How Do I Catch Bigger Bass?

[Jeremiah Wilson]

Ive been fishing a smaller private lake lately and ive been catching a ton of largemouth. Yesterday i fished for around 3 hours and caught 33 fish, all under a 1.5lbs. I mostly have been using senkos on a texas rig. This lake has next to no fishing pressure, and a buddy of mine did pull a 7 pounder out of probably 8 years ago. Any advice on what i should do to catch the lunkers? Thanks

[Catt]

My not be any

[mwh33]

The bass may be overpopulated in the lake. This causes an over abundance of small fish with very few big fish.

[Raul]

1.- As Catt mentioned, there might not be any

 

2.- 8 years ago is a very long time, there might not be any bigger fish alive

 

3.- A "ton" of fish all under 1 1/2 pounds in a little lake usually means the place is overcrowded with little ones, there´s "hope", not everything is lost, there might be a couple of good fish in there, the problem is culling through all those little fish, which are the most cooperative ones. 

 

Try with bigger baits, try with slower presentation and try at different time of the day, I´ve fished overcrowded ponds/ small lakes and caught bigger fish during the low light periods of time, very early in the morning before daybreak and at night.

[FishChaser1]

Use bigger (and usually less vibrational/spooky) lures. Best way to do it this time of year where you live is to get together your jigs, big swimbaits and big soft plastics and fish them around dropoffs and other points with the most professional slow(ish) action you can. You said you fish a small lake, so these points can probably be more subtle. Bigger bass are often much more cautious and will bite lighter than other fish so you really have to pay attention to vibrations in your rod, but you'll know you have a lunker as soon as you set the hook. I don't know if you're a bank fisherman, but if you're stuck to fishing shallow water cover and weeds still then these bass are usually active, meaning they're waiting for food to pass by so they can strike. Even lunkers that are active will almost always be more aggressive than other bass (i keep saying usually/probably because there are always exceptions). Keep in mind that using bigger lures means you are missing smaller fish, but if you catch that lunker it's worth it  

[the reel ess]

You need to keep as many as possible. Eat 'em, give 'em away, just get them out of there. Over time this will decrease numbers and increase average size. I fish one place that I feel certain there's not enough bait in and the fish are very willing and small. I caught over 50 last time there. I kept half the fillet size and left half for the owner. Stunted growth is probably due the lack of baitfish. No shad, no shiners.

[Jeremiah Wilson]

Ive been fishing from a canoe which is nice, i was always content with catching the smaller ones until a few weeks back i caught a 5 pounder out of a small farm pond (spinnerbait). Now i want more big ones . Ive been casting up around docks, skipping under cover, all in shallow water. If i start fishing deeper how do i know where i should be casting? 

[WRB]

What do you know about this lake, how long and deep is it? What are the primary prey sources?

To get answers you will need to make an effort to find a map of this lake and study the prey types in and around the lake.

If no map is available, then get a topographic map, minimum 5' elevation, of the area before the lake was impounded. Determine the elevation of the dam (assuming it's a man made lake) and draw the lake high water elevation using a highlite marker. You now have a lake map.

Doing some research on the bait types by contacting your local fishery biologist and or setting traps to catch prey is educational and a good learning experience.

Nearly every bass lake has crawdads, bluegill, some type of local minnow, baby bass, frogs, tadpoles, worms, lizards, snakes, small birds, mice, rats, dragon flies, etc. Deterime if any other predator fish are in this lake.

If this lake has a dam, that is where the deepest water is and a good place to start fishing for big bass.

Good luck.

Tom

PS, bass with big heads and skinny bodies are stunted, if the bass look like that it's not a big bass lake. If the 1 1/2 lb bass are about 13"-14" long with normal body shape, there could be some big bass.

[timcauliffe]

Try different baits. Senkos may catch big fish from time to time, but switching it up never hurts. Change your presentation of lures / baits and work the water column. Throw some topwater / wake baits, shallow crank baits or jerk baits, fish some football jigs on the bottom, etc. 

 

There may not be much in there, but again - the smaller guys may be used to seeing the same style bait and are instantly attracted to it.

[hoosierbass07]

 What about time of day?  Would fishing at early morning/sunrise increase the odds of catching bigger bass?  

[bigbill]

When the bass bite is on and it slows down up size your baits.

I go from a #3 mepps to a #4 or #5. I find the bigger bass will come closer to see what the smaller bass are doing. It shuts down the smaller bass bite.

Bigger bass try fishing from early morning darkness till dawn.

Don't be afraid to throw larger baits.

[Violinguy]

Jigs seem to bring out larger fish.  Stop using Senkos as any bass from 8 inches and up will eat those things.  A large jig/pig combo or large swimbait should get the larger fish.  Like was said above, there just might not be any big fish alive in that pond anymore.

 

I fish a small pond (couple acres) near my house and while I wouldn't say I catch "tons" of bass, I usually pull 4-6 fish in a 3 hour outing.  All under 2 pounds and most around 10-12 inches.  I enjoy it because I almost always catch some fish, and it's a good place to take the kids because they always catch something. 

 

The park employees have told me there are some 4 pound+ bass in there, but after 2 years of trying, I don't know if I believe them.  Of course, there are no boats allowed so getting to the deepest water to throw a jig/pig or other deep/slow presentation is out of the question...

[WRB]

It's not the lure, it's the location. The OP needs to study this lake and learn more about bass behavior, there isn't a panacea lure, it's the angler who catches bass.

Tom

[RoLo]

"How Do I Catch Bigger Bass?"

 

Focus 'only' on lakes with a solid reputation for lunker bass.

 

Roger

[MARsSPEED]

Funny, I was just about to post the same question as I now have confirmed a picture of 10lb+ LM caught at one of our smaller lakes. I honestly didn't believe the picture I had seen of a local fisherman who had showed me the catch on his phone. I thought maybe he caught in Florida and was lying...he had told me two others witnessed the fish, one his friend, and the other a local he did not know. Well, yesterday I ran into the other local. He confirmed but no one had a scale or ruler. He was shocked how large it was and said they got it back in the water immediately. The other surpise was how big the fish was for mid-July. Extremely girthy fish. It was caught on a large white spinnerbait. She should still be swimming int there summer.

 

Location is in Maryland. Fortunately for me the lakes are private and I am home owner. Lakes are lighly pressured. Lake LInganore is where I normally fish however Lake Merle North is the place of interest:

I usually take my daughter to Merle as it is loaded with 12"-14" LMB. Smallmouth can also be had here. I have the same problem, culling through the smaller fish to find the bigger fish. Looks like upsizing is the way to go. I will take any advice as well.

[einscodek]

Catching the smaller fish is easy.. and fun.. theres lots more of em and they fill the shorelines.

Once in a while if you are a casual fisherman you may catch the big'uns.. once in a rare while if yer REAL lucky or if ever one of the biggest in the lake.

The bigger you go imo the less mindless casting and mindless fishing will work.

So short of any short answers, my answer is you need to take yer fishing to another level to consistently take bigger fish.. and depending on yer lake consistent may not be often either.

Up here in the NE, the fun fish run up to 3 lbs.. the bigger fish I'm calling the 4-6 pounders.. the biggest fish 7+

[frogflogger]

use big baits - use big baits - catch fewer fish but bigger ones - or The One

[ColdSVT]

Find out where they live...

[KayakBasser]

Try different baits. Senkos may catch big fish from time to time, but switching it up never hurts. Change your presentation of lures / baits and work the water column. Throw some topwater / wake baits, shallow crank baits or jerk baits, fish some football jigs on the bottom, etc. 

 

There may not be much in there, but again - the smaller guys may be used to seeing the same style bait and are instantly attracted to it.

Jigs seem to bring out larger fish.  Stop using Senkos as any bass from 8 inches and up will eat those things.  A large jig/pig combo or large swimbait should get the larger fish.  Like was said above, there just might not be any big fish alive in that pond anymore.

 

I fish a small pond (couple acres) near my house and while I wouldn't say I catch "tons" of bass, I usually pull 4-6 fish in a 3 hour outing.  All under 2 pounds and most around 10-12 inches.  I enjoy it because I almost always catch some fish, and it's a good place to take the kids because they always catch something. 

 

The park employees have told me there are some 4 pound+ bass in there, but after 2 years of trying, I don't know if I believe them.  Of course, there are no boats allowed so getting to the deepest water to throw a jig/pig or other deep/slow presentation is out of the question...

[BigmouthForever23]

Ive been fishing a smaller private lake lately and ive been catching a ton of largemouth. Yesterday i fished for around 3 hours and caught 33 fish, all under a 1.5lbs. I mostly have been using senkos on a texas rig. This lake has next to no fishing pressure, and a buddy of mine did pull a 7 pounder out of probably 8 years ago. Any advice on what i should do to catch the lunkers? Thanks

 

 

It's crazy I found this thread because I'm in the exact same situation. I made a couple threads about a private lake I started fishing too. I've caught a ton of LMB, all under 1 pound or so. Mainly been using plastic worms/senkos/spook. Lake also has hardly any fishing pressure. Since your buddy caught a lunker I assume your lake has some. Can't say the same about mine. Don't know much about your lake, but try finding any areas on the lake that's shallow yet has deep water close by, any kind of drop off. Try it early morning and late evening. Fish slow. And use bigger baits, I know it sounds cliche but I think it's true. Try rigging a really really big worm, like 12" and see what you come up with.

[Paul Roberts]

Ive been fishing a smaller private lake lately and ive been catching a ton of largemouth. Yesterday i fished for around 3 hours and caught 33 fish, all under a 1.5lbs. I mostly have been using senkos on a texas rig. This lake has next to no fishing pressure, and a buddy of mine did pull a 7 pounder out of probably 8 years ago. Any advice on what i should do to catch the lunkers? Thanks

I'll share a little fishing story. Yars ago a friend and I fished a pond that a local kid said was called "dink pond" bc that's all that was in it. My friend and I fished small jigs, worms and topwaters and caught... lots of dinks, and one 15"er. One day my buddy decided to bring his "big rod" and some big jigs and at one point he got a bird's nest. He let his jig lay dead under a matted stick-up for a full minute or so while he picked it out. When he finally lifted that jig he was suddenly tethered to a big bass. It was 23.5" long with a serious belly.

 

After that we got lunker fever and up-sized. We first tried night fishing it. I remember is was spooky that first night with a swamp below us up on the dike and mist was hanging low over the swamp under he moon. Gave us the heebie-jeebies. But it was worth it as my buddy took a 22" on a SB. The rest of that summer we took a 21", a 20", and a 19" -one just at dark, the others during the day. Sometimes you find what you are looking for. If you come equipped for dinks, that's most probably what you will get.

 

I use M to UL tackle at times of course. Sometimes it's required. But I came to realize that, in a lot of waters, you can't go too big for largemouths. (Although I hear that some CA anglers have found 16" swimbaits a bit over the top.)

[WRB]

use big baits - use big baits - catch fewer fish but bigger ones - or The One

Would consider a lure less than 5" long a big lure or a average size lure? Lots of big bass are caught on jigs, crankbaits, spoons that are 3"-5" long!

Tom

[greentrout]

Caught on six pound test. I've fished this lake.

 

Lake Bill Waller:  http://www.ms-sportsman.com/details.php?id=2801

 

Old school basser...

[hoosierbass07]

  So what do you do when the water is very clear, like a mid west strip pit and you get lots of small bass on your plastic worms (five to seven inch) but no large bass?  Do you go up and throw larger soft plastics (ten inch worms) or do you stay small since the water is super clear?  That's the situation I'm in now, fishing in very clear strip pits.  I can't catch large bass unless I'm lucky.  Next thing I'm going to try are live worms.