Why Bass Quit Biting Your Best Baits

Tom Redington

Tom Redington

12,954 views

How do you catch bass in 2026 when fish are pressured, seeing more baits than ever, and following without biting? This episode answers what actually works for modern bass fishing with and without LiveScope, including how to catch pressured bass, how to make LiveScope followers commit, when to use a jighead minnow or drop shot, and how to adjust when bass stop biting the same baits everyone else is throwing.

Spencer Shuffield is one of the best examples of a pro who came from a traditional power-fishing background, got ahead of the forward-facing sonar game, and has kept evolving as the fish and the anglers changed. He explains how bass fishing moved from old-school jigs, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, A-rigs, drop shots, and early LiveScope tricks into the modern world of jighead minnows, Koike-style baits, bait conditioning, shallow Scope fishing, and pressured fish that are much harder to fool.

You’ll learn:
Why bass follow baits but won’t commit
Why great baits stop working after fish see them enough
How jighead minnows, drop shots, jerkbaits, A-rigs, and Koike-style baits fit into modern bass fishing
What top LiveScope anglers look for now that everyone has forward-facing sonar
How to use LiveScope to learn fish behavior, not just chase dots
When traditional power fishing with ChatterBaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, frogs, and swim jigs can still beat the electronics game
How Spencer approaches a new lake and figures out where the best population of bass lives
Why small bait changes, angles, timing, and presentation matter more than ever

If you are trying to catch more pressured bass, get more bites from followers, understand what still works with forward-facing sonar, or fish better even when you are not using Scope, this episode gives a practical look at how modern bass fishing has changed and how to stay ahead of it.

Chapters
0:00 How to catch bass that have learned your baits
0:15 How LiveScope changed bass fishing behavior
1:34 Old-school power fishing vs modern bass fishing
5:07 How early LiveScope changed fish finding
7:21 Damiki rigs, drop shots, and the first forward-facing sonar lessons
12:13 Why early LiveScope fish were easier to catch
13:06 How the drop shot became an early jighead minnow presentation
17:10 What early LiveScope anglers missed
20:23 Why jerkbaits, A-rigs, and minnows stop working
24:14 Why bass follow baits but won’t bite
25:51 How fast pressured bass learn a new bait
31:12 What modern bass baits have in common
33:27 How to find bass on a new lake
36:01 Jighead minnows, Koike-style baits, and bait efficiency
39:19 How limited LiveScope time changes strategy
40:04 Minnows, Neko rigs, and shallow Scope fishing
44:03 What separates good LiveScope anglers from average anglers
47:11 How Scope changes fishing without Scope
51:47 When to use LiveScope during the day
54:35 How Scope helps with jigs, spinnerbaits, and ChatterBaits
58:00 How to read followers and bait reactions
1:00:32 When fishing without Scope still wins
1:05:34 Why small bait changes matter more now
1:07:24 Why brush pile bass stop biting after one fish

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