?? For you Big Fish Hunters

[bassman97504]

I’m from Oregon, but will be moving and will be less that 5 minutes from Lake Chickamauga. I’m so excited going from a small bass state to being within 5 minutes of a prime big fish lake. One thing I never got into much of was searching for those huge bass.   I would always find myself going back to a shakey  head or jig and catching a bunch of fish but nothing huge. I never had the patience to use these big fish lures some guys have mastered for big fish. 
 

So, now I’ll be so close to the lake I’ll be able to go all the time and learn a lake and hopefully where the big fish live. One thing I want to do is learn how to use these bigger fish baits like swim baits, glide baits etc. I need to learn just to change my mindset and be able to go out and look for fewer bites with better reward rather than what I’m used to going out catching 25 to 50 fish but all of them were in a pound and a half at the most. So what is your recommendation on learning how to change this mindset and which baits should I focus on to start off with? Are there particular styles or types of swim baits that would be best to start with to be able to learn how to use them and then venture out from there?  I could see how easy it could be grabbing some of these baits going out there for days and not having anything follow the bait just because you’re using it wrong and that would be super frustrating and ruin your motivation to even try. So I want to be able to have a good chance of learning the bait while still being able to catch fish with good success rates. Also, does it vary greatly based on which season or month you’re fishing and depending on which type of swimbait that you’re using?

[TnRiver46]

Chickamauga........ your limiting factor there is fishing pressure. There’s a lot of folks on that very pond that throw shakey head and win lots of money 

 

let that sink in for a minute

 

now your glide baits and swim baits will surely catch fish and some big ones at that.  But the main lures that win tourneys on chick are A rig, rattle trap, and frog. Honorable mention to jerkbait and under spin. 
 

seriously, chickamauga is the most boats I’ve ever seen anywhere. It’s ridiculous, the bass are the smartest in the USA. Guaranteed. 

[jbsoonerfan]

 

[Bluebasser86]

Learn the lake first before you just go out and start slinging a big swimbait. Throwing a big bait where there's no big fish does you no good except knocking down your confidence.

 

You need to learn high percentage areas, spots where fish come to feed and hold all the time. I've never fished it, but it sure seems like a lot of big fish get caught there on a jig, so I wouldn't be wandering too far from it just yet.

[Hammer 4]

Check out TaticalBassin if you haven't already. Matt and Tim live on that lake now, and have some good videos of the lake, and some big fish.

[12poundbass]

Follow the white Triton that has Academy Sports plastered on the side of it. ?

[Johnbt]

" I’m used to going out catching 25 to 50 fish but all of them were in a pound and a half at the most."

 

I will offer some motivation to help you change your ways.

 

The guy who has tried to teach me to bass fish over the past 35 years or so likes his picture fish. For example, on the late winter day I took the following pics, he was driving my boat and we fished steep banks in a reservoir. I caught the first fish, the most fish, and even some 3 and 4-pounders. He was using a 3/8-ounce spinnerbait with a 6" curl tail grub and fishing it slowly down the bank on the bottom until it was under the boat in 10 to 15 feet of water. Over and over.

 

After about 5.5 hours he caught his only fish of the day. 

 

[soflabasser]

8 hours ago, bassman97504 said:

So, now I’ll be so close to the lake I’ll be able to go all the time and learn a lake and hopefully where the big fish live. One thing I want to do is learn how to use these bigger fish baits like swim baits, glide baits etc. I need to learn just to change my mindset and be able to go out and look for fewer bites with better reward rather than what I’m used to going out catching 25 to 50 fish but all of them were in a pound and a half at the most. So what is your recommendation on learning how to change this mindset and which baits should I focus on to start off with? 

Accept the fact that you are fishing for the biggest bass which tend to be the hardest to catch. Catching sub 5 pounders is easy, you will have to work much harder if your goal is to catch a 8 pound or bigger bass. Use proven big bass techniques and understand you are going to catch less bass but the ones you get will be worth the effort involved.

[scaleface]

I know there are exceptions  but I wonder if the guy who fishes all day for that one bite catches bigger fish than the guy who boats 50 bass . Average wise yes but by the end of the day does he have the biggest bass caught more times than not ?

[Team9nine]

Changing the mindset will be the most challenging part. Either you have it in you, or you don’t, and that’s not meant as a knock. Consistently catching big fish isn’t easy, otherwise everyone would just do it. Who wouldn’t like to land quality bass every trip? But the time, effort, and learning curve can be steep, and you’ll quickly find out if it’s “for you” or not.

 

A great read/thread in this regard is @A-Jay one on his stitching experience for big bass he carried out years ago. Dig it up - it’s worth the read. I’ve been toying with doing a similar type endeavor/post this coming year, but I learned long ago I’m a numbers guy when it comes to catching fish.

[A-Jay]

2 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I know there are exceptions  but I wonder if the guy who fishes all day for that one bite catches bigger fish than the guy who boats 50 bass . Average wise yes but by the end of the day does he have the biggest bass caught more times than not ?

 I am one of those guys. 

For me, and I think it's been mentioned already, a change in mind set is required.

When I'm looking for a big bass, getting smaller fish is like not catching anything.  

So there's not much in the way of satisfaction. 

I have little interest in sore lipping several dozen smaller bass on the way to looking for a bigger bite. (I am putting the finishing touches on a new thread/post discussing this very thing) 

And while I do not usually use baits that totally exclude a small fish interest, my hunt often sees me fishing spots where there are less smaller fish around.  Unless that's what the bigger bass are looking to eat, then I am right there.

Although not every bass will grow to plus size, some of them will.

And we've all caught bass that have been caught before, including big bass. 

My PB Brown Bass in fact had one good eye.

But I think jaw jacking several small bass a trip only functions to hurt my own interest.

So I choose not to do it.

If that makes sense.

A-Jay

 

[TnRiver46]

I get to go fishing year round several times a week so I have lots of different motives depending on the day. Sometimes I need fish for food, sometimes I want to catch 50 white bass to feel them thump a small

jig over and over, and sometimes I just want a 20”+ smallmouth . Other times I troll for walleye, might even stand on the bank and target bluegills with 4 lb test. I even fish for trout every now and then and I hate everything about trout fishing. Then ive got several buddies that will call and say “let’s go crappie fishing or let’s go catfishing” and that’s what we do. When it’s super windy I will just stand on the dock down at my lake house and set out crawlers for drum 

[GreenPig]

Days with no followers? I've gone weeks. Learn Chic with conventional lures and when you locate areas with 4lb + fish then leave everything at home but your big baits. Big baits call for less but more precise cast from the best angle. Your average size is likely about to go up and you'll need to get that out of your system before transitioningto big baits. ?

[Johnbt]

"I wonder if the guy who fishes all day for that one bite catches bigger fish than the guy who boats 50 bass"

 

I don't know. I haven't bass fished with too many different folks.

 

My buddy had a Virginia certified scale on his boat back in the day before cell phones had cameras. One year he boated 50+ largemouth that weighed 8 pounds or more. That was a citation back then. There wasn't a length citation.

 

I dug around a little and found some pics. 

 

And one of mine

 

 

 

[Whatever]

TN River46---"I even fish for trout every now and then and I hate everything about trout fishing."---

 

C'mon, Seriously???? You are killing me, brother! I am (gasp) dying.

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, Whatever said:

TN River46---"I even fish for trout every now and then and I hate everything about trout fishing."---

 

C'mon, Seriously???? You are killing me, brother! I am (gasp) dying.

I’m a glutton for punishment. It’s like being a Tennessee vols fan 

[gim]

2 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Days with no followers? I've gone weeks.

 

Ha!  That's nothing.  Try muskie fishing.  I had a 16.5 year drought targeting those things.

[Bankbeater]

Sometimes I like to be catching bass one after another all day, and sometimes I like to pick apart an area and look for a large bass.  It just depends on how many and what size I've been catching up to that trip.

[WRB]

If I was going to Chic and fish ledges my lures of choice would be my jigs in Shad color /w white 4” pork trailer, 3/4 oz Dr jig, 3/4 and 1 oz Picasso Scrounger fat w/ Optimum 8” Victory soft jerk bait in Shad colors and 8”-13” soft plastic worms in red crawdad colors.

Study a map looking for breaks at 15’ dropping off sharply to 25’-35’ with drains on the flat areas.

Good luck with the move!

Tom 

PS, you don’t need a swimbait rod for the above high % lures. 

[RHuff]

17 hours ago, WRB said:

Study a map looking for breaks at 15’ dropping off sharply to 25’-35’ with drains on the flat areas.

 

 Looking to apply this to my local lakes - Tom, Do you like these areas near main lake points or secondary points? Or are you referring to flats that include spawning areas? 

 

 

[WRB]

3 hours ago, RHuff said:

 

 Looking to apply this to my local lakes - Tom, Do you like these areas near main lake points or secondary points? Or are you referring to flats that include spawning areas? 

 

 

The TVA lakes like Chic have current during power generation periods. The current affects baitfish movements the bass rely on as a prey source. During current consider these lakes as river. Largemouth bass don’t like be in current 24/7 like Smallmouth do. The big  females suspend around structure that provides a current break where baitfish schools will pass by; main lake drains and points. During slack current the bass are in the same areas and this is when jigs and worms in crawdad colors work better.

Pre spawn bass are on a different mission getting ready to spawn and locate in areas (stage) where abundant prey is available. Current isn’t a major factor, the big bass are migrating towards spawning areas and eventually end up near beds. Main lake major points are the 1st stop, primary secondary points ( points like major point that divide spawning coves) are 2nd stop before moving into spawning areas. The big bass spawn 1st and usually deeper then return back and forth staging at the 2 nd stop. Following egg laying post spawn the big female bass move back to their sanctuary areas, usually outside structure with good prey source and stay there until dark and everything settles down.

Tom

 

 

 

[bassman97504]

Thanks guys for all the great info. You all are awesome for giving the new guy such great tips. It’s been a bunch of super great posts. It definitely is getting me super amped to get out there and start fishing. 
 

I think I definitely need to learn how to fish the river and current you talk about. My local lakes don’t have much of that so I’ll have to figure that out. I’m excited to spend the next chapter of my life figuring these lakes out. Seems there’s a bunch of water to learn so that’s awesome. 

 

Few more questions if you don’t mind. Looking for some local expertise and opinions on some topics:

 

1. Which tackle shops do you guys like going to?

2. I sold my boat and will be looking to upgrade to a newer used boat probably in the 2018-19 range. Any recommendations on where to find quality used bass boats?

3. Favorite boat launch out of Hixson area?  Are there fees for launching

4. If Chickamauga is busy on a particular day, what other body of water is a great place to fish that’s fairly close by?

[TnRiver46]

33 minutes ago, bassman97504 said:

Thanks guys for all the great info. You all are awesome for giving the new guy such great tips. It’s been a bunch of super great posts. It definitely is getting me super amped to get out there and start fishing. 
 

I think I definitely need to learn how to fish the river and current you talk about. My local lakes don’t have much of that so I’ll have to figure that out. I’m excited to spend the next chapter of my life figuring these lakes out. Seems there’s a bunch of water to learn so that’s awesome. 

 

Few more questions if you don’t mind. Looking for some local expertise and opinions on some topics:

 

1. Which tackle shops do you guys like going to?

2. I sold my boat and will be looking to upgrade to a newer used boat probably in the 2018-19 range. Any recommendations on where to find quality used bass boats?

3. Favorite boat launch out of Hixson area?  Are there fees for launching

4. If Chickamauga is busy on a particular day, what other body of water is a great place to fish that’s fairly close by?

1. Too many to choose from, Dayton boat dock probably be the best down that way

2. too many to choose from , bunch marine has a great reputation, Madisonville marine also good 

3. most all boat ramps on chickamauga are free, there’s well over 20 of them I can think of. Just be careful during winter, some of them end abruptly. I’ve also heard of a minimum of 7 boats stuck on dry land down there this winter already (it’s very shallow everywhere )

4. Chickamauga is busy on every single particular day, literally all 365. Watts bar and nickajack are the next obvious choices. There’s some more obscure lakes in GA and NC close by