How Often Do You Catch Lunkers?

[Huntrava]

Okay, so I realize the premise of this question is extremely relative.  But it's been on my mind since I pulled my first PB lunker out of the water yesterday.  After weeks and weeks of fishing, finally some paydirt.  Now I'm kinda worried that I might have peaked for the season.  What I want to know: assuming an experienced bass fisher is targeting big bass, is pulling a 5lb bass out of the water every trip...?  Or once a week?  Once a month?  Once a year?  I fish by myself, so it's hard to gauge exactly how well others do in this regard.  

[lectricbassman]

Im new to bass fishing.  I started april this year and have only caught 1 "lunker".  So i guess my record is once in a lifetime...so far

 

 

Man those are terrible odds now that i think about it...

[Raul]

Depends a lot on where you fish, don't you think ? For me is not Impossible to catch a 5 at my everyday lake on every trip because a 5 is not uncommon for that lake.

[bassinOUT89]

Define lunker

[Josh Smith]

The lake I've been concentrating on this year seems to have mostly 12" to 14" bass. Very healthy. Are there bigger ones in there? Likely. Being Northern Indiana, though, I am betting there aren't many bigger.

I am still studying the lake, though, and could be wrong.

Josh

[Bluebasser86]

Okay, so I realize the premise of this question is extremely relative.  But it's been on my mind since I pulled my first PB lunker out of the water yesterday.  After weeks and weeks of fishing, finally some paydirt.  Now I'm kinda worried that I might have peaked for the season.  What I want to know: assuming an experienced bass fisher is targeting big bass, is pulling a 5lb bass out of the water every trip...?  Or once a week?  Once a month?  Once a year?  I fish by myself, so it's hard to gauge exactly how well others do in this regard.  

 

 

Depends a lot on where you fish, don't you think ? For me is not Impossible to catch a 5 at my everyday lake on every trip because a 5 is not uncommon for that lake.

 

 

Define lunker

He said it's relative, which it certainly is. A big fish for Raul is a fish that almost doesn't exist where I fish. 

 

For me, anything over 4 pounds is a really solid fish. I usually catch one about that size every 2 or 3 full day fishing trips. I go on a lot of short trips to the local lakes that don't have many fish that size in them, but if I catch 1 or 2 over that make out of them a year then it was a good year on those lakes. 

[jaysen]

location, fishing pressure, fishery size are all factors. i have one lake where i catch at least four between 4 and 5.5 lbs each day i am out. another lake where i get at least one 6+ lber each trip. some places have so much pressure that the bigger fish just wont hit anything if they arent already all fished out.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

It's already been said.  Completely relative to your location and the water your fishing.  I started fishing in 2012.  The fish in the lakes that I fished in the 2012 and 2013 seasons were on the smallish side.  Fished pretty much every other day and don't think I caught or saw anything caught over 2 lbs.  I moved this past winter and now the only lake I fish is known for its big largemouth.  I've caught at least four 5 pounders this year and everything else has been in the 3.5-4 pound range and I've seen pics of others who have been catching some that were pushing 7.  It's all about your location.

[SirSnookalot]

As a recreational fisherman my objective is just to enjoy myself, size really takes a back seat.  The areas of Florida I fish will limit my chances of a super duper big bass.  I keep 2 marks on my rods, one at 20" and the other at 25", gives me a rough idea of what I've caught.  Most of the larger ones I've caught probably didn't happen because I'm a great fisherman.  They happened as a result of being there with the exact perfect timing to throw that cast where the fish was in the right "mood", 15 seconds earlier or later may have been a blank cast.  I play the numbers game, the more casts the better my chances.

[jaysen]

As a recreational fisherman my objective is just to enjoy myself, size really takes a back seat.  The areas of Florida I fish will limit my chances of a super duper big bass.  I keep 2 marks on my rods, one at 20" and the other at 25", gives me a rough idea of what I've caught.  Most of the larger ones I've caught probably didn't happen because I'm a great fisherman.  They happened as a result of being there with the exact perfect timing to throw that cast where the fish was in the right "mood", 15 seconds earlier or later may have been a blank cast.  I play the numbers game, the more casts the better my chances.

i have friends in your area that fish the drainage areas and have pulled out double digits, though very uncommon. you are right, fishing should not be about catching a record.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

As a recreational fisherman my objective is just to enjoy myself, size really takes a back seat.  The areas of Florida I fish will limit my chances of a super duper big bass.  I keep 2 marks on my rods, one at 20" and the other at 25", gives me a rough idea of what I've caught.  Most of the larger ones I've caught probably didn't happen because I'm a great fisherman.  They happened as a result of being there with the exact perfect timing to throw that cast where the fish was in the right "mood", 15 seconds earlier or later may have been a blank cast.  I play the numbers game, the more casts the better my chances.

 

 That's a truly excellent idea.  I think I'm going to do that myself.  Seems a lot easier than rummaging for a scale or measuring tape whenever I catch a big one.

[Lund Explorer]

Okay, so I realize the premise of this question is extremely relative.  But it's been on my mind since I pulled my first PB lunker out of the water yesterday.  After weeks and weeks of fishing, finally some paydirt.  Now I'm kinda worried that I might have peaked for the season.  What I want to know: assuming an experienced bass fisher is targeting big bass, is pulling a 5lb bass out of the water every trip...?  Or once a week?  Once a month?  Once a year?  I fish by myself, so it's hard to gauge exactly how well others do in this regard.  

 

The answer is extremely relative as well.

 

In my honest opinion, if your efforts are getting you "Lunkers" with any degree of consistency, then you need to do one or two things and perhaps both.  First, you may want to redefine what makes a lunker.  Secondly, you may want to consider putting your skills to the test by entering the field of competitive tournament fishing.

[Catch and Grease]

I just broke 5lbs for the first time.... I fish a tough lake that alot of people have a hard time catching any bass out of so I feel its a great accomplishment for me, there is one guy that catches big bass there consistently but he has been fishing that lake for years and years and years

[bassinOUT89]

He said it's relative, which it certainly is. A big fish for Raul is a fish that almost doesn't exist where I fish.

For me, anything over 4 pounds is a really solid fish. I usually catch one about that size every 2 or 3 full day fishing trips. I go on a lot of short trips to the local lakes that don't have many fish that size in them, but if I catch 1 or 2 over that make out of them a year then it was a good year on those lakes.

my post was meant as a joke. The biggest I've caught this year was just shy of 4 pounds I believe. Me being from south florida, seeing and hearing about these 8+ lb bass, I'd categorize that as a lunker.

[bassinOUT89]

The 8lb+ fish that is.

[slimshad]

Mostly during the spring.  Big mommas get tough after the spawn.  I get a few in the summer at night but most of my lunkers come in the spawn or pre spawn.  I am hoping to get a few lunkers in my two day fall classic.  Biggins should get active when the shad move up.  Good luck to all this fall season.

[Raul]

It´s a matter of perspective, I may be able to catch a 5 lber on every trip I make to my everyday lake ( it´s almost a certainty ) however, there´s a big bunch of guys that also beat the heck out of that lake and a 5 lber is not their everyday catch ( it ain´t my compadre´s everyday catch either and we fish from the same boat at the same time), I must say that most of them don´t have never pulled a 5 from that lake, not even a 4. 5 lbs is a very nice fish no matter where you´re at, down here in the deep South a 5 may not be the WHOA ! to many of us that have had the good luck of catching bigger, up North a 5 is bordering the really big class.

 

So how about setting the bar ? 5 lbs IS a loonker.

 

Time to go ketch them boyz !, specially you Yanks, winter is comin ´  and purty soon water is gonna be solid.

[einscodek]

a lunker is relative some think its a big fish.. some think its the biggest of the big

all of this is then also obscured by "poundage"

theres a difference between big and fat

 

for example, in Cali, Florida, and Texas they can catch 24" bass weighing 15 pounds

a 24" bass where I'm sitting would likely only come in at around 8 depending on the season

but in my opinion it dont make it any less BIG

[WRB]

Jack Wingate coined the term Lunker for his guest fishing in Florida. B.A.S.S.. Lunker award was for any bass over 6 lbs., back in the 70's. What Is a Lunker bass? Any bass that is big to you!

Tom

[Todd2]

My definition is anything over 3 on my regular lake. I talked to a guy that I consider to be way better than me and he's only caught two over 4lbs in 20 years on the lake. It's all relative.

[Jar11591]

In the waters I fish I would consider anything over 4 pounds to be a lunker, although there are much bigger fish in these waters. I consider 5 to be in the trophy class. I wish I could say I caught a lunker every time out, but that's far from the truth. This year I have yet to break 5 pounds, but I did it a couple times last year. Plenty of 4 pounders this year, just nothing above 5.

[David P]

Depends on the state, the lake, the time of year, and what types of baits you're throwing... It's entirely possible in California to catch 5 sometimes 10 fish all between 5-7lbs in a single day of fishing, not that it happens on every trip out, but certainly very plausible.

 

 Don't give up and think you've peaked though. Few years back I caught a 12lb6oz beast that was my PB at the time, and just a couple of months later broke it with one over 13lbs. 

 

 If big fish are what you're after, learn how to target them more specifically.

 

 Don't give up and goodluck!

[bassfactor]

I try not to focus on catching lunkers day in and day out my goal is to improve my 5 fish limit every trip to a lake which helps me alot more than catching one 6 pounder.

[einscodek]

Thats thinkin like a tournament angler!

August was good .. caught a 20" fish every week.. biggest was a 22" 6 pounder some dudes wanted to keep..not!

So far in September I've caught two.. one was a 21" I posted on the forum..

 

People dont think theres big fish in the waters in NJ.. many anglers dont even know but there is.. heres more evidence from a waterway I frequent:

http://www.stripersonline.com/t/808531/i-think-i-just-released-the-state-record-largemouth-bass

[Ratherbfishing]

You might as well be asking me how often I get appendicitis.  True lunkers are few and far between.  Fortunately, I'm happy with even small fish.  Not AS happy, but happy.