New Angler Who Cannot Seem To Ever Catch A Fish

[Flysmallie]

You gotta paddle and drag and portage. And it's probably not worth all the trouble but it's a neat little area. We usually hit it once a year.

[jbooth24]

I will have to try it and launch at sunshine bridge and float down to springfield lake feel that it will be some nice fishing because no one fishes it

[Big Brown Trout]

the first thing you have to do is decide what type of fish you want to catch. are you just blindly flinging bait into water and hoping? or are you after something in particular. If for example you are after catfish (I noticed you mentioned them twice) you need to learn all you can about that species. I don't really baitfish, but when I do I take multiple baits. Just because you catch one on a worm or on chicken liver does NOT mean you always will. I am just going to assume from what you typed you are after catfish and give you advice for that.

1.Know your species. not all fish live in all water, and not all fish can be caught the same way. while worms and minnows will catch most fish, they won't always. you typically won't find smallmouth and cats in the same water just like you really don't find trout and largemouths in much of the same water, but you can find trout and smallmouth in the same water. read everything about the type of fish you want to catch and you will become much better at catching those fish.

2. multiple baits (minnows, worms, shad, cut perch, mackerel)

3. what time of day are you fishing. Night? Morning? this really matters. just like humans fish don't eat every second of the day just because they can. target fish at dawn or dusk, and for cats definitely try night fishing.

4. if you are shore fishing ( and not for cats) I personally suggest you do not use baits. if you are moving over uneven terrain or wading, trying to keep bait alive or fresh can be difficult. hard baits and spinners or better yet flies are great for moving a lot.

5. if you can, try and hit fish at their spawns. hitting crappie, trout, white bass, and catfish at their spawning times can make for some pretty easy fishing.

6.if you have trouble detecting bites, try circle hooks. they aren't a sure thing but when they hook they do work.

7. ask another experienced angler to take you fishing. Ness hit that right on the head.

8. learn to read water and understand the habitats fish live in. brush, pocket water, eddies, seams. these are where you need to look.

careful study of fish is the only way to become a better fisherman. My new years resolution for this year was to catch a full limit of fish. (which I had never done before). I currently have caught 6 this year.

[RSBreth]

You have to get away from where the horde of bank fishers are at - that's #1. James from Sunshine (D highway) to Lake Springfield is meh - there are fish in there but there are much better stretches of the James. Generally the closer to Table Rock the better.

[cnr]

Lots of good advice here. I will add moving around and not becoming stuck in one spot. The reason folks boat, canoe, kayak, and wade is to present their bait or lure to fish in optimal conditions. Moving down a stream or lake gives you the opportunity to hit the aggressive fish and move on to the next. Yes, there are times of the year when some species group up tightly and don't move much like spawning time for crappie or smallmouth wintering in a spring hole. But even during those times you need to be mobile and have a "milk run" of spots to cycle through.

You can also try Private messaging some of the regular forum posters that fish in you area. I bet you could back seat with a few and learn a ton of information.

[jimithyashford]

Seems like a lot of good tips here. I think I know the basics of fishing technique, and what kinds of spots different species prefer, and what kind of lures/baits to try to pull them out on. My assumption has always been that I am just stuck bank fishing in an over-fished area, but maybe I am doing something wrong. Here is what I know, please tell me if I am mistake:

Catfish- Stinky Baits of all kinds, put it on a strong hook with a sinker about a foot up, cast it way out either into the deeper slower portions of rivers, or into the long shallow sloaping areas of lakes, then just let it sit.

Bass- Use movement lures, either with a little spinner or without. Fish along the deep water at the edges of bluffs or steep banks. Try retrieving at different depths to find the fish.

Crappie- Live minnows are best, but when hungry they will bite anything shiny. Fish near trees or other similar fish attracting structures, set your bobber for different depths until you find them

Panfish- Find a school and them and it doesn't matter, a bare hook will get a bite. Note-These are the only things I can reliably catch, but hardly ever big enough to keep.

So, are my basic fish assumptions good? If they are then maybe I just do need to be more mobile. The James is pretty shallow, so I could probably effectively wade-fish it a long way.

I am working on getting a kayak, which seems like the perfect fishing vessel since it is so portable and able to navigate practially any water from a deep lake to 4-in deep shallows.

[ozark trout fisher]

Try a rebel teeny craw when you are stream fishing. They'll get you into plenty of bass, along with any type of panfish wherever you're fishing. Just cast it out, twitch it a little bit and let it drift a few seconds, and then crank it in at a medium pace. You will catch fish, not always big ones or a lot, but you'll catch some.

One thing to keep in mind: this has been a weird, weird summer, in terms of weather. It has the fishing in most streams anywhere from a bit off-kilter to downright bad. Don't assume that every poor trip is on you.

[Big Brown Trout]

yeah your basic assumptions are pretty good. definitely move a lot. If a spot is hard for you to get to it's probably hard for others to fish. these spots will usually have fish in them. This time of the year as hot and sunny as it is most fish will not be very active in the majority of the daytime. if you really want to find them at these hours fish around undercut banks, in the shade, and around brush. (not just crappie like brush). another tip is if I see people using a certain bait or fly, I don't use it. I always offer the fish something else, and usually out-fish the other people around me this way.

and don't get frustrated. everyone has a skunk day. it is part of fishing.