Anyone know how to get a bass to bite when they are nesting?

[Noodles3435]

I noticed this week at some of my ponds that the female bass wouldn't bite. They would just chase away the bait and not take it. I heard if you made them mad enough they would finally take the lure, but that only seemed to work once or twice. Any professional tips out there to get them off their nest?

 

[Daver]

Try something creepy crawly, as a threat, right...

through the nest. I have used plastic worms, fake and real crawfish with success in a situation like this. I can recall seeing a particularly large bass on a nest years ago in a pond with very clear water. I had to sneak up on the bank and stay low to not spook it and one cast with a long purple worm right in the middle of the nest and she whacked it.

I landed her and promptly released her, probably about a 5 pounder. They may not be looking to eat, but they will defend their nest.

 

[teeroy]

salamander, rigged carolina/texas style. bass think the 'mander is after the eggs

 

[DannyBoy]

My go to is lizard baits as well. Watch her swim around her nest awhile to determine where to cast. If you are in a boat and are able to, cast it onto shore and walk it off the bank right on top of the nest. If she hasn't whacked it already, shake the living crap out of it.

I also like a lot of the crazy looking creature baits out there. It seems like they feel threatened by many of these as well.

 

[THA4]

I got 3 go-to favs for bass on the beds

1. Weightless to almost weightless Beaver. Pitch it on the shore and walk it into the water

2. Weightless Senko Texas-Rigged, make long casts paralelle to the shore. work this bait slow, twitch, twitch, pause.....this is a killer technique!

3. And the old faithful moss frog.... pitch it on the shore and walk it into the water and hang on!

 

[River1]

They may not be looking to eat, but they will defend their nest.

Yep

How bad do you want to catch one?

Take a bare jig head....tip it with a leech or whole crawler and drop it in the middle of the bed and keep it there. If you don't catch that fish, it's BLIND or SICK.:grin: