When not to fish for bigger bass?

[TriStateBassin106]

2 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

This is my mindset - I'm after bass. If all I catch are dinks - at least I didn't get skunked. When I get a nice one it's a bonus.

Exactly!!! I'll take the little guys if it means I don't get skunked! 

[Spankey]

Catching the big one, breaking your personal best is what it is all about. Or even a day Of fishing with a few respectable fish. This is the driving force that keeps you going. I don’t fish in the bass Mecca of the country. It’s only gonna be but so good for me. I’ve been rewarded a few of those nice ones on my waters. As hard as I work at it, I think the man upstairs will let me beat my personal bests of Greenies and Brownfish. When it’s time I guess. 

[Spankey]

3 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

Exactly!!! I'll take the little guys if it means I don't get skunked! 

Well I don’t think anyone wants to get skunked but you could be fishing a piece of structure today and catch a 3 lb. bass (that’s not too shabby). Release him there on the spot. 
 

Go back there tomorrow all amped up, same time, same lure and catch a 10” fish. It happens. Happens to all of us. Your intention was to catch that fish again or his bigger sister. 
 

Big, bigger, biggest it’s all relative to where you are fishing. I believe there are some 7-8 lb. bass here where I am. Can only go by what I’ve seen. Or perceive and lost. My personal best is not there. I continue to fish for that. 

[gim]

Based on the responses in this thread, there are two kinds of bass anglers:

 

1) The ones that are willing to sacrifice size for numbers and not get "skunked."

2) The ones that are willing to get skunked targeting big bass.

 

I am looking for some middle ground on this one, if it exists.  I use what I have confidence in doing and I hope for more bigger bass.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes I get skunked too (not this year, yet).  I will admit that I am willing to sacrifice bites to catch one big fish though.  And since big fish are rarer and generally harder to catch, that means my productivity in terms of raw numbers are likely to be lower than some.

 

What has helped me, especially this season, is to fish during conditions that have proven in the past to produce more bites from bigger bass.  It has paid off not only in terms of numbers but also quality fish because I have had the best season in a decade.

[Catt]

With my understanding of structure, cover, the food source, & my quarry. I should be able to find the "prime" areas & I also should be able to find the "juice".

 

When I'm talking about targeting "bigger" bass I'm ain't necessarily meaning double digits. Depending on the body of water the difference might be you catching 3/4-1# bass while I'm catching 1 1/2-1 3/4# bass.

 

My quarry is the bigger bass on that piece of structure & in that specific cover.

[A-Jay]

41 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Based on the responses in this thread, there are two kinds of bass anglers:

 

1) The ones that are willing to sacrifice size for numbers and not get "skunked."

2) The ones that are willing to get skunked targeting big bass.

 

I am looking for some middle ground on this one, if it exists.  I use what I have confidence in doing and I hope for more bigger bass.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes I get skunked too (not this year, yet).  I will admit that I am willing to sacrifice bites to catch one big fish though.  And since big fish are rarer and generally harder to catch, that means my productivity in terms of raw numbers are likely to be lower than some.

 

What has helped me, especially this season, is to fish during conditions that have proven in the past to produce more bites from bigger bass.  It has paid off not only in terms of numbers but also quality fish because I have had the best season in a decade.

I can side with most of this ~

That elusive 'middle ground' can be a tricky deal I think.

As noted previously in this thread, I'm in the second category above.

This "skunk" thing can be a real problem if I let it.

While I'd love to go out every trip and repeatedly slip the Frabil under trophies, it's not realistic.

But when I truly believe I'm in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, and don't make contact . . 

those trips sure feel awfully skunk-ish.

A-Jay

 

[soflabasser]

9 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Under what conditions would you not try going after a bigger bass? 

I have an open mind when it comes to fishing so I will fish for almost anything. There are times I fish for smaller bass on purpose such as when I am fishing for redeye bass and other species of bass that are small. Another time is when my goal is to catch as many bass as possible in 1 day of fishing. Have had days that I caught over 100 bass all on lures and those days are some of my most memorable bass fishing trips I have had. 

[Tizi]

I’m always after the big one, that’s why I fish. I’m trying to beat my PB every year, I either get one that’s close or at that weight.  5 lbs, 9 oz is my PB, I want to catch a 6!  That being said, when I’m fishing with my wife for example, we just try to catch fish so she won’t get bored, but where there are keepers a big one can be in the midst so I’m always thinking about that next PB even then.

 

I’ve hooked and lost a PB this year on a tube, so they are out there.  That’s what it’s all about, keep dreaming and trying!!  I know where that fish lives, I’ll catch it eventually.

[Bankbeater]

A lot of the local water I fish sees very heavy pressure on a daily basis. It isn’t practical to go there and target large bass and expect to catch one. Better to go for numbers and be happy that I didn’t get skunked, and hopefully catch a nice pic worthy bass. 

[Bird]

When I'm fishing alone I target the the fat ones.

When I'm fishing with the wife I'm just fishing. 

[TriStateBassin106]

2 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

A lot of the local water I fish sees very heavy pressure on a daily basis. It isn’t practical to go there and target large bass and expect to catch one. Better to go for numbers and be happy that I didn’t get skunked, and hopefully catch a nice pic worthy bass. 

This^ 

[TriStateBassin106]

8 hours ago, gimruis said:

I use what I have confidence in doing and I hope for more bigger bass.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes I get skunked too (not this year, yet).  

This I identify with more as being a middle ground, I know guys who only throw smaller stuff and only catch bass less than 10inches or less than half a lb those are honestly the guys who go out of their way to not get skunked, I personally hate catching smaller bass like that, I don't even count it as a catch, this is the average size of the fish I catch at my ponds around here. Anything smaller than this is a super dink in my book, 

[FryDog62]

“When not to fish for bigger bass?”

I guess only if I’m fishing an MLF tournament... ?

[clh121787]

During a tournament on lake fork. 

[Sphynx]

Most days, little fish need love too, and all fish are welcome to my offerings, now I've never tagged a fish larger than 4-5 pounds, but honestly I have noticed that after a certain point the fight becomes far less entertaining and there are plenty of 4lb fish I have dragged in that just sat there like a log, 2-3lb fish seem to be the sweet spot for big enough to fight hard and fit enough to do it for extended periods of time, so I'm quite happy to play with them all day...smallmouth are another thing though, dunno I ever caught one that knew what quit meant, they won't quit wiggling and thrashing long enough to take the hook out and release them usually, so bigger is better when they are on the list of available fish

[txchaser]

If I have a decent idea where the specific "best" cover or structure is, I'm going to be all over it, or trying to find it. Still don't really have a good vibe for big weed edges and how to prioritize my time there though.

 

I'll abandon all of it for a big pile of topwater bites though, especially on a frog.

 

The PITA to figure out how to get portable sidescan has paid off for sure - there's lots of stuff that's not immediately obvious and so gets very little pressure.

 

I play a mental game, assuming that bigger bass are lazy bullies, and they can and will take the best spots from smaller bass. Where am I, and what am I doing right now?

 

 

[geo g]

In 50 years of fishing I have never gone out targeting only big bass.  I go to catch bass regardless of size.  I am just happy getting bass to react to my lure and the way I present it.  

 

If I were ever going to target large bass I would use wild shiners in florida.  To me it's like watching paint dry.

[Tatsu Dave]

On 9/9/2020 at 8:25 AM, A-Jay said:

When I'm sleeping.

That's about it. 

Otherwise most everything I do, is geared towards it. 

I actually dream about it some when I sleep.........funny thing I never catch small bass

[king fisher]

I am never satisfied.  If I am catching lots of small fish, I want bigger fish.  If I catch a big fish, I want lots of big fish.  If I am catching multiple big fish, those fish become average fish, and now I want bigger fish.  At the end of the day I am happy with what ever I caught because I can always plan on catching more and bigger fish next time. 

[soflabasser]

In Florida 4-7 pound bass are very common so they are not an impressive catch. A legit 8 pound or better bass is big enough for the FWC TrophyCatch program so that is what most Floridians would consider a truly big bass. I have lost count of the 8 pound or bigger bass I have caught and I still enjoy catching small bass, especially days I can catch a lot of them. I enjoy micro fishing and other forms of fishing besides bass fishing. It is nice to live in a place where I can choose to fish for dozens of species of fish whenever I want.

[Fin S]

On 9/9/2020 at 9:49 AM, keagbassr said:

Only if I'm desperately trying to avoid a skunk.

Yup. After lunch, it's all about trying to put something in the boat.

[Boomstick]

My general rule of thumb is I have to find where the bass are before I think about targeting larger bass. So when I don't fish for bigger bass is when I am not finding the bite. If I find the bite early, then targeting bigger bass is fair game.

[WRB]

Trophy bass fishing is different then targeting adult size bass. 

Northern strain LMB anything over 4 lbs is a big bass, over 8 lbs is a trophy size.

Florida strain LMB anything over 6 lbs is a big bass, over 10 lbs a trophy size.

Smallmouth anything over 4 lbs is a big bass over 6 a trophy size in most regions.

Spotted Bass, Southern or Alabama strain same as smallmouth. Northern or Kentucky strain Spots 1/2 the wieght of Southern strain; 2 lbs and 3 lbs.

Very few are dedicated enough to be trophy bass anglers using lures. The vast majority are satisfied with occasional big bass and may stumble across a trophy size.

Fun fishing it's a choice, tournament fishing every oz counts. 5 bass weight 13 lbs beats 12.9 lbs, both beat 1 10 lber.

Tom 

[Bassun]

I personally don't try to hunt what most here consider lunkers.  Around here, the massive fish just don't exist, and the large fish certainly don't exist in the numbers they do in some of the better bass locations.  The state record is almost a pound lighter than Tom's smallest top 5.  And that was caught back in '85.  I'm in the mountains of Virginia and honestly, I consider a 2lb'er a good fish.  Tom's breakdown of the Northern Largemouth sounds about right, although locally I would consider anything over 5 a trophy fish.  In many of our lakes, a legal fish is only 12 inches long - that kind of speaks to the sizing available.

 

One advantage of not having that range of 1lb to 20lb bass swimming around is that when you target bass, you are basically sizing for all of the bass, lol.  So I don't toss massive swimbaits looking for that 15lb'er basically ever.  Maybe in spring I'll get a wild hair and supersize, but 99% of the time I'm tossing normal sized stuff looking for bass.  

Now, that said - I don't do well with the boat getting skunked.  Usually not a problem, but I will down size until I put something on the boat.  I've hooked into some really nice bass on really small offerings, so while I may be looking to get some sort of fish on the deck you can never count out a good fish.  Once the skunks gone, I'm generally back to normal mode.  So I guess I don't target "large" fish when it's been a number of hours, and there is a skunk brewing.  Unless it's a tournament, I will sometimes down size at the very end just to make sure I end on a fish.  Not always, but it is always nice to end on one. 

[Dwight Hottle]

On 9/9/2020 at 9:36 AM, roadwarrior said:

Never

 

X2