Big Bass baits

[jwo1124]

Since I fish relatively small ponds, I would venture to say that the number of fish, or carrying capacity isn;t very high to fish for numbers of bass. Since I also ish from shore, and mainly only during the warmer months Late spring-Early Fall (May-Oct) I am thinking about concentrating on going big when I go out. I'd rather fish all season and only catch a handful of quality fish, one being a new PB, than fish all season and catch smaller pounders and dinks.

So, I have the can out, and I am collecting donations...only two cents  

What is your favorite Big Bass Bait for each season? (Spring Summer Fall)

I am thinking about stocking up on heavy Jig and trailer combos, 10" worms, big topwater plugs and buzzbaits, and them some swimbaits for the cooling water period when bass are on the hunt.

[Raul]

My number 1 big bass bait is the ole fashioned jig n 'trailer combination.

My first 10+ pound fish was caught with a Rapala Minnow and my PB was caught with a Rapala Shad Rap, but I 'd rather think that they were in the right place at the right time cuz other than those fish I haven 't caught fih that big with them ever since, still the jig n 'trailer produces quality fish for me consistently.

[Uncle Leo]

T-Rigged Lizard. At least that is what I caught my top 5 bass on.

[Wayne P.]

Every bass I have caught over #9 has come on a weedless wacky rigged finesse worm.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Big 6 and 7 inch senkos,yum dingers. Zoom magnum fluke.

Xcalibur super spook or a sammy 128

[roadwarrior]

People catch big bass on every class of lure, my PB was fooled

by a crankbait (Norman Fat Boy). However, jigs and soft plastics

have dominated for years. The newcomer, swimbaits, seem to be

today's hottest ticket.

Although soft plastics have been my strong suit for more than a

decade, I have been converted! My passion and recommendation

to you is a jig & trailer.

8-)

[Branuss04]

It's all about the A.I. Bucketgrabber for me.

[wisturkeyhunter]

I fish a couple different ponds from shore alot and I kinda got stuck in a rut this summer using weightless plastics. I was catching a ton of fish and the occasional nice one but I got burned out doing the same things and catching the same fish. I recently have started throwing swimbaits and its been a blast. Throwing a baby wake at night and catching much better than average sized bass is the most fishing fun I've had in a while. Mattlures baby bass is the swimbait I started with and a pretty good choice, it can be thrown on regular gear and catches some nice fish.

[hawgchaser]

Big is different for everybody I guess. For me anything over 8 pounds is big. I have caught a half dozen over 10 and probably 20 or so between 8 and 10...maybe a little more.don't know.

But the majority have come from 10" Power worms at night, brush hawgs and jig'n pigs during the day.

But my neighbor caught an 11lbers on a crappie jig so who knows

[Bassboss]

Musky spinners!

Black and yellow, 1/2 to 1oz!

[bigfruits]

spring-jig

summer-jig

fall-jig

i'll have to admit, however, 5lbs is big for me.

[Catt]

Texas's Share A Lunker Program encourages anglers who have caught 13-pound-plus largemouth bass to lend or donate the fish to TPWD for spawning purposes. Since 1986 there have been 455 bass entered into the program and of those only 9 were caught on baits exceeding 8 in overall length.

[basspimple]

this year my big bass money bait has been a buzzbait, hands down. ive just got into jig fishing this year, so im hoping to make it my hawg catcher in the future. they are just a blast to use.

-j

[wisturkeyhunter]

Texas's Share A Lunker Program encourages anglers who have caught 13-pound-plus largemouth bass to lend or donate the fish to TPWD for spawning purposes. Since 1986 there have been 455 bass entered into the program and of those only 9 were caught on baits exceeding 8 in overall length.

Interesting fact but That really proves nothing as far as what works best for big fish though. Swimbaits haven't been popular very long and alot of trophy fisherman throwing the really big stuff aren't keeping 13 pounders for studies.

[BassFishingMachine]

My 2 biggest bass were both caught on jigs. As for other big bass catchin baits, IMO that would be frogs, and flipping creatures.

[Catt]

Texas's Share A Lunker Program encourages anglers who have caught 13-pound-plus largemouth bass to lend or donate the fish to TPWD for spawning purposes. Since 1986 there have been 455 bass entered into the program and of those only 9 were caught on baits exceeding 8 in overall length.

Interesting fact but That really proves nothing as far as what works best for big fish though. Swimbaits haven't been popular very long and alot of trophy fisherman throwing the really big stuff aren't keeping 13 pounders for studies.

It proves the fact that Big Baits don't mean big bass; aside from swim baits the #1 big bass bait may well be a jig but think about it a jig-n-craw aint but 4 maybe 5 in length.  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

swimbaits

[ptomacbass]

Texas's Share A Lunker Program encourages anglers who have caught 13-pound-plus largemouth bass to lend or donate the fish to TPWD for spawning purposes. Since 1986 there have been 455 bass entered into the program and of those only 9 were caught on baits exceeding 8 in overall length.

Interesting fact but That really proves nothing as far as what works best for big fish though. Swimbaits haven't been popular very long and alot of trophy fisherman throwing the really big stuff aren't keeping 13 pounders for studies.

It proves the fact that Big Baits don't mean big bass; aside from swim baits the #1 big bass bait may well be a jig but think about it a jig-n-craw aint but 4 maybe 5 in length.

I think that the reason that only nine share lunkers were caught on 8+ inch baits is because most people don't use baits that big because they don't have confidence in them. i don't know though because I just caught my biggest bass yesterday and it was on a big white spinnerbait near a creek channel loaded with wood.

[kayl.]

Texas's Share A Lunker Program encourages anglers who have caught 13-pound-plus largemouth bass to lend or donate the fish to TPWD for spawning purposes. Since 1986 there have been 455 bass entered into the program and of those only 9 were caught on baits exceeding 8 in overall length.

Interesting fact but That really proves nothing as far as what works best for big fish though. Swimbaits haven't been popular very long and alot of trophy fisherman throwing the really big stuff aren't keeping 13 pounders for studies.

It proves the fact that Big Baits don't mean big bass; aside from swim baits the #1 big bass bait may well be a jig but think about it a jig-n-craw aint but 4 maybe 5 in length.

I think that the reason that only nine share lunkers were caught on 8+ inch baits is because most people don't use baits that big because they don't have confidence in them. i don't know though because I just caught my biggest bass yesterday and it was on a big white spinnerbait near a creek channel loaded with wood.

*Ding Ding Ding* I think we have a winner! I agree, I think that the Share Lunker stat quoted here doesn't apply because of 2 reasons.

First - many people do not throw baits over 8" for bass, both because they don't have confidence in them and also because they don't own any.

Second - As far as bass fishing goes, I really think that baits over 8" have gotten a following in the past few years. Yes, there were people who were throwing big baits before then, but they were not your everyday bass fisherman. Now, more and more fisherman are throwing the big baits.

It'd be interesting to see what the Share Lunker stats are for 2000 - present, I wonder if it would be a different story...

[fourbizz]

Bucketgrabber by AI

[kayl.]

Bucketgrabber by AI

This lure has been mentioned twice now, but I Googled it and cannot find anything about it.  Do you have a link to a page with more info?

Thanks!

[ptomacbass]

Fourbizz, I can't find the bucket grabber on google either, what is it? do you have a link so I can buy some sometime?

[Catt]

If all it took was big baits to catch big bass we would all be throwing 4' worms

I caught 11 bass in excess of 10 pounds last year and none were caught on big baits, they were caught on prime structure using simple techniques to perfection; location and presentation are key.

You can throw big swim baits all day long in the wrong locations and you aint gonna get bit period.

[Brian_Reeves]

Spring:  I like Strike King's Red Eye Shad, the Rage Tail Lobster/Craw on a jig, and a Zara Spook Jr.

Summer:  It's all about the 10" Anaconda and the Rage Lobster on a big Football jig.  I also like a double buzz bait or a Rage Shad in the late evening or early morning to get those active fish in the shallows.

Fall:  Fall is anything's game, really.  It really is all about location.  If you can find small fish, chances are that there are big fish around.  I target them by slow rolling spinnerbaits under pods of shad or by hopping a jig and craw on the bottom.  Jerkbaits really shine this time of year too.

Winter:  Jerkbaits, hair jigs with pork, spoons, and drop shots work well for me this time of year.

Overall, my favorite big fish tool is the jig and craw, favoring a homemade 3/4oz football jig with a lobster as a trailer.  

[senko_77]

You increase your odds of catching a big fish with certain baits.  I personally like jigs and buzzbaits for big fish, but it has more to do with location IMO.  Concentrate on finding the big fish in your lake, then worry about what to throw at them.

I've caught 3 over 10lbs.  One was on bed, so it doesn't count, but my other 2 were caught on a shallow running crankbait, and a finesse craw with a 1/0 Gamakatsu EWG and 1/16oz slip sinker.  The one that hit the craw was 14.7lbs but it wasn't because of what I was throwing, it was because they location I caught it from was the perfect recipe for holding a big bass.