Why can't I catch a big bass?

[Swamp Girl]

@Flushdraw: I think you're going to be a heckuva fisherman because you really listen to advice and you're curious enough to seek it. Bass fishing is complicated, made even more so by all the terminology and many tactics. Then there are the thousands lures with tens of thousands of color options. And for those who use them, electronics add yet another layer of complexity. 

 

I'm a pretty simple angler, fishing from a canoe, but I have pretty consistent success by both working the lures I know and adding a new arrow to my quiver now and then. I also cover a lot of water, fishing the entire time. For example, when I'm crossing a pond, I troll all the way. I don't think many BR anglers troll, but it's so effective in a canoe because I'm not paddling in a perfectly straight line and at a perfectly consistent speed, which makes my lures erratic. 

 

Anyway, the guys have given you lots of great advice and I'm excited to see the results of you applying it. 

 

I really like @JayMac89's post, but my experience is a little different. I think bass move...a lot. I fish based upon this assumption, which means I move...a lot too. I think there is validity to what JayMac wrote about bigger bass staking claim to prime ambush spots and I've found that to be true for a month or two, but then the weeds choke those prime spots and the bass are no longer there, not even if I cast into the thicket.

 

 

[A-Jay]

16 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

She's always on my mind though.

I hear ya ~

Sometimes that's all it takes.

Good Luck

A-Jay

[WRB]

Does the H Expride cast OK with your lures? Was thinking about you stating braid cutting onto itself and that can only happen with 50 lb if the spooled line is loose. Sometimes over powering the cast to get tip speed in lieu of rod flex speeds up the spool loosing the line. 
Let’s talk strike detection very important.

I am old school and a line feeler by running the line over my index tip under the thumb. This does a few things, instant detection of lure changes in movements or weight indicating a bass may have it, finger tips are sensitive rods are not. This technique also allows me to keep the line managed going onto the reel preventing loose line.

Good luck with achieving your goal and we need luck along with knowledge and skills.

Tom

 

[Flushdraw]

8 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

@Flushdraw: I think you're going to be a heckuva fisherman because you really listen to advice and you're curious enough to seek it. Bass fishing is complicated, made even more so by all the terminology and many tactics. Then there are the thousands lures with tens of thousands of color options. And for those who use them, electronics add yet another layer of complexity. 

 

I'm a pretty simple angler, fishing from a canoe, but I have pretty consistent success by both working the lures I know and adding a new arrow to my quiver now and then. I also cover a lot of water, fishing the entire time. For example, when I'm crossing a pond, I troll all the way. I don't think many BR anglers troll, but it's so effective in a canoe because I'm not paddling in a perfectly straight line and at a perfectly consistent speed, which makes my lures erratic. 

 

Anyway, the guys have given you lots of great advice and I'm excited to see the results of you applying it. 

 

I really like @JayMac89's post, but my experience is a little different. I think bass move...a lot. I fish based upon this assumption, which means I move...a lot too. I think there is validity to what JayMac wrote about bigger bass staking claim to prime ambush spots and I've found that to be true for a month or two, but then the weeds choke those prime spots and the bass are no longer there, not even if I cast into the thicket.

 

 

Thanks! I see fishing as art mixed with science. I love it and love to learn. I started trying to fish everything with every technique imaginable. I still have huge bags filled with plastics to prove it!

These days I keep it simple. I mostly fish with just a few different baits in 2 to 3 different colors.

I'll occasionally try something new, but I'm mostly trying to master my confidence baits.

 

I also agree that big bass move. I've seen monsters...many times swimming in pairs a few feet from shore. I'm sure they hole-up most of the day, but they do appear to wander.

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Does the H Expride cast OK with your lures? Was thinking about you stating braid cutting onto itself and that can only happen with 50 lb if the spooled line is loose. Sometimes over powering the cast to get tip speed in lieu of rod flex speeds up the spool loosing the line. 
Let’s talk strike detection very important.

I am old school and a line feeler by running the line over my index tip under the thumb. This does a few things, instant detection of lure changes in movements or weight indicating a bass may have it, finger tips are sensitive rods are not. This technique also allows me to keep the line managed going onto the reel preventing loose line.

Good luck with achieving your goal and we need luck along with knowledge and skills.

Tom

 

I have < 10 hours fishing on my new rod. So far, casting has been terrific. I even threw a weightless Senko yesterday and had no issues. I don't think I mentioned my line cutting into the spool. I haven't had any problems. I'm practicing for accuracy right now, not distance.

 

I'm in love with the baitcaster. Even as a newbie, I'm having less wind knots and tangles than I had with my spinning set-ups. I regret not making the move sooner.

 

I use hi viz line. I'm a line watcher. I'm not sure if I can get my fingers in front of the reel. I'll try it.

I have girly sized hands which makes things hard. I currently keep my thumb on the spool at all times.

[JayMac89]

8 hours ago, ol&#x27;crickety said:

I really like @JayMac89's post, but my experience is a little different. I think bass move...a lot. I fish based upon this assumption, which means I move...a lot too.

 

 

Just to be clear, I think/know bass move. I think specifically bigger bass tend to lock down on a spot and hold. On a day to day sort of scale. Obviously seasonally they move as climate changes and as bait moves. 

 

The point being if he's trying to catch a big one, and finds it. But for whatever reason can't land it, go back a few hours later or even the next day. As long as there weren't any major changes in weather there's a good chance it'll be in the same spot. Iv seen it quite a few times in my short experience. I already have the one earlier about coming back and catching the same fish. But I got an even weirder one...

 

Local lake. Saw this one bass, roaming in a certain area. Maybe like a 20sqft area. Bigger bass. Tried catching it, no luck. Next day, same bass. Roaming in the EXACT same spot... not area, exact spot. Went back a week later..... guess who's in the same spot. Couldn't catch him. But very clear water and got a good look at him. No other visible bass. See this guy 3-5 times over the course of a week or two. 

 

I'm too unexperienced to make a judgement on exact reasoning. But seen it a few times. On specific bass, not the majority. 

[bigbassin']

I had a guide that exclusively fishes the Kissimmee chain (there might be better big bass fisheries out there, but you’re really splitting hairs at that point) tell me he’s lost count of the number of 10+ pound bass he’s seen caught in his life, but he assumes over 20 a year. Only 3 had over been caught on artificials off his boat. He also stated almost all came out of the 2 month window leading up to, and during, the spawn.

 

In other words, a guy that fishes 8 hours a day 270 days a year, on one of the top bass fisheries out there, was still only getting it done consistently at just the right time and fishing live bait (a tactic most bass anglers don’t use).

 

Like it’s been said already, right place, right time, right tactic, proper gear setup, and you’ll still need some luck to make it happen. It takes a whole lot of time to figure out the first four and to let the fifth work out on its own.

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, JayMac89 said:

Local lake. Saw this one bass, roaming in a certain area. Maybe like a 20sqft area. Bigger bass. Tried catching it, no luck. Next day, same bass. Roaming in the EXACT same spot... not area, exact spot. Went back a week later..... guess who's in the same spot. Couldn't catch him. But very clear water and got a good look at him. No other visible bass. See this guy 3-5 times over the course of a week or two. 

 

Your story doesn't surprise me. Bass differ from state to state and lake to lake and bass to bass. I can only speak for the bass I catch in the few ponds and bogs I fish and even then, I'm only guessing about whether they're staying put or moving. All this talking about fishing makes me want to go fishing!!!

[WRB]

Right, loose braid was another thread the advice is still good imo.

Bass that you can see can see you  1st!

Try blind casting to that spot.

Tom

[Flushdraw]

3 hours ago, JayMac89 said:

Just to be clear, I think/know bass move. I think specifically bigger bass tend to lock down on a spot and hold. On a day to day sort of scale. Obviously seasonally they move as climate changes and as bait moves. 

 

The point being if he's trying to catch a big one, and finds it. But for whatever reason can't land it, go back a few hours later or even the next day. As long as there weren't any major changes in weather there's a good chance it'll be in the same spot. Iv seen it quite a few times in my short experience. I already have the one earlier about coming back and catching the same fish. But I got an even weirder one...

 

Local lake. Saw this one bass, roaming in a certain area. Maybe like a 20sqft area. Bigger bass. Tried catching it, no luck. Next day, same bass. Roaming in the EXACT same spot... not area, exact spot. Went back a week later..... guess who's in the same spot. Couldn't catch him. But very clear water and got a good look at him. No other visible bass. See this guy 3-5 times over the course of a week or two. 

 

I'm too unexperienced to make a judgement on exact reasoning. But seen it a few times. On specific bass, not the majority. 

I wasn't really disagreeing with you either. I do think many of alpha bass go back to the same place

and hang out there.

 

I will disagree with the average bass being 2.5 pounds...if you're the one that posted that. The average bass down here is probably a pound or less. Even the guy I know that landed the 10 pounder also catches tons of dinks. Hell, I caught 2 yesterday on an Strike King 8" Bullworm.

This is a huge worm yet both my fish were a pound or less. The 10" Bullworm is like a snake!

Maybe I'll fish that tomorrow.

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Right, loose braid was another thread the advice is still good imo.

Bass that you can see can see you  1st!

Try blind casting to that spot.

Tom

Good observation Tom. I have to stop myself from getting right up to the bank. Many times, there are large bass in a foot of water within 3 feet of the bank. I've seen them, spooked them, and caught them.

 

 

[WRB]

My story catching big bass started around the early 50’s or 70 years ago!

Being a curious youngster observed everything along the shore line as walking looking into the water where I grew up. 
Learned a lot about the shore environment. Lots of critters live in and around the bank and LMB bass hunt the 1st 6” to 8’ of water of all sizes until the gets too cold and aquatic growth dies off. 
Continued being observant to this day it’s me.

Why back on 1974 I put whatever knowledge I gained into a presentation “The Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar”.

Nothing has changed since then, bass are bass! The water temps noted are the temps the were in or their body temp, not surface temps! 
Go on line a you can find my original Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar, it should help every bass angler to understand Bass behavior seasonally.

Tom.

 

[txchaser]

Three things come to mind:

1 - in really small waters, your first cast is often your best shot at a big one. Plan and move accordingly. 

2 - stop fishing and start hunting. Imagine you are hunting a single fish. The big one. There's probably a 'best' spot on the lake for that one fish. Feeding flat near deep water, or a big submerged log or bush near deep water. Best ambush point, etc. 

3 - Treat larger fish like a different species. They really are different. Apex predator; they can literally eat the size fish you are catching. They've been around a while and are likely more sensitive to noise, splashes, etc... decent chance they've been caught before and didn't like it. 

 

Bonus - cloudy, windy days up your odds. Wednesdays up your odds. 

[JayMac89]

21 hours ago, Flushdraw said:

I wasn't really disagreeing with you either. I do think many of alpha bass go back to the same place

and hang out there.

 

I will disagree with the average bass being 2.5 pounds...if you're the one that posted that. The average bass down here is probably a pound or less.

 

It's all good, disagreeing is fine. It's healthy and creates good conversation. I was just clarifying what I meant. 

 

For instance, I didn't say 2.5 pounds was average. I did say I consider a 2.5 pound bass an average size. Meaning not big, but not small either. Not that it's the average size bass caught. There's a distinction there. Plenty of dinks around here. And the reason for me bringing that up was that it makes a 4-5 pound bass a monster... to me. To others a 10 pounder is a monster. 

[Catt]

One reason some larger bass move maybe due to their food source or the lack there of.

 

Radio telemetry studies on Toledo Bend showed a 8#+ that lived exclusively on a huge flat 100+ yds from any structure. She had an ample food supply & didn't need to move. 

 

Wanna catch larger than average bass?

Location

Time on the water, not just pre-spawn/spawn but year round. 

Patience, be prepared to be out in less than ideal conditions...for us.

[WRB]

Your goal to catch a “big” bass isn’t high a 5 lb is the target.

In the LMB world a 5 lb is female or less then 50% if the population but very doable. The bass is an adult capable of eating nearly every prey type including young of the year fish species, crawdads, terrestrial critters, frogs, mice, rats etc.

This bass doesn’t group up with smaller bass but hangs out with sisters from her year class.

If you are catching 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 lb bass you are in the wrong location at that time outside the spawn cycle. The majority of the smaller adults are males, not the bass you are seeking.

To catch big bass you must fish for them…simple but true.

Study bass behavior and dedicate yourself to catching big bass.

Tom

 

[Flushdraw]

17 hours ago, WRB said:

Your goal to catch a “big” bass isn’t high a 5 lb is the target.

In the LMB world a 5 lb is female or less then 50% if the population but very doable. The bass is an adult capable of eating nearly every prey type including young of the year fish species, crawdads, terrestrial critters, frogs, mice, rats etc.

This bass doesn’t group up with smaller bass but hangs out with sisters from her year class.

If you are catching 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 lb bass you are in the wrong location at that time outside the spawn cycle. The majority of the smaller adults are males, not the bass you are seeking.

To catch big bass you must fish for them…simple but true.

Study bass behavior and dedicate yourself to catching big bass.

Tom

 

Thanks, Tom. That makes a lot of sense. The question is how to find these large bass in near featureless water. The pond I've been fishing recently is a rectangle with emergent grass growing from the bank to about 10' out. There is just one area on a corner with a nice clump of cattails.

That's the area I've pulled almost every fish out.

[little giant]

Sounds like most of the ponds and small lakes here in south Florida, featureless except lots of vegetation. The bigger bass are there! For the most part, I found the big ones to be loners.

I usually do some roll casts with weightless plastics 20 feet before I even get to the bank. Reeling very slow with twitches. You have to patient and quiet!

Have you ever tried topwaters at night??

The big girls like the dark!!

[bottom_dollar]

Wow there’s great info in this thread  from some big fish hammers. 

 A pond like that the biggest ones are probably eating bluegills, crappie, smaller bass.  Keeping your shadow off the water and fan casting a  moving topwater (buzz bait, horny toad, EZ swimmer) while you walk is probably worth a try. If you get a blow up but don’t connect you can come back later with the senko or fat Ika. IMHO the bigger size fish in shallow grass like you describe like to feed on top (think great whites and seals)
Being in Texas you know you’re in a place where they get big.  Keep setting the hook and eventually a big one is gonna surprise you. 

[Flushdraw]

3 hours ago, little giant said:

Sounds like most of the ponds and small lakes here in south Florida, featureless except lots of vegetation. The bigger bass are there! For the most part, I found the big ones to be loners.

I usually do some roll casts with weightless plastics 20 feet before I even get to the bank. Reeling very slow with twitches. You have to patient and quiet!

Have you ever tried topwaters at night??

The big girls like the dark!!

Good advice.

I'm a widower with 3 kids. Night fishing would be tough for me, although that sounds like fun.

2 hours ago, bottom_dollar said:

Wow there’s great info in this thread  from some big fish hammers. 

 A pond like that the biggest ones are probably eating bluegills, crappie, smaller bass.  Keeping your shadow off the water and fan casting a  moving topwater (buzz bait, horny toad, EZ swimmer) while you walk is probably worth a try. If you get a blow up but don’t connect you can come back later with the senko or fat Ika. IMHO the bigger size fish in shallow grass like you describe like to feed on top (think great whites and seals)
Being in Texas you know you’re in a place where they get big.  Keep setting the hook and eventually a big one is gonna surprise you. 

Yeah, this forum is fantastic! I wish I could find someone local that could coach me. My fishing buddy is a great guy who has lots of experience, but I out fish him in weight and numbers consistently. I've got one "friend" who works at a tackle shop. I've run into him several times on local ponds. He's the guy that caught the 10 pounder. He's a loner. Maybe I should buy him lunch.

[Swamp Girl]

@Flushdraw: I also suggest that you watch Glenn's videos. As a former teacher, I admire Glenn's teaching. There's no click baiting as SOOOOO many YouTubers employ and his teaching is clear and concise. I fished yesterday evening and as has happened many times, I heard @Glenn's voice in my head, this time reminding me to cover water in early fall, which I did and that put me on fish.

[Pat Brown]

1 hour ago, ol&#x27;crickety said:

@Flushdraw: I also suggest that you watch Glenn's videos. As a former teacher, I admire Glenn's teaching. There's no click baiting as SOOOOO many YouTubers employ and his teaching is clear and concise. I fished yesterday evening and as has happened many times, I heard @Glenn's voice in my head, this time reminding me to cover water in early fall, which I did and that put me on fish.

 

 

Doctor has assured me it's normal - no need for shock therapy....yet.  😂😂😂🎣🎣🎣

[Swamp Girl]

Pat, I owe my very existence to shock therapy. Here's me the day I was "born:"

 

[Pat Brown]

I too am guided by voices - many of them, people here. 

 

Could you all please QUIET DOWN - I need to get some work done and all you guys keep saying is 'paaaaaaat go fiiiiiiiish'

 

😭😭😭😭🤪🤪🤪🤪

[Swamp Girl]

3 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I too am guided by voices - many of them, people here. 

 

Could you all please QUIET DOWN - I need to get some work done and all you guys keep saying is 'paaaaaaat go fiiiiiiiish'

 

😭😭😭😭🤪🤪🤪🤪

 

Every time someone posts a fish pic, I too am tugged. 

[Bankc]

It's probably the lake.  Sure there's some skill in catching a big bass that differs from just catching a lot of small bass.  But if you catch 100 bass and none are larger than 2.5 pounds, then that says to me that there probably aren't many, if any, big bass where you are fishing. 

 

Pond owners know that to grow big bass in a pond, you need an environment that will support big bass.  You can't just put bass into a pond and expect them to all grow up to double digit size with enough time.  Sometimes it works out that way naturally, but sometimes you have to take control and intervene.  There's a balance that nature will find, and if there are too many predatory fish in a pond and not enough baitfish to support them, their growth will be stunted. 

 

We have that problem with lakes around here, since most are not actively managed.  If you want a 10+ pound bass in Oklahoma, there are only a few lakes where you can find them.  On most other lakes, around 2-3 lbs is the largest you'll likely find.  There might be a few years where you can find a 5 pounder, when the conditions allow.  But even then, it'll rotate on which lakes will have these bigger bass, year to year.  And it's usually a few years after an event that clears out most of the other bass.

[Flushdraw]

7 hours ago, ol&#x27;crickety said:

@Flushdraw: I also suggest that you watch Glenn's videos. As a former teacher, I admire Glenn's teaching. There's no click baiting as SOOOOO many YouTubers employ and his teaching is clear and concise. I fished yesterday evening and as has happened many times, I heard @Glenn's voice in my head, this time reminding me to cover water in early fall, which I did and that put me on fish.

Oh, I do. I love his simple style. He's a great teacher. I just watched his "hook set with a jig" video for my third or fourth time. That one is gold.

 

My other two favorite channels are Matt Stefan and BassFishingHQ (Tyler Bergen). Glenn and these two channels have greatly improved my fishing skills. I wish I would have found them at the very beginning. I would have saved a ton of money and been a much better angler by now.