Degrey Lake fish gone?

[fishing_newbie]

hey fellow arkansans,

I went up to degrey lake and fished from about 12:45 pm to 5 pm. nothing, not even a bite. I tried 3 different spots. I tried several different things. Was wondering if someone could help me out.

I tried fishing with worms on a #4 hook using a slipstick bobber. Set it at variations of lengths from 1 foot to 4 feet.

I tried using a jig ( my first time using a jig) same thing with no worm and then with a worm on there.

Then I started to try with other things to just catch a fish...

roostertail...
fake shad...
double hooked worm...


nothing.. no bites... nadda thing, I then came to the conclusion that there is no fish in that lake until a guys showed up caught 10 crappie and left... made me wanna cry. So any advice would be helpfull... I am fishing from the bank, and do not have access to a boat so that is my only option.

any ideas?

[RCC]

If you're new to fishing, don't be discouraged. Even people that have fished a long time have bad days. It sounds like you're on the right track. By using a slip bobber you can present your baits live or artificial in different ways at different depths. It is a possibility that the area you were fishing was not holding fish today. That could change overnight with a weather change or a water level change.

You can sometimes read your water, even fishing from the bank. Take note of the change in water color. Deeper water will be darker and may indicate a drop off which would be likely to hold fish. Also look at the shore where you are fishing. If you see a culvert, ditch, or where water has run into the lake, imagine that same line extends out into the lake. This can be a spot to fish, as well as any standing cover you can see above the water surface.

Don't give up and good luck.

[fishing_newbie]

thanks!

I do have a question though, does one normally put bait on a jig that is (don't know the technical term) dressed up with feathers and such? I put a worm on them, and dont know if that helped or hurt them.

[RCC]

Lot's of people tip their jig with a worm, minnow, or crappie nibble. My buddy always tipped his with a red wiggler worm. He caught more goggle eye, bream and bass than crappie. I usually use just straight live bait unless the water gets stained.

[fishing_newbie]

Went again today and nothing. Ran on one line the worm and bobber then on the other line a jig and bobber. at the end I ran a line with a rooster tail and bobber and would slowly retrieve it. But nothing today.

[RCC]

I've never fished a rooster tail under a bobber.

Another thing I do is in stained water I use dark colors and in clear I use lighter colors.

Good luck