5in soft plastics too big for around a 12in bass?

[bass2187]

Hi, im new to the site and was wondering if size of lure effects the size of bass by a lot? I know it has some effect but would say a 5in senko still catch bass around 12in or would a smaller bait not catch, lets say a 24in bass? Cause i would love catching lunkers with larger lures but if i can catch lunkers and the more numerous smaller ones with a smaller bait i would perfer to use that rather than limiting myself to the less numerous big ones. Im talking about LM in this topic.

I hope that made sense  :-/

Thanks, Mike

[BassProKevin]

hi there, mike

for plastic worms, my favourite size is 6 inches since average bass (lets say 3-4 pounds) will take it, large lunkers consider it, and small bass can be more aggressive and greedy.

im only 16 but from the amount of fishin i do i'd say 5-7 inches is your best bet.

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

Ive had numerous small bass catch soft plastics basically the same size as them, i try to always use 5 inch soft baits for bigger bass, and as far as hard baits espcially at night, definitey the motto is the bigger and louder the better!

[burleytog]

Size doesn't matter.  Bigger baits will catch smaller fish.  I've caught 4" bluegills on 4" baits.

Smaller fish will take bigger baits.  I've seen 8" bass striking at a 10" swimbait.

I too sometimes have reservations about fishing bigger baits.  But when I fish a 5" stick worm in the small river here at work and see 6" smallmouths go after it with wild abandon, I realize that big baits catch all fish.

[BASS fisherman]

Good question. No, a 5 in worm, or senko will get even smaller bass than 12". I have had bass on both ends of the extreme. I have caught my 2nd largest bass on a 4inch YUM dinger. But I've also had a 4 inch bass take a crankbait that just barely fit ino it's mouth. If the fishing is tough, you what to try downsizing your lures, and slowing down the retrieve.  As well, a big lure will look better to a big bass, because they can expend less energy to get a good meal-do less, get more.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

While I've had bass bite lures bigger than they are, and caught 5" bream on big Spooks many times, a general rule of thumb I go by is to not exceed 1/3 the length of bass you think are in a fishery. I think for each inch over that your chances of getting a hunger bite drop considerably, but with each pound of bass the drop in efficiency is less. Sounds a little confusing put that way I suppose  :-/  Roughly speaking to me the maximum preferred size for that 12" bass to likely go for it would be a 4" Senko. Let's say adding the inch to 5" might cut your chances 25%, and a 6" swimbait cuts the chances another 25%.  I have no support for those figures. They are just relative and based on a foggy memory while thinking back.

A 18" bass maximum length bait for efficient biting might be around a 6" swimbait. While I've caught plenty 18" bass on 12" worms, I doubt I would catch one on a 12" swimbait. Bulk has a lot to do with willingness to eat, too. I do believe efficiency would only be cut maybe 20% going to an 8" swimbait, and another 20% for 9", etc.

A 26" bass? We already know big lures catch big bass, screening out small bass (usually). An 8" swimbait would interest that fish, while it might prefer to ignore that 5" Senko unless it came right by its mouth. Going longer might not cost you 5% efficiency for each inch in California, but losing 15% in Arkansas. The bigger the bass, the more disproportioned the meal, capable of taking in more than 1/3 their length, having proportionally a much larger head and mouth. I tried monster 12" stickbaits from California on largemouths in Arkansas on many trips one year and never got a largemouth bite in oxbow waters I know held plenty of 10-12# bass, but I know some folks do well in California on those, catching hundreds of 10# bass. I suppose the difference is in what the bass are accustomed to eating there. I did catch a 28# striper on one rainbow trout patterned 12" stickbait, so stopped risking them, being quite expensive. Those baits are now conversation novelties on the wall.

On the other end of the bait scale, any bass of any size will likely eat a 1/8 oz jig if it's convenient enough.

Jim

[Sam]

The above post by Ouachitabassangler is correct and I would say follow his directions.

When I fish rivers I like the 4 inch Senkos and the 5 or 6 inch Zoom plastic worms.

When I fish ponds I will throw a 4 or 5 inch Senko and the 5 or 6 inch Zoom plastic worms.

On lakes, depending on the time of year and depth, I will go with the 6 inch Senko and 6 inch or longer Zoom plastics.

I have found that the bass will take the bait no matter their size since the bass are so agressive when feeding.  I have caught a small bream on a crankbait that was about half his size.

If you want to have some fun and drive yourself crazy, go with a Gulp! curley tail worm and watch the bream go crazy over it and eat the tail.  However, you can catch some nice bass on Gulp! worms so give them a try, too.

[ejtaylor822]

Hey,

I catch 12" all the time on 6" Senko's and roboworms in our pond.  I'm with Burley on this, size is not all that relevant as big baits catch all size of bass.  I was using about a 6" crank recently and pulled in a 10" smallie.  Totally amazed to see this thing going after something alomst 3/4 it's size.  I called him Napolean.  ;D

Eddie

[Other.]

I still got this picture saved from when some one took this picture

So nope 6 inch plastic is not to big for a small bass  

[George Welcome]

How to out-think yourself right out of catching!

First, if I knew I was fishing where there were only 12" bass, I would find another fishing spot. However, that being said, how would you know there were only 12" bass where you are fishing?

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

;D  Why not label that photo "ROAD RAGE"?

George, though I'm no longer employed in fisheries work of any kind I still get calls from landowners I worked with for years. A big complaint is "All we have in there is 12" bass" (or 8, or 10, whatever). A simple net sweep across a pond confirms that, and the complaints are most often accurate. The sometimes hard part is figuring out why, unless it's a heavily fished pond where nobody keeps bass over a certain size. If they throw back 10" bass and smaller, then the biggest bass will be 12" over the next year. That happens some, but what about private ponds with limited access and low pressure?

The nutrient cycle is often poorly formed, existing bass having to feed on insects in season, and maybe their own fry in spring until those are all consumed. If there are any crappie in with them their situation is worsened except when crappie fry become available. Beyond those sources, it becomes a dangerous place for an occasional bird, rat, or whatever else gets close enough to the water. I say all this to point out the very unlikely potential of expecting a bass to reach 18". They just can't swim and swallow fast enough with slim pickings to survive like a juvenile bass can.

Jim

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

I meant to emphasize the forage factor. Each fishery has bass preferring a certain size and bulk of bait depending on what they normally have available to feed on. In Dixon Lake CA they might have 12" trout to feast on, so the big bass won't be very interested in a 4" swimbait, while the smaller bass might go for it, but not once their mouth gets big enough to capture something bigger. Around here the primary forage is 2.5" threadfin shad. Any bait in that general size and bulk will catch any size bass, up to a 3" swim grub or swimbait or similar bulk lure, and you'll get a lot of bites by appealing to all size classes. But going to a 4" crankbait cuts the bite numbers to maybe 25% or fewer as many bites a day because most of the bass prefer something smaller, whatever they are hunting for, accustomed to eating. That bait would weed out smaller bass, more likely to get bit by a trophy bass.

Jim

[pondhopper]

I still got this picture saved from when some one took this picture

A proffessor at Montana State University had a photo similar to this one along side a photo of the fossilized remains of a similar event posted on the wall of his office. The caption read: "The same mistake fifty thousand years later." ;D

[Randall]

Let me answer this question this way. I catch plenty of 24 inch fish on five inch senkos and plenty of 12 inch fish on five inch senkos. Its a good size if you want to catch both in most lakes and ponds.

[OBX-BASS]

i agree with burley on this one...i really dont think size matters to fish based on the fact that i know people who have caught crappie on 6" worms...i have smaller fish attack my lure that is 2x's bigger than they are....tight lines...

[George Welcome]

This is so much hooey.

Bass don't feed by preferred size, they feed by what they can get their lips on. Size of lure does not affect the size of bass caught. Most over the counter lures will catch bass that range from 6 inches to 30 inches.

[liquidsoap]

In a tournament we fished, we used 5" senkos in the morning.  We caught 18 bass in the first 4 hours, and 11 were below 12".

So there ya go, I have also caught 4-5 pounders on them.  

And I have pulled many bluegills, and a few crappies on them too.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

Ever heard of "match the hatch"? It's a very popoluar saying among the majority of pro anglers, and many of the rest of us have found it to be a true saying. Bass most definitely key in on specific forage sizes. Whatever they fins plentiful is what they lock in on, mostly ignoring alternatives. Of course they can and do eat anything fitting their mouth, but a typical angler would do well getting one bite in the fall with schools of bass feeding on shad, but tossing a 7" Bomber Long A or any other large lure like that. While that guy is trying to fill a big bass mouth I'll be matching 3" shad and catching dozens of nice bass a trip.

Jim

[George Welcome]

I could have bet on this one too.

Yes Jim, we have all heard the term "match the hatch". It is a term dragged into bass fishing by trout fishermen.

[jtbassman]

Posted by: George Welcome Posted on: Today at 5:05pm

I could have bet on this one too.

Yes Jim, we have all heard the term "match the hatch". It is a term dragged into bass fishing by trout fishermen.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am sure am glad those trout fisherman did drag that term in here. ;D

Many times lure size is THE most important thing about your bait.

I don't know if you were BSing that term or what, but it applies to bass almost as much as it applies to trout, in my opinion.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

I don't know of one pro that doesn't believe in "match the hatch", regardless of origin of the phrase. It fits all species of fish. Practically all emphasize small lures catch more but smaller bass, while in general large lures catch very few but large bass, all noting exceptions to the rule, as acknowledged here. Bite rate goes up on smaller down to a minimum size. For instance, not many keeper bass would be interested in smaller than a 2" grub bait unless all they have to feed on is tiny minnows. You don't hear about pros on the tournament trail fishing 8"-12" swimbaits or 18" snake worms most of the time,  right? Occasionally they turn to monster baits, but most choose much smaller, like 1/2 to 3/8 oz jigs. Size of bait has a HUGE impact on bass bite. There might be one or two fishermen in the whole world that can catch the same number of bass a day on any bait from 1/8 oz to one pound baits, with no difference in catch rate.  

Jim

[George Welcome]

"I know it has some effect but would say a 5in senko still catch bass around 12in or would a smaller bait not catch, lets say a 24in bass? "

That was the original question. The answer to that question is that a 5" Senko will catch a small bass:

The answer is that a 5" Senko will also catch large bass:

You can argue that or recommend what you think is a better way.

Here's a match the hatch: caught on a live wild shiner -

You can't leave your head home when you go fishing, but you can also out think yourself out there by worrying about too many things. As for loading the boat: the rules of this game are quite simple - find the fish and most baits, regardless of the "hatch" will do the trick for you.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

I agree. A 5" Senko can catch big or little bass. It's a mid-sized lure and a good choice as a general fish catcher. So yes, it's possible to catch any bass in the lake on it. But also possible would be a trout fly. You could cut a broom stick in half and attach a hook and tie it to a ski rope and catch any sized bass in a lake, including the 5" bass. I wouldn't put money on catching that 5" bass any one day, though, on a 5" Senko or on the broom stick. Neither would I put money on catching a 15# bass on it any one day. Trophy bass hunters on Lake Dixon are not normally betting on 5" Senkos, but on very large lures found more likely to draw strikes from record fish. Folks do catch much smaller bass as a rule on those, probably there on Dixon.

Choose a lure more likely to draw bites from the bass you are going after. If you are mostly going for 3# bass, choose the Senko. You might catch the next world record on it, though, but don't hold your breath trying. You will catch more nice bass on lures fitting in to the size of the prevailing forage bass are feeding on at the moment. You simply want it to stand out as crippled, dying, frightened. There is far less bait scrutiny and hesitation to bite among bass using lures that fit into their daily lives.

Jim

[Rattlinrogue]

A 5"plastic bait will catch all sizes of bass.I've caught bass smaller than 12" on hardbaits that were longer than they were.