Anyone Else Have A Lake Where They Just Can't Catch Bigger Fish?

[Osprey39]

I've been fishing with a local bass club for the 2.5 years or so. We fish many different lakes here in New Mexico and I have done ok at just about all of them save one: Ute Lake. I think I have fished 5 tournaments at Ute and I have yet to bring a keeper fish to the scales there. Now part of the issue is that Ute has a 14" size limit on smallies and they seem to be the predominant species there. Everyone in the club catches their share of shorts there due to that bigger size limit but they get plenty of keepers too. Not me. I've had one fish in those 5 tournies that would have been a keeper but he came unpinned while I was trying to get hold of my net.

My biggest quandry is that I go to places and catch fish but they are short. I am always reluctant to leave a spot where I'm catching fish just because they are short. My thinking is that if there are smaller fish in the area, there are probably at least a few bigger ones too. I just never seem to catch them at Ute.

Any comments or suggestions?

[Fishing Rhino]

Try a different bait. If you're fishing a crankbait mid water, try dragging a plastic bait along the bottom. I'd suggest a wacky Senko on a weighted jig head like a Buckeye Flick It, a Jackall Wacky jig head or an Inichi. Start with the lighter (1/16 ounce jig heads or 3/32 ounce) weighted hooks. If you're fishing in vegetation, use the versions that have a weed guard. My never fail favorite all around color is Watermelon with black/red flakes. Most of the time I'll use four or five inch long worms but will try the three inch and six inch worms, just in case.

I'm not familiar with the places you're fishing, but it sounds like you need to make some type of change, be it depth, type of bottom, type of bait, presentation, etc. I don't fish tournaments, but if I did, I'd target the areas where I'm likely to catch larger fish. I'd rather catch four or five fish that can go in the livewell than fifty that cannot. It's not easy to leave biting fish, but you've got to change something.

[Lund Explorer]

I have to agree with Tom in that you need to make some changes. Along with his advice, I would suggest that you might want to spend half the day during your next tournament there taking a boat ride. If you are still stuck on the dinks, turn that entry fee into what I call tuition. Take a cruise around the lake and see where other guys are fishing. See if where they are fishing is different from the kind of water you have been targeting. As you slowly chug past these guys, maybe pickup on what they are throwing.

IMO, spending 8 hours hauling dinks doesn't teach you anything. You might as well spend that time learning something new.

[Osprey39]

I have to agree with Tom in that you need to make some changes. Along with his advice, I would suggest that you might want to spend half the day during your next tournament there taking a boat ride. If you are still stuck on the dinks, turn that entry fee into what I call tuition. Take a cruise around the lake and see where other guys are fishing. See if where they are fishing is different from the kind of water you have been targeting. As you slowly chug past these guys, maybe pickup on what they are throwing.

IMO, spending 8 hours hauling dinks doesn't teach you anything. You might as well spend that time learning something new.

Good advice. We don't have another event there this year (thankfully!) but I will strongly consider this next time I'm there. Part of the problem with getting to know this lake for me is it is about 3-1/2 hours from my house so it isn't someplace I day trip to very often lol. I definitely need to get a better handle on it though.