Catching Bigger Bass?

[mikey5string]

There is a local private lake that I fish with permission from one of the residents. I used to just fish off their dock and catch dinks all day with the occasional 2 pound "big" one. I finally found a small boat and got a trolling motor, I took the boat on the lake about dusk and threw a frog on/near some pads. The bass KILLED it. I could almost guess the exact time one would hit it after I landed it next to a patch of pads and twitched it. Threw a buzzbait and they killed it. Had several fish hit the buzzbait twice and RIGHT next to the boat. Even once when I put the rod down with the bait dangling in the water to move away from some weeds.

Really fun, great action. Several fish per hour and all were 2-4lbs!! Much better fish than I caught off shore. I was almost sure that "there were no big bass in there" and used it mostly as a spot to go mess around close to home.

Well. Now that I have been steadily catching 3-4 pounders I am starting to think: There MUST be some 5-6 pounders in here. right?

The lake about 25 acres. I really dont know the depth. I always thought it was relatively shallow although it had been drained 15' for dam repair and was refilled a few years ago. The water is stained, which is why I think topwater works so well.

What could I do to try to get bigger bass? Throw bigger baits? Do they make a "big" frog? The buzzbait I have is pretty big as far a buzzbaits go. I was thinking to go into my saltwater gear and grab a few 6-8" plugs. Part of me thinks that they are just more rare and to just keep fishin till I get one.

Any ideas on how to cull 3 pounders for the 5s?

[WRB]

Swiwbaits (wake type plunker or slammer) and 10 to 12" worms at night.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

There doesn't have to be bigger fish. I've fished several ponds and smaller lakes with tons of fish but no big fish at all, even when the state shocks or nets them they find no big fish. Like WRB said a big swimbait or big worm will find the big fish if they are in there, just be ready to not get as many bites.

[rockchalk06]

Sounds like you got a hunny hole! I would try some plastics maybe a lizzard or Senko? If there was some decent cover I'd try a jig with trailer too. All the big bass Ive seen caught are usually caught on something listed above or what's been posted.

My biggest weighed almost 5 pounds and was caught while crappie fishing with a chartreuse bettle spin

[ClackerBuzz]

its not the 'what' its the "where". focus on the deeper water and channel that runs thru the pond and you will find your lunkers. they like having access to deep water. if you don't have electronics use a jig to "feel" the bottom and you will learn were the deeper water is. always take note of what is getting stuck on ur hook. clean grass and dark mulched leaves=good healthy aerated bottom. stay in those areas for the big fish. algae/ muck on hook=stagnant water. hard bottoms are better than soft mush. once you find a few good areas make distance casts with a reaction bait of ur choice to fan cast the area. if they aren't taking reaction baits move to a different quality spot and finesse. are there small streams feeding the pond? if so start working the area 25ft out and working ur way to shore. think of it as an under water triangle/delta where the bigger fish get food, oxygen, and air conditioning. good luck!

[Crestliner2008]

You might want to consider a "sounding line". This is what we use to use before the Lowrance "Green Box" became available (the first real sonar). You get a 50' length of parachute cord. Tie a simple over-hand knot every 10'. We use to use a small piece of colored ribbon at each interval, so we'd know what depth we were fishing.

Then, spend a day just "sounding" the lake and getting a feel for the "lay of the land" so-to-speak. That'll go a long way in teaching you about what's under the surface of the water.

I would also consider a heavy 7' (or longer) rod with 50# monofilament line on a "round" reel - such as what musky fishermen use. You might know someone who would lend you such a set-up. Then toss a large wake bait or musky sized Jitterbug, at NIGHT. If there are any big girls in the lake, this will tell you in short order. Good Luck!

[bassman1997]

Just keep tryin its there somewhere every lake has a giant no matter what.

[AirbusAngler]

I never thought there were "bigger" bass in my local city lake and just had fun dinking with little inline spinners and cranks. Then I got into jig fishing...fished a jig for 3 hours not a single hit, then in my last hour of fishing I landed my first ever jig bass, just under 5 lbs. Then shortly after a 5lber.

If you use a jig highly recomend any Rage craw or Rage chunk as a trailer. Havent used any other product for trailers and I dont plan on it.

Same lake my buddy and I were fishing from a boat this time, we both had jigs and they were practically the same color however he had a paca chuck trailer and I had a rage trailer. I landed 9 he landed 2

[Nice_Bass]

The where is much more important...but, if you like most others want exciting top water action and are looking for a big frog- order a "3:16 no bull frog". By far some of the most fun fishing i have had tossing that thing around.

[WRB]

Pit lakes are not like any other type of small lake, they usually very clear with steep banks around 3 sides and a road bed the gravel trucks used to enter and exit during the operational period. This is a man made retangular shaped pit filled with water. Weed growth is usually sparse due to low nutrients and usually located around the edges, any weed beds out away from shore is a good area to target. Boulders too big to remove during excavation get pushed along side the road bed. The pit lakes are almost always spring fed and may have a small stream.

Forage differs with the region; bluegill and other small pan fish, minnows, chubs, , crawdads, salamnders, frogs, worms, water snakes, small bass etc make up the food chain.

Pit bass know every inch of their domain and will know when you launch your boat or walk around edges. You must move slowly and become part of the environment to catch weary big pit bass. This why you need to survey the lake bottom and look for those isolated structure elements that hold big bass and quitely approach them. Night and low light periods offers you cover of darkness and it's when those big bass roam looking for prey. This isn't that difficult, you should be able to become an expert on the small lake in a few weeks.

Good luck.

Tom

[Charlie 2una]

Definitely try bigger baits. Bigger frogs, a double buzzbait with a trailer for more body or a huge worm.

[AK-Jax86]

Put a lure on your line and cast that bad boy into the water and retrieve. If you don't get one on the first cast keep on trying

[WRB]

Whoops looks like I posted a reply about pit lakes by mistake for another thread.

Most of the reply on pit lakes would apply for a small local drinking water 25 acre lake.

Being in AZ the heat of the day is a major factor, so aerated deeper water is a must and you need to survey this lake similar to the pit lake, except bottom structure will be very limited, any rocks will be a magnet area.

25 acres could be big enough to have thread fin shad, if it does than they become very impotant and the primary food source. If not than crawdads, bluegill, chubs, don't think too many frogs or salamanders will be around due to the heat issues.

Local lake bass are accustom to people walking the shoreline and simply move away into deeper water to aviod the shore activity and not as weary as pit bass. You still need to keep a low profile and any shadows off the water where bass maybe holding.

I would try big 10" to 12" Upton's worms, jig with craw trailer, baby bass color wakebaits, bluegill swimbaits, buzzers and spinning baits very early mornings or any time at night or late evening. I would also split shot 6" shad color worms if shad are in the lake.

Tom

[LunkerLust]

I see that you like fishing Lake Saltonstal, I,m always hearing about guys catching 5 lb bass there, mostly on senkos and weighted worms. No bigger than average baits. What size bass are you catching there?

I'm also in Ct. When I catch 5+ bass it's on the same baits that I get the 2-4s on.

I really think it's just a numbers game. There's not as many bigger fish around, unless you found a really sweet private lake.

Be patient and keep doin' what you're doin'. You will get a few 5s, just not every week.

[mikey5string]

Thanks for the replys!

I know that its a matter of just pounding it. Figuring out the lake and patterns. If there are big ones in there I WILL eventually get them!

From what I have discovered first hand, the lake bottom is muck. Soft mushy whatever several inches deep. At least thats wheat I found when I decided to jump off the dock to cool off. I am hesitant to use a jig because of this. Maybe an "upsized" drop shot to get the bait above the muck would work.

I will definitely try marking depths with a rope and fishing the deeper parts. I am just such a sucker for frogs on pads! The lake has several patches of pads in open water. Id imagine that it cant be too deep there are the pads have to root in the bottom.

I have lost a few fish that felt/looked bigger (around 5lbs) but arent all the lost fish 5 pounds or better? ; )

Lunkerlust:

Saltonstall is a great lake. Quality fish in there. I have caught a lot of bass there and the average size is better than any lake around me. Usually around 3lbs with my best being 4 and change. I have seen 5lb bass get pulled out of there in person and have seen pics of 6, 7 and 8's. Also GREAT walleye lake. I have caught several with none of them under 20". Have seen an 8 and 9 pounder and heard of 10+.

I throw jigs in the hydrilla mats, frogs on top of em, flukes on the edges and in the gaps, weightless t-rigged worms (9") letting them slowly fall near the weeds and carolina rigs. All in or on the outside of the hydrilla. There are a ton of Alewife in there and I have seen fish schoolin on them, birds and everything. You cant chase schools with a 45 thrust trolling motor but if you had electronics and locate a bait ball I would throw a big swimbait or crank around it.

[LunkerLust]

The reason I mentioned Saltonstall is because I thought the same baits should work on your private lake. It sounds like you're using all the right stuff already.

I just posted a question about 7" Tora Tubes, in another forum, a friend of mine caught a 7 1/2 lber on one.

[Mattlures]

How healthy are the bass your catching? are they long and skinny or chunky and fat? if they are skinny you may be catching the bigger class of fish in the lake. If so you need to keep a bunch of smaller ones to improve the prey to predator ratio and allow the big ones to get bigger. If the fish are healthy then you need to target the big bass. One of the easiest paterns is to fish for them at night durring summer months.. Bass like to move up shallow and hunt at night. Fish by areas know to hold prey that has deeper water close by. The biggest bass in your lake will own the best spots to live. Use swimbaits, live bait, topwaters, wakebaits, jigs and big worms. and be stealth as WRB said. of course you should always be stealthy but more so when targeting the biggest smartest bass in a specific lake

[mikey5string]

The "fatness" of the fish varies but the 3lb class looks healthy. I have seen a lot of bluegill, minnows and frogs.There are a TON of dinks in the lake. I have figured out that they will not go after a frog like the larger ones do which helps. Throw a drop shot, fluke or senko and get ready for a dink every cast.

I have been reading about the effect of overpopulation in lakes.I am considering thinning the population but keeping fish 12" and under. Thing is, I have never eaten bass and while I know its better for the population as a whole, I just dont feel right killing a bass and throwing it back i the water. I guess I could try eating them. Anything tastes good fried, right?

[WRB]

Bass anglers get very upset when you talk about eating bass, so tread with caution.

It's far better to eat a bass then to through it away for turtle food. Fillet the bass and cook it like any other fish, it's good.

Samll lake bass can get over populated quickly if there isn't any harvesting going on, it's all about balancing the resource with available prey per arce; not enough prey the will stunt and stop growing, very abundant prey the will keep eating and growing. General rule is the girth should be 80% of the length; less than 75% the bass may not reach their full potential weight. This rule applies to adult size bass over 18" in length.

Tom