As anglers we constantly wonder why fish may be biting like theres no tomorrow one day and not touching our baits the other. One of the factors that has a severe impact on this is fishing pressure! The more anglers that are fishing in an area (or for the same fish as yourself) the more chances there are for fish to be hooked, caught, or spooked from the area. As summer begins the waterbodies that have been empty all spring will be swarming with boaters, jet skis, and paddlers. The added activity will increase the pressure on fish as well.
Once a fish has been hooked or caught it is unlikely that it will try to feed again for a few days. From watching bass in a pond at my childhood home I know for certain that fish learn what baits they have been caught on and are hesitant to hit them again. Now move this scenario to a large lake where dozens or hundreds of anglers are all using similar baits and lures on the fish; eventually they will learn to be weary and the fishing will become much tougher!
A lot of times while fishing most anglers will try to avoid each other; but what if you roll into your favourite area just after someone has left? The added pressure from the other anglers being there may make the fish weary and less likely to strike your baits! So, even though you may be in a great area with plenty of fish you may only catch a few if any at all. This is why anglers need to have multiple locations to fish as part of their game plan and be willing to adjust to the mood of the fish. The easiest way to solve this problem is to move to an area with less or no pressure! On big bodies of water like Georgian Bay this is easy as there are plenty of different areas and populations of fish to target however sometimes it is not an option.
In order to entice weary fish into biting anglers can do a few things:
Use natural baits (profile and colour)
Downsize & slow down to make it an easier meal
Make long cast to keep boat and trolling motor as far from fish as possible
Use Fluorocarbon line (it is invisible in water)
To learn more ways how you can adjust to the mood of the fish and how environmental factors like sunlight, water clarity, and wind impact the behaviour of fish check out the "Impact of Environment & Weather" module as part of our Zero To Hero Fishing Masterclass
www.newwavefishingacademy.com/zero-to-hero