cant get fish to bite.

[dubchuck]

i recently moved my fishhouse to a sunken island in the middle of a lake. for about a week now i have been seeing 40-50 walleyes per day on the underwater camera. this sounds good, but no matter what i try i cant get them to bite. ive tried different minnows, jigging raps, spoons, plain hooks, nothing seems to even get their attention. jus wondering if anyone has any tips.

[thump55]

It sounds like you are using a camera. I would stop that and use a flasher only. I believe the camera can have a negative effect on fish biting. Maybe not scare them away, but hinder them from biting.

Further advice would depend on how the fish are acting. Are they ignoring the bait? Watching it? Are smaller walleye interested, but larger ones not?

Common sense says, the longer the fish thinks about it, the closer you are to what he wants.

Some will say that there are days when you just can't get them to bite...that is incorrect. I have never run out of things to try...I've only run out of time.

EDIT: After re-reading the OP, it sounds like the fish are ignoring your offering alltogether. Indeed the toughest scenario. Have you tired a medium sized horizontal jig with 10-15 spikes on it? This gives you a lot of control over the action.

[went522]

I agree, get rid of the camera. Time and again I have have my camera down...the eyes won't even give my lure a sniff. Get rid of the camera, fish on. Same can be said for jumbos and crappies, they are somewhat willing to bite with the camera down but my catch rate is much better without a camera.

BIRDDOG

[REW]

Dub,
The fish will bite.
Fish the area 24 hours a day - 7 days a week.
If the fish are there, they will bite sometime during that period.

It is quite possible that you area only fishing during times of low fish activity.

In some lakes you might find that the fish are only really active for 30 minutes to an hour every day or so.

Particularly in the winter with cold water, the fish are semi inactive all of the time and they don't have to feed too often.

Also, lose the camera, or if you want to keep the camera- drill a hole about 20 feet from where you actually want to fish.

Also, in some areas, it has been noted from time to time that the ping of the flasher can actually turn off some of the fish.

So, as an experiment, you might just try fishing with no camera down the hole and with the flasher and other depth finder turned off.

Another thing to consider - when the fish are really finicky is to down size, down size, down size.

For example go to a crappie jig with a single waxie on the hook. You can easily catch a 15 lb walleye on a crappie jig. This tiny morsel may be just the ticket that some of the fish won't be able to pass up.

Try fishing with lighter line, like two lb test. If you catch a fish, just keep the drag very very light and let the fish swim up to the hole by himself. Then, use a gaff down through the hole to bring the fish up. You can easily catch a big fish with very very light line and very small hooks if you don't horse the fish and if you aren't in a hurry to bring the fish up.

Obviously, these are things that you don't want to have to do on a routine basis, but at least it would give you an idea of what might be used to intice some of these very negative fish.

Another thing to consider. Do you wash your hands very very well , before going fishing, handling your lines, hooks and bait?

Do you use no scent soap and or conditioner for your hands.

Do you use a scent on your bait.

It might be, that there is something on your hands that is creating a problem. You might try bringing along a few pairs of latex gloves along on your next outing. Then, any time that you are handling the line, the hook, the lure, and or bait, that you use the rubber gloves to avoid putting any scent on any part of anything that you put in the water.

I have found that the cold water fishery is very very sensitive to scents.
i.e. bad scents - what ever that might be - can really repel the fish.
Conversely, good scents - whether it is an add on fish attractant, or just the scent from (good smelling - as far as the fish goes- fisher folks) can make a huge difference in the numbers of fish being caught.

I have had several experiences over the years where both summer fishing as well as winter fishing that one person in the group is having a bad time catching fish. Everyone else in the group is catching fish on the boat or in the house.

Then, just by asking someone else in the group to bait the hook of the fisher person with the bad luck makes all of the difference in the world.
i.e. something from the fisher persons handling of the line, lure, hook and bait is repelling the fish. It may have been when he brushed his teeth, it may have been the onions that he had for lunch, it may have been a natural smell in his hands that he naturally emits.

As I said earlier, you might try using rubber goves when handling line, lure, and bait for a while to see if it makes a difference.

Also use a good fish scent for winter fishing. I have found that a "good" fish scent can make a very very big difference in the number of bites on a given day.

Take care
REW

[Chad]

i recently moved my fishhouse to a sunken island in the middle of a lake. for about a week now i have been seeing 40-50 walleyes per day on the underwater camera. this sounds good, but no matter what i try i cant get them to bite. ive tried different minnows, jigging raps, spoons, plain hooks, nothing seems to even get their attention. jus wondering if anyone has any tips.

Try sending down a lipless crank bait with rattles (Koppers Golden Shiner, rattle trap, Salmo Zipper) and then rip it up, let it settle, rip it up let it settle.

Just an idea that works for s sometimes.

[rabbit]

I like what REW said about downsizing and maybe a scent to trigger. Caught some nice eyes on perch jigs small minnows.OR, Try a Do-Jigger or Swedish Pimple with just the minnow head instead of the whole minnow placed on one of the hooks on a treble hook horizontal. Just pinch the head off all the way to the minnows dorsal fin if you want or just behind the gill plates of the minnow. Push one of the hooks of the trebble through the back of the head and let it come out the top of the head just until you can feel the point of the hook and it is fairly snug on the hook. Lift and flutter down will usually trigger them. Or shake and stop like you have a nervous disorder... Good luck

[slipperybob]

If you're seeing walleyes, then rattle reel and wait them out.