Catching a really big bass.

[mikey z]

From my experience, the bigger ones are extra lazy and easily aggravated lol. If I can find her, something slow moving but still vibrating, rattling, and/or flashing should do it

[Deleted account]

21 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

      Big bass are ambush fish. They're not going to go racing 12 feet "over there" to intercept your lure ....

I gotta disagree. Have had it happen too many times for it to be a fluke or one off. I've had 6-9 lb bass either race 6-15 feet like a rocket and crash a lure, as well as lazily come up behind it and floow it for several feet before comitting. I'm not saying that targeting cover isn't the way to go, just that there are other options.

[gim]

49 minutes ago, GReb said:

It is quite ironic that most of my 7+ Lb fish were caught on days that were gloomy, cold, windy, rainy, etc. 

 

Oh yes.  That's part of the equation.  "Fish when others aren't."

[Captain Phil]

When I was in my early twenties, I was itching to catch a big bass.  My biggest bass to that point was 6 1/4 pounds.  That's a nice fish even in Florida, but I wanted bigger.  I figured if I used bigger lures I would catch bigger fish.   Around that time, JW Lures was making a 13" plastic worm called a Hawg Hunter with two molded in weedless hooks.  B.A.S.S. had a tournament at Rodman and that worm was all the rage.  I can not overestimate how big that worm was.  It looked like it was cut from a truck tire.

 

The first place I ever used one of those worms was in Okeechobee.   When I got my first hit, I was excited. What monster bass had my worm?  I reeled down and set the hook and a two pound bass jumped out of the water.   So much for big lures for big fish.  Some time later, I was riding down L67 canal in the Everglades watching my depth "flasher".  I saw a large tree stump on the bottom, turned around and cast out one of those giant worms.   The first two fish I caught on that log were huge mud fish.  The third fish was an 8 1/2 pound bass.   That fish was my PB for some time.

 

A few years later I was fishing in Okeechobee.  It was a very rainy day and I had my wife and eight year old son with me.  They wanted to go home, but the fishing was so good I wanted to stay.  I was fishing with a black grape 8" Creme worm cut off to 4".   I threw it out and a fish nearly pulled the rod out of my hand.  I hooked the fish and when I got it to the boat, it wouldn't fit in my net.  That fish weighed 11 1/4 and I still have the mount on my wall.  So much for big fish on big lures.

 

Since then I have caught more than my share of big fish.  When you fish for over 60 years, stuff happens.  My biggest bass so far was a few ounces shy of 12 pounds.  I caught that fish flipping a 4" Gambler plastic craw around my boat dock in Lake Eustis.  That fish was released.  If you fish in the right places, big fish happen.   Day time, night time, big lures, little lures, they all work.  The best way in Florida to catch a giant bass is fishing with large wild native shiners.  If a bass eats a 12" minnow, it's big.   

[roadwarrior]

11 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

The best way in Florida to catch a giant bass is fishing with large wild native shiners.  

 

Caught both numbers and size at ToHo two weeks ago.

 

[Captain Phil]

3 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Caught both numbers and size at ToHo two weeks ago.

Dean Rojas with 45 pound five fish bag in Toho.

 

 

[TnRiver46]

14 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Dean Rojas with 45 pound five fish bag in Toho.

 

 

And fish fishburn!!!!!

[Deephaven]

Largest LM (7 1/4lb) that has come off my boat was on a smaller than normal frog.  I had just thrown a super size one over the spot and he hit my buddies little one.  Not saying to not throw big, as I've had good luck upsizing when the bite is strong but the reason this one bit is we put lures where other fisherman hadn't.  Metro lake so not some remote location either.  So I'd add to try harder to find the spot on the spot that others don't get to.  

 

Amusingly my largest smallie came on a lake connected (via a very navigable stream/pond) to a lake where the day before I had my best numbers day ever.  It showed me that numbers and size aren't always exclusive.  

[trout123]

Go finesse i have no idea how much pressure your lakes get but in the middle of SJ, CA theres no such thing as to finesse and Id figure big bass get big being careful. I caught my pb maybe 5 feet out in about 3 feet of water on a t rigged worm in the most pressured pond I know of.

[DitchPanda]

There are big fish baits obviously...swimbaits and jigs are known big fish producers. That said I think time and place trump type and color of bait almost always. I caught 4 bass last year that would fit your criteria of 6lbs and up the biggest being an egg laden female over 22inches I around 7lbs. The baits were chatterbait, lipless, jig and spinnerbait so as you can see the bait is not super important. The important thing was I caught 3 of them in a 6 week period between the first part of April and the 3rd week in may. My advice is fish the prespawn hard...fish earlier and cold water than you'd think...and fish on cruddy weather days.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

6 hours ago, gimruis said:

Something I've been thinking about this winter is how I go about catching a really big largemouth bass here in my neck of the woods.  When I say a really big largie, I mean one that is 22 inches/6+ pounds for the state that I reside and fish in.  I've caught several largemouth in the 21 inch/6 pound range in my life here, but nothing bigger.  I had the best season I've ever had last year in terms of numbers and quality, and I've been wondering how I could make it even better this year.  I believe that a new PB would accomplish that.

 

Using a larger presentation is probably a part of it.  I know that a big bass will take a ned but generally speaking, bigger lures means bigger fish.  What else?  Does fishing deeper play a role?  I'm guessing that a pre-spawn or fall fish would have more weight too.  I went fishing at night a few times last year and it was very successful so that could also be part of the equation.  The body of water likely plays a role too and for that I need to target a lake that I'm confident that has them.

 

If you simply suggest that I travel south to Florida or Texas that's really not the advice I'm looking for.  Thanks in advance

If you can fish a few days before and after the full or new moon during the prespawn you have a good chance at catching a better fish.  If you add an approaching front or even a departing front in that period of the moon phase that will give your best opportunity to catch the biggest fish on that body of water feeding at the same time.    

    

  

[FishTank]

I have caught a lot of bass from 5-7lbs and only one over 10.  After years of fishing, learning, spending and waiting, there is only one thing you need to catch a big bass > Luck.

[roadwarrior]

10 minutes ago, FishTank said:

I have caught a lot of bass from 5-7lbs and only one over 10.  After years of fishing, learning, spending and waiting, there is only one thing you need to catch a big bass > Luck.

Nope...If you fish often enough where the Big Dogs live, you will catch one or a few.

We just got back from Florida catching several over 5 lbs and a couple of big ones.

You have seen AJ's vidios...not much luck involved.

[Deephaven]

The OP can't fish here in prespawn as the season is closed.  Has to do it later in the year

[jimmyjoe]

3 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

The OP can't fish here in prespawn as the season is closed.  Has to do it later in the year

 

   OUCH!

[MN Fisher]

10 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

The OP can't fish here in prespawn as the season is closed.  Has to do it later in the year

Yep - bass season opens middle of May - and here's a map showing average spawn times.

So we're out of luck if pre-spawn is the ideal time to fish for large bass.

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Yep - bass season opens middle of May - and here's a map showing average spawn times.

So we're out of luck if pre-spawn is the ideal time to fish for large bass.

Whether it's ideal or not may be debatable - but it's pretty good. 

BTW caught my PB brown bass in September - can use guys fish then ?

?

A-Jay

 

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

Whether it's ideal or not may be debatable - but it's pretty good. 

BTW caught my PB brown bass in September - can use guys fish then ?

?

A-Jay

 

Ya - LMB season doesn't close until the end of February, SMB season goes to C&R only in this area the middle of September, closes same time.

[ajschn06]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

And fish fishburn!!!!!

Wow I remember religiously taping “Go Fish” as a youngster 25 years ago....

[gim]

I think there is potentially a window of pre spawn here depending on the local conditions. Perhaps not this year as our opener is May 15, however.

 

Last year I got in 2 full weeks of pre spawn bass fishing on lakes near here after the season legally opened.

 

The smallmouth I target on a bigger lake north of here don’t spawn until almost June but for purposes of this thread I am specifically referring to largemouth bass.

[Mobasser]

Around my area, most bigger bass are caught in the spring, within a 2 month time frame. I think this is because there are so many more fisherman out there. Once it gets really hot, there are way less guys going fishing. I'm planning on targeting bigger fish this year at night, when it gets really hot. I'll probably have the lake to myself, and won't have to compete with loud boats out there. In some past threads, Catt put me on the right hot summer bait, the Mr Twister Mag 12" Buzz Worm. Those, along with a spinnerbait and jig/pig combo, and a good buzzbait should draw a strike from.a good size bass. Finding the right location, and the right timing of these night trips is up to me. Getting a good "tap" on a big worm at night is a special thrill in bass fishing.

[trout123]

2 hours ago, FishTank said:

I have caught a lot of bass from 5-7lbs and only one over 10.  After years of fishing, learning, spending and waiting, there is only one thing you need to catch a big bass > Luck.

The harder you work the luckier you get!

[soflabasser]

The answer is simple but doing it is not. Focus on fishing for bass 7 pounds and up. Use proven big bass techniques. Put your time on the water. If you do this well you will eventually catch many bass over 7 pounds. Reading fishing forums is not enough you have to put in the work if you want to achieve your goals. 

9 hours ago, Catt said:

Location-Location-Location!

 

I don't mean Florida or Texas but locations in your body of water!

Well said. You can catch a big bass in almost any state if you are willing to work for it. If this is too much you can always take the easy way and hire a guide on a big bass lake. The guide will do all the hard work and put you on a big bass.

[soflabasser]

3 hours ago, FishTank said:

there is only one thing you need to catch a big bass > Luck.

 Anyone can get lucky every once in a while but that is not the case for those who are consistently catching nice fish. Hard work is always better than luck.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

I think there is potentially a window of pre spawn here depending on the local conditions. Perhaps not this year as our opener is May 15, however.

 

Last year I got in 2 full weeks of pre spawn bass fishing on lakes near here after the season legally opened.

 

The smallmouth I target on a bigger lake north of here don’t spawn until almost June but for purposes of this thread I am specifically referring to largemouth bass.

Are you allowed to fish at all before bass season opens?

In my area it takes about 10 days to 2 weeks of water temps of 60 or over before I see the first fish on beds.  With most lakes and ponds here being extremely shallow , the prespawn around here is short compared to bigger water.