How To Catch Big Bass Consistently

[roadwarrior]

What do you think it takes to consistently catch big bass? The are the factors I think are important:

#1 The water you fish MUST hold big bass.

KVD can't catch an 8 lb. bass on a new lake where the big bass are just now reaching 5 lbs. You can't either.

#2 Structure and/ or cover.

For largemouth bass, a combination usually helps. Being near relatively deep water is usually an advantage. The important point is that you have to find 'em before you can catch 'em and the best places to start are where they live or at least, places they occasionally visit.

#3 The right bait/ lure for the situation.

Duh...If you always knew what that was, that's what you would be using. Right?

Well, I suggest starting with the usual suspects and NOT being creative, most of the time.

#4 Quality gear.

Big bass are the predators at the top of the food chain, the rarest of the rare. Every bite counts. That means if you can get the bite you really need to connect and then boat the bass. You don't necessarily need high end equipment, but you do need high quality equipment that is properly maintained.

#5 Experience

This may sound silly, but it is a lot easier to land big bass after you have caught a few.

When I get a big bass on, I EXPECT to land her.

[Hamlet]

What's your opinion on the types of lures that catch big bass? Everything that I have read, and it seems intuitive to me, is that fast moving reaction lures are not going to catch the big bass very often. I'm sure the next post will be from a guy who caught a 10 lb'er on a crankbait or spinnerbait and I know that that happens all the time but if you're talkin odds, it seems to me that the quick reaction lures are not the way to go, even though you can catch monsters on them.

[roadwarrior]

Soft plastics for me.

I know others will say jigs, and I agree, but not for me.

BTW, The majority of my big bass are caught between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, on the hottest bluebird days of summer and on soft platics. However, my PB was caught last September, about ten minutes before sunrise on a Norman Fat Boy. That is the only 10+ I have ever caught on a crankbait.

[galv]

i think it's two major things

#1 right place/right time

#2 solid tackle - sturdy enough line, good hook, good knot tying.

[galv]

i've caught all my big bass around 6-8pm.  this is a shallow pond and the bite usually isn't great during the day.  helps when it's the 2nd or 3rd day of the water warming up.

[Guest avid]

Determination and confidence.

You have to consistently throw big baits and believe that the big bass will hit em.

[Hamlet]

I like the middle ground. By that I mean fishing big lures but not huge lures and never small lures. That bassmaster magazine T.V. show had some guys on there last weekend that only fish huge lures, it just seemed weird to me to see what those type of guys do, it looked like they were casting a butterball turkey into the water. I think you can fish big lures and catch a trophy bass while at the same time catching some really nice non-trophy bass and even some suicidal small bass.

[Glenn]

Excellent post and conversation-starter RW!

[Fish Chris]

Of my 69 DD bass, I have not caught a single one of them on a soft plastic worm, a jig, a crankbait, or a spinnerbait. Instead, all of my 10 plus lb bass have been caught, almost equal thirds, between sightfishing with a bluegill pattern (Castaic baby sunfish in the old days... Basstrix bluegill now), trout patterned swimbaits (Castaic 9" trout in the old days.... Huddleston deluxe now) and live bait (about 16 on a live dad, and 7 on crawlers > either a single, or several at one time)

Now granted, had I followed everything else on my top 10 list, "but only" fished with a plastic worm, then obviously, every DD bass I ever caught would have been on a plastic worm..... although I am almost certain that my total number of DD bass would be much lower.

Works for me.

Peace,

Fish

[George Welcome]

I agree with #1- they have to be in the waters you are fishing

#2 - you have to find them which is the stopper for most

#3 - the catching is easy - actually getting them to the boat isn't - so #3 is catching and keeping

[Guest JoshKeller]

1) get away from the bank, unless its early in the morning, or late in the evening.

2) buy a topo map if there are any available, and USE IT

3) your odds for catching bigger fish increase if you spend more time on the water. If you fish 3 times a week, your odds increase 300%

4) big lures, worked slowly, worked deep.

5) if your not catching big fish, dont be tempted to switch to something to get more bites. It only takes one cast to make your day.

[senile1]

I think Roadwarrior covered just about all the basics.  Avid made a good point about determination and confidence.  I think confidence comes with number 5, experience, and with determination.  If you are determined to catch a large bass you will work long enough to become proficient at it.  Roadwarrior's numbers 1 and 2 will always be the most important issues as they relate to location.  

[Randall]

What's your opinion on the types of lures that catch big bass? Everything that I have read, and it seems intuitive to me, is that fast moving reaction lures are not going to catch the big bass very often. I'm sure the next post will be from a guy who caught a 10 lb'er on a crankbait or spinnerbait and I know that that happens all the time but if you're talkin odds, it seems to me that the quick reaction lures are not the way to go, even though you can catch monsters on them.

My three biggest fish all over thirteen pounds have all hit a  1 1/2 oz spinnerbait. Two more over ten pounds have also came on a big spinnerbait. I have caught numerous fish over nine pounds on crankbaits as well. But I hit every fish on the head which means it didnt move far to hit the bait. I caught them on stumps, rocks, or brush  just after hitting what they were holding on. In the lakes I fish big fish dont chase bait often so a fast moving lure will get them if you get it into the small strike zone of a big fish. Finding them is the hard part but I have found most people can land a six pounder but once it gets bigger than that more and more fish are lost. Most people panic once they see a big fish and this alone causes them to lose the fish because they get so excited they dont know what to do. Also I have seen a lot of big fish lost due to a poor hookset on stretchy lines and rods without enough backbone to set the hook.  So the right equipment is a big factor as well. Big lures will work but I catch plenty of big fish on medium size baits as well.

[BD]

I agree with every point RW said.

 

I caught a 7 1/2 pounder on a frog then a senko....she showed herself, then wouldn't commit, so since she told me where she was, switched to a senko weightless....BAM!!!!

As far as quality gear and line....yeah agreed 110% again. I landed another 7 1/2 pounder with THIS IN FRONT OF HER COMING IN!!!

And I mean all of it!

Another 6 pounder girl taken from my friend on a frog.

Then I caught a 5 pound fish on a jig.

Etc

Side not, can someone please tell me how to size this!!! Sorry guys. :

[tennsopher]

I wasnt going to respond to this,but the answer is so simple.It is simply knowledge.Know where the big fish in your home lake live and what and where they feed on.Do you need to throw a three ounce bait to catch them?No,you need to know what they normally eat in the body of water you are fishing.Location ,presentation,and feeding cycles are the key elements in your quest.Would the big bass chasers in California outfish the local pros in Wisconsin where a big fish is 6lbs?I doubt it, though they might do okay.Have any of you guys living here in Florida caught a lunker on a trout swimbait?I started taking pictures on my camera phone in April to show my coherts at work.They looked at me funny when I told them what I caught.I only fish one day a week as that is my only day off.Im an old guy,and if any of you techno guys can help me I will post a dozen pictures for you to see from 7 to 10 lbs.All were caught on what you probably already own.

[roadwarrior]

I hope LBH responds, but if not, ask Russ to set up a picture account for you. I still haven't posted a pic, but plan to.

If you catch big bass, tell us about it. I'm here in Tennessee, too.

7-10 lbs. is a big bass.

[BD]

I wasnt going to respond to this,but the answer is so simple.It is simply knowledge.Know where the big fish in your home lake live and what and where they feed on.Do you need to throw a three ounce bait to catch them?No,you need to know what they normally eat in the body of water you are fishing.Location ,presentation,and feeding cycles are the key elements in your quest.Would the big bass chasers in California outfish the local pros in Wisconsin where a big fish is 6lbs?I doubt it, though they might do okay.Have any of you guys living here in Florida caught a lunker on a trout swimbait?I started taking pictures on my camera phone in April to show my coherts at work.They looked at me funny when I told them what I caught.I only fish one day a week as that is my only day off.Im an old guy,and if any of you techno guys can help me I will post a dozen pictures for you to see from 7 to 10 lbs.All were caught on what you probably already own.

I would be glad to host photos for you, but I am trying to figure out myself how to keep the sizes in control. >

RW, put some photos up...I love looking at big smallies

[BassChaser57]

Catching big bass vs small bass almost seems like two different sports. Maybe it would compare to bear hunting with a gun then with a bow.

Almost everything is different with where they live, how they act, equipment needed, hooksetting, landing them. I have only had one very near DD and she was on a spinnerbait all my other heavy fish have been caught in fairly shallow water near deep water and have been on jig/trailer. I believe it the presentation that counts most of the time not the exact style or even the exact color. It would be fishing the right waters slow and methodical which means jigs or plastic.

[Shad_Master]

BTW, The majority of my big bass are caught between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, on the hottest bluebird days of summer and on soft platics.

I have been hearing this for years, but have not found it to the case for me -- what is the source for this claim? Is it personal experience or has it come from some book or article?

[langs15]

I hope LBH responds, but if not, ask Russ to set up a picture account for you. I still haven't posted a pic, but plan to.

If you catch big bass, tell us about it. I'm here in Tennessee, too.

7-10 lbs. is a big bass.

Maybe a 6-10 is a big bass...I don't think they come any larger here where I live in my lake and I can't fish any where else :'(. THe only fish I think is over 6 pounds i have only seen swiming once, know where it lives but never catch it...

Back to the topic...

Presentation,confidence, and the right gear. Your not cathing a big bass on a crap reel and rod IMO..

[Matt Fly]

We know that any bait can catch a trophy bass at any time.    Big baits usually don't get the bites smaller baits do which eliminates the smaller fish.

Its a mind set to fish larger baits without many bites.    The average angler who decided to persue a double digit bass doesn't have the mindset, he is use to lots of bites or catching a few.      

Common mistakes, are approaching to noisey, slamming tackle boxes and boat compartment lids.

The last mistake is to go out and just flail away at the water.    Everyone can agree, that the most successful anglers don't flail away, they make a precision cast, as quite of an water entry as posssible, as to not spook the fish.   Doesn't matter whether they are a pro or successful weekend warrior, they make money casts.

Keeping the mental edge, knowing how that fish is going to run from cover is key on fighting and landing the bass.  Know thy structure, cover and contours.

Don't know about all the states, but in Texas, most bass hooked run out of the cover into open water.    Thats not always the case, but most of the time ii holds true.

All good info from all, and if fish played by the same rules every day, we wouldn't need ask so many questions.

Tx state record of 18.18 was caught while crappie fishing with crappie gear in 40 ft of water which goes to show, just be ready for the unexpected.

[Raul]

BTW, The majority of my big bass are caught between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, on the hottest bluebird days of summer and on soft platics.

I have been hearing this for years, but have not found it to the case for me -- what is the source for this claim? Is it personal experience or has it come from some book or article?

RW writes what he thinks and what he has experienced; his advice, knowledge and opinions are very much welcomed and in this particular case the claim is not far from what I have experienced too, it is too much of a coincidence when 3 people, RW, George and me have experienced the same. I caught my first 10 pounder on a jerkbait, my PB on a crankbait, however I think that those catches were caught on those baits just out of pure luck; most of my big fish have been caught on jig & worms, most of them have been caught with that kind of lousy weather, bluebird skies & extremely hot, most of those fish were caught between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM and down here at that time of the day hot means REALLY HOT.

[Fish Chris]

Not only will I completely back the 10 am to 3 pm statement by RW, but as I had said, I consider the hour between 11:30 am to 12:30 PM to be the "magic hour", and I always try to hit one or two of my favorite spots at this time.

Peace,

Fish

[Shad_Master]

I don't mean to be argumentative -- I was just simply interested in where that information came from -- my experience has been a little bit different -- I spend almost every lunch "hour" on one lake or another and usually catch fish during that time, but my bigger ones have either come early morning or late evening (some times even after dark).

[George Welcome]

Big fish can be caught at any time you are casting.

First cast of the day!

Last cast of the day!

Mid-morning!

Noon time!

Even small ones can be caught!

Statistically however, and I believe around the country, the majority of big fish are caught in the late morn to early afternoon period.