Need Advice: Bass fishing on Cloudy Day

[Bergen Angler]

I am still new at bass angling and I need advices from BASS Elite Pros here. I read somewhere that bass fishing is good during cloudy day. But this Sat. & Sun, I caught nothing but yellow perch and NO Bass. Did I read it wrong? what kind of bait is good during cloudy day? I tried bright color crank bait and spinner as well as buzz bait. I also tried soft plastic lizard on Texas rig.

[Lard Almighty]

I'm far from being a BASS pro, but I've run into similar situations before. Don't assume that just because there is cloud cover that fishing will always be good. There are many other factors to consider as well: barometric pressure, water temperature, water clarity, and weather stability, just to name a few. For example, with all the storms coming through the past week the fish have been unable to settle due to near constant changes in temperature and pressure. Add to that the fact that rainwater is changing water levels, temperature, and clarity. When faced with these changes, fish of all kinds usually get uncomfortable and don't feed as much. During these times it is best to do as the fish do: wait until the weather stabilizes and then try your luck. Chances are the fish will be on the feed in a couple of days (provided no other big weather systems come through). If you still want/need to fish at these times, then it is best to focus on deeper water that is not as affected by changes in barometric pressure or influx of stormwater, bearing in mind that you may encounter fewer active fish regardless.

[Bergen Angler]

Thanks Almighty. I was using 1 oz buzz bait to catch the big one - just caught a few little quite Ambitious yellow perch. I tried different colors, different size, etc. I figured that rain would add oxygen level and the bass would be more active - water temp has gone down to around 75 degrees also. I tried slow fast slow etc. As always, I just blame myself for not catching bass - Mea Culpa. Water level definitely rose at least 5-6 inches over the last few days. I was also chasing after bait fish - they were very active last few days. And tried to fish over the "pond scum"/plankton.

[ChaosStarter]

Immediately before a warm/cold front rolls through is always best. A cold front, no matter how hot or cold outside, can throw things off, especially if it causes a significant drop in water temp.

[kcritch]

I agree with both post below....before a change or on the incoming I've had good success. During the change and just after it gets tougher. The deeper water suggestion definitley works if you can get to it. If not, say if you are fishing from shore, I have also had success targeting as far up into a feeder creek as I can get the day or two after a rain storm. If the water is not too muddied up that new water can pull some fish up into it. Moving water, more oxygen, and I think a good supply of new food getting washed into the flow. Larger "run off" feeds can also have the same result in the smaller ponds. Especially if there is a little depression or "mini channel" that is formed by them. Again these are usually easy to reach from shore.

Good luck.

[ChaosStarter]

I agree with both post below....before a change or on the incoming I've had good success. During the change and just after it gets tougher. The deeper water suggestion definitley works if you can get to it. If not, say if you are fishing from shore, I have also had success targeting as far up into a feeder creek as I can get the day or two after a rain storm. If the water is not too muddied up that new water can pull some fish up into it. Moving water, more oxygen, and I think a good supply of new food getting washed into the flow. Larger "run off" feeds can also have the same result in the smaller ponds. Especially if there is a little depression or "mini channel" that is formed by them. Again these are usually easy to reach from shore.

Good luck.


Definately agree with that.

[jimmythegreek]

agree w above as well. Alot depends on if you are fishing via boat or from shore. U can almost always target fish via boat using ur sonar and literally drop to them via a dropshot or plastics to their level in the water column. Usually on really tough days live bait will be best, seems nightcrawlers/shiners/herring will always break the skunk especially if you kno the fish are there and they just wont feed

[Bergen Angler]

Thank you for all your great advice. I fish at the Oradell Reservoir and they don't allow boat so I can only fish from the shore. They used to have a lot of weeds but they sprayed the pesticide and got rid of all the weeds and hardly any "structure" at all. Hardly any wind today and water wasn't really moving and muddy. Spinner bait caught me a few yellow perch but no bass. Donde Esta BASS????? I tried chatter bait, top water chugging bait, spinner bait with black feather, soft plastic live kickin' shad, etc. I guess I have a long way to go to entice the bucket mouth. I challenge myself by not using live worms. :)

[Ol Pedro]

This is all good advice . Overcast is good when the Barometric Pressure doesn't move too much . Fish stay out more because the sun isn't driving them to cover/deeper water . I have caught more large Bass on overcast day's than sunny . After a low front moves through I slow down my presentation and concentrate on deeper structure/channel edges looking for reaction strikes . I prefer plastic worms/jigs . You have to keep it in their faces until they can't stand it . I also like Carolina rigs pulled across deeper points . I like Flipping deeper weed edges/brush piles/cattail reeds right after the front on bigger lakes as the Bass just hunker down .

[Jigman13]

Did you try a wacky rigged senko? If all of those weeds are no mas, it seems like a wacky rigged senko would make for an ideal lure option.

[Ol Pedro]

Did you try a wacky rigged senko? If all of those weeds are no mas, it seems like a wacky rigged senko would make for an ideal lure option.
Wackies do stay in the strike zone longer .

[Bergen Angler]

I tried a wacky rigged senko with weedfree 1/0 hook Sat. without any success. I will try again tomorrow.
Maybe I start fishing at 3 AM? rather than 7 AM?
Does Bass bite more before the sun rises?

[Ol Pedro]

I tried a wacky rigged senko with weedfree 1/0 hook Sat. without any success. I will try again tomorrow.
Maybe I start fishing at 3 AM? rather than 7 AM?
Does Bass bite more before the sun rises?
In the Spring any time . When the Summer heat sets in I like to be on the water before Sunrise working deeper as midday approaches and fishing late in the day until I can't see . You will have to put your time in . Pick one bait and fish it hard until you have confidence in it . I love Rapala's in the Summer twitching them on the edge of the salad . If I don't get bit or miss a fish I'll throw a worm in the same area .

[tycomps]

I go with: fish right before and during rain, rain both increases oxygen level and knocks food into the water. I use dark colors to improve the silhouette against the cloudy sky for anything retrieved above the fish. If it's the result of a front moving through things improve again on the third day of stable weather. Hope this helps.