Tips for getting a new PB this year

[newyorktoiowa57]

I caught 2 new PBs last year, but I am still a little short of the 5 pound mark mark, which I really want to crack this year.

I see 3 main approaches I could take:

-stick to the baits I have most confidence in (spinnerbait, frog, etc.) and throw them hard, look to ctahc numbers and stumble into a big one

-focus on jig fishing and glidebaits to target bigger fish

-Mostly stick to what I am confident in but with some experimentation(basically a combination of the first 2)

 

What do you guys think?

 

[Bluebasser86]

Fish where they live.

 

Sounds stupid, but your chances go way up fishing where more big fish live.

[WRB]

To catch big bass you must fish for them. The strategy of stumbling into a PB is a very low % plan. As noted above you can't catch big bass if they are not in the lakes you fish.

Jigs out fish swimbaits IMO for big bass. Swimbait water is restricted to more open areas jig water isn't. Missing in your lure list is big worms, a close second to jigs IMO.

Tom

 

[wisconsin heat]

10 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Fish where they live.

 

Sounds stupid, but your chances go way up fishing where more big fish live.

I second this. I caught more 3+ lb large mouth last year than probably the last 3 years combined. Reason? I got off the bank finally (kayak) and I fished new waters. So I would say go find the big fish, if you haven't found them yet keep looking.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Spend as much time on the water as you can

[BoatSquirrel]

After a few decent years of experimenting with big swimbaits, a thought struck me:  what are my strengths?  Why not just upsize those techniques?  Now I am super confident, having fun, and showing the fish baits they have never seen.  Boom.  Best of luck man!

[slonezp]

Caught my PB largemouth when crappie fishing.

Caught my PB walleye when bass fishing.

Caught my PB musky when bass fishing.

Caught my PB crappie when bass fishing.

Caught my PB smallie while smallie fishing

Answer is don't fish for bass and you will catch your PB

 

If we're being honest here, and I know that all fishermen are honest, I did catch my PB smallie while fishing for smallies and PB LMB fishing for crappies. I was using live bait at the time. I know many of you purists believe that, for fish to count, they must be caught using man-made baits. Well, Jesus made those minnows for me and for that I thank him. He seems to have a better grip on things than Gary Yamamoto 

[MIbassyaker]

Fish a lot during Spring and Fall. 

[A-Jay]

Apparently you may need to fish in Ohio ~ 

A-Jay

 

[DitchPanda]

I agree with the fish where they live idea... I have a few ponds\lakes close that are dink factories but I focus on bodies of water where the bites are fewer but better quality

Also agree that jigs just consistently catch better than average fish... I think there versatility of how they can be fished and the fact that they represent a large profile of several big bass forages just produces large fish better than any other 1 bait I know of

Also id add something I feel to be true that I mentioned in the topic Ajay referenced...fish in bad conditions when other people won't fish..cloudy rainy windy spring days produce studs for me

[scaleface]

Fish cover and structure with lures designed to fish the cover and structure targeted . This will increase quantity and bigger fish will come . The way I see it, chances increase at catching a lunker with every fish caught. The more fish the better the odds . I dont use little dink magnet lures either . Usually med sized lures that perform well with my equipment .

 

Now someone fishing in true giant waters , like WRB , then yeah I would target 15 lb fish . On my waters where 6 lbers are big , then go for numbers and the bigger bass will happen.

[Hawkeye21]

Do your research.  Reading books like Lunker Lore can help you gain a better understanding of how fishing for big bass is different than catching numbers.  It's a different strategy.

[Bass Ninja]

For me, both times I caught my PB, it was more of an accident and I just got "lucky". This last time, I caught in a pond that had some nice 3-4lbers which I had caught plenty of, but I'd heard from older gentlemen that there were monsters in there. I was just randomly casting with a spinnerbait at the end of the day and caught the 6.5lber on the last cast. Now its was more of "getting lucky" for me, but looking back, I realized that I just happened to be fishing the best part of the shallow pond right where it drops off into its deepest spot, along the edge of the weedlines where it got too deep for them to grow, where I've had the most success before, the wind was blowing just right, etc. If I had been paying attention earlier, it would have only made sense to go to that spot sooner. However, I had lost my focus, I had pretty much given up for the day after going all around the pond with only one bite, and it was my last cast of the day. All that to say what others have said, fish where they live. 

[Spankey]

I would think every cast should have the PB name on it. Hope. Hope is what keeps us going. 

[DanielG]

I just like to catch fish. Should I pull one up that looks like a PB or just a big one I think, "oh, cool", then plop it back in and keep fishing. Fishing is just pleasurable and fun. Just figuring out how to get them that day is the PB part when it works. Then a big one hits out of know where and .... oh, cool.

[Russ E]

13 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Fish where they live.

 

Sounds stupid, but your chances go way up fishing where more big fish live.

^^^this. size or type of bait does not matter much when there are no big fish in your area.

My 2 largest bass were caught on average sized baits, but in a lake known to have big fish.

one was on a super fluke, the other was on a 110 size jerkbait.

[roadwarrior]

 

[skekoam]

Maybe hire a big fish guide.  Not saying 5 lbs is a small fish, but we have caught a few of those at some small ponds in our area.  I'm looking to get in the 7-8 lb range and hopefully that happens in a few weeks with a guide.

[WRB]

Any angler can make a lucky cast and get bit by a big bass it happens all the time. Most of these strikes end up in a fish story where the bass gets away a few are landed.

When I say you must fish for big bass it means dedicating your fishing efforts toward that goal, not going fishing and hope you make a lucky cast.

Study the bass and determine what the big bass are eating where you fish. Learn where and when they tend to feed. Instead of doing what you normally tend to do trying to catch keeper size bass using lures you prefer change and target big bass.

The old saying that 10% of the anglers catch 90% of the bass holds true in spades for big bass.

Tom

[ABart61]

I try to focus on where they live and what bigger bass are feeding on. The day I caught my PB I found that downsizing caught the bigger fish that day. I caught my PB on a shakey head and then immediately upsized to a jig. Caught a couple of average fish on the jig. But, once I switched back to the shakey head. I started to catch larger fish again. 

[scaleface]

If  not targeting cover and structure  then its not bass fishing . Fish cover and structure , big bass will come . Theres a lot more skill involved than dumb luck .

[Fishing Rhino]

It's really quite simple.  Fish for a species you've never caught.  If you are successful in catching one, it will be your personal best.  But, it will also be your personal smallest.

[Grim_Reaver]

Big baits don't always mean big fish. I think matching forage and forage size is more important. I caught my current PB on a 3.5" paddletail in January. I also caught another big bass on a 4" paddletail that day. Both fish were 5.5+lbs.

[WRB]

Looking at the op's avatar he is wearing tournament jersey so I assume he is a tournament bass angler. Tournament bass fishing tactics are very different from trophy bass fishing. 

Looking back at the tournament anglers I have known only a few that were good at consistantly catching big bass and those few targeted big bass on their own time not during a derby. The reason is obviuos tournament bass are 3 lb fish on average that make up a far larger population density then 6 lb bass increasing your odd of catching a limit of 3 lber's to earn a check. Trophy bass anglers know the odds are reduced when moving around trying to locate active feeders verses waiting at a location known to hold big bass for the right time to catch them. Time is against the tournament anglers and trophy bass anglers are not restricted by time. Different mind set and tactics.

Tom

[skekoam]

I could be totally wrong, but most big fish (DD) are caught on larger type swim baits resembling trout.  Is this totally off base?