Why can't I catch a big bass?

[Dan N]

Here in Wisconsin a 5 lb bass is big! 
I’ve only caught 2 , 5 or bigger. 
just look at the the results of the open on the Mississippi River. Biggest of whole tournament was just over 5, and that was a lot of great fisherman, fishing 3 days.

[RenzokukenFisher]

Heres my 2 cents. I've been fishing for 5 years now with about a dozen 5s, some 6s and an 8lb 1oz fish as my PB. Not a DD catcher but I believe Ive tangled with one or two then lost em heres what I found. Zone in on maybe 2 to 3 small lakes or launch areas on a lake and fish them consistently for the next 2 years. This is important because you can see how bass operate based on the seasons. Use conventional gear and just get good at fishing. Get bites, feel bites, fight fish and learn what they are up to. Eventually start identifying "big fish zones" on your body of water. Cant catch whats not there. So look for areas of deeper water with easy access to a shallow flat or shalloe piece of structure with isolated cover. A big brush pile near a drop off into deep water, a rock pile on a flat near deep water. These are prime zones. Big fish are not like your 2 pounders, they are dominant in their areas and are not often aggressive so you will need to often camp out these big fish zones and fish in boring ways for hours before getting a bite. Keep an eye on how you catch and what time you catch a fish 3 or 4 pounds or bigger. This can clue you into the habits of a larger fish. It'll happen just keep fishing. Also a fair warning. Many say the effort and time to catch one of those giants isnt proportional. Think of it, people may spend a decade meticulously trying to get one and end up with one DD. Its sooooooo much work for just one of those fish. Dont let social media ool you, only a handful of men and gals can consistently catch these dang things 🤣 have fun!

[HawkeyeSmallie]

On 9/7/2024 at 4:46 AM, Catt said:

 

Patience 😉

Some of us have fished a lifetime without a double digit.

 

Try living in a state like Iowa.

 

Double digit?

 

Ain't happening. 

[Flushdraw]

On 9/15/2024 at 7:40 PM, RenzokukenFisher said:

Heres my 2 cents. I've been fishing for 5 years now with about a dozen 5s, some 6s and an 8lb 1oz fish as my PB. Not a DD catcher but I believe Ive tangled with one or two then lost em heres what I found. Zone in on maybe 2 to 3 small lakes or launch areas on a lake and fish them consistently for the next 2 years. This is important because you can see how bass operate based on the seasons. Use conventional gear and just get good at fishing. Get bites, feel bites, fight fish and learn what they are up to. Eventually start identifying "big fish zones" on your body of water. Cant catch whats not there. So look for areas of deeper water with easy access to a shallow flat or shalloe piece of structure with isolated cover. A big brush pile near a drop off into deep water, a rock pile on a flat near deep water. These are prime zones. Big fish are not like your 2 pounders, they are dominant in their areas and are not often aggressive so you will need to often camp out these big fish zones and fish in boring ways for hours before getting a bite. Keep an eye on how you catch and what time you catch a fish 3 or 4 pounds or bigger. This can clue you into the habits of a larger fish. It'll happen just keep fishing. Also a fair warning. Many say the effort and time to catch one of those giants isnt proportional. Think of it, people may spend a decade meticulously trying to get one and end up with one DD. Its sooooooo much work for just one of those fish. Dont let social media ool you, only a handful of men and gals can consistently catch these dang things 🤣 have fun!

Great post. I'll be honest, I'm not yet at the point of being a trophy hunter. I'm pretty impatient for an angler. I'm a single dad of 3 kiddos and my fishing times are usually an hour to two MAX. I'm a newbie and still at the baby phase of thinking catching any fish is good. If I go out fishing and catch nothing, then that just sucks!

 

In the last year or so, I'm slowly changing to where I'm willing to sacrifice quantity for larger fish. Yeah, I know I just contradicted myself. I want to target bigger fish, but still end my day with putting fish in the boat...if that makes sense.

[Swamp Girl]

5 hours ago, Flushdraw said:

I want to target bigger fish, but still end my day with putting fish in the boat...if that makes sense.

 

You make perfect sense. Quantity/quality doesn't have to be either/or although many frame it that way. That said, I'm off to catch a big bass (fingers crossed) and lots of bass (toes crossed)!