Help getting past the little ones to the biguns!

[MendotaBassMaster]

I fish a small local lake from the bank and I mostly use pre-rigged worms in the 6 1/2 inch range and have no trouble catching little ones all day long on most days. By little ones I mean I have caught a 1 1/2 pounder on a crankbait earlier this spring and a bunch of little ones as well. My question is I know that there are bigger bass in the lake as I have seen some jump and a guy caught one at night last summer. What is the best tactic to seek out these type bass and get some quality bites. Sure it is fun catching fish when others don't seem to be but would really like to caught some bigger ones if possible. I have tried tube baits and some t-rigged worms but can't seem to tell if I am getting bites and have never once set a hook t-rigged. Help me please! I tried to enclose a photo of the normal size fish I catch. This was one pound caught Saturday. Thanks in advance.

[David P]

Try wacky rigging some plastic worms ( Senkos work best or any other stick baits ) ..

They're 100 times easier to set the hook due to the fact the hooks already sticking out..

Use 6" ones, you'll still catch some small ones, but you'll def have a better chance at catching bigger ones..

I had the same problem today, I fished a new pond, and caught 5 small ones, and hooked only one that was over 12inches long, that one came on a 6" Senko.

[Guest avid]

Send a PM to red torpedo.  I challenged him to catch a two lber on a T-rig.

It took him almost two weeks before he was able to detect strikes and catch fish.

Now, just like you he is going for the bigger ones.

Good luck and have fun.

avid

[roadwarrior]

Well, I think there are a few steps that should be taken to move your learning curve up a notch:

#1 You need the right equipment. The rod should be 6' - 7', at least Medium Power and Fast Action.

#2 Let's start by getting comfortable with the presentation and hook-up. Buy two bags of 5" Senko (not knock-offs) and one bag of Fat Ika (all watermelon with black flake); a package of Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG Offset Worm Hooks; and new line (mono, copolymer or fluorocarbone, not braid). For spinning tackle, #6 or #8, baitcasting #12.

#3 T-rig a Senko, weedless & weightless. Cast parallel to the shoreline, but off the bank 5-15 yards. Let the bait settle to the bottom and sit for at least thirty seconds. Move it 6"- 12" with a slow, horizontal sweep again letting the lure settle on slack line. Repeat until you are out of the "zone."

#4 Once you detect a bite, lower the tip of your rod while reeling down QUICKLY. The instant you feel the fish, snap your wrists moving the tip of the rod without moving the position of the reel relative to your body (snap-set).

Fish the entire bag of Senko and nothing else. Next, fish half bag of Fat Ika before switching back and forth between the two baits. Once you become comfortable catching bigger bass consistantly, you can move up to the 6" Senko. That bait will get you through some of the smaller fish, but until you tire of catching lots of bass, stick with the 5" version.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

"not knock-offs" good one,lmao

As we all know, I can't agree with that statement, too many big fish in the boat to argue but the size comment,...absolutely.

RW throws the 6" almost exclusively for this reason.  You will avoid many of the smaller fish.  Numbers go down but size goes up.

THINK BIG.

Even topwaters, try an excalibur spook (5 3/8 inches)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

One thing RW and I will certainly agree on is that if you want bigger fish,....move to deeper, off shore water.  Get out in the open water and find the 10-15 ft deep structure.

Also, if t-rigging isn't getting it done, try them wacky rigged next

[roadwarrior]

LBH and I are on the same team. There are many ways to skin a cat.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Poor kitty doesn't stand a chance,.......

[Top]

I fish a small local lake from the bank and I mostly use pre-rigged worms in the 6 1/2 inch range and have no trouble catching little ones all day long on most days. By little ones I mean I have caught a 1 1/2 pounder on a crankbait earlier this spring and a bunch of little ones as well. My question is I know that there are bigger bass in the lake as I have seen some jump and a guy caught one at night last summer. What is the best tactic to seek out these type bass and get some quality bites. Sure it is fun catching fish when others don't seem to be but would really like to caught some bigger ones if possible. I have tried tube baits and some t-rigged worms but can't seem to tell if I am getting bites and have never once set a hook t-rigged. Help me please! I tried to enclose a photo of the normal size fish I catch. This was one pound caught Saturday. Thanks in advance.

Is that Lake Mendota? HMMM I would try over by the spill way where the pavillion is on the BACK side along lake drive... not long where Parkway is... but then again I would try all along that side too, I think that is the deepest part of the lake... I haven't ever caught anything bigger than what you caught out there either, I just wanted to stomp the stuffing out of the dang ducks there,  but I would go with a trick worm or a texas rigged zoom worm on a #2 EWG with the LIGHTEST weight you can find... But if I were you I would just go to Lake Kakusha? Is that what its named? THE ONE BEHIND the little lake... My nephew caught a sweet 5 pounder out of there years ago... I don't know where to tell you to go anymore. I left Mendota YEARS AND YEARS ago, I graduated from MHS in 84... Everytime I come home I will always go to the lake and wet a hook. Go to Ace Hardware and take a look at their tackle.. they are a BPS "outlet" they don't have much but that is about all you have to pick from... and NO ONE there knows anything about fishing... Maybe you can go to the bait shop over by to viaduct to where the OLD HS used to be... I can't remember the name... and while your at it.... stop at Ziggys and get me a double breaded cheeseburger deluxe... you have NO IDEA how much I am craving one of those....

let me know how it goes...

PS I have family that still live in Mendota.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

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[captaininsaneo]

Tie on a black and blue jig with a black or blue pork/craw trailer.  Odds are you wont catch many small fish, a jig is notorious for weeding out dinks.

[Needemp]

Mendota, a lot has been said about lure choice and that is important, but it doesn't matter what you use if you are not in the area of big fish. You need to find out how to locate bigger bass. There are sweet spots that hold bigger fish in all lakes. A standard answer of finding points, creek channels, under water stump-flats, vegitation, etc. are the only basic answer you can be given by those of us that don't know your lake. You need to find out what these terms mean, as to how they relate to your lake. For instance, does your lake have points? Is there vegitation? Is that vegitation close to deep water? Better yet, is there a channel by that vegitation? If yes, then there is a perfect spot to start working. Location Location Location!

[Top]

Lake Mendota is a weird lake... if I remember right from when I was a kid... it is a man made lake that was used to put water in the old steam engines. Mendota was founded because of the rail road... anyways the lake is oval.. not sure how many acres but not many... I am not sure about structure though... not much I don't think... there are two areas that have "ditches" the north/west end has an interesting area where there is a culvert  and I am pretty sure an underwater ditch area... the whole south bank I THINK the lake is deeper, the south west side there is another water "inlet" area and I would think that some fish could be found around there... towards the center of the south bank there is something sticking out of the water... I can't think of what to call it but I would cast around that area too... on the west side there is a "casting dock" that I have pitched around and pulled a small bass or two from under...

hope that helps... if you want to ONLY go for the larger fish.. try a 10 in texas rigged worm on a #3 EWG worm... that will weed out a lot of the smaller fish...

AL

PS... dang now I REALLY WANT SOME ZIGGYS!!!

[moloch16]

Big fish like deep water.  Find the deepest water you can and fish around that.  Try to find a drop off from shallow to deep water (perhaps a creek channel) you can cast out to.

Use bigger baits for bigger fish.  A lunker isn't going to waste energy chasing a mediocre meal.

How far do those rocks go into the water?  Rip rap like that often means lots of crayfish.  Use crawfish patterned baits.  I would try a crayfish looking crankbait and bump it along the rocks.  Again - larger baits for larger fish.