Whats with me, I never get the big bite!!

[dman]

I've been fishing a long time and i always do pretty good but I never get the big one!  And i dont mean i dont land him,  he just never bites.   i can catch bass all day long,  I always outfish everyone in terms of numbers,  but never the big one.....My biggest Bass might be around 5-5 1\2 pounds.  But it was caught when i was 14 at a place that nobody is allowed to fish at.   I've tried using larger baits but i still dont get the big bite and then i dont catch as many either.  So it really ticks me off now when i take my brother out,  who is stumbling over rocks,  casting into trees and then he pulls out a bass thats 7 1\2 pounds!  I almost quit!

What gives?!   what could i be doing wrong,  its not like i dont catch anything!

[Davis]

I've been fishing a long time and i always do pretty good but I never get the big one! And i dont mean i dont land him, he just never bites. i can catch bass all day long, I always outfish everyone in terms of numbers, but never the big one.....My biggest Bass might be around 5-5 1\2 pounds. But it was caught when i was 14 at a place that nobody is allowed to fish at. I've tried using larger baits but i still dont get the big bite and then i dont catch as many either. So it really ticks me off now when i take my brother out, who is stumbling over rocks, casting into trees and then he pulls out a bass thats 7 1\2 pounds! I almost quit!

What gives?! what could i be doing wrong, its not like i dont catch anything!

Lol it just happens sometimes.

I posted something similar this month when my cousion in law caught a nice bass on a spider man kids pole and a crap spinnerbait.

Sometimes I think we just try to hard. We just need to fish and not worry about the little things.

[slomoe]

good call Davis. Just relax, Thats when you get slammed!!!

[dodgeguy]

maybe your brothers lure movements in the water are like his movements out of water.try a more erratic presentation.

[Davis]

good call Davis. Just relax, Thats when you get slammed!!!

Yep.

Also just take a couple different lures with you on you outings. That way your not "thinking" too much.

You will also gain confidence little by little with those couple different lures.  

I noticed when I was in a funk I was taking my whole collection lol.

So try simplifing things and I think you will be okay. Try fishing at dawn and dusk as well. If your going in the day....find some cover and shade. That should get you going again.

[dman]

Davis,    thanks for the ideas....Lately ive been trying my untraditionals or taking only plastic baits,  or working hard jerk baits or crankbaits since i dont use them much......I always try to find cover first......My brothers fish is just dumb luck and i know that but it still bothers me because its the biggest bass i ever saw,  that is a hawg up here in NortheastE PA!   I'll be getting a boat in the spring and i really think its what i need so that im not stuck fishin the same shorelines over and over.

[Raul]

If you are after the big bite ----> jig n 'pig

Some may say big worms, some may say swimbaits, yep, both catch big fish but for me, the most consistent big bite getter has been the old favorite jig n 'pig, even though my first 10 pounder was caught with a Rapala Minnow and my PB ( 13.86 ) was caught on a Rapala Shad Rap the bunch of fish in between those two have been caught mostly ( 70% ) with the old reliable jig n 'pig.

[Davis]

Davis, thanks for the ideas....Lately ive been trying my untraditionals or taking only plastic baits, or working hard jerk baits or crankbaits since i dont use them much......I always try to find cover first......My brothers fish is just dumb luck and i know that but it still bothers me because its the biggest bass i ever saw, that is a hawg up here in NortheastE PA! I'll be getting a boat in the spring and i really think its what i need so that im not stuck fishin the same shorelines over and over.

North East the town in PA or just Northeast general area PA?

[WRB]

This may sound harsh; "to catch big bass you must fish for them". Anyone can catch big bass on rare occasions, but you must fish where the bigger are located to have any chance at catching them consistantly. This means you need to take the time and learn about bass habits, seasonal or calendar periods and what the bigger bass are eating for prey at the locations where they are holding.

Over 90% of the bass fisherman always fish the banks of a lake and big bass are not usaully near the banks the majority of the time.

Here is a thumb nail on seasonal periods;

Winter; cold water period, water temperature between 40 to 55 degrees in most regions. Bass are located in the warmest water that has good DO levels and prey available. Usually main lake deep breaks.

Pre-spawn; cold water transition period, water temperature 55 to 62 degrees, bass are staging on deep breaks near spawning areas.

Spawn; warming water in the shallow flats, water temperature 62 to 67 degrees. Bass are in pairs, spawning in wind protected areas.

Post Spawn; water temperature 65 to 68 degrees, bass move back out to pre-spawn areas and hold on secondary breaks with structure or cover.

Summer; warm water period, water temperature 70 to 80 degrees, bass scatter and locate in areas that provide good opportunities for easy prey ambush and move deeper as the surface water continues to warm. Big bass prefer 70 to 75 degree water with good DO levels. The bass will move up to shoreline cover and roam during the darker light periods and at night.

Fall; cooling water period, 75 to 62 degrees, bait fish school due to shorter light periods and cooling water and begin to migrate to zoo plankton rich water if shad are the baitfish and the bass follow the bait fish and crayfish.

Water temperature may very slightly and are the temperature at the depth the bass are holding, not surface temps.

Learn to fish outside structure, break line, current breaks and use electronics to locate the bass on those areas. Fish lures that represaent the prey the bass are targeting. Adult size bass prefer crayfish, pan fish, shad if available. Northern strain LMB prefer large bait fish up to 6", Florida LMB prefer baitfish up to 12", smallmouth and spots prefer crayfish and smaller baitfish up to 5". All adult size bass will target crayfish when available.

The above is a very compressed statement, post any specific question regarding the above and you should get an answer.

Good luck.

WRB

[roadwarrior]

How, what or where?

Let's start with where?

Well, WRB pretty well covered that, so I'll leave others to add to his comments.

What?

Can't disagree with Raul, jigs are a good choice, probably most people's 1st choice. Others, particularly the leftcoasters, will point to the swimbait. That just cannot be argued, all of the "unofficial new world records" have been caught on these lures. Our own Fish Chris, fourbizzle and others have posted some MONSTERS! I would argue soft plastics. Not only an opportunity for HUGE bass, but good numbers of big bass as you go along.

How?

Slow, very slow with jigs and soft plastics. I only fish small swimbaits (like Baby Bass), and those I swim slow. We 'll see what other swimbait fisherman have to say about that.

[dman]

Davis, thanks for the ideas....Lately ive been trying my untraditionals or taking only plastic baits, or working hard jerk baits or crankbaits since i dont use them much......I always try to find cover first......My brothers fish is just dumb luck and i know that but it still bothers me because its the biggest bass i ever saw, that is a hawg up here in NortheastE PA! I'll be getting a boat in the spring and i really think its what i need so that im not stuck fishin the same shorelines over and over.

North East the town in PA or just Northeast general area PA?

Northeast as in the general area.   I'm in the Scranton area if your familiar.   'bout 2 1\2 hrs north of Philly and 2 hrs west of NYC.

WRB,   thanks for all that info.  I think getting a boat is gonna help me out with being able to locate the bigger fish.

[senile1]

WRB, good post but I have to ask where you got your winter water temperatures.  From Southern Missouri all the way to the northern border water temps in the mid-30s in winter are common.  I would love to be able to fish where the water never dropped below 40 in the winter.  

[fastcasterjo]

Everyones personal best involves a little luck. Mine was luck. I had a 5 inch brim that i had caught earlier that day and I put it on a 7 foot surf rod. put the fish on the hook and open the cast bar and just let the fish swim around some grasses. halfway through reeling in my normal rod the rod went tight. 12 lb largemouth. I Got mad too just take your time. by the way 5.5 lb bass isn't too shabby. GOOD LUCK.  

JOE

[32251]

I will be a very happy fellow the day I catch a 5 1/2Lb bass!!!

[dman]

I will be a very happy fellow the day I catch a 5 1/2Lb bass!!!

Come on up to Scranton PA and go to   Lake Scranton.  Toss a rubber worm on a jig head and have fun.  Just dont get caught!

You will clean up on HUGE pickeral too.  We used to get 5-6 pounders (maybe more) daily,  32-33 inches long, FAT.   So yeah it may have been 5 1\2 pounds but i dont like to count it really because it was an illegal fish out of illegal waters.

[WRB]

WRB, good post but I have to ask where you got your winter water temperatures. From Southern Missouri all the way to the northern border water temps in the mid-30s in winter are common. I would love to be able to fish where the water never dropped below 40 in the winter.

When water temperature reaches 39.4 degrees F, it becomes less dense (lighter weight) and floats to the surface and continues to cool unitl it freezes at 32 degrees F. Bass; northern LMB, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass can not tolerate water below 40 degrees, they die. Florida largemouths lower limit is about 45 degrees and is one reason they do not survive in colder climates.

During the cold water period the bass go deeper to find the warmest water traped by the colder heavier water above. After a few months of very cold weather the upper colder water layers may over whelm the warmer deeper layers and turn over. Turn overs usually happen on lakes that freeze or are very windy. This is why you fish deeper during the colder water periods or where the warmest water layers maybe.

It doesn't matter where the bass are located, in south America or north America, bass are bass and cold blooded. The water temperature combined with the day light hours controlls their calendar.

I have been bass fishing all over the US and Cananda during the past 50+ years and collected lots of water temperature data from bass with a thermometer placed down the fishes throat just after catching them.

WRB

[tritz18]

Hey man same thing has happened to me I went out with a friend of mine who was new at bass fishing (he had only ocean fished before). And about his 3rd trip he casted a yamamoto and wasn't even paying attention to it. it sat in the same place for about 10 min then my friend decides to reel in and what do you know he catchs about a 6 pound bass. But I keep trying I know it will be my turn to catch the big fish soon.

[Guest avid]

maybe your brothers lure movements in the water are like his movements out of water.try a more erratic presentation.

I was thinking the same thing.

But I suggest more EROTIC movement -  

[Bass Hammer]

maybe your brothers lure movements in the water are like his movements out of water.try a more erratic presentation.

I was thinking the same thing.

But I suggest more EROTIC movement -

Oh crap... here comes the speedos

[Catt]

WRB that some interesting information but please explain why my #1 pattern for winter bass (quality & quantity) on Toledo Bend is as follows:

Early in morning before the sun clears the tree tops

Shallow water 8' or less

Surface temp 42 degrees

Main lake points with no deep water nearby

Bait: Rat-L-Trap

[stilldontlikeyou]

It'll happen, just don't expect every bite will be the one.  Just enjoy the outdoors, enjoy catching the dinks and couple pounders, sooner or later it will happen.  I caught mine which was around 7 pounds (big to me) by going to the pond and killing 20 minutes before the sun went all the way down.  It was actually my last cast, I had a plastic worm t-rigged and I was fishing it like a jig, then bam!!!    It'll happen soon, in the meantime just enjoy what you can.  8-)

[Mattlures]

If you want it bad enough you will get it. If you dont want it that bad you will continue to do what you have always done and get the same results. Sure you may eventualy get a good fish but even then you probably wont be preparred to land it.

Most people will say" start fishing for big fish" And I agree but I think the first step is to"stop fishing for small fish" there is a diference and when you figure it out and do both you will get your big bites

[CJ]

Lots of good input.

+1 jig

+1 slow

+1 location

Great info WRB!

[Catt]

If you want it bad enough you will get it. If you dont want it that bad you will continue to do what you have always done and get the same results. Sure you may eventualy get a good fish but even then you probably wont be preparred to land it.

Most people will say" start fishing for big fish" And I agree but I think the first step is to"stop fishing for small fish" there is a diference and when you figure it out and do both you will get your big bites