BIG BAIT, BIG FISH

[peidy_p]

During spring, summer and fall is the theory big bait big fish a true concept? Fill me in on some of your opinions on this topic. Personaly I beleive it to be true.

[-BassMasterBling-]

I do think that it is true. You catch big fish on big bait. But part of it is that you are eliminateing the chance of catching medium and small bass. So most of your bass are goin to be big. But  you also catch bigger bass. But i go for size not quanity anyway.

[Brian_Reeves]

I've played around with it and for the most part, it's true.  Big bass are top predators and they are pretty darned lazy from what I understand.  They are big because they are efficient.  Why waste your energy running to lunch to eat a french fry when you can have a T-bone delivered to you??  Big bass see it the same way, I think.  

I think this is why most of my bigger fish come on 10 inch worms, full skirted (60 strands or more) with bulky trailers, and large spinnerbaits.

Of course, the theory doesn't always hold true.  Two of my top three bass came off of small lures.  One is a baby 1minus mann's crankbait and the other is a 1/4oz finesse jig with a zoom lil critter craw trailer.  But overall, I think big baits give you better odds at big fish.  2 of the top 3 might be from small baits, but 8 out of the top 10 came off of large lures.  That's just my take on it.

I don't fish for size or quantity...I just fish and enjoy catching.

[Hookemdown.]

Maybe.

Big swimbaits are defiantly a big fish bait.  However, small baits also catch big fish.  My PB was caught on a finesse worm.

[Randall]

Only true to a point. If its an easy meal and worth the effort abig bass will eat it. Sometimes  big baits can be harder to capture and swallow and big bass will not touch them because they have learned to be efficient. I personally catch more big bass on 5 to 8 inch baits than I do on nine inch plus baits. But, I will at times throw a bigger bait when I believe bass to be feeding on larger forage.

[Catt]

All bass feed efficiently (maximize food intake and minimize energy output), many people believe this to mean big baits; I believe it means what is the most available. The Jig-N-Craw is a known big bass bait yet its over all length is what maybe 4 to 5.

[skillet]

Pretty much what the other folks said, big bait=big fish but that sure doesn't mean they won't hit a smaller bait ...

                           As Ever,

                            skillet

[Big-O]

Big baits are a norm for folks who fish for big fish. Doesn't mean smaller baits won't do it. Nor does it mean that small aggressive fish won't hit big baits. Goes both ways. I will always choose bigger bait presentations in big fish waters.

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[burleytog]

Big gun, big deer?

[=Matt 5.0=]

Caught my biggest bass (7lbs 5oz) on an 1/8 oz jig.........you tell me....  

[Rob.Atl]

Caught my biggest bass (7lbs 5oz) on an 1/8 oz jig.........you tell me....

same mine was on a 5 inch senko

pretty much that thoery comes up i think because you will catch bigger bass with a bigger bait because the bigger bait will thin out the smaller ones (unless it is so small aggresive one) u catch hence when you do catch a bass it is larger

thats at least what i think  :-?

[Raul]

Caught my first 10 pounder with a Rapala Minnow size 9, caught my PB ( 13.86 lbs ) with a Shad Rap size 7, have caught many in between big fish with 6 inch worms, and like Catt mentioned, my number 1 big bass bait is the Jig n 'trailer which like Catt mentioned is only 4 or 5" in length.

I do have an arsenal of swimbaits and I fish with them because it 's fun, however I catch a lot more 3-4 pounders with them than 10+ pounders.

[Gannoli]

i believe it is true. think about the energy a bass uses to strike a fish. now why would a big bass use that energy to catch something small thats not going to fill him up when he can use the same amount of energy to catch a bigger fish that will fill him up. i also remember hearing that many bass records were caught by people not even fishing for bass but larger fish like pike and musky. (they use big musky baits)

[Gannoli]

watch these to vids and listen to what he says

[Micro]

I caught a 3.5 lb'er on a Strike King Bitsy Pond Minnow.  Caught a 8 oz'er Rapala X-Rap XR12.

Funny how that works.  

[Tin]

Not around here. Most of my quality or big fish come on jigs, shakey heads, small creature baits (4.2 Beaver), or traps. Don't see to many lunkers in tourney's caught on big baits either.

[CJ]

I agree with Randall, Raul, and Catt. Really the sitiuation dictates. All within a few hours fish may respond to larger profiled lures or the presentation. There's to many factors that may dictate. But the fish's feeding mood has alot to do with it. Just yesturday the fish went from wanting a small 4" tube or 6" shakeyhead worm to wanting 12" worms. The difference maker was the fact that the TVA started releasing water at noon.

[JShrock07]

I would have to agree with the majority of ya'll, however the largest bass I have ever caught in my life was a 10.7 lb. LMB. I caught it on a purple/black 4" renegade worm t-rigged. I even caught it on a small 5ft. cheap-o rod from good ole wally world. And like some of the others I have caught fish that were half the size of the bait also.