# Why reservoir fishing so bad?



## Cardiologist (Oct 7, 2016)

I've fished the Swanton, Paulding, Delta, and Fulton reservoirs and have yet to catch any bass. I consider myself an expert bass fisher and have caught tons of bass previously. I have been fishing from shore, just a few hours after work each day. Any thoughts on why these reservoirs are so hard to fish?


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## ErieEye (Jul 16, 2007)

The problem is the fish probably aren't relating to the shoreline right now. I fish for saugeyes a lot in the fostoria reservoirs. I've found that there's periods were the fish quite simply aren't and won't work the shoreline. If there not there your not gonna catch em. There's probably a food source off shore that they're feeding on which keeps them off the shoreline.


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## hatteras1 (Jan 18, 2011)

I watched LM Bass in a man made lake. There were no trees or visible structure to speak of. The bass would cruise the lake in a school just like shad. It was the weirdest thing. They would go past me about once an hour, about 5 or 6 in a group. And they ignored everything i cast. I never seen bass act like that before.


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

Cardiologist - 1st off........ welcome to the site. 2nd thing, DO NOT expect to have 30-40 fish days from little city reservoirs, just not going to happen very often in my experience. You can have good double digit days with some nice big fish mixed in, but they just can't sustain big populations in most of these lakes. On top of that, they seem to be prone to bad spawning cycles too since their water levels fluctuate drastically, and not on any normal cycle. 

What lures have you been throwing? Not familiar with those specific lakes but most look like they are city upgrounds..... do they have really clear water? If the water is super clear, you have to fish DEEP to catch bass during daylight hours. Outside of early in the spring, they might only come up shallow during low light or possibly even all night long and feed in the rocks. I think a lot of it is timing. You have to keep on the move too, as hatteras1 mentioned, they can be suspending roamers that you just swim round and round if there is no structure or weeds.


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

It's all about the the baitfish right now! With water temps dropping the bass are feeding up for the winter ahead. Find where the schools of baitfish are and the bass will be close by!


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## hatteras1 (Jan 18, 2011)

Years ago, I read a great article about a large mouth bass in containment. It was in an average aquarium in a small plain room. The tank was just a clear glass tank and the bass swam in one direction around the inside of the tank continuously. It never stopped swimming. The fish was moved to another identical tank, with the only difference. They had dropped something on the bottom. I think it was a quarter. The bass positioned itself over the object and stopped swimming. It went on to say that bass stay close to one area, unless something moves them, and a lot of bass are released around launch areas and boat docks.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

I have been fishing upground reservoirs for over twenty years and the bass will follow the baitfish. If the reservoir has a shad population, the bass will be close to the shad. Some reservoirs only have young of the year baitfish but the bass will still be attacking those baitfish in preparation for the long winter. Shoreline cover does not matter to the majority of the bass population in the fall. In a lot of reservoirs you can watch the bass attacking the shad/baitfish, and often times the fish are not near shore casting distances. If you can get a popr, rattle trap, spinner bait, x rap, or another minnow type lure near those fish it can be an all day smorgasbord. Chances are you will need a boat of some type. I am going to fish an upground in the morning for a couple hours to see what pattern the fish are currently in.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Well I did see plenty of fish busting the surface before the wind picked up. I only managed to catch 8. I caught most of my fish on an X rap and got a couple on a square bill.







my biggest today was only 16" but it was still a fun couple hours


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## Cardiologist (Oct 7, 2016)

Thank you all for the advice and tips. I can cast pretty far, like 50+ yards (depends on lure), so I am not limited to just around shore. 
I've tried spinnerbaits, square billed cranks, inline spinners, jigs, tubes, swim jigs, all kinds of soft plastics, topwaters, swimbaits, carolina rigged soft plastics to get far and deep, and almost everything. Still have yet to catch any fish. It's frustrating when you are used to catch 20-40 fish a day and can't even get a nibble.


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## Cardiologist (Oct 7, 2016)

After tons of digging and googling, I was able to find this article about fishing in northwest Ohio's reservoirs, what do you guys think? Do you think this will work?

http://bassingohio.com/best-bass-fishing-techniques-ohio-reservoirs/


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Cardiologist said:


> After tons of digging and googling, I was able to find this article about fishing in northwest Ohio's reservoirs, what do you guys think? Do you think this will work?
> 
> http://bassingohio.com/best-bass-fishing-techniques-ohio-reservoirs/


That's pretty much what I have been doing and saying for years.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

try the red eye shad, we have been getting bass on them in a resevoir/ fish bowl for the last month or so. some days we get 30 and 2 days later we land 2. lately they have been deep,10 to 12'


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## Cardiologist (Oct 7, 2016)

odell daniel said:


> try the red eye shad, we have been getting bass on them in a resevoir/ fish bowl for the last month or so. some days we get 30 and 2 days later we land 2. lately they have been deep,10 to 12'


Like the red eye shad lipless crank baits? What colors?


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

The link pretty much lists all the basic bass fishing techniques, which is what you want to do if you want to catch bass......... anywhere. IMO, you could substitute any given lake for the word "Reservoirs" in the article title and the main information really wouldn't change all that much. The lack of cover and structure is the biggest difference in fishing these upgrounds i think. You just have to find a technique or 3 that you are comfortable with and _hit the reservoirs at the right time_. If one technique is not working, switch it up and try another. You don't have to be an 'expert' to catch these fish..... you just have to put in the time to figure them out.

One thing I highly disagree with in the article is the mention that bass will not likely be close to shore and you will have a better chance with a boat. I know that quote is not verbatim, but the general idea is implied in the article. That might be the case on some lakes with overgrown shorelines, but not even close to a rule of thumb on these wide open reservoirs that have shore access the entire way around them. The advantage of a boat while bass fishing is the ability to cover lots of fishing areas more quickly. If you watch the boats that go out to fish for bass, where do they fish? Easy answer, probably 80% of the time it is the shoreline (maybe more) unless there is some specific man made structure out deeper in these man made lakes. The vast population of fish are very accessible from shore, it just takes more time to walk the rocks. You also have to remember that 10 feet off the shore is already pretty deep water in most upground reservoirs. You can cast somewhat parallel to the shore and still be fishing in 15 feet of water!

My honest opinion...... i believe the article and blog site in the link is just re-wording basic fishing information mixed in with information directly from the ODNR website and one of the popular Ohio fishing lake map books. You can read all you want, but you have to get boots on the rocks to figure the fish out.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

A boat helps present the lures more naturally. The shoreline drops off steeply on these reservoirs and bringing a bait up the side is not all that natural. Bring your baits down the sides of the reservoir is way more natural. Parallel casts from a boat are also better than standing on the shore. If you notice the bass around the edge are almost always facing shore waiting for something to come towards them or swimming parallel to the shore. I have caught plenty of bass from upgrounds from the shore but having a boat is so much better. If the reservoir has reefs or off shore structure it can be phenomenal especially in the fall after people put away their boats. You do not need a boat to catch reservoir bass but it does make it much easier to catch large numbers of fish. I have had some 80 fish days on above grounds from a boat. My best from shore is around 40


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## Cardiologist (Oct 7, 2016)

Thanks I will keep trying. It's frustrating.


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## snakedog (Feb 12, 2009)

Watch for subtle differences in water temps as well as wind direction.


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

laynhardwood - I need to get out in a boat with you so you can show me how its done! haha. Totally understand what you are saying though. Honestly, my reply is likely biased because i have never had much time on a boat in any of these reservoirs. I always talk to the guys who come off boats and they usually complain about how they don't do well and have to fight the wind all day..... when i can usually keep my slow and steady bite going from shore, it just takes lots of walking and a few twisted ankles. It always make me laugh too when i watch them leave the ramp and do a big loop out so they can come right back and fish an area that i could sling a jig and hit their boat.

That said, i have been keeping my eye out for a little V bottom boat to buy that i can throw in a reservoir every once in a while.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

I would love to take you on my tracker as soon as I get the motivation to tear it apart and have it fixed.


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## Cardiologist (Oct 7, 2016)

I may want to join you! And when I get a bass boat next spring, you guys are welcome to join me on bigger lakes.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Ok Doc sounds good.


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

I believe half your problem is the waters you listed just arent very good bass lakes. Take your techniques to fostoria or Findlay and you should have a differant outcome. I m not saying theres no bass in those places, but they arent very good. Especially swanton. Paulding is a good saugeye and channel cat lake, never bass fished it.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

Cardiologist said:


> Like the red eye shad lipless crank baits? What colors?


silver shad color and red, but not sure it matters we retrieve fast and I'm sure its a reaction bite


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Fished for two hours this morning at a local above ground and went 8-11 nothing big but beats work and school.







i did manage a decent one most were about 11-13"


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

I dont catch large numbers of bass , and I fish from shore but Ive done pretty well in the past with a Carolina rigged red shad culprit worm with a glass rattle inserted in it. Casting out into deeper water parallel to the bank. Cast far and twitch it back just off the bottom or bumping the bottom. Your weight can get hung in the rocks but the Carolina rig and rattle makes the worm want to float upward so the worm and hook usually dont get snagged , though you can go through some rigs from the weight hanging up. A dark colored crawdad imitation with rattle inserted works good too. And night time is the right time , when the predators are coming in close and patrolling the shore. Having a boat makes a huge difference for any fish you are after and these can be fished from a boat too. This is all common knowledge to some but I just thought Id throw this out there in case somebody could use the information. These days I am more interested in catching perch though , and these reservoirs seem to get worse and worse for perch fishing.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Agree with you on the worse and worse statement yonder. Normally Findlay is producing nice perch this time of year, but not this year. Matter of fact last year sucked too. My last good day was back in July.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

fished a reservoir this morning,casted a white ice fluke on jig got 2 catfish 2 crappie and one largemouth. it was slow


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

ress said:


> Agree with you on the worse and worse statement yonder. Normally Findlay is producing nice perch this time of year, but not this year. Matter of fact last year sucked too. My last good day was back in July.




Ive been fishing Findlay 1 and 2.....had some decent bites on 2 but I am betting they were white bass , no hookups to confirm.....the bite didnt continue it stopped as quick as it started. I even went to freemont , had a good feeling about it but I only had a couple light bites in a span of about two hours and I gave up on it after they seemed to quit completely. If I had to guess , what few perch still exist in Findlay just have too much competition from the huge amount of white bass in there now.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Just got to my favorite above ground for largemouth and gotta a Turkey Day beast on the 5th cast







hope I can get a couple more before I have to leave.


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

laynhardwood said:


> Just got to my favorite above ground for largemouth and gotta a Turkey Day beast on the 5th cast
> View attachment 224185
> hope I can get a couple more before I have to leave.


Good luck man, that is a piggy! Happy turkey day and stay warm out there.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Thanks happy turkey day to you also. I only had 1 bite but it was totally worth it.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Finley found some Crappie yesterday at the local reservoir. Been trying all fall. Must have set the slip bobber at right depth. Have been setting between 6' and 12'. 8' is were I would start. Tried 9' yesterday and that was it! They would sort of just drag it a little. Had to put on my glasses to see that action. 10 inch fish with eggs.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

ress said:


> Finley found some Crappie yesterday at the local reservoir. Been trying all fall. Must have set the slip bobber at right depth. Have been setting between 6' and 12'. 8' is were I would start. Tried 9' yesterday and that was it! They would sort of just drag it a little. Had to put on my glasses to see that action. 10 inch fish with eggs.


Glad you found some fish. Ive been out there perchin about 4 times recently , ........ couple times I had some bites with no hookups and then they just disappeared for the rest of time I was there. Im gonna have to stop thinking about perch and try float fishing again.


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