Size vs numbers

[CenterStar]

I’m at the point to where I want to catch quality over quantity but am struggling to do so. For those who consistently catch 3lb and larger do u start with a numbers bait (small worm on shaky head, etc) to locate fish and then move to a jig, swim bait etc.?

[TnRiver46]

13 minutes ago, CenterStar said:

For those who consistently catch 3lb and larger 

Guess that rules me out! Haha

 

most of all my fish over 3 lbs have come fishing on the bottom with a worm or on top with a spook/popper/buzzbait. The only outliers I can think of off the top of my head are a few with rattle trap and jerkbaits. 

[OCdockskipper]

I think you are looking at it backwards.

 

Rather than trying to decide what lure to throw to catch the larger bass, figure out first where those fish are and then use a lure that allows you to make the best presentation.  Sometimes that lure will be a larger lure, sometimes it may be a smaller lure.

 

The only reason a "numbers bait" catches a lot of smaller fish and no larger fish is because you are using it where there are no larger fish.  If you are able to present a Ned rig around a bunch of 3 lb fish, you are going to catch a bunch of 3 lb fish.

[papajoe222]

As was mentioned, the question is where, not what. Although you may find schools of 4lb. bass in some southern, or western waters, once most bass reach that size they tend to become loners. They also tend to become homebodies. The set up in spots that offer security, ambush and feeding  opportunities and seclusion. This is especially true with females as males rarely grow to much over 4lb. 

Personally, I went the quality route for about ten years. I've pretty much abandoned the fishless days and sometimes weeks commitment and gone back to the fun aspect of just catching fish.  Give me a day catching 16in.-18in. fish and I'm a very happy camper.

[lynxcat]

1 hour ago, CenterStar said:

I’m at the point to where I want to catch quality over quantity but am struggling to do so. For those who consistently catch 3lb and larger do u start with a numbers bait (small worm on shaky head, etc) to locate fish and then move to a jig, swim bait etc.?

For my local ponds, I fish a Jackhammer frequently to target larger fish. I have hundreds of dinks (actual 0.25lb 6 inch fish) and this allows me to actively avoid them. I’ll still catch medium sized adult bass but I also trigger bigger fish to bite. 
 

Today, I caught 10. Biggest was a 5+ lber, one that was around 3, another that was 2 1/2, another around 2, and then the remainder in the pound or so range. 
 

I’ve learned this technique is best for me because I cover tons of water to catch the fish. I walk entire ponds (we have 5 or so I regularly fish) and the bite is inconsistent and spread out across areas (and varies throughout the year). I can’t slow down and fish a jig in many places because I can’t cover the necessary amount of water. I can also fish this in dirty or clear water and it works pretty well in grass as well. For all the factors mentioned, I haven’t found another style of lure that works as well. 
 

+ Targets bigger fish

+ Avoids small fish

+ Works in grass

+ Works in all stains of water (each pond varies significantly)

+ Covers large amount of water

[WRB]

You need to know the bass population dynamics available to you to catch. As the numbers go up in population the quantity of adult size female bass goes down

Females you ask? Yes bass over 3 lbs are 80% females, 4 lbs 90%, over 5 lbs very rare. 

You can’t catch big bass unless there is a good population of that year class where you fish. 

Tom

 

 

[txchaser]

What's been helpful to me (and I learned it here) is that adult bass (over about 4lbs) behave differently than young bass. So if you are in a spot with little fish, you are probably in the wrong spot. Try going a little deeper, a little better structure, great cover, etc. As far as I can tell the 1lb fish won't try to get in on a great spot with a big girl there. 

[MIbassyaker]

I fish a lot of smaller waterbodies that differ greatly in how large the typical bass is. 3lb in some places is around average. Elsewhere, it may be a PB.

 

But I tend to agree with the notion that it's more about the location and timing than about the lure.  I have caught most of my larger fish on skirted baits: buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and jigs. Does this mean these are "big fish baits"? Maybe.

 

But maybe I just happen to fish these lures more often in places and times that have larger fish.  Spring and Fall, for instance, are usually considered the best times to catch larger bass.  I fish more moving baits in spring and fall (such as spinnerbaits and chatterbaits) than in the summer.  And there are some lakes I only fish fall and spring because during summer there is more recreational traffic than I care to put up with.  During the height of the summer, I fish texas rigged plastics and topwaters more often than anything else. This is usually because of heavy weedgrowth, where a jig or spinnerbait would foul up too much.  I also tend to catch smaller average bass during this time.

 

So it's hard to tell whether lure choice has anything to do with it...timing and location may be responsible instead.

[A-Jay]

10 hours ago, CenterStar said:

I’m at the point to where I want to catch quality over quantity but am struggling to do so. For those who consistently catch 3lb and larger do u start with a numbers bait (small worm on shaky head, etc) to locate fish and then move to a jig, swim bait etc.?

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ 

The challenge is real.

Every basshead experiences it to some extent.

Figuring out how to over come it seems to take a life time to learn,

and is never really totally accomplished.

But some how along the way,

we still love it.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

[CrankFate]

It depends on where you’re fishing. Some places have smaller fish. They might have big ones (yes ones) that will be harder to catch. Harder to catch because they will hang around others in similar size. If there’s no others similar in size, they will be alone. There’s one part of fish behavior that gets overlooked. Especially in fish that guard the eggs and fry. They only mate with evenly matched partners. If there are no evenly matched partners, they will stay alone. A 5lb bass will not spawn with a 3lb bass. A 9lb bass won’t spawn with a 3lb or 5lb bass. A 9lb or 5lb bass might sometimes be around the 2-3lb bass. But not most of the time. 

[scaleface]

 I get both . Just go fishing and catch as many bass as I can and stumble on bigger fish in the process . 

[Deleted account]

No.

[J Francho]

I wouldn't get to concerned with labelling "numbers baits" or "big fish" baits. Read and think more about location and behavior of bigger bass.  Some of my biggest fish have come on what many call "dink baits."

[Catt]

I've seen videos of many top Pros & they all agree the biggest mistake most inexperienced anglers make is they put to much emphasis on the lure & not enough on the angler.

 

Gary Klein put it this way, if there's a 5# bass in a brush pile & Denny Brauer goes by there he's gonna catch it on a black-n-blue jig. If KVD goes by there he's gonna catch it on a spinnerbait. If Larry Nixon goes by there he's gonna catch it on a Texas Rig.

 

Get the picture?

 

It wasn't the lure, it was the angler that made the decision to fish the brush pile.

[Choporoz]

'Location' doesn't necessarily mean 'the other end of the lake.  It can be the difference of a few feet.  For example, my approach to laydowns is a little different when I'm targeting the biggest bass in the area.  I tend to believe that rank has its privileges and the biggest bass will sit in the best spot.  Some trees, I can pitch to the outer branches and pick off a smaller bass or two.  But if I have some confidence in that wood, I'll make a dozen or more pitches to 'that spot'...maybe get my bait to drop perfectly alongside a fat part of the trunk with a big branch or two close.  Maybe right at into the 'X' where a log crosses another log....maybe exactly dropping alongside the down-current side of a log or rock.   I get some bigger bass seemingly at random....but I feel I get more with thought, concentration and precision. 

[Captain Phil]

If you want to target big bass with artificials in Florida, the most consistent method is flipping heavy cover.  Before moving to Central Florida in 1996, I had caught maybe a dozen fish over 8 pounds and only one over ten.  I quickly learned my favorite South Florida techniques weren't going to cut it here, so I left all my rods at home except for my flipping stick.  Location is important in all fishing as you can't catch fish where they aren't.   Most people won't do what it takes to target only big bass.   It requires a lot of confidence and patience.  You may only get a half dozen strikes a day if that.  Most all your strikes will be larger fish.  Truly big bass aren't normally swimming around our lakes picking on 6" worms and chasing jerk baits.  If you want to target only big bass around here, you must put a lure in their face so they don't have any choice but to suck it in.

 

 

[fishingtx]

To catch good fish and lots of them just through a Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper white trash or a strike king rage swimmer 4.75" sexy shad. Both swimbaits.

[Choporoz]

6 minutes ago, bass4life.... said:

To catch good fish and lots of them just through a Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper white trash or a strike king rage swimmer 4.75" sexy shad. Both swimbaits.

This is great news...you just put Glenn, hundreds of utubers, hundreds of manufacturers and a dozen magazines right out of business.  Thank you

.....but....watch your back....BM is gonna be pizzed

[soflabasser]

1. Fish in areas that have big bass.

2. Use big bass techniques.

3. Put your time on the water.

4. Learn from each fishing trip.

5. Make having fun your #1 priority. 

[Big Hands]

10 hours ago, CrankFate said:

It depends on where you’re fishing. Some places have smaller fish. They might have big ones (yes ones) that will be harder to catch. Harder to catch because they will hang around others in similar size. If there’s no others similar in size, they will be alone. There’s one part of fish behavior that gets overlooked. Especially in fish that guard the eggs and fry. They only mate with evenly matched partners. If there are no evenly matched partners, they will stay alone. A 5lb bass will not spawn with a 3lb bass. A 9lb bass won’t spawn with a 3lb or 5lb bass. A 9lb or 5lb bass might sometimes be around the 2-3lb bass. But not most of the time. 

This is the first time I have heard of this.

[huZZah]

1 hour ago, soflabasser said:

1. Fish in areas that have big bass.

2. Use big bass techniques.

3. Put your time on the water.

4. Learn from each fishing trip.

5. Make having fun your #1 priority. 

Yesterday my 10 year old caught a 5+Lb largemouth with a weightless Texas rig 5” yum dinger. Watermelon red flake.  This is a few casts after he got a little under 2lb largemouth. I had a beast break my line off but otherwise caught nothing.  Same setup. 
 

If the catching fish itself isn’t enough I think you’re going to be disappointed a lot. Those monsters you see people with aren’t “consistent.”

[CrankFate]

5 hours ago, Big Hands said:

This is the first time I have heard of this.

When fish spawn in pairs, instead of in huge groups, they match themselves up as even as they can. Fish that protect the fry are more likely to do this.

14 hours ago, Catt said:

I've seen videos of many top Pros & they all agree the biggest mistake most inexperienced anglers make is they put to much emphasis on the lure & not enough on the angler.

The less alive and swimming around as the bait is in the wild, the more the angler matters. Fishing bass with artificial lures is definitely more about the angler than the lure. 

[soflabasser]

@huZZah I have had days I caught trophy bass, days I caught +100 bass, and days I caught no bass. At this point in my life I am happy catching any fish and I am grateful for every day I get to fish. With that said I know how to catch big bass consistent enough that I have no need to hire a guide so for me that is enough when it comes to bass fishing. What works for me is what I mentioned earlier in this thread. Catching big bass is not rocket science but you do have to put in the work if you want to catch these fish. 

[WRB]

17 hours ago, Big Hands said:

This is the first time I have heard of this.

Non sense, I have no idea where a big female will not spawn with a little male! I have watched big female bass 10 lbs spawning with males less then 2 lbs. The big girl could eat the small male!

Spawning behavior is survival of the species nothing to do with normal behavior. I watched as many as 3 big bass trying to lay eggs in the same nest at the same time with a 15” male. Any other time of the season these bass tend to group up by year class.

Tom 

[Boomstick]

If I'm looking for big bass, I'll usually start off throwing a larger bait to begin with. And if they happen to  be hitting a smaller soft plastic that day, then I'll keep throwing what's working. You can't catch a larger bass if you don't put your bait in front of a larger bass's face so they can eat it. Remember while smaller bass will generally not hang out with bass that are large enough to eat them, sometimes when you get on a bite of smaller bass, the larger bass will move in right after the smaller bass bite dies off.

 

Also I've read that with any cover or structure, the largest bass gets the best spot. So typically if you identify the best structure and cover with quick access to deep water, that's probably the prime structure in the lake. Some lakes can be hard to find the "prime" structure, and some it's pretty obvious depending on the layout of the lake etc.