Fish with commitment issues at Chester Woods

So last year I had a few days at Chester Woods that were just lights out awesome. I even had a day where my brother and I drilled our two initial holes and never left them and did great.

This season, not so much. Been to Chester twice with very similar experiences and results. Marking a bunch of fish on the flasher, getting movement and reaction out of them, watching those green/yellow/sometimes even red lines come up to my bait, then waiting for a bite that never comes. I’ve moved around a little, changed colors a little, still same result. I’m not trying to sound lazy, I know there’s always something that can be done or changed, but geez they’re panfish, it’s typically not this hard!

For those that know the water, I’m typically fishing structure, not the deeper water basins like the crowds usually do there. Maybe I should I guess. Just wondering if anyone else has had anything similar at Chester this year.

Also, I did do Silver Creek earlier in December, so if anyone else has been to some of the other waters in town and it’s gone better I’d love to hear about it.

You maybe just hit on a couple off periods or days when weather shifts have gone against a decent bite. What time of day are you fishing there? Just plastic or using some bugs? Colors that are drawing fish up with the lure? Two trips hardly is enough times to get nervous as the lake is and has been for years a fickle lake to figure out. One trip may have fish going great guns and no problem to catch and then next they behave just as you describe.

One of the things about that lake and Silver Creek is that when people hit on a working technique they don’t talk about it much on these sites….how many recent reports from Chester do you see here? One thing you can judge from is that if people are there, the fish may be hitting well. If there’s a lack of people that can mean the fishing stinks.

Do yourself a favor and take a walk out in a cpr field where there are a lot of goldenrod plants with galls on them….those golf ball sized balls that grown on the weeds about two feet off the ground. Check each gall for bird pecking/holes and if the galls have a smooth finish and no bird holes, bag them . When home take a sharp knife and cut the balls open and you’ll find a small white grub inside. Use some corn meal to hold the grubs until you go fishing. These bb sized grubs are a super good bait and where there’s been lots of pressure from anglers using waxies and spikes these little guys can deliver big time while others have to work. Use one grub at a time! Smaller jig is great. Sometimes the bite just depends on using something that hasn’t been pounded hard for weeks. These tiny grubs are absolute sunfish food.

If you don’t know where to find the plants with the galls on them or if you don’t know what I’m taking about pm me here with your phone number and I’ll give you call….I’d be happy to take you out to show you what I’m referring to.

Fished there Thursday afternoon with just waxies and did really good there..

Tom,

Every time I read one of your posts I learn something.

Thanks!