What causes fish not to bite?

We often go to a lot of effort chasing the perfect bait and with the sun or the moon in the ideal place, you can still go home empty-handed. Fish don't bite all the time and this is due to a range of variables including water temperature, wind speed and barometric pressure, just to name a few.
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What to do when fish are not biting?

10 Tips for When the Fish Won't Bite
  1. Change out your lure. If the fish aren't biting, give them something different to bite. ...
  2. Alter your casting technique. ...
  3. Switch up your retrieves. ...
  4. Use a fishing camera. ...
  5. Move to a new location. ...
  6. Try a fishing light. ...
  7. Fire up your fish finder. ...
  8. Use a different line.
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What does it mean when fish aren't biting?

Your leader could be too heavy given the water clarity or conditions and it may be visible to the fish. Try downsizing your leader to a lighter weight, and then see if you start getting a few bites. Downsize your hooks. You may also want to try downsizing the size of your hooks and bait if you aren't getting any bites.
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What attracts fish the most?

There are many scents that fish absolutely love and there are many scents that fish can't stand. Here is a quick list of the attractive scents and the ones that repel fish. Attractants: salt, fish slime, fish guts, fish extracts, human saliva. Possible attractants: milk products like cheese, coffee, garlic.
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What smell attracts fish?

Three scents that appear to be positive scents are salt, anise, and garlic. Anise and garlic may be masking scents rather than attracting scents. Now think about this: The smells or scents are transmitted to the fish by the water surrounding the fish. Now the old adage about oil and water comes into play.
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The fish won't bite...this may be why! (Underwater footage!)



What food attracts fish?

Good natural freshwater fishing baits include worms, leeches, minnows, crayfish, crickets and grasshoppers. Freshwater bottom-feeders like catfish and carp are also attracted to cut fishing baits (cut-up bait fish) and prepared baits called dough balls.
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What's the best bait for fish?

Some of the best freshwater fishing bait include worms, leeches, minnows, crayfish, crickets and grasshoppers. Select good saltwater baits including sea worms, eels, crabs, shrimp, strips of squid, and cut-up pieces of fish. You can purchase live bait, or better yet, find your own to save money.
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What time of day do fish bite most?

Best Times to Fish
  • Early Morning. 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
  • Late Morning to Afternoon. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • Afternoon to Dusk. 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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What time of day are fish most active?

Before we dig into the details, however, we can make one blanket statement: fish just about everywhere are almost always active at sunrise and sunset. These periods of changing light levels trigger feeding behavior in all kinds of predatory fish.
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What do you throw when bass aren't biting?

“This is why topwater may be the best bait to throw during those time frames when the fish aren't biting. Because you're really pulling that predator's strings.
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What are the best times to go fishing?

Best Fishing Times
  • One hour before and one hour after high tides, and one hour before and one hour after low tides. ...
  • During the “morning rise” (after sunup for a spell) and the “evening rise” (just before sundown and the hour or so after).
  • During the rise and set of the Moon.
  • When the barometer is steady or on the rise.
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Does high pressure affect fishing?

High Pressure (30.50 +/Clear Skies) - Fish bite Medium to Slow in deeper water or near cover while fishing slowly. Medium Pressure (29.70 – 30.40/Fair Weather) - Normal Fishing using different gear or baits to meet the needs of the fish. Low Pressure (29.60 and under/Cloudy/Rainy Weather) - Fishing Slows.
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Does rain affect fishing?

Rain muddies up the water, decreasing visibility and making it harder for fish to see baits. When selecting artificial baits, consider bright colors and tackle that makes noise, such as crankbaits or popping corks, to help fish find the bait.
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Can you fish without worms?

Using What's In Your Kitchen. Attach bits of bread, chicken, fish, corn, cheese, hot dogs, or raw bacon to your hook. For catching catfish, use smelly foods in a cheesecloth or a sealed container with holes in it. (This is for when you are fishing in shallow waters without a fishing rod.)
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Does WD 40 help catch fish?

Others say it covers the human scent (it might, but this seems unlikely to make a big difference). WD-40 addresses the myth on its website, saying: “While WD-40 can be used to help protect fishing equipment from rust and corrosion, WD-40 Company does not recommend using it to attract fish.”
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How do I fish better?

10 Tips on How to Fish for Beginners
  1. Match your lure to the water color.
  2. Choose your lure shapes and sizes that let you "match the hatch."
  3. Get fishing gear that appropriately size to the fish you're pursuing.
  4. If you are trolling, make sure your lures are swimming in a lifelike manner.
  5. Choose your fishing line wisely.
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Do fish find food by sight or smell?

Sight, sound and movement in the water are the primary factors involved with a fish finding food, yet to varying degrees, smell can affect their attraction to prey, both negatively and positively. It is important to note that fish do not smell things the same way that humans do.
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Do fish feed by sight or smell?

As a general rule, fish that use sight to locate their food primarily feed during the day. Fish that use smell to locate their food feed primarily at night.
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Are fish attracted to light?

Any light under the water, no matter what the color, will attract fish. When lights are placed under the water, they reflect off particles in the water. These tiny little particles enhance a natural food source for bait.
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What color are fish attracted to?

What color light attracts fish the best? Overall, green light attracts the most fish. Green has a high lumen output of 130 per LED alongside a 520 nm wavelength. Shrimp and insects have both of these wavelengths in their color vision alongside green light receptors around 530 um.
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What color do fish like best?

When looking broadly at all the larval species studied, black is the most commonly preferred, followed by no preference for color, and then blue. Blue and white were more preferred by adult fish, but many species also had no preference.
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What color is hardest for fish to see?

The science says a multi-colored line that blends into the background should be harder for fish to see and track. While red and green blend well in many situations, blue blends best in offshore waters.
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