Why You Can’t Catch Fish – And What To Do About It

At one point or another, every fisherman is going to have a day where the fish aren’t biting. These days can be extremely frustrating, and I wouldn’t blame you if you looked desperately to the sky and whispered, “Why can’t I catch a fish?” It’s likely that you’re making a few mistakes on your fishing trip.

If you’re new to fishing, you might have no idea what these mistakes are, or why you can’t catch anything, and that will only frustrate you more.

I’ve been there. I know how much it stinks. While this won’t turn you into a fishing superstar, I’m going to do my best to get you over that hump. In this article, I will discuss five common fishing mistakes that I see people making and I’ll offer advice for how to correct them.

Fishing Mistake #1: Lack of Research

The first mistake many people make that prevents them from catching any fish happens well before they get to the lake: they don’t do any research ahead of time whatsoever.

Fishing is a thinking person’s sport. If you want to catch fish, you need to do your homework. Otherwise, you’re going to spend a lot of your time wondering why you can’t get a fish to bite.

I’ve fished in many unfamiliar bodies of water over the years and while I won’t claim to be a fishing expert, I’m generally successful and put a few fish in the boat no matter where I go.

I attribute my success to all the research I do before I ever leave my house to head to the lake.

These days there really isn’t much excuse for not knowing what to expect at any given lake. The internet is absolutely full of information on most bodies of water, what kind of fish are in the lake, and local fishing techniques that work.

I do five things when I want to learn how to fish in a new lakes:

1. I’ll check Google Earth Pro for helpful satellite photos;
2. I consult a fishing app;
3. I seek out articles and tournament results on the fishery;
4. I’ll try to find forums for the lake, and seek out “fishing reports” posts;
5. I phone a friend.

Using Google Earth Pro to Find Good Fishing Spots

I absolutely love using Google Earth Pro to help me prepare for fishing trips. I cannot praise the resource enough, and feel it has helped me catch many fish over the years. Not only will it give you crystal clear satellite images of pretty much anywhere on earth, but it even allows you to view historical imagery by selecting that option under the view tab:

Why Historical Imagery Is Great for Fishermen

The historical imagery is a tremendous tool for fishermen. Take the following two screenshots for example. Both are of the waters near Fort Ticonderoga and the mouth of the La Chute River, which is one of the best fishing spots on the lake.

The first image was taken in May, 2015. Generally speaking, the water level on Lake Champlain is going to be higher in the spring than later in the year, and 2015 was no exception.

If you were to plan a trip for May, you could reasonably expect that the water levels would be somewhat comparable to the photo below, and plan accordingly.

This second image is of the same exact location, but from October, 2016. Now, the water will usually be much lower during the fall regardless of the year, but 2016 is remarkable in that it was exceptionally low.

As you can see from the screen shot below, the area around the mouth of the La Chute River is almost completely dried up. Only the channel of the river and the deepest pools remain under water. Now, you can see where those pools are.

Now let’s zoom in on the 10/6/16 image. Note how you can see a few rock pilings within the red rectangle. These cannot be viewed from the May 5, 2015 satellite images, but are uncovered during the period of extreme drought.

Google Earth Pro: Final Thoughts

Google Earth Pro is a true game-changer for fishermen. Case in point, I’ve been fishing Lake Champlain for over thirty years, but I would have never uncovered some of the structure that the historical imagery from the drought of 2016 captured. This has allowed me to hone in on some super productive spots that I never knew were there.

Even if a particular hazard is marked on a navigational map (such as the ones I’ve shown above), you often don’t really know exactly what they are, or if they’re likely to hold fish and worth exploring. Google Earth Pro allows you to quickly scan your favorite lake and uncover some hidden gems.

In addition to finding hidden structure, there are several other great advantages to using this tool, some of which include:

• If you have a larger boat with a deeper draft, map study might show you areas you can get into certain times of the year, but not others.
• You might notice where the weeds grow early, which could give you a decent idea of where to start fishing.
• It’s possible that you could see several fishing boats in the same area on several satellite images over the years. This would be a great indicator that the spot is productive.

If you don’t already have Google Earth Pro installed on your computer, go to this link to download Google Earth Pro for free.

Download a Fishing App

Google Earth Pro is an exceptional tool in and of itself, but it really shines when you combine its powers with one of the better fishing apps out there, Fishbrain.

I want to be very clear with you right up front: I am not an affiliate of Fishbrain. I receive absolutely no compensation from them, nor do they sponsor me in any way. They did grant me permission to use an image from their app to show you why I like their product so much, and how I use it to help me catch fish, but that’s it.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at what makes this fishing app so great and why I believe in the product and recommend you subscribe.

Fishbrain is an app that relies on participant anglers to post their fishing results so that the data can be pooled collectively and shared with all subscribers. It tracks catch location, type of lure, time of day, etc. Basically, all the information you might want to know to help you catch a fish.

How Fishbrain Helps You Learn Water Quick

Here is a screenshot from the Fishbrain app of the same general area depicted in the Google Earth Pro images above. Note the green circles on the map. These are coordinates where users of the Fishbrain app declared that they caught a fish.

The little green and orange dots are where subscribers have reported catching a fish. As you can see, the area around those rock piles has produced several catches, as has the area around the La Chute River. Granted, that Ticonderoga is a good fishing spot is not exactly news, but this same app can be used on less-known waters to give you great insight into where you should start casting.

Also note the subscriber pictures at the bottom of the screen shot. When you click on one of the little dots, it brings you to a detailed page that will include all the data the subscriber provided, including a photo and the type of lure. The photo can provide some good information of what the conditions were like at the time of the catch.

Contour Lines on Fishbrain

A really exciting feature are the contour lines. This data is uploaded from subscribers own fish finders and other mapping software. Although you can usually find navigational a map of most major lakes, the contour lines featured are nowhere near as detailed as this. On smaller bodies of water where you can’t always find this information, Fishbrain is about your only shot.

These do rely on subscribers uploading their data, so you aren’t going to find them everywhere, but it’s definitely worth checking out as you can use this app to find underwater structure quickly.

Consider a Drone

Drones are becoming more mainstream for everything these days. Your insurance company has a fleet of them, your neighbor has probably crashed one on a nearby roof by now, and yes, fishermen are putting them to great use.

The great thing about using a drone is that it provides you with real time information. While Google Earth and apps like Fishbrain are awesome tools, you are looking at images from the past. A drone, on the other hand, can transmit live data that lets you know exactly how the weebed has grown this year. The implications are immense, to say the least.

Thus, there’s good reason to take that techie cousin of yours out for a fishing trip! If you’re interested in learning more about using a drone of your own, check out this article on drone fishing tips that provides a good basis for beginners.

Seek Out Articles and Tournament Results

Bass tournaments take place on most of the major lakes throughout this country. All but the smallest club tournaments tend to be fairly formal events, often drawing media coverage of some kind. Even those tournaments too small to attract the press will usually have their results posted somewhere on the internet.

When I’m preparing for a fishing trip, I like to try and figure out what techniques the tournament fishermen were using recently and how successful they were. This can really help you break down the lake further and get a better idea of what the hot lures are in the area.

You have to take this information with a grain of salt. Many professional fishermen out there are marketing machines and you never quite know how much they really used the particular lure they’re plugging at the moment.

I’m much more confident in press articles that were written after the tournament concluded than one written on one of the first few days. Now, I know no one would ever insinuate that fisherman could be anything less than honest, but with money (and often, a lot of it) on the line, who could blame an angler from being secretive about their exact location or lure?

Frankly, the best way to use this sort of information is to compile and read several years of it. That way, you can ignore the brand of lure that they’re pitching and focus on the type instead (a frog is a frog is a frog, even if the manufacturer name on their hat changes from year to year).

Having several years of results also allows you to ignore precise locations of fish (which aren’t very reliable year to year) and instead focus on trends regarding the general areas that they fished.

Find and Read Posts on Fishing Forums

I know that forum posts get a bad rap in certain industries as you never know who is providing the information, but when it comes to fishing, I find them very useful.

If fishing is popular in your area, someone has probably built a forum for local anglers to show off their catches and to ask and answer questions. A quick google search for “[the lake’s name] Fishing Reports” is often all you need to find a number of these forum posts.

Read the posts from around the same time of year that you intend to fish the lake. It doesn’t have to be the exact same date (weather fluctuates after all), but a report from December probably isn’t going to be that useful if you’re going fishing in June, as fish do tend to move around and favor different presentations throughout the year.

While many fishermen guard their favorite spots closely, there’s always a few people on the forums who tell everyone all about every fishing trip they take. They often include photos, sometimes with distinct landmarks in the background that allow you to zero in on exactly where they caught a fish.

Phone a Friend

Do you have a buddy who fishes more often than you or just got back from the lake you want to check out? Do you trust them? If so, why not call them and ask them what to expect? There is nothing that beats timely information.

You don’t even need to know the person. If you’re fishing with your kids and see another angler out at your lake, ask them where you should fish, or what is working. While some strangers might be hesitant to give up this information to an adult, most of us have a soft spot in our hearts for kids and want them to be successful. We will leak information like a sieve if we think that it will help a kid catch a fish.

Fishing Mistake #2: Using the Wrong Lure or Presentation

If you’ve done your homework as described in step one and still aren’t catching fish, there’s a good chance that you’re either using the wrong lure, or presenting it the wrong way.

Match the Lure to the Fish You’re Trying to Catch

The first step to selecting your lure is to understand what type of fish you want to catch. Your research above should have told you what type of fish are in the lake, so which one do you want to try for? What kind of lures would work well for that species?

You wouldn’t want to use a giant frog designed for largemouth bass if you’re going for little bluegills. Likewise, a little minnow meant to catch crappie probably isn’t going to entice many pike to bite.

I would recommend that you start off your day with a hook or lure small enough to catch bluegill and sunfish so you can at least have some success early and gain some confidence. You’ll find that they often inhabit the same areas as larger fish, so once you find a school of panfish, you can start throwing other stuff trying to find a nice “bonus fish” as well.

Hold Your Rod

Do you know that guy who always fishes from the shore, sitting on a bucket while his rod is held up by a forked stick? He’s not catching as many fish as he could be.

It is a very common fishing mistake to put a rod down and leave it there, waiting for something to bite. While there can be a place for this at times, your success ratio is going to increase if you actually hold onto the rod while you’re waiting.

Generally speaking, there are three reasons you want to hold onto your fishing rod instead of setting it down somewhere:

1. It’s very hard to detect light bites unless you actually have the rod in your hands, especially if there is any wind whatsoever;
2. If a fish does bite, it’s very probable that they will spit out the bait before you are able to pick up the rod and set the hook;
3. You miss out on the lack of information, i.e. situations where there are no bites or nibbles for an extended period, which should be an indicator to you that you need to move.

I see fishermen make this mistake all the time. If this is you, stop immediately as it could definitely be a major reason you aren’t catching anything.

Don’t Use a Bobber

This goes hand in hand with holding your rod above. While bobbers do have their place I generally find that they are a less effective way to catch fish. Indeed, I go against the grain by suggesting that you shouldn’t use bobbers when fishing with kids.

First of all, if you’re fishing with a bobber, you probably have your rod braced against some stick, which would be a mistake.

Secondly, bobbers present bait in an extremely unnatural way. Just how many things in the lake do you know of that stay perfectly still in the middle of the water column? The answer is nothing. Fish can be very stupid, but you’re really counting on it if you’re using a bobber.

Finally, if a fish does bite, they’re instantly going to feel the weight of the bobber and will know something is amiss.

They just aren’t usually an effective presentation. Use a bare worm, or even a drop shot instead and you’ll likely catch more fish. If you don’t know how to tie a drop shot, check out my post on The Basic Skills You Need to Take Your Kids Fishing.

Fishing Mistake #3: Giving Up Too Soon

Fishing requires some patience. While I do think that you can usually figure out if small fish are around an area quickly, the key word is “area.” That usually isn’t as narrowly defined as “the 3-5 feet surrounding your very first cast.”

There are some islands and points up on Lake Champlain that hold fish all year long, but the fish tend to favor small little sections of those formations at any given time. Through experience, I have a pretty good handle on where they will be, but if I didn’t, I might think there are no fish to be caught there when really, all I needed to do was cast 10 or 20 feet away.

If you researched and found what you thought would be a promising spot but aren’t instantly catching fish, don’t give up right away. Stick it out a bit and saturate the area. Try different casting angles. Make a few casts really near to the shore or structure and a few leading away. Cast to all sides of a rock and see if there is a particular one they want. Invest some time and energy.

I think we’ve all seen that guy who roars into a cove in his bass boat, stops, makes 10-12 casts, and then packs up and roars away. Maybe he knows something no one else does, but it’s more likely he just isn’t giving the area a chance.

Caveat: Kids Lack Patience in General

Granted, if you’re fishing with kids, you might not be able to stick it out as long as you would if you were on your own, but you should still try to invest some time. Don’t stay long enough to bore them, but do try to impress on them the benefits of commitment.

When fishing with children, you should be targeting smaller fish like bluegills and sunfish first. These are much easier to catch (or at least detect by their nibbles) so you’ll know if an area is completely barren fairly soon if you’re targeting them.

Fishing Mistake #4: Sticking With One Thing Too Long

I appreciate that this seems contradictory to the advice I gave you in the section above, but as with all things in life, there is a balance to be achieved when fishing. While you do want to give an area or presentation a chance, you don’t want to stick with a clear loser, either.

There’s this old saying in fishing that you need to “Let the fish tell you what they want.” What this basically means is do what the fish want, not what you want.

A Personal Example

I made this mistake myself a few weeks ago. I was fishing at Lake Champlain with my family for the 4th of July. This is one of my favorite times to go, because in the evening just before sunset the frog bite can be spectacular. I’m talking strike after strike after strike. I’ve had nights where for an hour at a time it would be unusual if I didn’t see a swirl within 3 or 4 seconds of my frog touching down.

I love this time of year and look forward to it throughout the winter. I took my son out after dinner on a very calm night, eager to show him all the splashes and thrills.

We managed one pickerel in about 10 minutes while my friend was reeling in fish after fish just about 30 yards away. We were both in prime real estate – this wasn’t a matter of him just being in a better spot.

The difference was that he was doing what the fish wanted, and I was doing what I wanted.

While I was throwing a large, obnoxious frog out over the weeds and popping and crawling it back to the boat, he was throwing a soft plastic lure and letting it slowly flutter to the bottom.

I picked up on this and swapped over to a Senko. I started casting to pockets between the weeds and letting it sink. It rarely reached bottom.

My son had a great time and we had one of our most productive nights together, but it was all because I figured out I needed to switch things up slightly and was willing to do that.

Read the Water

While research and preparation are both extremely important steps for a successful fishing trip, so is reacting to what you see on the water. Pay attention to what is going on and what is or isn’t working for you and for others and adapt.

If you really think rocky points will be the ticket, but you show up and the fish aren’t there, try a shallow grass flat.

If you think a fast moving lure is what you need to score a strike, but all you’re doing is tiring yourself out with nothing to show for it, slow things up and toss a slow sinking worm instead.

Whatever the case may be, remember to embrace change and react as necessary and you’ll have a much better chance of catching a fish.

Fishing Mistake #5 – Not Trying At All

FDR once famously said, “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

This is great advice.

Maybe you slept in late and missed the morning bite. Perhaps it’s the day after a front moved through and you see those dreaded “blue bird skies” that announce post-frontal conditions. Maybe your trolling motor is acting up and you’d have to use the old-fashioned drift and anchor system instead.

There’s always going to be a reason not to do something, and it’s no different in fishing. You need to ignore these reasons and get out there and give it a shot.

Even if you do follow all of the advice in this article and others on this site, I can’t guarantee you that you’ll catch a fish if you go out on the water. I can, however, guarantee you that you won’t catch any sitting on your couch.

If the conditions are safe and you are breathing, go out there and give it a shot. Remember: EVERY CREATURE HAS TO EAT.

Prepare for your trip as best you can. Take a lure or presentation that has a good chance of working, and try it. If it doesn’t work, admit it frankly and switch it up. But above all, go fishing

If you enjoyed this article, consider purchasing my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide. If you are trying to get your kids (or yourself) into this sport, or know someone who is, it’s worth a read.

Thanks,

John Paxton