In Pursuit Of Giant Bass ~ One Man's Journey

[A-Jay]

Thanks Dwight -

 

 I know I'm just getting started on this - haven't even scratched the surface yet really. 

Even so, I have to keep reminding myself that during these first few month, the object is to "Learn the Spots".

 Today, I learned a couple of Cold Spots.

 

 

A-Jay

[00 mod]

Nice going!  DUDE it looks cold there still!  I just got back in from dinner in a polo, shorts and flip flops.....

 

Was that lunchie caught on a "SCROUGA"?

 

jEFF

[A-Jay]

Yes it was - the watermelon red fluke was killing - the dinks.

 

A-Jay

[Brian6428]

Any new reports A-Jay? I am really enjoying following this thread.

[A-Jay]

I'm glad you're enjoying it and thanks for saying so.  It's fun for me as well.

 

I have intentions of keeping this going as planned and will post trip reports and comments as I get out.

 

Unfortunately my lady has been having a tough go of it this past week.   I have not gone fishing. 

 

Her Chemo is on Monday, that usually takes her a few days to recover from. 

 

We are looking forward to better days and take nothing for granted.

 

A-Jay

[gallowaypt]

Prayers sent.

[Brian6428]

Family does come first. Prayers sent from me, too.

 

Brian

[A-Jay]

Despite the over night frost, the sun is shinning now and it's a nice morning.

 

Looking forward to getting back out on the lake, it's been a while.

 

Good to see that wind is light and variable & from the west.

 

I'm heading out. 

 

A-Jay

[A-Jay]

**** Trip Log ****

 

Fished 9am – 7pm / Air temp mid 60’s / Water Temp 64 / Winds NW 5 – 10 / Barometer 1022 & rising.

 

  As I launched, the morning was cool.  I started off on a spot I’ve been back to twice now.  This was the second morning there.   With the super clear and warming water, weeds have filled in much of the “shallowest” portion of this drop.    I worked that deep side weed edge pretty hard with a worm and then a jig/craw.  As the morning wore on, the air & water had warmed up quite a bit.  The wind had laid out flat and there was not a cloud in the sky.  It is a whole lot easier to feel what’s going on with the bait as one stitches in these conditions.   I’m fairly certain I nodded off a couple of times there.  Guess that tells you I didn’t get bit.

    By 1pm, it was time to relocate.  I decided to motor to a drop outside an east side cove on the middle lake.   It’s a fairly small spot and one I’ve yet to fish.  Once positioned, I found that the weed growth there didn’t extend quite as deep and the break was fast from 15 to 30 ft.   A small feeder creek empties into the far back end of the cove.    Turns out this area is Pike-ville.   And they let me know in no uncertain terms,

that if I keep crawling baits up the drop, they would be very willing to eat them.  However at least half the time, I would not be getting my bait back.  At 4 pm and 4 or 5 snot rockets later, I moved.

   As I was relocating, the sky clouded up and a bit of rain began to fall.  It was refreshing for me but it was not forecasted and I didn’t have rain gear with me (go ahead, say it Dwight).  Even so, I hoped that this change in conditions might inspire some action by a fatty or two, so I was willing to get a little damp for the cause.   In what would have to be construed as a strategic move, (as it’s on the way to the ramp) I fished a drop on the first lake in front of the creek that connects the first and second lake.  It’s a busy spot on weekend as PWC and pontoon boats go lake to lake, but mid-week it’s quite and there’s always a load bait in the area.   Stitched a 6 inch stick bait.  Couldn’t get bit deep and couldn’t keep the dinks off it shallow.   By 7 pm, I was a definitely moist and getting pretty close to wet, so I pulled the plug.

 

A-Jay

[A-Jay]

Reflecting on the Journey so far ~

 

Driving home from the lake tonight I was thinking about some of my choices and how they have or have not panned out.  In no particular order, I came up with these:

 

• I chose this lake because I thought I was familiar with it.  NOT.  The more I fish it and the more I really break it down, spot for spot – there is so much more to learn and the only way to do it is to fish it.  Sounds simple, but before this evolution, it was like I was “reading about fishing” and now, I’m fishing.   Big Difference.
• It’s tough to evaluate spots when I haven’t found even one that I’d call productive.  So, I still don’t know quite what to look for.  I thought I did, but the fish have the final word there. 
• My tackle and craft are adequate but my sonar is only marginally effective for this.  I know there is a tooth fairy; but is there a down scan fairy?  
• I find myself referring back to the book quite often.   Hoping to find something that I may have missed.  Perhaps an important detail that I’ve overlooked that will help.   I haven't found it yet, but I’m still looking – H A R D .
• Often times I work a spot for 2 hours and make 15 casts to do it – stitching is not for the faint of heart. 
• Post Spawn very soon, Crank baits will be a welcome distraction.
• I’d really like to use my net, scale and camera a bit more.

How long do I continue fishing this lake without big fish results before I pick another lake?

 

A-Jay

  

 

 

[ClackerBuzz]

don't feel bad ur not the only one getting beat up. this is my first season structure fishing and i'm getting my butt kicked right now. i admit after 2 hr of jambalaya i go shallow and skip a tube under some lay downs or flip a jig in grass so i can be reminded of what a bass looks like.  its raised alot of questions for me like:

1 are there even any fish holding on a particular point i'm working?

2 what if there are bass there but they want a power technique?  and not my slow worked jig or weightless worm.

power fishing is fun but the whole reason for me slowing down is to land quality fish over quantity.  in ponds or small unpressured lakes its easy for me to start slow b/c i know i'm going to get a big bite. however this success and philosophy is biting me in the back in big/deep water.  now i have to reinvent my fishing and go back to fast fishing and slow down after i find fish.

i'll admit if i was more proficient in deep water fishing i would establish fish were on a point and then slow down.   after 3 or 4 outings like this i completely understand why pro's use a 1oz spinnerbait, 3/4oz football jig, 12-15ft deep diving crank etc to keep their bait on the bottom while covering lots of water to locate fish.  i'm going to try adding some of these heavier lures/ deeper techniques to establish fish holding points but there will be a learning curve as its new to me. i'm used to working cover 8ft or less. what makes this even more painful is that there are tons of great weed beds that are relatively easy to pull nice fish out of.

i know you are more far more experienced than me.  i wish i could do it tomorrow but can't so i will pose the question to you. would you consider establishing the point/structure is holding fish via a power technique on day #1 and going back to slow stitch it for bigger fish on day #2?

or even letting the spot cool off and coming back a few hours later?

[A-Jay]

Thanks for the props but experience doesn't always equate to routine success; at least in my case.

 I think I know how you feel and do understand what and why you're asking. 

You're situation is a bit different than mine in that, you appear to be doing two things at once.

First time structure fishing and looking for that big bite.  I don't think you can go wrong if you break these up.  Using techniques that provide any success builds confidence which will help you out quite a bit to stay the course while looking for the bigger bite. 

 Search techniques (baits that cover water) are part of bass fishing basics.  You know this and have used them in the past.  Now it's simply a matter of applying them to cover deeper water. 

 Something that I've come to believe is this; Fish don't always feed in the same place that they spend the rest of the day.  So I try to adjust my fishing accordingly.  I try to fish feeding places when I think they are looking to eat.  Conversely, I'll work spots that I think the fish are holding in when they are inactive and try to get them to bite.  Sometimes a slow bait works and other times a faster / reaction bait does the trick. 

Downsizing has become a popular way to trigger neutral fish (drop shotting).

  Feeding occurs where the bait is.  Routinely this is when we find fish shallow.  Low light helps to keep the bass feeling safe up there and makes early and later in the day prime times (night too).

   ALL of my "Bigger Bass" have come either early or late in the season and were relatively shallow. 

Knowing that these bigger fish just don't simply disappear mid season, I am now on a mission to find out where they go and how to catch a few.

 

A-Jay

[Dwight Hottle]

When you find the answer to that question please share it with me. I would love to apply that to some lake erie smallies July thru September. 

[A-Jay]

 

 Ok -  have you considered drop shotting a jerkbait ?

 

 

A-Jay

[pbrussell]

Sadly, your fishing these deeper structures sounds quite a bit like my experience fishing them. I have been generally able to pick up a fish or two from similar spots you've been fishing. However, I don't run into numbers or these giants murphy talks about. Clearly, there's something I DON'T understand when it comes to fishing deeper structures. I would most likely say my problems are these in this order.

 

1. The wrong spots

2. The wrong presentations

3. Confidence

 

Obviously, when those three things line up properly, in that order, you had better hang on because you're in for an amazing day. In any event, my experience goes like this.

 

1. "I must be in the wrong spot, so I'll try another deep structure."

2. "Hmm, maybe this football jig is the wrong approach. How about a carolina rig? What about a 6xd?"

and finally

3. "I can't do this. I guess I'll go beat the shallow water."

 

I applaud your persistence. I'm watching this thread closely, not only because I've read through this legendary book, but also because I'm such a terrible structure fisherman. This murphy fellow was apparently a master, right?   And so, here is to the both of us (and all of us) becoming masters in due time. You're certainly putting in your dues more so than I am. 

[A-Jay]

 

I'm going to keep it in perspective. I can take comfort in the fact that I've caught a few fish before this season's big fish pursuit that I worked hard to catch and am proud of.  So I believe in my abilities.  I'm not saying I'm KVD, but I have amassed enough time on the water with an open mind, that I enjoy this hobby quite a bit now.

 

Bill Murphy fished for years and years And Years before he complied enough data to write his book.

Additionally, he did it in a time and in a place that had Monstrous bass.  I'm not in that place or that time. 

In my area a 7lb bass is a very big fish and you just never hear of anything much bigger. 

I'm looking to get on these fish more than 1 or 2 a year.  They live in this lake, there's got to be more than 2 and they definitely eat more than twice a year.  I just have to figure out where they are and how to catch them.  I might take several seasons and that's OK.  It took me quite a while to learn how to catch bass that make up 95 % of the population.  I'm fishing for the other 5%.  I don't think I'm wrong in saying that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.

It's the journey not the destination. I'll admit it's challenging, but if I don't find enjoyment along this path, I'll never stay on it long enough to reach the prize at the end. Just imagine if you couldn't fish . . . . .

 

As for paying my dues, I am not close and the toll booth isn't even is sight.

 

A-Jay

[PABASS]

My question would be is stitching method proven everywhere?  You have more patients than I, I can work a lure slow but 15 casts in two hours at 8 min a cast ouch..  Carry on and good luck..

[A-Jay]

Can't answer that one. Mr. Murphy promotes the method as a successful tactic for large pressured bass on structured lakes.  I'm not fishing pressured fish per se and the structure on the waters I fish is quite a bit different than that described in the book.  Also. large is a relative term.   There are other methods presented by the author that could be called more traditional. 

As for my patience,  you and I are both fishing.  It's the catching that's different.

 Smaller bass are not my target, so my measure of success must be learning.

 

A-Jay

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Being as though it is essentially just a big, slow moving meal.....why wouldn't it work everywhere? Don't look at it as a specific "thing," look at it in a general sense as I just stated.

 

I think the difficult details of this journey lie more in locating big fish than actually catching them. Big fish are typically predictable (best ambush spot, best spawning location, etc) however they have the advantage of being underwater and seeing these spots.  We don't. I feel that is what takes the longest time in this whole thing. If you know where big fish are, you're going to catch them sooner rather than later. I've got a feeling that once AJ discovers a few of those select "best spots" that catching a big fish will just be a matter of time.

 

I agree that being patient enough to practice this technique requires a specific skill that most do not possess. That's another key...doing things that the fish have not seen in places they don't typically see a bait.

[pbrussell]

Location, Location, Location. At least, that's what they say in real estate. This, of course, is always the first and most important piece of the puzzle. It does seem though that presentation is almost as important. Sure, you might come across some big blips on your graph that make you think that's a 9 pound bass down there. However, you won't know until you do the catching part. Perhaps my biggest fear with this type of fishing isn't so much "Am I in the right place?" but, "Could I be in the right place but be throwing the wrong thing?"

 

How terrible would it be if you "discovered" where that lake record lives, only to not catch anything there and you write that spot off. That's my fear. 

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I have a couple thoughts on that:

 

1. If you are not confident that what you are doing is the right thing, you're probably right.

 

2. This is where the "tournament mentality" of most guys begins to get in the way. You "have" to catch fish or your "have" to be good at a bunch of different stuff. No, you don't. 

 

You HAVE to be good at one technique. That's it really. The better you are with one technique, the more you will use it and become familiar with the nuances of that technique. This breeds confidence. Confidence catches fish.

 

"Beware the man with only one gun. He probably knows how to use it." 

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Big O is a prime example of fishing what he knows and being EXCELLENT at it. He doesn't have to worry about what the "right" thing to throw is at any given time.

 

He KNOWS what he's doing is the "right" thing.

[J Francho]

Point #2 is truth.  I've fallen into that trap. 

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Point #2 is truth.  I've fallen into that trap. 

 

Bro, I'm guilty of it too.

 

I can seriously get in a trance if I see stuff I can skip a fluke up under. LOL

[roadwarrior]

Observations and Conversations With Big O

 

Mr. Parks is the only "Monster Bass" fisherman I have personally met or fished with.

So, here are a few of things I think you all might find interesting:

 

1.  Goal: Catch the biggest fish on any body of water.

2.  Tackle: Multiple rods, but they are ALL the same!

3.  Keen sense of "where" the bass should be.

4.  No hard baits. As far as I can tell, Big O only fishes Rage Tail baits which he has designed

     for specific applications and depths. He does not make his own jigs, but currently fishes Mike's

     Seibert Outdoors. Hooks are from Moaner. Weights are both brass and tungsten.

5.  Technical presentation that is precise.

6.  Professional boat management which includes a COMPLETE understanding of electronics.