What Do Ya Think?

[macmichael]

Big bait = big fish?

Little bait =little fish?

 

I agree with both of these.

[Missourifishin]

Usually, but there are exceptions. I've got pretty big bass on small baits. I've also caught a 3 inch bluegill on a big crank.

[basshole8190]

Big baits lower your chances for smaller fish but i still have dinks hit my big swimbaits on occasion. also I've caught a 6lber on a 4" dead ringer weightless. so the old saying is some what true. 60% of the time, it works all the time.

[Fish Murderer 71]

Neither are true or false!  You hit a big fish in the head with a crappie jig, you just might catch one.

[WIGuide]

Not always true. I think you have a better chance to catch a big fish with a bigger bait, but you'll still catch some smaller ones too. With small baits you'll catch more fish and generally smaller, but it doesn't mean you won't catch a giant with it.

[Bluebasser86]

Texas state record bass is over 18 pounds, caught on a crappie jig/minnow..Now maybe there was a crappie on that jig before she bit, but that's what the book shows. I've caught 9 inch bass on 7 inch swimbaits. Caught a 4 inch green sunfish on a 5 inch swimbait last summer. Big baits may increase your odds, but they're no guarantee. 

[doyle8218]

Usually, but there are exceptions. I've got pretty big bass on small baits. I've also caught a 3 inch bluegill on a big crank.

So true.

[Crestliner2008]

Hate to tell you how many big smallies (4#+) I've caught regularly on 3" - 4" worms.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

i caught a 3 lbs on a beetle spin last year. and for some reason im going to start swim bait fishing regularly.  we'll see how that goes

[PondHopper96]

i caught a 3 lbs on a beetle spin last year. and for some reason im going to start swim bait fishing regularly.  we'll see how that goes

This last summer I caught atleast 7-8 3+ pounders on a beetlespin,  some were close to 5

[coots]

Last year dad and I were fishing some backwater / cove area up against the bank where we knew held fish.

 

Throwing a 10 inch Zoom Ol' Monster worm... the 15 inch fish were just killing it... every cast between these two lay down trees.. just eating it up. Biggest fish I caught out of there was a 4.5 pounder. The small fish will rip a large worm up... all day. 

[Ratherbfishing]

I'm convinced that about 50% of the time it's true.

[BigBassBarry]

I tell everyone I catch my fish on beetle spins when they ask me what did you catch that on. haha

[I.rar]

I almost exclusively fish light tackle and caught my biggest on fluke jr's and 4" cut tails t rigged weightless.

[buzzed bait]

most recent bass master lunker club showed a 17lber supposedly caught on 5" senko….  i wouldn't necessarily call that a big bait, but would sure as h*ll call that a big fish!

[McAlpine]

I've caught bluegill on a 1/8oz spinnerbait and I've caught a 5 1/2 lb bass on a Beatle Spin.

[Dwight Hottle]

It can go either way. But my basic premise is that if fishing big fish waters I would rather err on the big side.

[flippin and pitchin]

My bass fishing mentor told me that where little fish are, big fish are close by. That is more true with smallmouth that seem to school by size more often than not. I like to consider forage size when picking lure size and profile. A couple of years ago I was at Clear Lake which has lots of big fish. The first two days were cold and stormy and I had to revert to a drop shot and managed two fish over seven pounds on a 4.5 inch reaper style bait. Be flexible.

[fishva]

I was fishing for crappie at night with my lightweight rod and a small spinner when I caught my personal best bass. That was pure luck, but enough to show me that small baits can sometimes catch big fish.

[tatertester]

In the same vein, around here many crappie fisherman use very small minnows as bait, and too often to mention they also catch the odd 5lb bass with these same little minnows....I think it says something for slowing down your presentation for bass.