Question

[Nitrofreak]

McDonald's Big Bass Splash 2010 Lake Toledo Bend

DAY 1: 48 bass from 5.00 lbs - 8.61 lbs

DAY 2: 38 bass from 5.03 lbs - 11.48 lbs

DAY 3: 40 bass from 5.04 lbs - 8.83 lbs

8 hrs per day for 3 days = 24 hrs of fishing to produce a total of 126 bass from 5.00 lbs - 11.48 lbs

McDonald's Big Bass Splash 2010 Lake Sam Rayburn

DAY 1: 101 bass from 5.04 lbs - 9.15 lbs

DAY 2: 89 bass from 5.00 lbs - 8.89 lbs

DAY 3: 87 bass from 5.03 lbs - 10.60 lbs

8 hrs per day for 3 days = 24 hrs of fishing to produce a total of 277 bass from 5.00 lbs - 10.60 lbs

FYI that's 48 hrs to produce 403 bass of 5 lbs plus

I don't care what or who's scale you use that is an outstanding achievement and an awesome result for all, great job Catt!!

[Nitrofreak]

Goose52,

You should be catching 5lbs+ occasionally here in Tennessee.

Try this: Fish big worms (Rage Tail Thumper T-rigged), 6" Senko

(weightless) and 3/8 oz jig (black)/ Rage Tail Baby Craw

EXCLUSIVELY for awhile.

Cast 10-15 YARDS off the bank and parallel to the shore.

SLOW DOWN... Let the bait sit for at least a minute on

the initial cast, then move it 6"-12" and let it sit for 20-30

seconds. Repeat until you feel you are out of the zone. Don't

"hop" the baits, BE THE BUG! Crawl your bait on the bottom

through grass and over rocks and ruble.

Good luck!

8-)

RW - good advice indeed - I'm certainly not known for my "patience with plastics" (or jigs)! I like to keep moving. The "power finesse" technique described in a recent Bassmasters magazine article certainly hit home for me!

I know if I want to go after quality fish, I will have to change tactics eventually, both fishing from the bank and from my canoe - just gotta make an attitude adjustment first. :

Having said the above, I still think that, based on the results of the bass club and other local anglers, there may not be as many 5lb fish to be had as on other Tennessee lakes... :-/

Goose I have to tell you that I had taken his advise from another post where he mentioned pretty close the same tactics as here and I have to tell you it works and works well.

I am catching bigger and bigger bass all the time and I am somewhat like you I had to re-teach myself if you will to have a lot more patience and believe in what he was saying and if I had the chance to shake his hand I would.

You really should convince yourself to give it an honest effort I promise you it's worth it!!

[oteymc]

I have to agree with the opinion that a lot of people talk about catching 5lb+ bass, that aren't really.

I am even guilty of over estimating some of my fish's weight. I have only gotten serious about fishing the last year and a half, I haven't caught a northern strain 5lber yet (I did catch a huge bass in FL, but that is different story down there).

I had caught a couple that I thought were over 4lbs, but didn't have a scale. I finally bought a good scale, caught one last night that I thought would have been for sure 5lbs, and it was right at 4. I know it was bigger than the previous ones, so they must have been 3 something.

I have seen a lot of 3lbers called 5's, and 5lbers called 8's or even 10's. The IA state record is less than 11, so that tells you something right there.

To answer the question, 5lbs is a big deal to me. I am taking pictures, and sending them to everyone I know!

Catt- that is an awesome catching record, I don't care if you are talking about FL strain, Northern strain, whatever, that is really doing something.

I do believe the the high # of hours per 5lber, when you take into consideration the # of hours spent fishing by people who have no chance of catching a big bass, and people who fish places that hold no big bass, that adds up. Also when you think about ten people fishing for 10hrs, that's 100 fishing hrs (not 10), that adds up.

[jignfule]

For many of us in Idaho it's a pretty big deal

[aarogb]

Whenever I go out I usually get a few bass that are 16-18 inches, so when I do get a 5 lb er. I get pumped and pretty excited, but I definitely don't go Iaconelli.

[Dockhead]

small lake I count a trip as a hole day fishing trip not like 4 or 5 hours and I have been weighing them with a berkley spring scale that currently brooke

I think it may have "brooke" a long time ago.    :