My Goal Is To Catch A Teener.

[WRB]

Summer your odds are better in low light or night.

Swimbaits have changed when and where giant bass are caught.

Big bass eat more during the summer, for me they are harder to locate.

Tom

[dropshottah]

my goal is to have an happy family

[WRB]

Trophy bass fishing is very different from the way most bass anglers fish today. The difference is saturation of areas known to have big bass verses covering water looking for active bass to catch or run and gun fishing.

I handicapped myself be not fishing with live bait, specifically live crawdads after 1970. I believed that live bait fishing was the primary cause of giant bass population crashes and advocated live bait should be illegal from January to April time period based on my experience catching giant bass with ease during that time period using live bait in the 60's.

If a teener is the goal, don't handicap yourself, learn everything about trophy bass fishing.

A quite stealth approach to areas that may have big bass is important, become part of the environment and slow down.

If you fish with jigs don't forget hair jigs with 3" to 4" pork rind trailers, the most effective giant bass lure.

Big worms like Upton's Customs* 9" to 13" T-rigged. Swimbaits, every trophy bass anglers should own several starting with high quality 5" jointed slow sink bluegill, 8" Huddleston ROF 12 and a good 10" to 12" glide lure, very high percentage lures.

Tom

*Texas; Southern craw and Aaron's Trajic colors

[Shanes7614]

Trophy bass fishing is very different from the way most bass anglers fish today. The difference is saturation of areas known to have big bass verses covering water looking for active bass to catch or run and gun fishing.

I handicapped myself be not fishing with live bait, specifically live crawdads after 1970. I believed that live bait fishing was the primary cause of giant bass population crashes and advocated live bait should be illegal from January to April time period based on my experience catching giant bass with ease during that time period using live bait in the 60's.

If a teener is the goal, don't handicap yourself, learn everything about trophy bass fishing.

A quite stealth approach to areas that may have big bass is important, become part of the environment and slow down.

If you fish with jigs don't forget hair jigs with 3" to 4" pork rind trailers, the most effective giant bass lure.

Big worms like Upton's Customs 9" to 13" T-rigged. Swimbaits, every trophy bass anglers should own several starting with high quality 5" jointed slow sink bluegill, 8" Huddleston ROF 12 and a good 10" to 12" glide lure, very high percentage lures.

Tom

All I know about swimbaits and ROF is what ROF stands for. Rate Of Fall correct? When a swimbait has a rating of ROF 12, what exactly does that mean?

[WRB]

All I know about swimbaits and ROF is what ROF stands for. Rate Of Fall correct? When a swimbait has a rating of ROF 12, what exactly does that mean?

approximately 12" per second the 1st 10', slows down the deeper it goes. 5 ROF would be similar to slow sink, 16 is a fast sink rate, 12 is the most popular ROF.

Tom

PS, 3:16 Mission Fish is good for shallower weedy lakes like you have in Florida.

[Dogmatic]

approximately 12" per second the 1st 10', slows down the deeper it goes. 5 ROF would be similar to slow sink, 16 is a fast sink rate, 12 is the most popular ROF.

Tom

PS, 3:16 Mission Fish is good for shallower weedy lakes like you have in Florida.

*Note:ROF for Hudds is based on 10 seconds

ie.8" ROF 5 falls 5' in 10 seconds.

[Catt]

The differene is

Saturation of an area known to have big bass

Covering water looking for active bass to catch

That is the same thing!

Learn what structure on your body of water holds big bass, interpret it, and the fish it effectively.

Learn what the prodominate prey species are and how that species relates to structure morning, noon, and night...with each passing season.

Learn that next after location is timing; just because you didn't get bite does not mean the bass aint there or ya tied on the wrong lure.

Use simple techniques to perfection to consistently catch bass.

On the bodies of water I fish I can follow the bass's movements through out the year!

[clh121787]

Other double digit came on a powerplant lake the day after Thanksgiving. In the bend of a creek bed around some flooded timber. Water was around 72 and falling if i rember right. So who knows what kind pattern it was. I hear so much b.s. about power plants and the 4-6 spawns they have idk. In my experience I haven't seen bed fish earlier than february. Oh and BTW my biggest came on a chatter bait, and a jig&craw, the majority of my big fish come on jigs and soft plastics t&c rigs. I've tried swimbaits with some luck mostly 316 pro wake, and predator,as a high scool buddy of mine had his hand in on the development of predator swim bait's and gave me a good deal when they first cam oUT abut 3 years ago. But it's hard for me to put down a jig or an 8 inch lizard. My favorite baits to throw by far.

[RoLo]

It goes without saying, trophy bass are caught year-round, but which season holds the greatest potential?

Nothing could be easier to determine, because mid-Florida is bombarded year-round by nonstop tournaments

at the local and professional levels.

 

Throughout January, February & March, Florida yields by far the greatest numbers of trophy-bass,

stringers that make your eyes run out on stems (Dean Rojas set the B.A.S.S. record stringer on Kissimmee in JANUARY).

On the other hand, when you attend a midsummer weigh-in, you will encounter a disgruntled group of sweaty anglers,

with a few good fish, but nothing close to the pre-spawn weigh-ins.

 

The truth be known, the “colder” the water, the greater the potential for a trophy fish,

and this is true for ALL species of fish in fresh and saltwater.

For this same reason, many of the heaviest northern pike come thru the ice

and more tender species, soon after ice-out.

 

Roger

[Dwight Hottle]

It goes without saying, trophy bass are caught year-round, but which season holds the greatest potential?

Nothing could be easier to determine, because mid-Florida is bombarded year-round by nonstop tournaments

at the local and professional levels.

 

Throughout January, February & March, Florida yields by far the greatest numbers of trophy-bass,

stringers that make your eyes run out on stems (Dean Rojas set the B.A.S.S. record stringer on Kissimmee in JANUARY).

On the other hand, when you attend a midsummer weigh-in, you will encounter a disgruntled group of sweaty anglers,

with a few good fish, but nothing close to the pre-spawn weigh-ins.

 

The truth be known, the “colder” the water, the greater the potential for a trophy fish,

and this is true for ALL species of fish in fresh and saltwater.

For this same reason, many of the heaviest northern pike come thru the ice

and more tender species, soon after ice-out.

 

Roger

 

 

Down in Florida this past year November & December also produced a high number of 10lb plus bass based on the records of the FWC trophy catch program.

[Catt]

Texas waters give up trophy bass & 30-35# + stringers year round.

My best month is August

[RoLo]

Texas waters give up trophy bass & 30-35# + stringers year round.

My best month is August

 

Tom, when I speak of "trophy season", I'm not speaking about my performance, your performance

or any one case in point. Instead I'm referring to the Florida consensus on balance.

I say 'on balance', because every year is not identical.

 

The other thing is seasonal stability. You're correct, summer is the most stable season of the year (winter is 2nd).

And indeed the pre-spawn period is normally riddled with cold-fronts and is characterized by a slow bite.

Be that as it may, the pre-spawn period is unique in yielding the highest 'Mean Weight' of the year,

and the highest ratio of trophy bass to average bass.

 

When splitting hairs, the 'early' pre-spawn gets the nod because the water is colder, and the larger a fish

the greater its tolerance to cold water (well-documented fact). Once the cow bass enter the spawning season,

the trophy season is essentially over. When I pointed out Dean's record stringer, I wasn't placing the emphasis

on Dean's single stringer. Instead, the emphasis should be placed on the thousands upon thousands of stringers

weighed in throughout the year that fell short of that mark. Not surprisingly, Dean's record stringer

was boated during the 'early' pre-spawn, a day when a 40-pound stringer wouldn't have been enough. 

 

Roger

[WRB]

For Texas the Share A Lunker program documents teen bass catches, should be easy to review that listing.

The OP lives in Texas and has access to the lakes listed, including Lake Fork where he fishes.

FLMB strains do not like water colder than 50 degrees, 45 is their low temp limit, so they seek out warmer water whenever possible. Something to factor in when targeting teener bass.

Having caught a lot of giant bass 15 lbs+ between Jan to April and none over 15 lbs any other months, it's easy for me to say pre spawn is my best giant bass time period. If your talking about 10 lb to 12 lb bass, then year around comes into play, but the majority of those are before June or summer nights with only a hand full between Sept, to Dec.

The reason I believe it's difficult during the summer and fall for teener size bass out west is the abundance of baitfish available coupled with the fact these big bass move off shore and suspend a lot of the time. Our lakes don't have a lot of off shore humps like Texas hill land lakes have, plus they are closed to night fishing most of the time.

Catt has mentioned several times the importance of learning to fish humps and fish at night. If lived in Texas, that's exactly what I would be doing.

Tom

[Catt]

While I agree with y'all assessment of pre-spawn I also understand an 8# is a 10#, a 10# is a 12 & so on during pre-spawn.

My top 10 bass

12.8

12.66

12.5

12..4

12.11

12.0

11.97

11.88

11.8

11.69

#1 was caught in February the rest between June- August.

6 from Texas, 2 from Florida, 1 from Mississippi, & 1 from Georgia

[RoLo]

While I agree with y'all assessment of pre-spawn I also understand an 8# is a 10#, a 10# is a 12 & so on during pre-spawn.

 

I never meant to suggest that trophy bass weigh more during the pre-spawn,

my point is that they're more aggregated and aggressive during the pre-spawn.

On the contrary, I believe that bass reach their annual peak weight during the warmwater period

when their metabolism is highest. Though I didn't agree with everything Doug Hannon professed,

I did agree with him on this point. Attaining peak weight in late summer/early fall makes full sense.

The extra fat reserves must carry them through the coldwater period when their metabolism and feeding

are at the lowest ebb, all the way to the early spring spawning season. 

 

Roe is deceptively light, biologists maintain that bass roe adds an average of 8% to the body weight

of the cow (between 5 & 11%). For an 8-lb bass, that only amounts to 10 ounces of roe,

some of which may still be with her into the summer. During the summertime however, solar energy peaks,

weed growth is in full-bloom and baitfish are large and plentiful. During the summer, bass metabolism

and forage consumption are in high gear. To my mind, it would be a cinch for an 8 lb bass

to lay up 10 ounces during the summer, about the weight of two golden shiners 

 

Roger

[Catt]

So if the spawn don't put em in one location y'all can't find or catch em!

Huh!

[clh121787]

Trophy bass fishing is very different from the way most bass anglers fish today. The difference is saturation of areas known to have big bass verses covering water looking for active bass to catch or run and gun fishing.

I handicapped myself be not fishing with live bait, specifically live crawdads after 1970. I believed that live bait fishing was the primary cause of giant bass population crashes and advocated live bait should be illegal from January to April time period based on my experience catching giant bass with ease during that time period using live bait in the 60's

do you believe 40 years ago no one practiced catch and release and the live bait caught lots of fish that went to the grease. Or that people were gut hooking fish? How would using live bait negatively impact the trophy bass population today? I rarely hardly ever fish live bait. But certainly not opposed to it. And I'm not opposed to keeping legal bass to eat either. I'll occasionally fillet some unders. For tacos. Most of the time I'm catch and release, but I'm also catch and grease.

[geo g]

Unless you fish one of the aquarium lakes that dot this country, double digits are far from common to catch.  You can certainly raise your odds by doing many of the techniques mentioned in the posts above, or by using live bait.  Still many good anglers will fish years, without reaching the double diget level, with artificial baits.   Big ones are out there, they didn't get big by being stupid. 

[Dwight Hottle]

While I agree with y'all assessment of pre-spawn I also understand an 8# is a 10#, a 10# is a 12 & so on during pre-spawn.

My top 10 bass

12.8

12.66

12.5

12..4

12.11

12.0

11.97

11.88

11.8

11.69

#1 was caught in February the rest between June- August.

6 from Texas, 2 from Florida, 1 from Mississippi, & 1 from Georgia

 

 

Catt your list substantiates how difficult catching a teener really can be. They are rare fish.

[wytstang]

My goal is to always break my PB so for me 8lb is the next step (baby steps). But I am chasing a double digit bass as my all time personal goal.

[clh121787]

Yup its going to take alot of time on the water. But I love to fish I love the pursuit. I love being outdoors. If I never catch another double digit it wasn't meant to be.and that's ok. But I think I can do it. I'm single have a great career with an awesome schedule. 2 weeks on 1 week off. And I spend a lot of time on the water. 100 days a year roughly. I've just got the addiction for pursuing big fish. It's like the last 2 years something has just clicked. I'm getting better at reading water,natural activity, reading maps and learning my sonar and down imaging. I'm truly passionate about bass fishing.

[Catt]

Catt your list substantiates how difficult catching a teener really can be. They are rare fish.

Yea I'm like come on get over the hump already!

I think it's like breaking 10, once I did it kept getting easier, they came in waves, one year I caught 7 & then none the next.

[A-Jay]

The hunt for big bass is no doubt appealing, often times it can become addicting to the point of obsession. (Been There)

 

There are thousands upon thousands of pictures of bass caught by some very experienced & skilled bass anglers on this site alone with an extremely small percentage of them in the class of fish you're chasing.  And I will not mention how many tournaments are fished where no Teener is caught. These statements are not designed to discourage but instead to help one remember that this is a rare accomplishment and that the many days, weeks, months & possibly even years of fishing ahead of you should be no less enjoyable with or without the goal. 

 

Lastly, though I have never caught or even seen one myself, I'd recommend trading in your trolling motor for a couple of anchors.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

[WRB]

It's important to set goals and strive to achieve them.

There must be a population of "teener" bass to catch them, most lakes don't have any bass that size, it exceeds the states record size bass. Catching a northern strain largemouth bass weighing 13+ lbs is extremely more difficult then Florida strains. For example my PB NLMB is 12 lbs 4 oz and PB FLMB is 19.3 lbs, have caught a lot of 13+ lb FLMB because they were common during the 70's to late 90's where I fish, those days are gone where I fish.

Today things have changed and today any DD bass is considered a big bass, teeners make headlines.

I mentioned reading In Pursuit of Giant Bass for a reason, it's a excellent book to learn big bass habits and how to catch them.

Regarding female bass loaded with roe are at there maximum weight is true, however they stop eating during the spawn and loose weight, drop eggs and loose more weight followed by abundance of food and gain it back. Unless a bass has achieved it's maximum weight due to age and other factors, that bass continues to gain more weight every year. A heathly teener bass could have more than a pound of food in it's gullet year around, except during the spawn. These bass are always eating and digesting food, the stomach content affects the basses total weight and it varies.

These are very rare bass, treat them carefully.

Tom

[Turtle135]

Lastly, though I have never caught or even seen one myself, I'd recommend trading in your trolling motor for a couple of anchors.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

 

As I mostly fish in Maryland a teener is out of the question (current state record is 11 pounds 6 ounces) but a 7 or 8 pounder is not out of the realm of possibility. All of the biggest largemouth I have landed over the last several years came while I was anchored on a major structural element crawling a jig or a large plastic worm along the bottom. Frequently it happens after I had been anchored in the same spot for 1 to 2 hours. It takes a different mindset to sit there hour upon hour but the stealth inherent in that approach pays off for me.