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Posts: 7139
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | So you're out, it's hot and flat (which it nearly always is for me May to September) and you've hit your milk run with usual baits/presentations and NOTHING.
What do you do next?
*get creative?
*new baits, new spots?
*faster/slower
*deeper shallower?
OR
*do you grind it out and keep with the confidence baits and spots til they pay off or your arms fall off.
(hey, you guys complain about traffic on this site, let's see the responses/thoughts) |
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Posts: 628
Location: Seymour, WI | I'm slowly learning that when the fish aren't chasing baits, you've go to go in after them.
Fish with baits that make contact with weeds and other structure to trigger bites.
Saying that though is a lot easier than doing it. |
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Posts: 2104
| depends on the lake but hot and flat isn't always terrible - certainly it becomes a mental game when the aren't "going" but finding "those days" seams to be few and far between anymore ...deeper is always an option, banging rocks in those conditions can be a good way to scratch out 1 or 2 on a tough day... however if you're on a lake with goods weeds close to deep water, thats where I would head... i really like dive/rise baits in the weeds in those conditions as you can really pick a weedbed apart when its calm and theres something about a dive/rise that makes them move when say a spinnerbait wont. Also have had good success ripping a pounder dawg through weeds in those conditions too - just don't like throwing a pounder as much as I did when I was younger  |
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Posts: 1941
Location: Black Creek, WI | I go crappie fishing. |
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Posts: 32981
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | jlong - 8/4/2026 2:51 PM
I go crappie fishing.
Me too. |
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Posts: 7139
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | sworrall - 8/4/2026 3:36 PM
jlong - 8/4/2026 2:51 PM
I go crappie fishing.
Me too.
BEFORE you discovered crappies though....
Tell'em.
TELL'EM!!!!
TELL THEM HOW YOU'LL STRAND ME IN THE BACK WITH A TOPRAIDER WHILE YOU PICK APART EVERY M-F-ING WEED IN THE BAY WHEN I'M 3' FROM THE WALL OF WEEDS!!!!!!!
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| Slamr - 8/4/2026 6:15 PM
sworrall - 8/4/2026 3:36 PM
jlong - 8/4/2026 2:51 PM
I go crappie fishing.
Me too.
BEFORE you discovered crappies though....
Tell'em.
TELL'EM!!!!
TELL THEM HOW YOU'LL STRAND ME IN THE BACK WITH A TOPRAIDER WHILE YOU PICK APART EVERY M-F-ING WEED IN THE BAY WHEN I'M 3' FROM THE WALL OF WEEDS!!!!!!!
Andrew, do I sense some repressed hostility? |
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Posts: 32981
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | No, that's all true. Cruel taskmaster, am I. |
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Posts: 710
Location: Duluth | I break out the fly rod, used to grind really hard confidence baits on confidence spots over and over until I got something to go.
If I was smart, I would blow the fish whistle and troll but I never troll.
Edited by CincySkeez 8/5/2026 7:05 AM
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Posts: 461
Location: SW Ohio | Our lakes are small (< 3000 acres). If I know fish are in the area, I'll stay and continue fishing those spots. The fish, or at least one or two, will eventually eat. Switch up between lure types and colors. Definitely don't move if I see fish, baitfish and a major/minor is coming up. I've watched multiple boats come thru an area only to leave after a few casts or drifts. Then, once they're gone, the fish come alive. Got a nice, fat 45" yesterday working a long shallow stretch under a bluebird sky and no wind (water had dropped to 73 after Saturday's storms) right around moon set.
My fishing friend laughs and tells me I switch baits too frequently. But I got 2 to his 0 last weekend...both on different baits...lol. |
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Posts: 179
Location: Alexandria, MN | I guess it depends on the conditions. Hot, calm, bluebird days with no fish activity - I would probably troll for an hour, then go in and take a break. Towards evening, or if the weather changes, I'd probably go hit my milk run. If I'm on a big Canadian shield lake, I sometimes use this time to explore new areas, then come back and try them during prime conditions.
If conditions seem "fishy" but they're just not showing themselves, I'd be more likely to tough it out - maybe changing lures more frequently. I've often heard switching to topwater can save a tough bite. I need to try this more often. |
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Location: PA Angler | Usually on days like that I’ll fish a couple hrs to give it a try but if I don’t see to much action I’ll go do something else. When the water gets hot and they don’t seem active I’ll give them a break. I’ll go catfish or carp. |
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Posts: 3938
| I've already been watching for schools of bluegill on the surface over deep water. I target any fish that may be lurking below that bait by repeatedly casting a big spoon or smaller glider way past and bringing it back about 8' deep. |
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Posts: 175
| Ranger - 8/5/2026 1:18 PM
I've already been watching for schools of bluegill on the surface over deep water. I target any fish that may be lurking below that bait by repeatedly casting a big spoon or smaller glider way past and bringing it back about 8' deep.
Why those and not, say, a rubber? |
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Posts: 3938
| In general, I don't throw a lot of rubber. A big Daredevil or the small Timberwolf glider are my favorites for this situation. |
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Posts: 719
Location: Livin on a Prayer. | One could try a jig and creature in the weeds. I've heard its highly underrated. |
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Posts: 8872
| Tough going when it’s hot, flat, and nothing’s moving. You can’t establish a pattern when you haven’t even seen a fish all day. I’ll play around with smaller baits, speed and depth changes,etc. but there’s always one somewhere in the weeds. The trick seems to be finding the thickest weeds you can still fish and just picking them apart.
My theory: The fish are hunkered down in there, not feeding, not chasing baits, and not apt to do much of anything unless you put a lure right in front of them. I have a few spots I only fish on days like that that are always good for a fish. Only thing is it’s never bigger than 37”. It’s become a bit of a joke. “Well.. let’s go catch a skinny 37 at least!”
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Posts: 8872
| Tough going when it’s hot, flat, and nothing’s moving. You can’t establish a pattern when you haven’t even seen a fish all day. I’ll play around with smaller baits, speed and depth changes,etc. but there’s always one somewhere in the weeds. The trick seems to be finding the thickest weeds you can still fish and just picking them apart.
My theory: The fish are hunkered down in there, not feeding, not chasing baits, and not apt to do much of anything unless you put a lure right in front of them. I have a few spots I only fish on days like that that are always good for a fish. Only thing is it’s never bigger than 37”. It’s become a bit of a joke. “Well.. let’s go catch a skinny 37 at least!”
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