What am I missing?

[Eric Buck]

I seem to be able to catch enough fish but never the right ones to win.  I fish a lot of different techniques in a lot of different ares but it seems I always pick off the the 2 pound and less fish.  What do I need to start doing to get on bigger fish?  

[Nitrofreak]

Understand the fish growth and behavior, their relation to structure and prey, 2 books will help you tremendously, "spoon plugging" by Buck Perry and anther called "in pursuit of giant bass" by Bill Murphy.

 

[S. Sass]

29 minutes ago, Eric Buck said:

I fish a lot of different techniques in a lot of different ares

You didn't mention size of bait. So im answering based on a guess. Big fish generally eat big meals. Look at the swimbait guys going for records. They use huge bait. The difference is they are not looking to make a certain number of fish. 

You have to get your quota then hunt the big ones with bigger bait. Of course this is assuming you aren't using larger baits already

[Eric Buck]

I was using spinner baits with trailers and a zoom speed craw yesterday.  Caught 15 fish.  Weighed 0

[You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing]

go big or go home, try catching a quick limit of keepers with the texas rig, then spend the rest of the tournament fishing swimsuits (trout pattern in spring)

 

[Gundog]

Try slowing down, fishing specific spots. Big bass can get lazy and at times would rather not move if an easy meal is near. Someone once told me bass are like people, they prefer the refrig not too far away from the couch. Also I agree with the big bait, big fish theory.

[Brikon]

I believe Jigs will always catch the Bigger bass. Maybe not the most, but you will definitely see an increase in Size. 

[buzzed bait]

10 hours ago, You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing said:

go big or go home, try catching a quick limit of keepers with the texas rig, then spend the rest of the tournament fishing swimsuits (trout pattern in spring)

interesting, where can one find these trout pattern SWIMSUITS?  

["hamma"]

do you fish a jig and pig?

if not ,...do so

[WIGuide]

19 hours ago, Eric Buck said:

I was using spinner baits with trailers and a zoom speed craw yesterday.  Caught 15 fish.  Weighed 0

Not sure what the water temp is where you're at, but given the time of year that plays a critical role in where the bass will be located. If they're starting to move up to spawn and you're beating the bank, you're most likely catching the little males. They move up first to prepare the beds while the bigger females usually are hanging out near the first drop still feeding up. After the spawn the males stay to guard the eggs as the females slip back out to recover. 

Knowing the seasonal habits of the fish you're trying to catch plays a very large part in what fish you're putting in the boat.

[fishingfan25]

I second the swimbait mention, I've just started fishing them and have been catching some bigger sized fish on them. i haven't gotten into anything crazy big like some of the 10 inch baits, but i did get a decent fish yesterday on a 7 inch bass colored glide bait

[scaleface]

There can only be one winner . Just keep at it.

To me there are three ways to win . 1 is luck . 2 is pattern fishing . 3 is structure fishing  Finding fish on structure has been my most successful way . Finding a pattern on structure and you're an instant contender .

[IowaHusker28]

A big bait will only get you so far if you're not fishing in the right areas. Yes do big fish like big bait; yes. You also have to look at what season, mood, and what stage the fish are in every season. If you were throwing a spinnerbait beating the bank, (this not knowing anything about your location or lake) you could be picking off the males or young fish. The females could have been 5-20-40ft etc. behind what you were fishing, and staging in a different part of the lake. 

Also not in any particular season, a lot of the bigger fish like big cover, thick cover, or anything where the fish can be lazy and still eat a big meal. A frog is an easy meal if a bass is sitting a foot below the grass where they are hiding, or when fish that sit next to the tailwater of a dam letting the bait come to them. 

WIguide hit it spot on. 

9 hours ago, WIGuide said:

Not sure what the water temp is where you're at, but given the time of year that plays a critical role in where the bass will be located. If they're starting to move up to spawn and you're beating the bank, you're most likely catching the little males. They move up first to prepare the beds while the bigger females usually are hanging out near the first drop still feeding up. After the spawn the males stay to guard the eggs as the females slip back out to recover. 

Knowing the seasonal habits of the fish you're trying to catch plays a very large part in what fish you're putting in the boat.

 

[papajoe222]

Sounds to me like you were targeting and catching the males. If you were up in the spawning areas that's likely the case.  The other thing that may be happening is you're catching the more aggressive, smaller fish. Bigger fish, unlike those smaller ones, rarely chase down their prey. They also don't feed as often.  That doesn't mean they only prefer larger prey, only that because they don't waste energy chasing or following prey, they don't need to feed as frequently. When they aren't feeding, they will be holding in a secure spot: Tight to cover, or deep.

Finesse tactics, those being presenting your offering close to, or on top of cover and keeping it in close proximity for more than a split second, target them.  The size of your offering matters less than the location. If you're going to use faster presentations, be sure to bounce them off of the cover, not just run them past it.

One more tip: Multiple casts and make them from multiple angles. 

All this is time consuming. That is why most tourney anglers will go for a limit of smaller fish before targeting bigger ones. 

[WRB]

Don't over think this, however do read In Pursuit of Gaint Bass by Bill Murphy to understand the different in bass behavior between 2 lb young adults and 4 lb adult bass.

Also keep in mind adult bass have lived longer and become more wary and are fewer population then the smaller younger bass. There is a picking order within the animal kingdom and size matters. Smaller bass rarely mix with bigger bass, the bigger bass get the best feeding area first. It's a predator prey relationship, always try to select lures that resemble what the bass are feeding on, this will improve your catch ratio of larger size bass......if you are in the right location at the right time.

Tom

[Eric Buck]

I did throw a jig and pig with nothing.  I flipped creature baits around structure with little luck.  The water temp was 47 and we were in the middle of a cold front.  Everyone struggled a little bit, but nice fish were brought to the scales.  I know I was picking off the males, but I couldnt find the females.  EVERYONE was flipping the bank.  I could only catch them with a spinner bait on wood right against the bank.

[Hurricane]

Keep Fishing... You are bound to come through at some point...

[gobig]

With a cold front and 47 deg water I would have started offshore if possible. Pre spawn females should be staging up off the bank at the mouths of coves or on creek channels leading up to flats in those conditions.