feeding times, and I would focus on stealth. No doubt live bait could pay off too.


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

The Ghost said:


> I would focus on big lures at prime feeding times, and I would focus on stealth. No doubt live bait could pay off too.


Stealth is key for sure. That fella that fishes AEP and catches monsters that are 10lb plus fishes in late winter and early spring in the nastiest conditions he can find. He says its so the fish can't see him. If she knows you are there I'd say you have little chance. 

Maybe consider putting boat in and sleeping on shore all night ? Then sneaking in at first light. It's more hunting than fishing !!! Hope you get her. Good luck.


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## Roscoe (Jul 22, 2007)

I would have thrown a Rapala or AC Shiner floater and just left it alone.Do Nothing! Or a Big 10 or 12" Culprit Monster worm and after you cast it,Do Nothing and wait. I v'e had to wait out the Bass for a long time but they will hit. That would be my approach.Good Luck.


Roscoe


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Found this on the smarts of bass. I feel they are creatures of stimuli only, but big fish may learn certain things by repetition. 
http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LE...ass.html/RK=0/RS=HE6WLrNb.kUMPGnHRmWIhUjnPw0-
I feel you might want to grab some baits that used to catch lots of fish several years ago, but are not thrown much these days. Think about it. Bass rarely live more than 15 years. Today's bass probably have never seen a Storm Fatso, a Mann's Jelly Worm, or any number of older lures that used to fool them.


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## homepiece (May 11, 2007)

I will be heading out there again in the next week or so. The bad thing is that the pond is one of my least favorites to fish out there, not a lot of action and the avg size is not that great... I will certainly be taking some of the advice in this thread, and I think that I am going to order one of the high end Bluegill/Sunfish Swimbaits for out there to give it a shot as well. Bluegills are the main forage out there, and I figure that a bass that size has been living off big bluegills for a long time.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Try a floating worm. Something that looks like easy, helpless prey. Caught lots of big fish on them. Just do a slow twitch, twitch, and the worm will do a subtle side to side dance that bass love.


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