| Okay, there can be a huge number of factors | | | | when fishing in clear water situations. It doesn't |
| contributing to the fact that fish won't bite. I realize | | | | matter if you're lake fishing or river fishing. The |
| this, but will try to narrow it down to the top ten. Or | | | | thicker your line, the easier it is for fish to see. And if |
| at least the top ten from my perspective. I mean, | | | | you're line sticks out to the fish, they won't bite. I've |
| what other perspective would you expect me to | | | | personally been using six pound test with no success, |
| give? So with my apologies to David Letterman, here | | | | and then switched to four pond test. As soon as I |
| are my top 10 reasons why fish don't bite. | | | | switched the size of my line, I caught fish in the |
| 1) The moon is wrong. It's a well known fact that | | | | exact area that I couldn't even get a bite! |
| fish are more active, and therefore feed more during | | | | 7) Hook size. If your hooks are too big, many times |
| both a full and/or new moon. This may sound | | | | the fish won't bite. This is especially true with live bait |
| strange, but it's true. Just search the phrase "moon | | | | fishing. I personally use size 10 hooks about 80% of |
| phases". You'll get more information than you know | | | | the time. You'll be amazed at the size fish you can |
| what to do with. | | | | catch on small hooks. |
| 2) The fish aren't eating what you're throwing. I | | | | 8) Lure size. This one goes right along with the |
| know this sounds stupid, but it's true. I've been trout | | | | previous two. Many times people think that the |
| fishing with a worm when a mayfly hatch starts. Let | | | | bigger the lure, the bigger the fish, but this isn't |
| me tell you something. It was game over for the | | | | necessarily true. Just like with hook size, you'll be |
| worm and I. The trout become so focused on | | | | amazed at the size fish that can be caught on smaller |
| mayflies that they won't look at anything else. | | | | lures. Again this is especially true in clear water |
| 3) Your casting a shadow where you're fishing. This is | | | | situations, such as those you find in many trout |
| especially true while river fishing for trout. If you cast | | | | rivers. |
| a shadow into the water that you're trying to fish, | | | | 9) Lure color. If the color that you're using isn't |
| the trout will see it and not bite. | | | | working, change it. This is obviously simple, but true. |
| 4) The angler wades through the area that they | | | | I've fished for two or three hours with both live bait |
| intend to fish. To me this is one of the ultimate | | | | and bright colored lures with almost no success. |
| "rookie" mistakes, and I see it time and time again. If | | | | Then, in a last ditch effort, I switched to a black |
| you must wade through an area, but would like to | | | | Rooster-tail. Bam! Two eighteen+ inch rainbows in the |
| fish it as well, fish it, then wade through it. A person | | | | next fifteen minutes. |
| wading through the water makes fish really skittish. | | | | 10) Wash your hands! This is an absolute must if you |
| 5) Not enough weight on your line. This one is | | | | smoke, chew, or touch anything smelly. Fish have an |
| directed at river fishing. I see too many anglers not | | | | incredible sense of smell, and if the bait you're using |
| using enough weight when fishing in current, because | | | | smells like a cigarette because you touched it.....No |
| they don't want to get snagged. My mentor used to | | | | bite for you! When in doubt, a grab a handful of |
| say, "If you're not getting snagged, you're not fishing | | | | gravel or grass and rub it in my hands. I swear to |
| in the right place." Getting snagged is part of fishing in | | | | God this is true. The fish can smell whatever you've |
| the current. If you don't have enough weight, your | | | | had in your hands. |
| bait will flow through the current right below the | | | | So there are 10 factors that the angler can control, |
| surface and not be seen by the majority of the fish. | | | | because as we all know there are plenty on factors |
| 6) Line diameter. Using line that is too heavy for | | | | that are just out of our control. Hopefully, these will |
| what you're fishing for. This one is especially true | | | | help you catch a few more fish. |