Texfisherman

Thanks for all the replies, gents. If I catch a biggin', I'll be sure to post it in the main forums of Bass Resource!

We are heading to Lake Falcon, Tx. for a few days of fishing soon. Last weekend they had the Bass Champs Tournament there and a guy pulled out a 15 pound largemouth. This is, in my opinion, the best chance I will ever have of catching a double-digit bass. Anyone have any tips?

The 8 pound bass I'm holding in my picture to the left is from Raven. We have caught multiple 8-pounders out of Raven. It is relatively close to Lake Conroe and I highly suggest going there as much as possible! On Lake Conroe, go to the stumps in Peach Creek. Also go to Walden Marina, Stow-A-Way Marina and Palms Marina. You can almost always find bass in the marinas, along the walls. The vast majority of bass you will catch will be dinks (1-3 pounds). I promise you though, Lake Raven, in Hunstville State Park, is a treasure trove. Small lake with tons of 6,7 and 8 pound bass!

My dad started taking me fishing when I was no more than 4 or 5. Live bait and my Zebco 202. Such a small thing really affected the entire future of my life.

I'm starving now that I've read all of this. Jerky for sure, chips, store bought sandwiches, energy drinks, Gatorade and water.

Here's a conversation we've had a few times now: I hook into a bass (so I think) and the fight begins... Me: "Oh my gosh, this bass is huge!!" Buddy: "It's not coming up..." Me: "Don't say that! Don't jinx me!" Buddy: "It's not coming up..." Me: "I'm telling you, this is a bass! This is the best fight I've ever had!!" Buddy: "It's not coming up..." Me: "Nooooo!! It's a catfish!" Buddy: "Yep... it's a catfish."

It would hold me over. They are also starting to make trolling motor mounts for everything these days. I know Bass Pro Shops sells trolling motor mounts for canoes now. May look into seeing if they make 'em for kayaks. Get one of those and a small trolling motor and you wont miss that boat much, I wouldn't think.

We agree to a weekend all-night fishing trip usually mid-week. Wed, Thurs and Friday, we talk on the phone several times about what we're going to be using, where to cast and where we're going to start. Come Friday, I check weekend weather conditions and high temps. Then I check out Farmer's Almanac for the moon phase and moon rise/set time. We stock up on drinks and food, too. Friday afternoon is tackle time. I'll spend a good 3 hours meticulously going through my tackle box and making sure what I need is in there, taking old stuff out and putting new stuff in. Then I will put brand new line on every rod and reel I plan on taking. After that, we get a couple bags of ice, our traditional good luck breakfast (yes, breakfast in the evening ) and head out.

Steak and Egg Burrito from Jack in the Box. If we skip that, we don't catch fish.

Yes and yes. I fish all-nighters on a fairly regular basis. 9 of the 10 largest bass I ever caught were all caught at night, and the majority of them on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Dark colors all the way. My friend and I recently went night fishing and caught 43 largemouth (the best we've ever done). Caught 'em on the green pumpkin Chatterbait (with a white trailer... strange indeed).

My dad did. He started taking me fishing as soon as I learned how to walk, lol. My first rod/reel was a Zebco 202.

I know you said the place closes at night, but I would try and find another lake in the area where you're allowed to go night fishing. Go on a night where the moon is out and at least half full. Throw out a 1/2 oz spinnerbait with a silver or black Colorado blade on it. If that doesn't work, throw a Chatterbait. If that doesn't work, throw soft plastics, like a wacky rig or shakey head. Stick with dark colors on all of them. If you really like the lake that you normally go to, then switch to soft plastics and slow your presentation waaaaaaaay down. Just to let you know, I had the best night of fishing in my entire life a few weeks ago. We went when the moon was full, and it had been cloudy all that day. We started at sunset... 2 guys, 14 hours, 43 largemouth bass. ALL of them were caught on a dark chatterbait with... believe it or not... a white chatterbait trailer.

Fish long enough and dumb things will happen. I once got a lure snagged in a tree limb, so I wrapped the line several times around my hand and closed my fist to where it looked like I was giving a thumbs-up. I pulled with all my might and the lure flew out of the tree... and right into the top of my thumb!!! The hook was completely buried, all the way to the bend!! So what's the very first thing I did??? Yep, grabbed a camera and took a picture of my thumb! The mind is a curious thing...

Congrats on your PB!!!

What a gorgeous bass! I bet the fight was insane!

Like Felix77 and several others, I'm all about CPR. If you're planning on doing replicas the next time you catch that monster bass......... Do your research on taxidermists in your area ahead of time! I got burned on my 8lb, 4oz replica, and that's by someone who is supposed to the "best of the best", according to several hunters I talked to. Ask questions like how closely can they get molds to match an x-pound bass? Can they get the mouth and flared-out gills to the right size? How long of a wait before they can even start on it? (I waited 13 months for him to complete it.) Do they work on a lot of bass replicas each year, or mostly animals? What should you expect to pay for a replica? If you provide pictures, will they paint it to closely resemble the bass that you caught? I know the last question seems silly, but after getting home and comparing my replica to all of the pictures that I provided the taxidermist, I'd swear he never even looked at them. It looks like a bass, just not my bass... Just food for thought.

I'll go with routine. When my fishing buddy and I arrive at the lake we immediately start looking for deep water 4'-6', close to the shore. The first things that we cast are 1/2 oz spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and wacky-wigged Zoom Trick Worms, in Watermelon Candy. We troll along the shoreline slowly, casting, keeping it in the strike zone, then immediately recasting. If we aren't getting hit, then we start focusing on points (and marinas, if applicable). We will saturate those areas with many casts, even casting from different angles. This is also when we will start tying on crankbaits of varying depths, and other lures. If points/marinas aren't doing it, we start looking for cover (like a brush pile) and scanning for anything that might hold bass. Finally, if after all that, we aren't getting bites, we will try finding deep water and working that, possibly with 1 oz jigs, and other large, heavy lures.

I've learned so much from this site, I don't know where to begin. But, here is my favorite lesson learned: I had been going to a lake filed to the brim with huge bass! But every time I would hook into a 7+ pounder, they'd get away. Either wrap around something like a lily pad and suddenly disappear, or throw my hook, etc. I came here posting this problem and describing all of my gear the best I could. The problem was quickly recognized as me using medium action rods. The advice was given to use medium-heavy or even heavy rods from then on. I took the advice and the very next time I hooked into a monster, I brought her in and she was... and still is... my personal best, at 8lbs, 4ozs.

LOL!!!

Very nice bass!

8lbs, 4ozs, which is in my picture on the left. I actually caught her on a wacky-rigged, nail-weighted, Culprit red and black 7.5" ribbontail worm... maybe a reaction strike?

I'm all for this! I will donate for every bass I catch @ 5+ lbs.

Sam just gave some great advice, too! Always have patience and think of it as a learning process. I've been bass fishing on and off for years and years and I still learn new things all the time. And welcome to Bass Resource!!

If a lot of people are fishing that pond, there is probably a bit of what we call "fishing pressure". In that case, you might try throwing something that they don't see on a regular basis, like a worm in a new color. If your brother-in-law's pond is private, you will likely have much better luck catching fish there, because those bass aren't used to being hooked in the mouth. The only other thing I can think of is to slow down your retrieve, if you're not already doing so. Bring your lures in slower, even really slow, and they may bite. Also keep in mind that there is a HUGE difference between fishing with live bait and casting artificial lures/soft plastics. When using artificial, a lot more things come in to play: weather, recent cold front, time of day, fishing pressure, lure, technique used for that lure, etc. Definitely give that pond several chances, before making a decision on whether or not it is a great place to fish. I can't speak on the carp or other fish, but as far as bass fishing, one day you don't get a single bite and the next day you catch a dozen, lol! You just never know.

Thanks for all of the feedback. I may go buy one of the Econoscales. Then, get something weighed on cert. scales and use that to check my scales from now on.