Looking For Quality Bass

[The Young Gun]

So i've been fishing this lake with the biggest bass around, known for great quality bass. I've been catching tons of bass, but none are the 7lbers I see and hear about.. Its a lake with very little structure, it has maybe 20 docks otherwise all about 7ft deep with 5 ft of weeds all around. I've used pastic worms, crankbaits, spoons, spinners, jerkbaits, even large fancy swimbaits. But I'm not catching these monsters, what should I be looking for as in places to fish? What should I be using lure wise? Should I try bass jigs? Any advice?

[zip pow]

If I were you i'd read R.W. Senko post and try that technique. If the lake is a bunch of same the as far as structure and cover I would spend about 90% of my time trying to find an irregular feature and start fishing there if you catch a big one try and duplicate that as many times as i could. Also the more you fish it the better your chances are of catching that one big fish. So go fishing and good luck.

[Bluebasser86]

A 7 pounder is a freak in North Wisconsin. I'd stick with jigs or swimbaits along those weed edges with some kind of structure like a drop off or rockpile. If it's an option you might consider live bait also if you really want to up your odds, something like a 4-5 inch bluegill freelined or lightly weighted in those same areas is sure to find a big one eventually.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Balck and blue chatter bait just nailed a 6 pounder

[Jake P]

I agree with the jig recommendations. I would start with a 1/2 oz jig and craw trailer. You said you have tried worms, what size? 10-12” worms have landed some huge bass throughout history. My go to is a rage tail Thumper.

Like previously mentioned, look for any difference in landscape. A lake with little structure can be tough to fish. Good luck!

[Sam]

1/2 ounce football head jig with a twin tail grub as a pig.

Color is determined by the forage and water clarity.

Have a number with you in case you lose them in the structure or you don't check your line and it breaks when that 8 pound monster takes the bait.

Be patient and throw that jig and pig everywhere and anywhere.

Good luck.

[The Young Gun]

Most worms my buddies and I have thrown have been 4-6inches. I haven't seen any larger around here but I could try the big ones offline.. As for jigs.. What Kind of jigs? Football? Swim jigs? and What is a good size to try and a good trailor just a pork rind? I have about 4-5 feet of water collum to fish throught the lake alll under that is thick weeds with mudd bottom.

[backwater4]

Jig and buzzbait. As long as the water is in the upper 50s you might not get a bunch, but the ones you get will be nice fish. The jig works all year long.

[Chris]

1. I would motor around to all 20 docks and check out what is different. Diffence in depth, how close it is to deeper water, what the dock is made of, size of the dock poles or dock, change in bottom or hardness, change in weed types, any brush or stumps or rock that might be there (even if it is under the weeds). In doing this your narrowing down areas that will hold a larger fish.

2. Move out from the bank and look around. Sometimes you might find your needle in the haystack. IE. something different that will draw and hold a bigger fish.

3. In some water your bigger fish like to suspend or roam either because of food, ph, thermocline.

4. Sometimes there is a change in weed depth like an area that the weeds top out more that will draw fish.

5. In weedy lakes I like to use flipping tubes, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits if you want lure options.

[Dwight Hottle]

You have gotten some good advice. My suggestion is to try some topwater baits like a popper or popping frog like a spro.

[livetofish28]

Fish a shaky head with a with a 4 to 5 inch straight worm on the end around any abnormal structure in your lake. Hope this helps and good luck

[The Young Gun]

I definitely love to powerfish with lip less rattle traps and spinnerbaits.. I see just about everyone on this lake throwing a lot of senkos and powerbait normal sized ribbontailed worms.. I've noticed on the far size of the lake is very weedy and has big matts that would need to be punched through.. I've never punched through matts before only heard of it.. Would the big bass potentionally be under there?

[Jake P]

I definitely love to powerfish with lip less rattle traps and spinnerbaits.. I see just about everyone on this lake throwing a lot of senkos and powerbait normal sized ribbontailed worms.. I've noticed on the far size of the lake is very weedy and has big matts that would need to be punched through.. I've never punched through matts before only heard of it.. Would the big bass potentionally be under there?

Yes they will! Bass will get into some nasty thick junk and just hang out. Dont be afraid to get it in there. If it is heavily matted use atleast a 1 oz pegged weight. A small compact type plastic with good action is ideal for this so it will slide through the cover with ease. I would recommend something like a Rage Tail Menace or Berkley Pit Boss. the options are endless really.

Depending on water temp a hollow bodied frog like a Booyah Pad crasher or a KVD Sexy Frog can be KILLER hopped on top of that slop. It may be a little to cold up there in WI though, I dont know.

If i was you this is what I would try.

1. big 10-12" T rigged worms worked very slowly on the bottom.

2. A jig that works well in grass like an Alien head. The recessed line tie will help eliminate weeds and grass from covering the jig. Add a good size trailer like a Paca or Rage craw. Work it slowly on the bottom as well.

These presentations may not get you quantity but I bet they get you quality. Good luck.

[Chris]

I've never punched through matts before only heard of it.. Would the big bass potentionally be under there?

Yes they will and you can rat fish for them on top or flip them with a sweetbeaver or flipping tube. Myself I don't like flipping a jig in heavy weeds because I hate fouling up my jig and picking weeds. Swimming a jig in weeds is a whole nother story. Another great bait to flip is a paddle tail worm. You can also swim it to pick off fish in your deeper areas.

[scaleface]

This is just my experience. I find the later the season the more I have to stray away from power baits. The fish become lure shy. I use small spinnerbaits , neutral colored skirts or even clear with flake and a single small willowleaf. Rattleless cranks. Worms and jigs of course. Sometimes I will retrieve the spinnerbaits very fast so the fish dont have time to study it. They often just hammer it.

Dont be afraid to think out of the box. If you want a lure to do a certain thing , figure out a way to do it. Dont copy other anglers or pay attention to fishing reports, just go fishing.

[The Young Gun]

Yes they will! Bass will get into some nasty thick junk and just hang out. Dont be afraid to get it in there. If it is heavily matted use atleast a 1 oz pegged weight. A small compact type plastic with good action is ideal for this so it will slide through the cover with ease. I would recommend something like a Rage Tail Menace or Berkley Pit Boss. the options are endless really.

Depending on water temp a hollow bodied frog like a Booyah Pad crasher or a KVD Sexy Frog can be KILLER hopped on top of that slop. It may be a little to cold up there in WI though, I dont know.

If i was you this is what I would try.

1. big 10-12" T rigged worms worked very slowly on the bottom.

2. A jig that works well in grass like an Alien head. The recessed line tie will help eliminate weeds and grass from covering the jig. Add a good size trailer like a Paca or Rage craw. Work it slowly on the bottom as well.

These presentations may not get you quantity but I bet they get you quality. Good luck.

I have bug 1oz football jigs with long skirts.. Whats pegging? I have a bronzeye spro frog that I threw over them for a while, but its so thick, I dont even know if they can see it under.

[MarkH024]

So i've been fishing this lake with the biggest bass around, known for great quality bass. I've been catching tons of bass, but none are the 7lbers I see and hear about.. I

Where in Central Wisconsin are you fishing that produces 7lbers regularly? A 7lb inland lake bass is a monster in Wisconsin. My PB was around 7lbs in central Wisconsin and it seemed like a freak of nature compared to the rest of the bass that I normally catch. I'm not saying that there are not 7lb+ fish in Wisconsin but they are far and few compared to our southern states where that number becomes closer to an average/good size.

Find some legit proof that these people are actually catching a 7lb bass. Some fishermen's "mental" scales are way off my friend.

I caught my PB bass on a frog in heavy slop. Lily pads and milfoil mats. If you look at some of the milfoil mats it would seem impossible that fish would be in there hanging out, trust me, they are there. Fish the edges, fish the tops of them, fish through them. Most of my bigger fish come from frog fishing. It might be because I fish a lot of frogs/topwater or I simply am in the right place at the right time. I've caught equally sized big bass on wacky worms, swim jigs, swim baits, crankbaits...

Keep at it...just don't expect 7lbers as a regular occurance in inland lakes of Wisconsin. If you're just out fishing having a good time, and the day you do land that 7+ it will be even more special to you. The element of surprise.

[NBR]

Short growing seasons in the north country don't produce many 7 pounders. Most of those you hear about are the result of that must be a 7 pounder - but no one had a scale.