How To Catch Bigger Bass

[Will Debenham 1999]

I have been fishing a lake in South Carolina. I have at least caught 50 fish in 4 days. I have been using Gary Yamamoto senkos and big grubs. There is a problem the fish are not over a pound. I was just wondering how I could catch bigger ones. I have read all the articles on catching big bass on this website . I just need a lot more info on how to catch the lunker bass. The fish that I uploaded is the biggest bass out of the lake I'm fishing on. So I know the fish get big in this lake. So if any body can help I would love it.

Will Debenham1999

[Will Debenham 1999]

There is no picture on this post but the biggest one caught out of this lake is 12 pounds

[jhoffman]

You need to likely go to bigger presenations. Bigger jigs, big swimbaits, big spinnerbaits, big crankbaits...

[Will Debenham 1999]

Thank you I will buy some big swim baits

[motodmast]

Also, where are you fishing, docks? Points?

[motodmast]

Bigger bass are bigger for a reason. They are smart. Find a good main or secondary point this year, more towards summer time when water warms up.. and use your electronics to try and locate a few fish out there, Cast that swimbait out(big hudd), And slowly bring it back in. See how that works for you

[JellyMan]

My opinion is upsize a bit and more importantly, fish with determination and patience. Work all areas much more heavily.

Almost every single fish over 6lbs that I have caught were done so by fishing the same spot for 5-10 min. my PB was 11.3 Lbs and kept getting very small ticks on the line. Typically I would have moved on but something told me not to. I worked on that fish for 25 minutes and finally got a hook set. Good thing I didn't give up.

My PB was caught on a 3/8 Swim jig with a baby brush hog as a trailer... Ooooops! My secret is out!

[Will Debenham 1999]

I will use my hummingbird on the boat but this lake has fish all over and there is structure at every part of the lake

[wademaster1]

Be patient.....bigger baits will help.....like previously stated, work a likely area for a little while before moving on.....also, with the bigger bait you're likely to catch less fish, but more quality fish...

[BassinB]

fish deeper

[flyfisher]

Change locations.  I have never caught a large bass in the immediate vicinity of a bunch of smaller fish.  Keep searching and realize that big fish are harder to catch and it can be a waiting game. 

[BrettD]

Im a firm believer in bigger baits+ bigger fish just less of them.  I dont believe changing locations is the key especially during the spawn because the big females  be where the smaller bucks are.

 

I have actually hooked up on a small little 10-12" bass and have had big bass come up and try to eat it. The first time it happened I caught a small fish as I was reeling it in the fish got hung on a piece of rope that was holding the pond fountain in place so my little fish was just on the surface snagged to the black floating rope I didnt see flopping around when a monster bass around 8# came up and ripped it off my crank bait and ate it.

[Paul Roberts]

Good stuff above.

 

Some thoughts:

 

-I like "fish deeper", above. And would add, "fish slower". Fast chuck-n-wind retrieves tend to interest small bass.

 

-I wouldn't say big fish are always "smarter", many are energetically stingy, and/or they are simply rare esp in hard fished waters.

 

-There may be few large bass in your water.

 

-Figure out where you are in the season.  You may likely be fishing to males on spawning banks. The females (the larger of the sexes) may not have come in yet. Or if they have, you may be fishing to males guarding beds. Peri-spawn females tend to be grouped up until the spawn. You may just be missing them. Get off the shallow banks the males are occupying and fish a bit deeper, looking for prominent structure and cover pieces (breaks) that might hold female groups. When they are ready, female groups will break up and enter the spawn banks with the males. Then you can get an idea of just how many "big ones" your lake actually has.

[PABASS]

I agree with Paul its all about location, are on you on the females?  I don't always believe bigger baits = bigger fish, I caught small fish on big baits and large fish on small baits, depends what the fish want, will upping the size hurt probably not but you still might only get the dinks and not the pigs, the key is locating the females.

[CoBass]

Im a firm believer in bigger baits+ bigger fish just less of them.  I dont believe changing locations is the key especially during the spawn because the big females  be where the smaller bucks are.

 

I have actually hooked up on a small little 10-12" bass and have had big bass come up and try to eat it. The first time it happened I caught a small fish as I was reeling it in the fish got hung on a piece of rope that was holding the pond fountain in place so my little fish was just on the surface snagged to the black floating rope I didnt see flopping around when a monster bass around 8# came up and ripped it off my crank bait and ate it.

^^^This is why baby bass patterns are some of my favorites. One of the local ponds I fish has tons of sub 12 inch fish in it. Some of the bigger fish have figured out that the small struggling fish on the end of a line are easy targets and they will absolutely slam them before you can get them in. Baby bass flukes work very well in this particular pond.

[aharris]

What lake in SC is it? Private?

[Shane J]

You gotta move. Get outta dinkville, and into where the big girls are. Head to the "Wal-Marts" in the lake. 

[airborne_angler]

I've changed it up a little bit this year already. I used to beat the shallow water near the bank, I've caught lots of sub 12 inch fish. In fact that's all I thought existed in this lake. I used to only throw a 3" worm on a Dropshot, and a dropshot is all I used to throw. This year I've been chucking Rapala DT Cranks and have been moving into more open water. My catch size has gone up from sub 12 inch fish to 1.5-2# fish consistently over the last 3 outings.

Now those arent huge fish but for me it a big improvement and gives me confidence to try different areas that I haven't fished. I chuck my crankbait out into deeper water as far as I can throw, hook ups are awesome at that distance.If I'm pulling in weeds, I move out a little so I can get my bait into clean water.I know this may not be the answer your looking for but this has worked for me so far.

[WRB]

California is 1,000 long and like fishing 3 states with different weather and lake sizes. A 12 lb bass could be caught throughout the state.

Are you in SoCal, Central or NorCal?

Tom

OK, just retread your first sentence and see you are in SoCal, that helps.

We are in early pre spawn in most lakes and late pre spawn in some others.

The bigger bass are in deeper water than you are fishing. The smaller bass are either jueveknile 1 year old bass and extremely aggressive or small males staking out very shallow nest sites. Can you see larger bass cruising or smaller bass holding on nest sites?

Are you fishing the back of coves?

Your lures choices are not your problem, it's where you are fishing.

So when you say bigger bass lets define what you are looking for; 3 to 5 lbs? Or larger bass?

Try using a shad colored Chatter bait in the shallower flat spawning areas.

Also try moving out to secondary points and fishing your grubs and Senko's in 3' to 20' to start with. Our lakes are high pressured lakes, so try to be very quite, the larger bass are wary of boats.

Tom

[davew41]

Fish your deeper areas with bigger baits, I use clearwater  ledgebuster spinnerbaits in at least 2 ounces and fish 40 to 70 feet deep, This is somewhere that no normal dock pounding person will fish.

 

 

You are rewarded with less bass but very quality bass if you can find  the deep structure.

http://www.strikezonelure.com/clearwater.htm

 

This has become my favorite way to get bigger bass out of the waters.. Slow roll it so the blade just barely moves, and they will hammer it..

[papajoe222]

Keep in mind the fact that big fish don't move around much. When they do, it's to feed or spawn. In either situation they want to be in close proximity to those areas. Look for cover on structure close to feeding or spawning flats. Weeds or rocks on a main lake point, where a creek arm connects with the main lake on a reservoir or a ledge with chunk rock or other cover close to a flat ate examples. Now look for something different in those areas. A lone stump, change in bottom composition or type of weeds, even a slight depression will be spots big fis will call home. This is what is referred to as a spot on a spot.

Also, once you catch a good sized fish, make a note of its exact location as that spot will continually produce for you.

Be prepared to experience fish less days when targeting big fish. The bites will be few though there will be times when you'll find an area that holds numbers of big fish and those are the days that more than make up for the days you feel were just casting practice.

[aceman387]

I remember reading an article this winter about double digit bass and the author commented about how big bass are reluctant to chase fast moving lures and like to lay dormant during the day and come out at night to do most of their feeding. I belong to a strip mine club with ultra clear deep water and i had one of the guards at the guard house tell me that if i want to catch the big bass i should take up night fishing and come out around 10 pm and fish till 2am or so.I happen to be a morning person so i never could stay awake long enough to test his theory.I have caught all my bigger bass during the day on soft plastics working them slowly and deadsticking them at times,its painful but it works. Once you locate where the big bass are hiding try working some soft plastics or jigs and slow down.

[bassguytom]

I agree with Paul its all about location, are on you on the females?  I don't always believe bigger baits = bigger fish, I caught small fish on big baits and large fish on small baits, depends what the fish want, will upping the size hurt probably not but you still might only get the dinks and not the pigs, the key is locating the females.

The females I've come across prefer the bigger baits. Whenever I'm on the females I always bring out the bigger baits.

[K_Mac]

I agree with WRB that lure choices are probably not the problem; you have to find the areas holding bigger fish. I also agree that a shad (or bluegill) colored chatterbait on spawning flats (pay close attention to the outer edges where the flats transition into deeper water) can get your arm broken when the big girls are staging to spawn. Get a bait into the proper spot this time of year and hold on. That may be 5' of water on a flat or 20' or deeper on the outer edge. Size and speed do matter, but location trumps all-esp this time of year in my experience.

[StinkyBass]

I will use my hummingbird on the boat but this lake has fish all over and there is structure at every part of the lake

 

sounds like heaven!

 

fish deeper...sounds like an easy answer but most of my big bass have come from the 6-10ft range...