Are you surprised ???

[KYbass1276]

The biggest I have caught is a 7 pounder.  But I have been working on getting that ten.

[Alpster]

It's all in perspective of where you fish.

I agree with Bob101, 15 oz over 10lbs where I live is the State record. I get to fish once or twice a week (my kids think they are supposed to eat every day. LOL) I live vicariously through you guys that fish several days a week and catch monster bass. I will take all the 4, 5 and 6lb bass I can catch. Live well full of fish or skunked, I'm just proud to participate.

God Bless

Ronnie

[flyphisher #]

My 10 was on a trick worm(powerpro w/ 17lb flouro leader to skim top of grass) in a 100 acre public lake.

My 9.5 was in a 28 acre private lake on fly tackle. #6 popper

I broke off a 10+ in a private pond on a jig, 30lb test.

I tournament fish mostly but I throw baits the majority of the time that are bigger than average just so I hopefully catch larger than average fish when conditions allow.

[frogtog]

I have lost thousands of 10# + Bass. ;D

[Catt]

Ok what am I voting on again?

You may not catch a 10 lb bass but you can definitely increase the size you catch by simply changing where on any giving lake you fish. You can fish Jigs, Worms, or Swim Baits and still not catch bigger bass because you aint fishing where they're at.

Catching big bass is combination of every thing you do, it aint just the bait, the boat, or anything else.

It's you!

I have a saying that really ticks every one off but it's the truth If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always got.

[bighed]

I've been unable to make a correlation between bait size and fish size around here.  I'm no big bass expert (would like to be though) but here's some observations:  The state record bass, 18.18 lbs., was caught on a crappie minnow a couple inches long in 40+ feet of water.  The details of the fish donated to the Share a Lunker program indicate that a variety of baits landed the big girls and that very few were caught on large baits.  The online fishing reports I've read for local lakes the last several years show no big bait/big fish relationship.  Everybody's favorite 5" Senkos for me have caught more 12" fish than keepers so I started throwing 7" Senkos.  The average size of the fish has increased but only about 2".  On a guided trip on Lake Fork I had requested some deep water drop shot training.  The guide pulled out the spinning rod rigged with a single 2" senko and I caught a couple 6 pounders in the next half hour.  While preparing for a yellow fin tuna trip I took a new popping rod to the lake for practice.  Casting a Tuna Hunter lure (about 10" and four ounces) I actually caught a couple bass around 14".  Sorry if this sounds like random ramblings but it seems to me that sometimes big fish like little baits and little fish like big baits.   :o  big

[Mattlures]

Bighead ist about playing the percentages and increasing your odds. That giant caught on a little shinner was a fluke. Heck some monsters are caught in Cali off of powerbait. Yes big baits will catch little bass and little baits will catch big bass. Catt hit the nail on the head. If you keep doing what you have always done than you will catch the same sized fish. Its not all in the baits. Its about targeting big bass. think of them as a diferent species. kinda like targeting smallmouth when they live in the same lake as largies. They are both bass but they have diferent habits. Well so do big bass. I fished for probably 20 years before I caught my first big bass. Up untill that point I hade caught many bass between 5-8lbs but only a few bigger than that and none over 10. I had to change my entire mindset and only specificly target big bass. It also took me 2 years of half a$$ed swimbait fishing to finaly catch one on it. After that I used swimbaits religously and actualy learned how and when and where to fish them. Heck I even figured out how to make them  .  The single biggest adjustment I made was to spend more time fishing lakes that kicked out the big fish. this was hard to do because where I live the smaller super clear deep lakes have the biggest fish. These lakes are brutaly hard to catch any bass let alone a big one. But I instantly increased my odds. I had to leave my favorite lakes where 20lb bags were common for me. I made up my mind that I was going to do what ever it took to get a 10lber.

[bob101]

I've been unable to make a correlation between bait size and fish size around here. I'm no big bass expert (would like to be though) but here's some observations: The state record bass, 18.18 lbs., was caught on a crappie minnow a couple inches long in 40+ feet of water. The details of the fish donated to the Share a Lunker program indicate that a variety of baits landed the big girls and that very few were caught on large baits. The online fishing reports I've read for local lakes the last several years show no big bait/big fish relationship. Everybody's favorite 5" Senkos for me have caught more 12" fish than keepers so I started throwing 7" Senkos. The average size of the fish has increased but only about 2". On a guided trip on Lake Fork I had requested some deep water drop shot training. The guide pulled out the spinning rod rigged with a single 2" senko and I caught a couple 6 pounders in the next half hour. While preparing for a yellow fin tuna trip I took a new popping rod to the lake for practice. Casting a Tuna Hunter lure (about 10" and four ounces) I actually caught a couple bass around 14". Sorry if this sounds like random ramblings but it seems to me that sometimes big fish like little baits and little fish like big baits. :o big

I almost made the same observation about Barry's 18.18 fish here in Texas being caught while crappie fishing.

[Fish Chris]

Wow ! Thank you for all the replies.

I was primarily talking about "Cali bass". Obviously in states where 10 plus bass are rare, or non-existent, the catches of 10 plus bass, will also be rare, or non-existent. I just find it interesting that even in a state where 10 plus bass are relatively plentiful, there are a large majority of serious bass fishermen, who still haven't caught one...... but then like I said, I was in that same boat myself for a lot of years, until I finally cracked it. Obviously these fish are catchable, but then they are not ususally catchable using standard numbers / small fish techniques.

As a matter of fact, I talked to a guy yesterday, who puts in the time..... on the right lakes.... and fishes specifically for bass.... and doesn't fish tournies.... "BUT, who doesn't fish swimbaits". He said that he once caught a 10 lb'er, back in the day when it was hot {this is the place that I caught the 14.40 at a couple weeks ago}.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the first guy he has seen throwing swimbaits..... But he just kind of brushed it off, saying something like, "They are just too heavy, and too much work.... no fun...." Okay. To each there own. But then he went on to say that he knows their are still some big ones in there, and he'd sure like to catch one..................

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the trout fishing at that place.... Geeeez ! You should see the size of the trout they been dumping in that place ! They look like small Salmon ! A whole bunch of them are like 5 to 8 lbs ! So of course, guys are catching a whole bunch of 5 to 8 lb'ers. (That would have been a tough prediction, huh ;-) And ya' know, although I would not feel as if I had accomplshed anything to catch a few of these, I think it would still be somewhat fun :-) .....more fun than work anyway :-)

Peace,

Fish

[bighed]

I agree that a mind set change has to be made to catch more big fish.  Of the dozens of lakes in this area all have produced 15 pound plus fish except a very few.  I fish them often, at least two full days a week sometimes three or four.  My big fish results have been poor.  I've caught countless 6-7 pounders but fish above 8 pounds have for the most part eluded me.  For the last several years my time on the water has been almost all pre fishing or fishing tournaments.  I spend lots of time trying to pattern the fish and it's worked pretty good for me.  Usually during a tournament I'll have close to a limit or a limit by mid morning.  I'll sometimes cull a fish or two during a mid day feeding period but that's about it.  I think there might be a chance for me to shift to a big fish mind set after the morning bite and "swing for the fence".   A six, eight, or ten pound kicker fish would take me up into the good money instead of settling for gas money or no money not to mention the pride of weighing a big sack of fish.  What's everybody's thoughts on this idea?  What kind of results might a person hope for with maybe only four hours fishing large baits/large fish techniques?  Really, one bite is all it would take and I'd gladly wager that one or two pounds I might cull up for a shot at the top.  big

[Live.2.Fish]

Up here in the Cornhusker state the state record is 10lb 11oz (Caught in 1960's).  So my chances are slim to none here.  But this weekend I'm heading to Lake Fork for our fishing trip  .  So we will have to see how it goes down south for us.

[Cravin]

I don't mind saying I never caught a DD Bass.  3yrs of club fishing and never seen one there either. I've been to friends houses who bass fish and never seen a photo or a mount of a 10+ bass.  8 pounders are the biggest I'd actually seen in Oklahoma although there are bigger ones. I know some lakes here in Texas have Florida strand bass in them....Thats probably my best bet for 10lb bass or go to Mexico.

[senile1]

In any region, to catch the older, warier, larger bass on a regular basis one has to use the proper tactics and the proper lures.  If your biggest bass in your state are 7 - 10 lbs they're going to be just as tough to catch as a high Teener in California, because they've been around a long time and probably have seen just about every lure there is.  If you want to catch them you should alter your tactics accordingly.  I know I need to do something different.  

[bighed]

I had been pondering the possibilities (me and everybody else) of the swim bait for some time now.  This thread has got me moving in the big fish direction.  I placed an order with mattlures and have some of those sweet bluegill coming as well as the baby bass and yellow bass.  Now it's time to read up on how to fish these baits.  I'll report back with pics ;D

[Siebert Outdoors]

In this part of the country fishing for 10 lb bass is a realistic proposition. Fishing for 15 lb bass is not. I am a firm believer in "big baits" that most smaller fish shy away from. In this part of the country, a big bait is a 1/2 oz jig, 3/4 oz Ledgebuster and 6" Senko.

I haven't jumped on the swimbait bandwagon because #1 I'm not convinced I would catch more big bass; #2 I tried it a couple of years ago and didn't like throwing those big baits. I suspect most of the bass I would catch around here would still be 7 or 8 lbs and maybe a big bass once in a while. Heavy gear takes a lot of the fun out of catching bass that size. I'm going to stick with what I've been doing.

For the most part that is the same post I was going to put up here.  I have never caught a bass over 7.5lbs.  Realistically  around here 10+ are very very rare.  I hear and see a few 9's and less but that magical 10 is almost non existant.  I think the state record is 14.  I have for the most part upsized alot of my tackle to bigger baits over the last few years.  The lures that RW mentions are pretty much staple big bass producers around here with adding the big 10-12" worms.

We've touched on the mind set between the 2 types of bass fisherman before.  There is the 5 in the live then the guys that go out for the few bites.  Not that one is better then the other its just a different style of fishing.  

Around here catfishing in the Mississippi, and MO river is pretty big.  To show the other side of FC comment on big bass swimming around little trout.  These guys go out and catch 60+ even into the 100's(rare) size cats.  These cat guys dont mess around with the little dinky bass that might weigh 10-14lbs.  This also applies to snagging season for spoonbill.

IMO its just a mind set of what you like to do.  Catch the biggest possible or catch 5 good ones.  Imo a tourney guy isnt out for monsters.  Yeah he might get one here and there but not like a guy that hunts them.   But on the other hand the tourney guy will catch alot more then the lunker hunter.

[Fish Man]

let me say one thing.if i ever catch a fish that is 10 pounds i may very well be in the record books.state record for delaware is 10.5 pounds .while there are ponds round here certianly capable of a fish that size they are public ponds with overwhelming pressure.i fish small private ponds one being 5-10 acres and having fish that iv herd stories of being upwards of 8-9 and the nerest public pond is much much larger so i wouldnt doubt there is a record but it will never be caught without a ton of luck and skill(both are sumthing i need a little more of)  ;D

[wickyman]

I live up here in Lake County, California.  I am very proud of some of the bass here, though I haven't seen a lot of bass over 8lbs...  It's pretty rare!  And I think the record bass is 15.13lbs or something close to.  I chase the double digits with a dream, but not really being in the game long, has caused me to research, hours, and hours of information!  If I ever catch a fish over 9 lbs, I am going to be the happiest guy in the world!  My personal best is like 4.6 lbs!  So anything is an improvement.  I am an all around fisherman, I can fish for just about anything, with ease...  I fish for crappie, blue gill, bass, trout...  I don't really care what is on the end of my line, as long as it wants to fight me for it!    In fact, I have a trout derby, locally, this up coming weekend!  It's not going to be huge or anything, but first place is $150 dollars...  I think I can do that!    

[Catt]

I totally believe the biggest mistake anglers make is they don't know where to look for bigger size bass. I hear all this talk about search baits, may question has always been What are you searching for? if you know where the prime structure is located the search is over. The problem is these guys are searching in all the wrong places, they aimlessly wonder down a shore line in hopes of finding a bass, when the entire time the bass are behind them.

[Brian_Reeves]

With search baits, I'm using the bait to generate reaction strikes as well as get a feel for the terrain ahead of my boat or in places where I can't get my boat.  If I find a stump with my crankbait, then I am going to re-think my approach.  The shorelines I'm searching are pre-determined from past experience or just trying to figure out the bass.  That's what I'm searching for.

Once I find prime structure, I usually switch to a carolina rig or a jig to work it over really good before I move on.  Most of my "big" fish have come from this tactic.  Both of those are over 8lbs, which isn't bad for a lake unaccustomed to producing monsters...even in the heart of Texas.  

[tbone31]

I wish they made DD bass were I live. We settle for 5 and 6 pounders!!

Still gets my blood flowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[=Matt 5.0=]

Ive never even caught one in the higher single digits

Same here. I think geography is part of my problem....

[linesider7]

My PB was 8 on the nose, (see avatar) was so d**n excited I took the pic with the boga still in her mouth.  I've been fishing for approximately 15 years, and my PB before was probably 2-3.  AND I LIVE IN FL PEOPLE!

I HAVE thrown the senkos, the flukes, the jerkbaits, etc. out the window.  

I primarily fish toads, jig/trailers, and soon, swimbaits.

I do not fish for numbers, I fish for big bass.  I'll tell you, since I changed my tactics, I don't catch many dinks anymore.  I've caught several fish between 5 and 7 lately, even put my buddy on a 9.5

I will break 10 this year.   8-)