Catching Big Fish Consistently 2024
Fat-G reply :
How often do you guys get a big girl? I know the definition of "big" is varied for us depending on location, but do you catch nice fish regularly? For example; I consider a 4 pounder a "good" fish, 5 is a nice fish, and then anything over 6 is entering the territory of a big fish.
In the spring and summer, I can catch a 4+ probably every other trip. That's not to say I haven't had days (and weeks) where I've caught nothing but small ones, or even none at all, but I have also had trips where I have caught three or four 6+ pound fish.
I understand that a lot of people consider pond fishing to be "easier", and I agree to some extent. I don't think I would do as well on a public lake or even a big private pond that I didn't know like the back of my hand. I pretty much know all of my ponds really well, so it's that much easier.
So, do you guys rarely catch good fish, and catch a lot of smaller ones, or do you catch bigger than average fish regularly?
BASSclary reply :
It seems I catch a 5+ maybe once every month. But then again I can really only fish 6-8 times a month, and only for an hour or two because my dad get's bored. There's not a lot of great places to fish also. The one GREAT! pond that im gauraunteed a 5+ every time is very selectively open. Its on the end of a military shooting range so it's rare its open, and you have to walk 1/2 mile to get there. I've only seen one person there ever in going there about 10 times over two years. You have to call everyday to see if it's open.
I normally catch 3's consistently with a few 4's thrown in. They satisfy me well. But alot of waters around me their are either: a) no shore access or 
Private community lakes. There is basically the Potomac and our highly overfished reservoir. And then you pray and hope pond "x" is open!
Red reply :
I have actually been keeping track of every single bass I catch since the first of the year. I have caught 284 bass with 94 of them being keepers, that means 14" or over. Five of those have been over 5lbs and of those five two were over 6lbs. I have caught several in the 2.5-4.5lb range and too many dinks to imagine. So as you can see from my numbers I don't catch "bigguns" alot. This year however, has been much better for me catching in the 2.5-4.5lb range. In past years I would catch dinks or fish over 5lbs, nothing in between. For example, this morning I caught 7 bass, three were dinks. The other four totaled around 9-11lbs roughly, nothing huge, but good solid keepers.
Cliff
Jigfishn10 reply :
That's good that you do that Red, I've been fishing way too long not to pick up that habit. I think I'm gonna keep a log next year and see where it all shakes out.
As far as the OP, for the past 2 years I'm catching more quality bass, but not near the numbers I'm used to. Up here 3 lbs is "good", 4 lbs is "nice" and 5 plus are great. This year, maybe 2) 5 plus, a few 4's and a bunch 3 lbers and under. I will also have to say that, I haven't gotten out nearly as much as I'm used to as well, but I'm very happy with the way the season has been going. Good luck Fat G, as well as, the rest of you all here on BR for the remainder of the season. 
David301 reply :
It depends on the fishery and your approach. For me I only fish for large bass using 1-2oz lures from Hudds and various other swim-baits, spinner-baits and chatter-baits. But I also spend most of my time in a fishery that is populated with a good number of bass over 5lbs and up to 9lbs. So for me, every time I fish ( which is about 4 times per week) I will catch at least one over 5lbs.
Brand0n reply :
ive caught a handful 5+ pounders this year and not done yet. i fish a 100 year old lake close to me. i average 3-4 pounds every other week. i always catch atleast 3 fish each trip. i dont over fish it. i go once a week if that. noone fishes it because its weeded up but i come prepared. ive caught two 5 pounders on beds on another lake this spring. i always change my lures. if i get bit or lose a fish i throw something else different out there. i learn new things each time i go out. my biggest 6 pound 1oz was caught pre spawn this year.
Bassn Blvd reply :
Out of all the different lakes I fish, I would say 1 out of every 10 bass are over 4 pounds.
s13john reply :
location location location
prime areas on big lakes and smaller bodies that dont get fished that much that are capable of producing big bass. their are alot of good small water spots you just have to find them .... google maps. As for bigger water around rva Briery, Sandy, Chesdin and the res are gunna be your main spots, powhatan lakes in a few years too.
Lately with me it has been that i will catch 5-10 3-6lb fish when i go out or get into a dinkfest depending on were i go. briery you will catch alot of fish with some nice ones mixed in but other places you fish the same way and you will catch a couple decent fish and not many dinks. Same baits diffrent locations similar strcture and cover though.
so instead of getting another dobyns get you a canoe or kayak decent fish finder and hit some of the places that you know can hold better fish. 
NorcalBassin reply :
On 8/21/2011 at 9:21 AM, Bassn Blvd said:Out of all the different lakes I fish, I would say 1 out of every 10 bass are over 4 pounds.
Wow, we have them 18+ lbs where I fish, but it's more like 1 out of very 50 I catch is > 4 lbs.
Bluebasser86 reply :
For me it depends on the lake I'm fishing. Most of the lakes that are within 30 minutes of me if you catch a 3 pounder it's a big fish. For the lakes that I go to on my days off that are around an hour away it's pretty common to catch at least one 4 or 5 pounder a trip. I wish I had some good lakes with more big fish close by. Some days I start to think about going fishing for a couple hours close by but when you know that chances are all you're going to catch are 10-15 inch fish it just doesn't seem worth the hassle of loading and unloading the boat.
Brand0n reply :
This morning I caught three 4 pound bass, one five pound bass, and two 2 pound bass all in less than 3 hours. Heres my two biggest...
grimlin reply :
I'm lucky to get one 4 pounder a year. Shore bound,lack of fishing because of home and work schedule.I live next to Canada and it gets cold,Bass season...yeah....I'll take what I can get.
I haven't been fishing in over 2 weeks now(that's another story). I'm dieing to cast a line tonight as soon as the "Queen" gets home from work. 
I don't think some of you guys realize how lucky ya'll are.
Dwight Hottle reply :
I keep track of the number of 5lb smallies & bigger each year. I mostly only fish seriously for them pre spawn spring April & may & in the fall late Sept, Oct & early Nov. This spring I had 15 over five & three over six. My best year I had 27 over five & 12 over six. If you really want to see some amazing numbers ask Catt. He posted them up a year back but I didn't save the post. I'll bet Big-O has some awesome numbers as well.
clayton86 reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 3:21 AM, Dwight Hottle said:I keep track of the number of 5lb smallies & bigger each year. I mostly only fish seriously for them pre spawn spring April & may & in the fall late Sept, Oct & early Nov. This spring I had 15 over five & three over six. My best year I had 27 over five & 12 over six. If you really want to see some amazing numbers ask Catt. He posted them up a year back but I didn't save the post. I'll bet Big-O has some awesome numbers as well.
I don't think you and Big-O know how to catch little fish lol.
This year hasn't been as good as last year but I avg most in the 2-3 range for large mouth and iv got maybe 10 over 5lbs this year a lot of 4s though. Last year all I seemed to catch was bass in the 4-7 range. Small mouth this year has been pathetic for me and even my best smallies are pathetic to dwights my smallies are ranging from a few inches up to 3lbs this year but mostly 1 and 2lbers last year I couldent catch one under 3 and I had 200 by june! 3 being over 6. This year I think iv caught 50 smallies to this day.
FishinDaddy reply :
4-6 pounders are pretty common around here. We catch several nearly every trip. I had 4 eights last summer in one evening.
It mostly has to do with where you go. There are over 500 lakes within an hour drive for me. If I'm taking my nephews and nieces, I will pick a lake with lots of dinks to make it fun for the kids. If I'm going after a big fish and not many bites, I will pick a trophy lake.
Fat-G reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 3:21 AM, Dwight Hottle said:I keep track of the number of 5lb smallies & bigger each year. I mostly only fish seriously for them pre spawn spring April & may & in the fall late Sept, Oct & early Nov. This spring I had 15 over five & three over six. My best year I had 27 over five & 12 over six. If you really want to see some amazing numbers ask Catt. He posted them up a year back but I didn't save the post. I'll bet Big-O has some awesome numbers as well.
I think Catt is one of the best and most humble anglers here, I just wish he would post pictures! 
Roadwarrior, just from reading his fishing reports, has made me a far better angler. He (unintentionally) taught me that I needed to learn the structure of my ponds and fish the not-so-obvious big fish hideouts. I've been fishing that way all year, and I'd say it's working!
Sam reply :
There is a major difference fishing ponds and landing big ladies and fishing wild rivers and lakes and landing big ladies.
It is simple to walk to a pond and start fishing the tame bass.
Take the same equipment; put your fanny in a bass boat; leave home at 4AM to be on the water at 6AM; and go hunting in an area of a small city for anything that bites.
If you fish a tidal river you will have to put up with the tides. If you fish a lake you will thousands of places to try.
So how often does one catch a big lady? With ponds you can catch them every trip. On the open waters maybe two or three times a year.
LWD reply :
Big fish never it's been fished out to where bass never get a chance to reach 4lbs. But I'd say the average of dinks to keepers in a lake I fish is about 20/4. That's the luck I've been getting anyway. Have a good one.
Fat-G reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 4:20 AM, Sam said:There is a major difference fishing ponds and landing big ladies and fishing wild rivers and lakes and landing big ladies.
It is simple to walk to a pond and start fishing the tame bass.
Take the same equipment; put your fanny in a bass boat; leave home at 4AM to be on the water at 6AM; and go hunting in an area of a small city for anything that bites.If you fish a tidal river you will have to put up with the tides. If you fish a lake you will thousands of places to try.
So how often does one catch a big lady? With ponds you can catch them every trip. On the open waters maybe two or three times a year.
One of my best fishing experiences ever happened in a 21' Triton.
The pops and I fished on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY for a half day guided trip with Allan Green. It was awesome. He was so excited to actually fish with someone that knew something about fishing rather than the hassles of trying to teach and catch in the same day. The weather was horrible, 75 with blue bird skies in the middle of July, but we made it work. I had total control of the trolling motor, where and how we fished, moving places, lures, etc. I think I was 16 at the time. For that age, on a body of water that I had never fished, mid-summer with horrible weather, I think I did pretty good. I caught a 6.7 LM in the pads on a Horny Toad but threw it back before he could take a picture...he was kinda brewed about that because all the pictures of clients he puts on his site are good for business. My dad had about a 7+ on a Horny Toad in the pads but it broke off right as we were about to net it. It was a great day though, and I learned a lot.
Fat-G reply :
And yes, pond fishing is easier.
Fishing Rhino reply :
Since none of our skills change overnight, the size of the fish caught is more a function of the body of water than the skill of any particular fisherman.
My favorite pond yields very large fish for this part of the country. If I fish it three times a week, I can just about be guaranteed there will be a five or six pounder, maybe more, in my catch for that week. It does help that I know the small pond like the back of my hand, but that does not affect my skill.
I fish some ponds where three pounders are rare, and I consider boating one an accomplishment, while it's a yawner at home.
Braggin' rights are fine, but they should never be the measure of a fisherman's skill. If you and I fish the same pond, and I catch dinks while you catch lunkers, then we can talk about fishing ability/knowlege.
I'll guarantee I could take most locals to my honey hole and the average fish they catch would be considerably larger than any other ponds in the area they fish.
That one fisherman catches fish larger than another or more of them means very little unless they are fishing the same waters.
deep reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 4:20 AM, Sam said:There is a major difference fishing ponds and landing big ladies and fishing wild rivers and lakes and landing big ladies.
It is simple to walk to a pond and start fishing the tame bass.
Take the same equipment; put your fanny in a bass boat; leave home at 4AM to be on the water at 6AM; and go hunting in an area of a small city for anything that bites.
If you fish a tidal river you will have to put up with the tides. If you fish a lake you will thousands of places to try.
So how often does one catch a big lady? With ponds you can catch them every trip. On the open waters maybe two or three times a year.
I have this little lake near my apartment that's around 60 acres or so. I fish it pretty extensively, mostly from shore, and lately from a little row-boat (no electronics). The average length of bass in there is around 10 inches, and it's a lot of work to catch a keeper (12") there, without electronics anyway.
All summer long, I've been trying to get a limit in the 3/4 hour fishing trips I have there. Last Friday, I caught a 2.8, and two more 2+ and had a 8 lbs 14 ozs limit. I was stoked.
And yeah, if I manage to do that again, I'd be equally stoked.
hatrix reply :
I think it depends on the body of water. Not all pond are easier to catch big fish. If they are small there might not be many big fish so if you catch one its like 1 out of only a hand full.
Sam reply :
Hey guys, remember that there is a difference between the northern and southern bodies of water.
California, Florida and Texas are in a class above all others followed closely by Louisiana and Alabama.
So it is possible for guys in Florida to go out and catch the big ones all the time while guys in the Big 10 country struggle to nail a four pounder.
I would love to catch big ones every cast but that is not the way it is. So we will continue our quest to catch that "big one" and let everyone know we did it.
Hookingem nailed a 7 and a 6 pound 4 ounce lady as I was with him when he caught them. The biggest one I had caught to date was between 5 and 6 pounds on the same body of water.
I also caught a big lady on a Maryland private pond where the average bass weighs around 1 and a half pounds. She went around four pounds.
Just post those pics and let us know how you do for sooner or later you will be catching one of the big ones and we want to know about it. 
Brick reply :
I live in northern virginia, and catch four pounders on the regular. At least every other trip, and I usually catch a couple if I catch one. I fish small neighborhood lakes for a couple of hours here and there. And on my days off, I will hit up some lakes and reservoirs near my house on my foldcat boat. I have taught myself to fish deeper this year with the addition of a cheap depth finder, and a small boat to my fishing arsenal. Before this year I mostly fished from shore, but still managed a big one here and there. I have had quite a good year as far as size goes. My first cast this year I landed a 5lber from the shore, so I knew it would be a good year. I am going to fish in the potomac for the first time in my boat tomorrow, and tuesday. Hopefully I can pull a couple of big girls out of there.
Big-O reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 4:07 AM, FishinDaddy said:4-6 pounders are pretty common around here. We catch several nearly every trip. I had 4 eights last summer in one evening.
It mostly has to do with where you go. There are over 500 lakes within an hour drive for me. If I'm taking my nephews and nieces, I will pick a lake with lots of dinks to make it fun for the kids. If I'm going after a big fish and not many bites, I will pick a trophy lake.
X2, I posted this some time back to help us understand "What we learn to target most often... we will learn to hit most often"
A fellow took his Grandson to a shooting facility to sight in the boys new hunting rifle. There were separate target ranges for shooters from 50 out to 1000 yards, and they chose the 100 yrd range as did the majority of the other shooters. Not only was this the busiest range, but it was very exciting with the hussle and bussle not to mention all the noise and fast paced shooting action. The young boy was excited and had a great time at this range! When they were leaving, they stopped for a short time at the 1000 yard range where there were a couple of lonely shooters. As they observed this range, Granddad noticed the boys impatience with this slower and more tedious process... There were longer time periods between shots while hesitating for cking their exact placement, only to pause again and adjust for the changing down range wind conditions etc. In the Grandsons opinion, this range lacked much of the excitement that the busy and more popular 100 yrd range provided, and the Boy said "BORING". -------------------
This displays and mirrors fishing experiences for many of us "IF" we in fact have a variety of fishing opportunities to consider. Some target "Catching Many Fish" and become very successful and happy doing exactly that through their repetitive actions, experience and persistance to do so. Others target "Catching A Certain Fish" and become very successful and happy doing exactly that through ...Blah Blah Blah
Sounds good to me!
Big O
www.ragetail.com
Randall reply :
I went back and looked and since April if I add all the trips and number of big fish over seven pounds together I get a fish over seven pounds for each trip caught by someone fishing in my boat with anywhere one to three people fishing at a time. Most times there are two people fishing. Of course some of those trips we didn't get any big fish and some of those trips we got two or three big fish. About half the trips were on known big bass lakes where a big fish is no big surprise unless is is over ten pounds. The other half were on lakes with very few big fish in comparison to the number of small fish. On most all the trips the main focus was to try to get big fish both by bait choice, technique and by location. All of the lakes except one were between 250 and 800 acres. The other lake was Lake Allatoona which is known to be tough for big fish and I got two big fish there in two trips one seven and one eight pounder.
I live on a small private lake full of small stunted fish and very few good ones. I didn't include those in the numbers above but I got four seven pounders out of ten short trips out on a boat. The rest of the trips were all fish under two pounds with most being about 3/4 of a pound.
Last summer/early fall I had nine trips out of ten with a seven pound or better fish all on the same lake which is a known big bass lake. The other trip I zeroed. Most of those trips we had an eight to ten pounder.
Catt reply :
I believe it takes a rare breed of fisherman using simple techniques to perfection in the proper locations at proper times to consistently catch big bass. Having been around some of the top tournament Pros and best big bass anglers for 45+ years I know for a fact they never leave the dock tournament or not with the intention of catching small fish.
It is a frame of mind that the average angler does not understand, these anglers understand the relationship between the bass and their food source, they understand the importance of structure on a given body of water, and they understand how weather patterns affect the movements of both the bass and its prey.
What most anglers don’t understand is that bass are controlled by certain environmental (must do) factors.
1. Reproduce effectively
2. Feed efficiently (maximize food intake and minimize energy output)
3. Prosper during extreme seasonal changes
4. Achieve good growth rates by domination of the warmer areas of the lake during the colder seasons.
If you apply these 4 environmental factors to your fishing you will increase your odds of catching not just bass but big bass.
This breed of fisherman understand it’s not about the boat & motor, the lures & lines, or the rods & reels it’s about what I listed above.
Brand0n reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 1:34 PM, Randall said:I went back and looked and since April if I add all the trips and number of big fish over seven pounds together I get a fish over seven pounds for each trip caught by someone fishing in my boat with anywhere one to three people fishing at a time. Most times there are two people fishing. Of course some of those trips we didn't get any big fish and some of those trips we got two or three big fish. About half the trips were on known big bass lakes where a big fish is no big surprise unless is is over ten pounds. The other half were on lakes with very few big fish in comparison to the number of small fish. On most all the trips the main focus was to try to get big fish both by bait choice, technique and by location. All of the lakes except one were between 250 and 800 acres. The other lake was Lake Allatoona which is known to be tough for big fish and I got two big fish there in two trips one seven and one eight pounder.
I live on a small private lake full of small stunted fish and very few good ones. I didn't include those in the numbers above but I got four seven pounders out of ten short trips out on a boat. The rest of the trips were all fish under two pounds with most being about 3/4 of a pound.
Last summer/early fall I had nine trips out of ten with a seven pound or better fish all on the same lake which is a known big bass lake. The other trip I zeroed. Most of those trips we had an eight to ten pounder.
ive caught a 5lb and a 3.68lb bass on allatoona this spring i live in marietta
Fat-G reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 6:52 PM, Catt said:I believe it takes a rare breed of fisherman using simple techniques to perfection in the proper locations at proper times to consistently catch big bass. Having been around some of the top tournament Pros and best big bass anglers for 45+ years I know for a fact they never leave the dock tournament or not with the intention of catching small fish.
It is a frame of mind that the average angler does not understand, these anglers understand the relationship between the bass and their food source, they understand the importance of structure on a given body of water, and they understand how weather patterns affect the movements of both the bass and its prey.
What most anglers don’t understand is that bass are controlled by certain environmental (must do) factors.
1. Reproduce effectively
2. Feed efficiently (maximize food intake and minimize energy output)
3. Prosper during extreme seasonal changes
4. Achieve good growth rates by domination of the warmer areas of the lake during the colder seasons.
If you apply these 4 environmental factors to your fishing you will increase your odds of catching not just bass but big bass.
This breed of fisherman understand it’s not about the boat & motor, the lures & lines, or the rods & reels it’s about what I listed above.
Great stuff Catt. One thing I've learned is that an ambush point + structure close by + baitfish = a big bass is near. At that point it's just about making ONE good cast with the right bait and presenting it effectively.
WRB reply :
Adult size bass vary with species; northern largemouth, Florida largemouth bass, smallmouth, spotted bass and 3 other isolated species. Combine all those diffierent bass and natural lake, reservoir, river, pond with a vastly different growing potential, size varies greatly.
Most common is LMB (northern); big adult female over 7 lbs., trophy over 10 lbs.
LMB (Florida strian); big adult female over 10 lbs., trophy over 14 lbs. (Florida, California and Texas)
Spotted and smallmouth; big adult female; 5 lbs., trophy over 7 lbs.
Where I fish FLMB are predominate and average 1 over 10 lbs for every 15 hours on the water for the past 30 years, until 3 years ago.
I can only fish 1 lake the past 3 years and the big bass population has crashed; 8 over 10 lbs during the past 3 years, over 40 hours per big bass and none over 14 lbs. The bass must be there to catch them.
Big-O reply :
IMO, number ONE is only fishing lakes where big fish are known to roam. After that, it's being willing to leave the small or medium bite in order to locate the larger models. There are many other factors to consider but these two challenges should have high priority in your plan.
Big O
www.ragetail.com
jiggerpole reply :
I live on a small lake and manage it for quality bass fishing. It was a very bass crowded lake to start with and now it is making a good recovery. 8 and 10 oz. was the average per 100 in the beginning. So I mostly fish for numbers to get an overall average, but on occasion I fish for the bigguns. Now that we have them.
The numbers for 2011 are: 80, -2 lb. / 124, 2+ lb. / 20, 5+ lb. / 15, 4+ lb. / 6, 5+ lb. / 2, 6+ lb. / 1, 7+ lb. and the biggest 8.1 lb. I know of two bass almost touching the 10lb. mark that was caught this year but unfortunatly it wasn't me. Ha!
piscicidal reply :
IMO, a "big" fish here is 5lbs. Looking thru my journal, I've caught 614 bass so far this year. 16 over five lbs. 4 of those were over six. No sevens yet, but thats gonna change here soon. 75 nights in China this year has had an adverse affect on my big fish tally.
Fat G, one of my fives came from Otsego Lake, Cooperstown. We have a couple properties up there (cherry valley, actually) and I was there for 4th of July. I caught that 5lber right in Sam Smiths marina on a frog. The staff there didnt seem all too happy about it, either.
Naters reply :
On 8/23/2011 at 1:47 AM, WRB said:Adult size bass vary with species; northern largemouth, Florida largemouth bass, smallmouth, spotted bass and 3 other isolated species. Combine all those diffierent bass and natural lake, reservoir, river, pond with a vastly different growing potential, size varies greatly.
Most common is LMB (northern); big adult female over 7 lbs., trophy over 10 lbs.
LMB (Florida strian); big adult female over 10 lbs., trophy over 14 lbs. (Florida, California and Texas)
Spotted and smallmouth; big adult female; 5 lbs., trophy over 7 lbs.
Where I fish FLMB are predominate and average 1 over 10 lbs for every 15 hours on the water for the past 30 years, until 3 years ago.
I can only fish 1 lake the past 3 years and the big bass population has crashed; 8 over 10 lbs during the past 3 years, over 40 hours per big bass and none over 14 lbs. The bass must be there to catch them.
I can't even imagine catching one over 10 lbs. I need to fish some other parts of the country lol
Sam reply :
Hayden, I am thinking of catching some small bream and bluegills and transporting them in minnow buckets to the secret pond.
Also want to get some small bass from an over crowded pond and transplant them into the secret pond.
Went to the pond on Monday and caught three big ones, as usual. We need smaller size bass and more food for them to keep the pond in good condition for the bass.
We have to name the bass. Lets start with Aaron, then AJ followed by Myron. Just food for thought.
Do you want to help catch the bream and small bass and move them to the secret pond after the hurricane passes? Let me know.
WRB reply :
On 8/26/2011 at 12:19 AM, Naters said:I can't even imagine catching one over 10 lbs. I need to fish some other parts of the country lol
Texas is your best bet for numbers over 10 lbs., California would be 2nd....
Ratherbfishing reply :
My regular fishing buddy and I have discussed this. We make a pretty good team (in terms of styles and temperments) and we rarely catch fewer than 20 fish per outing but we don't go after the big boys (or girls) either. Neither of us like to sit for hours off a deep point or ledge and dredge the bottom for hours for the one or two bites which might result in a big bass. We both need more immediate gratification than that. Therefore, while we usually catch a fair number, we aren't likely to win a tournament or win "big bass." But that's us and we're okay with it.
Addendum: This isn't to say we don't catch some quality fish. We've caught a 7 and a couple of 4 lbers this year and in central Illinois, that's nothing to sneeze at.
WRB reply :
The best book written to date on how to catch big bass is Bill Murphy's "In Pursuit of Giant bass".
Like most bass anglers I do not like to live bait fish or camp out on a few spots for hours at a time.
I spend a lot my time searching by metering potential areas known to hold big bass and than target those areas that show evidence of bass and bait activity.
To catch big bass consistantly you must fish for them where they live and with lures or bait they prefer to eat. There isn't a panacea or magic lure, just a lot of time on the water and close attention to details.
Tom
redboat reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 6:56 AM, Fishing Rhino said:Since none of our skills change overnight, the size of the fish caught is more a function of the body of water than the skill of any particular fisherman.
Truer words never spoken! Most of my fishing is on DFW area lakes, and on a really good day I may land a couple of one pounders. I csught a 4 pounder on a lake I've fished regularly for 20 years last year. I took a picture, for that lake it was a monster.
On the other hand, the wife and I fished Amistad spring before last, and the SMALLEST bass we landed went about 3 pounds. Caught a lot of 4 pounders and a couple of 5's.
WRB reply :
There is an old saying that 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish.
Lets refine that by saying 10% of the bass anglers catch 90% of the big bass.
The bottom line; it takes skill to consistently catch big bass.
Tom
bradbass reply :
Up until two years ago all I caught was mostly 1-3lbs bass. Then I read a simple article" If you want to catch BIG BASS then you have to use BIG BAITS". Since I have started using big baits like 5-7" swimbaits,10" ribbon tail worm etc. I have just been killing them big bass after big bass. My biggest was this year 7lbs on a 10" worm. Over the past two years I have not caught much under 2-1/2lbs. If you want to catch big bass you have to use big baits.
deep reply :
On 9/2/2011 at 2:18 AM, bradbass said:Up until two years ago all I caught was mostly 1-3lbs bass. Then I read a simple article" If you want to catch BIG BASS then you have to use BIG BAITS". Since I have started using big baits like 5-7" swimbaits,10" ribbon tail worm etc. I have just been killing them big bass after big bass. My biggest was this year 7lbs on a 10" worm. Over the past two years I have not caught much under 2-1/2lbs. If you want to catch big bass you have to use big baits.
Uhhh, idk if it's as simple as that. Big baits doesn't always equal a big fish. It's more about the location. Big fish get to choose the best location in the whole lake..
A 6" swimbait is not a very big bait, a 8" or a 10" is a more standard "big" bait. A 18" bass can eat a 10" bass, no problems. And a 10" worm is certainly not a big bait.
Not trying to criticize you, I'm a huge believer in the big bait- big bass theory, and throw the tournament grade swimbaits (Matt's baits, 6" hudds, Ospreys, 316 softbaits, Spro BBZ, small slammers, punkers, hardgills) on a regular basis. But you gotta know where to throw them..
bradbass reply :
Location is a key factor. But your probablly not going to catch 5lb bass on 7"worm I dont care what the location is. The baits I have listed are big baits for me and they work.
Fat-G reply :
On 9/2/2011 at 4:29 AM, bradbass said:Location is a key factor. But your probablly not going to catch 5lb bass on 7"worm I dont care what the location is. The baits I have listed are big baits for me and they work.
Really? I've caught a seven, two sixes, and probably 20 four pounders this year on a Baby Thumper, which is closer to 6 inches than 7.
I've caught bass up to seven on a 1/16 oz beetlespin, and caught a five last year on a 1/64 oz crappie jig.
I throw big baits a lot, but most of the time they won't get bit nearly as much as a smaller version. Bass are opportunistic feeders. If you drop a 4" finesse worm right on their nose at the right time, bam.
WRB reply :
To catch big bass you must use big lures isn't always true. Yes you can catch big bass on big lures, if the bass prefer that size lure under particlar circumstances.
The vast majority of big bass are caught on 3" to 4" live crawdads or jigs that represent crawdads. The exceptions are; areas where big bass are feeding on large bait fish like 6" to 8" golden shiners or plated small trout.
Bass, like most animals, can't judge size from a distance, it's a last moment choice to strike based on experience.
Tom
gobig reply :
When I hear the term "catching big bass consistently" I think in relative terms to geographical location. In other words a big bass in California or Texas is going to be different than a big bass in a northern state. A 8lb fish in some areas is just as big a trophy as a 15lber is in others. For some reason we have these idealogical numbers of what a big fish is. It's all relative to where you fish. If a 5lber is the biggest fish in the pond is that not a toad?
This can be broken down even further. It all depends on the goals of an individual. If you were to ask KVD this question, I think he would answer it differently than someone like Butch Brown. Two totally different mindsets with different goals. KVD wants to catch bigger fish than his competitors and Butch wants to catch the biggest fish in the lake... or the world for that matter.
Bluebasser86 reply :
The lake record in the lake I fished growing up was a little over 10 pounds and was caught on an 1/8oz beetle spin. The guy was crappie fishing along the channel next to a spawning flat and over a brushpile. It was a spot on a spot next to a spot. With no shad in the lake the crappie he was fishing for were probably one of the main things that bass ate. I could take a 6" swimbait or 10" worm to my local lake and fish it all day, everyday, but I'd rarely catch anything and if I did it probably wouldn't be very noteworthy. Why? because there just isn't many big fish in the lake. We have Wednesday night tournaments every week from mid-spring until late fall, this year there has been 1 fish over 4lbs and 1 fish over 5lbs brought in. If you aren't fishing where the big fish are, you aren't catching big fish, simple as that. Big baits may help a lot in your quest for big fish, but they can't make big fish appear where they don't exist.
Catt reply :
The geographic location or size of the “big” bass is not what’s important!
First and foremost if you cannot consistently catch bass of any size odds are you aint gonna be that good at catching big bass.
Every time the subject of catching “big” bass comes up we get the argument of trophy anglers verses tournament anglers. While Kevin VanDam’s goals maybe be different from Butch Brown’s the common denominator is they both know how to catch bass.
Knowing how to catch bass consistently is the first step to catching big bass consistently!
To me the size of the bass being caught does not matter either; I have just as much respect for roadwarrior and the giant smallies he catches as I do for FishChris and the monsters he catches or J Francho and the Yankee bass he catches.
deep reply :
Catt, I believe I have figured out how to catch 5 twelve-inch keepers consistently, but big fish, even 3 pounders are few and far between for me when I fish my local lake. I know for a fact there are some nice fish in there.. I've even caught a few, including a 8+.
The trouble is I guess, I fish the lake the same way as always. And of course, I end up with the same results. That's still better than how I see others, who beat the banks, fare on that lake.
I am out of ideas. I keep trying to fish offshore, points, creeks, channels, ridges, humps; and still catch those 15-16 inchers. It's more fun than beating the shoreline cover, but honestly, I'm sick of catching those 1-2 pound bass.
I do believe that catching bigger bass consistently needs a different mindset. Do you have any tips for me?
Catt reply :
“If you do what you’ve always done you will get what you’ve always got”
Doing what you’ve always done can be a negative or a positive depending on what you are doing & how you are doing it. I’ve fished some of the some structure with some the same lures for the past 35+ years with good success in both quality & quantity. So it would be foolish to change either locations or lures, now this does not mean I do not try new lures or new locations.
I think next after location is timing, being at the right location at the right time is something we cannot control other than we can go as often as possible.
Example: there is a particular under water ridge on Toledo Bend that I believed with all my heart held double digit bass but for 12-15 years all we could manage was an occasional 7-8 pound Hawg until my partner caught one over 10 a couple years ago. That ridge has since given up several over 10 including one of 15.03.
What y’all also need to understand is that the percentage of “big” bass on most bodies of water is less that 2% of the population and that is very liberal.
Y’all also need to define the word “consistently”; in 2007 I caught 11 bass over 10 pounds but aint caught one since!
Goose52 reply :
One thing for sure - we all have different skills, fish different water, and have different perspectives of what a "big" fish is! We even have different visions/definitions of what is a pond vs. a lake (For me, a pond is a couple acres or smaller, a lake is about 5 acres or bigger.)
I don't fish "big water" - just my 11 local neighborhood lakes and 3 ponds. All this water is man-made and ringed by houses. Public fishing access is on the dams, some lakes have other access points. All but 2 of the ponds can be fished by boat. The three ponds are about .5, 1.5, and 3 acres. The lakes run from 5 to 201 acres. The local bass club tournaments are routinely won with 5 to 7 pound 5-fish bags (two anglers) so that's one indication of the size of fish that are typically being caught. The bass club also allows "keepers" starting at 10" - another indication of relative size.
For my water, I've come up with the following fish size categories:
Dink bass - 9" and under
OK bass - 10" - 13"
Nice bass - 14" - 17"
"Big" bass - 18" on up
So, to finally get to Hayden's question (which was: "So, do you guys rarely catch good fish, and catch a lot of smaller ones, or do you catch bigger than average fish regularly?"). I work very hard to catch a lot of small ones. If I'm lucky, I might catch 3 or 4 a month 18" or larger. AND, I fish every day (usually minimum 2 hours up to 8 hours if I'm in the canoe).
For this year, I've caught (1) 9 lb, (1) 6 lb, (2) 5 lbs, (5) 4 lbs, and (16) 3 lbs. Below is my bass count (by length) for this year - 826 bass as of last night. Not as big of fish on average as many on the board catch I expect...
25" 1
24"
23" 1
22" 4
21" 2
20" 6
19" 13
18" 10
17" 12
16" 21
15" 29
14" 44
13" 94
12" 149
11" 173
10" 121
5"-9" 146
WRB reply :
The factor that almost everyone over looks is bass are nearly impossible to catch on artifical lures when they are not active.
You can be at the right place at the wrong time with the right lure and be blanked. The key is being at the right place at the right time, then you may have several choices of lures that may work.
I spend nearly as much time trying to figure out when the bass will be active as I do fishing. Once I know when the feeding periods are, then I pick my prime areas to fish and know what to use.
Tom
gobig reply :
QuoteOne thing for sure - we all have different skills, fish different water, and have different perspectives of what a "big" fish is! We even have different visions/definitions of what is a pond vs. a lake (For me, a pond is a couple acres or smaller, a lake is about 5 acres or bigger.)
This was the point I was trying to make.
Now how can you answer or evaluate a question if you don't know what perspective someone is coming from? I do not understand how the difference between a tournament angler and a trophy fisherman can be denied.
QuoteThe local bass club tournaments are routinely won with 5 to 7 pound 5-fish bags
To these guys 2lbers could mean "catching big fish consistently", where the trophy angler could care less about those fish. A 5lber behaves differently than a 2lber. Another thing tournament anglers do is try to go catch a limit and then find a kicker fish. To the trophy guy catching small fish is the last thing on their mind. There should be no tournament fishermen VS trophy fishermen, only goals with desired outcomes.
WRB reply :
Making a comparison between trophy and tournament anglers is like comparing apples and oranges, they are very different.
Tournament anglers must fish at specific times, days and restricted by rules like no live bait. Trophy anglers have only self restrictions and state regulations.
Butch Brown fishes a small 197 acre public lake with less than 3 miles of shoreline with a max depth of 70 feet. The lake has a good population of big bass that are highly pressured by skilled anglers. Butch knows every inch of the lake and most of the bass.
KVD is the best bass tournament angler today and has caught one of the largest tournament bass ever, on a drop shot worm. Both KVD and BB are highly skilled bass anglers, both have the skill it takes to catch adult size bass consistantly, where ever they fish.
Tom
Goose52 reply :
On 9/3/2011 at 1:53 AM, WRB said:The factor that almost everyone over looks is bass are nearly impossible to catch on artifical lures when they are not active.
You can be at the right place at the wrong time with the right lure and be blanked. The key is being at the right place at the right time, then you may have several choices of lures that may work.
I spend nearly as much time trying to figure out when the bass will be active as I do fishing. Once I know when the feeding periods are, then I pick my prime areas to fish and know what to use.
Tom
Boy - that's the truth. Even though I'm retired and can fish every day...I can't always fish during "prime time". I sometimes beat my brains out trying to catch a single dink bass when it's the wrong time/wrong place and there's no active fish. Still, it's better to out fishing than sitting on the sofa thinking about fishing...
Sometimes it just goes back to the old expression: Question - When is the best time to go fishing? Answer - When you can!
K_Mac reply :
Over the last few years I've learned to slow down and I'm not nearly as driven to catch fish as I once was. What is interesting is that my numbers are at least as good as ever, and I'm catching much better fish.
There are a couple of reasons for this I believe. I am more willing to patiently work a spot. Once I've identified a spot as one that meets the criteria that I'm looking for, I have the confidence to pick that spot apart. Secondly, I know what my strengths are, and concentrate on those. I can, and do catch fish on a variety of baits and techniques, but I know what I'm good at and use those techniques as much as possible.
Having said that, I now fish often with a friend who is a really good shallow water bass fisherman. I am a much better deep water, structure fisherman so fishing with him has made both of us better. It seems you really can teach an old dog new tricks techniques.
One thing is certain: The guys catching the biggest fish in all seasons and conditions are not doing it because of luck. Guys like Big-O, Catt, Dwight Hottle, and many others on this site know what it takes to catch big fish. Put them on any lake in the country and it would not be long before they would be consistently catching bass considered big in that lake.
BassinMidWest reply :
Depends on the season! 
In the spring I catch em up wards of 5lbs pretty consistently, and get a few 4's most trips.
In the summer, I catch more bigger fish (4 - 6), but much less. For example in the summer I'll catch 10 fish 4 of them will big. In the Spring and fall, I'll catch 20 in a day and 5 or 6 will be big.
Fat-G reply :
Lots of really strong information in this thread. You could start a "how-to" book on catching big fish just from this one thread.
I've learned a lot about big fish this year. I've also realized a lot of things about when I have caught big fish in the past that I would have overlooked, even though they are quite simple.
A couple of the things I've noticed:
I have NEVER caught a big fish (6+) on a jig or plastic when I was steadily twitching it. In my experience, big fish will bite a jig when it is not moving, has not moved for a while and you twitch it once, or bump it over a piece of cover.
There is no one lure that will magically catch you bigger fish all of the time. I have caught 6+ fish on anything from a crappie grub, Beetle Spin, 4" finesse worm, Trick Worm, jig, plastic, frog/toad, etc. I think that if you properly present basically any lure to the right fish at the right time in the right location and in the right conditions, she'll bite.
Big fish (for me) usually are caught on days when the fishing is otherwise slow, specifically on a deadsticked jig or plastic.
Big fish are generally loaners in the hot months. I don't think I've ever caught two 6+ fish in the same area in the summer. In the spring, fall, and winter however, you can potentially pull a couple of pigs from the same area. Especially in the winter when they group up.
You can up your chances of catching a big fish by fishing areas that are prime big fish locations, ie. an area where cover, structure, and baitfish all come together.
If you walk up to the spot and spook a big fish, back off and come back later. Only once or twice have I caught a fish that I spooked, and neither of them were worth mentioning.
If you hook a big fish and it comes unbuttoned, you're not catching that fish any time soon.
If your first cast to a known "prime big fish locations" is an errant, mess-up cast which snags the limb or rock to which you were aiming, you can kiss your chance of catching any big fish that was close goodbye.
These are just a couple of things on my list of lessons learned this year. I think it's time to bring this thread back to life since some of us have hard water and are in the cabin fever mode.
NoBassPro reply :
My opinion is location and time on the water are key, I believe when it comes to catching larger fish in any given body of water, details can matter, and we often make subtle changes to our presentations without really thinking about it. However, for any rule you want to make about fish and fishing, there's bound to be an exception. Keep fishing long enough and there's bound to be a fish or two you'll catch that will make you wonder how they ever lived that long.
Mattlures reply :
I probably went bass fishing 20-25 times this year. I targeted big bass all but maybe 5 of those trips. I averaged about 1 big bass a trip. Big being 7+lbs. When you have been doing it for a long enough time you can cherry pick your trips. You know when a certain bite should happen at a certain lake. After you put in enough time and figure some things out, It gets easier to prdict or at least stack the odds in your favor.
I had to change my entire mentality. In my mind I treated it like a big bass was an entirly different species of bass. Kind of like large mouth and small mouth. I learned to target big bass, much like an angler can target smallies or largemouth when they live in the same lake. The worst thing to think is.....I will chatch a big bass someday as long as I keep fishing. While this may be true, It doesnt have to be and it could take years and even years again to catch another. Its actualy easier to learn to fish for big bass. The hard part is to stop fishing for small bass.
NBR reply :
If you want your ego tamed come to NH. I moved here just before retirement and in that over 10 year span I have not caught a bass over 4 #'s. The lakes I fish either don't have largies or they are not as populous as brownies and frankly I don't target greens bass. That is a bit sad but many brownies from 2 to near 4# a day still make me smile big time. Moving to a location with little cover exept rocks, very little wood and sparse weeds le3ft me little to do with my flipping stick but it is serving well with a Carolina Rig.
There are many 5+# bass caught every year but not by me. I almost wish I didn't have that scale on board. I can't make a 3+ a 4 pounder.
Missouribassman95 reply :
I count a 4 pound fish a huge fish, with a 5+ fish I've only caught maybe twice in my life time. This year was kinda a down year to me, compared to other years. I was pretty darn busy with football, and working so I couldn't get out as much. I could count on one hand how many 4 pound fish I caught.
redboat reply :
On 8/22/2011 at 6:56 AM, Fishing Rhino said:Since none of our skills change overnight, the size of the fish caught is more a function of the body of water than the skill of any particular fisherman.
Yeah, you guys are making me jealous. 
I fish lakes in DFW Texas mostly; I consider a 2 pounder huge. On that scale I catch one huge fish a month on average. And that is during the months you can actually CATCH a fish around here - March through June and late September/early October.
The rest of the year I'm convinced the bass migrate to Canada or Mexico.
WRB reply :
On 12/26/2011 at 12:26 PM, redboat said:Yeah, you guys are making me jealous.
The rest of the year I'm convinced the bass migrate to Canada or Mexico.
The old rule that 10% of the bass fisherman catch 90% the bass rings as true today as it did 50 years ago. IF you want to catch big bass you must learn to fish for them. Within 80 miles of DFW you have several world class big bass lakes.
Tom
Bigbarge50 reply :
On 12/25/2011 at 12:42 AM, Missouribassman95 said:I count a 4 pound fish a huge fish, with a 5+ fish I've only caught maybe twice in my life time. This year was kinda a down year to me, compared to other years. I was pretty darn busy with football, and working so I couldn't get out as much. I could count on one hand how many 4 pound fish I caught.
I would not feel too bad about this. A 4lb fish is a good fish, no matter where you are. Outside of your real hot spots, it would seem the 4-6lb range is going to be your "bigger" fish with the huge ones being double digits. In the amazing fisheries.... well then the 8-10 lb range are the big ones and the mid teens are the huge fish.
I would love to point out that to those of us feeling terrible about the fish we catch when we read some of the early claims on pages 1 and 2 (not the detailed fishing journals which were awesome btw fellas) that these claims of one out of every ten fish being well over 5 lbs and much more like 10 lbs........ well need a grain of salt there...... and some pictures.
The FLW record set this Feb (so middle of the spawn/pre-spawn so agressive feeding fish) on the big O (back to being maybe the best big bass lake in the U.S.) was set by a local guy who's family (as well as himself) have won multiple events on the lake. The weather was perfect and he set a record at 106 lbs over the 4 day tourney. So we are talking about just over a 5lb average over the 4 days..... Again this is a record setting performance by a local who obviously knows one of the best bodies of water in the country under the best conditions seen.
If people are catching near double digits every ten fish...... well then they need to join the tour because the record setting performance landed him $125,000 and he was not pulling in 10lb-ers every 10 fish. This again.... I must emphasize..... is the best 4 day total ever...... In amazing conditions......
Hope everyone had a great day and tight lines in the new year
redboat reply :
On 12/27/2011 at 2:35 AM, WRB said:Within 80 miles of DFW you have several world class big bass lakes.
Depends what you want to believe in I suppose. Unicorns. Alien abduction. Five pound bass in North Texas lakes.
Bass Junkie reply :
On 12/27/2011 at 10:10 PM, redboat said:Depends what you want to believe in I suppose. Unicorns. Alien abduction. Five pound bass in North Texas lakes.
:laugh5:That's funny right there
Big-O reply :
On 12/27/2011 at 10:10 PM, redboat said:Depends what you want to believe in I suppose. Unicorns. Alien abduction. Five pound bass in North Texas lakes.
WRB is right... You might want to try Lake Ray Roberts which is 40 miles North of the DFW metroplex or Lake Fork which is only 80 miles East of there. I've caught MANY overs from these two lakes. There are several smaller lakes in the area that have overs as well, but the first two are the big two.
www.ragetail.com
J Francho reply :
QuoteOne thing I've learned is that an ambush point + structure close by + baitfish = a big bass is near.
This relationship alone is gigantic to catching bigger fish. If you think in this frame of mind, rather than fishing in "spots," you're going a long way to improving your catch.
Bass Junkie reply :
On 12/27/2011 at 10:59 PM, Big-O said:WRB is right... You might want to try Lake Ray Roberts which is 40 miles North of the DFW metroplex or Lake Fork which is only 80 miles East of there. I've caught MANY overs from these two lakes. There are several smaller lakes in the area that have overs as well, but the first two are the big two.
www.ragetail.com
The master has spoken... All take head.
redboat reply :
On 12/27/2011 at 10:59 PM, Big-O said:You might want to try Lake Ray Roberts which is 40 miles North of the DFW metroplex or Lake Fork which is only 80 miles East of there
I fish RR a lot, 20 - 30 times a year. I can catch dinks there consistently but a 2 pounder is rare on that lake these days. Fork DOES in fact have large fish but the success rate is very low. I was out there yesterday in fact; buddy and I got skunked. I usually do a half dozen Fork trips in a season, average catching something about 1 in 4 trips which is better than most do.
By the way - when I go to other lakes outside the DFW area I do better. The lakes in this area have a lot of fishing pressure, plus the drought isn't helping.
Fat-G reply :
On 12/27/2011 at 4:15 AM, Bigbarge50 said:If people are catching near double digits every ten fish...... well then they need to join the tour because the record setting performance landed him $125,000 and he was not pulling in 10lb-ers every 10 fish.
A lot of people like what you have mentioned here fish one specific body of water and learn it like the back of their hand. They know when the bite should be good, what the perfect conditions to catch a big fish are, and how/where they should do it. Plus, they just don't want to fish professionally. I don't really ever want to fish a tournament other than maybe a small local one here or there, but who knows.I just don't want to go out and try to catch five fish in a certain period of time. I would rather spend all of that time and try and stick a really big fish. "Hookingem" is a tournament guy...he should do very well next season for his college team, and by the time he is a senior I would think he is going to be one of their top fisherman.
Personally, I fish a pond that gave me my PB two years ago. I could pick five days in the spring to fish and feel pretty good about my chances of catching a toad. I've fished that pond for a couple of years now, and know when the big fish feed.
Big-O reply :
Each lake has a Walmart or several of them... A place where large fish live, and stay within the size of a Walmart building year around. Access to deep water, variety of good structure and bait. Find the Walmart's in your lakes and find the big fish.
"What we learn to target most often... we will learn to hit most often". Imagine being at a shooting range and having the finest rifle, scope, loads and other equipment that is necessary for long range shooting, readily available and at your side. You can become a TRUE MARKSMAN if you have what I coined years ago to be "The Three P's - Passion, Preparation and Persistance". Most anyone CAN but very few WILL take that road. Those that do, can call themselves a TRUE MARKSMAN, others can call themselves shooters. Remember the THREE P's... they are necessary to be successful with most any endeavor.
www.ragetail.com
TBendBassin reply :
On 12/27/2011 at 4:15 AM, Bigbarge50 said:I would not feel too bad about this. A 4lb fish is a good fish, no matter where you are. Outside of your real hot spots, it would seem the 4-6lb range is going to be your "bigger" fish with the huge ones being double digits. In the amazing fisheries.... well then the 8-10 lb range are the big ones and the mid teens are the huge fish.
I would love to point out that to those of us feeling terrible about the fish we catch when we read some of the early claims on pages 1 and 2 (not the detailed fishing journals which were awesome btw fellas) that these claims of one out of every ten fish being well over 5 lbs and much more like 10 lbs........ well need a grain of salt there...... and some pictures.
The FLW record set this Feb (so middle of the spawn/pre-spawn so agressive feeding fish) on the big O (back to being maybe the best big bass lake in the U.S.) was set by a local guy who's family (as well as himself) have won multiple events on the lake. The weather was perfect and he set a record at 106 lbs over the 4 day tourney. So we are talking about just over a 5lb average over the 4 days..... Again this is a record setting performance by a local who obviously knows one of the best bodies of water in the country under the best conditions seen.
If people are catching near double digits every ten fish...... well then they need to join the tour because the record setting performance landed him $125,000 and he was not pulling in 10lb-ers every 10 fish. This again.... I must emphasize..... is the best 4 day total ever...... In amazing conditions......
Hope everyone had a great day and tight lines in the new year
Actually thats not the best four day record... it is for FLW but not the best "four day" record. B.A.S.S Lonestar shootout on Falcon lake in 2008 holds that record. four day total was 132.8lbs. 106lbs wouldnt have made the top 12 that tournament. Amistad has busted 106 also.
Bigbarge50 reply :
Ohh sorry if I seemed a little vague that second time I mentioned the record, should have said like the first time it was the FLW record....... both are beyond impressive and needless to say those rare days that come along only every few years. I actually was just reading through FLW magazine yesterday when I saw the thread and seeing I had just read the article from then, figured it was worth a mention.
WRB reply :
Big bass is a relative term; 6 lb smallmouth or spotted bass, 8 lb northern strain LMB, 12 lbs Florida strain LMB is the general nation wide bench marks. 3 lb to 4 lb NLMB is average size adult female nearly anywhere. If you are not catching 3 lb to 4 lb on occasion, you need to fish deeper and slower or at night with lures that represent the primary forage; crawdads and baitfish.
I believe OH Ivie is near DFW and has produced 16 lb LMB. KVD caught an 11 lb LMB during a tournament within a few miles of DFW airport.
Where I fish the lakes are small and within 40 miles of Los Angeles. Castiac is a few miles off interstate 5, these are high pressured lakes that produce giant bass, but not for bass anglers who don't take the time to learn how to fish for big bass.
Tom
PS; "In Pursuit of Giant bass" Bill Murphy, a good book to read on this topic.
Nitrofreak reply :
Where we fish in and around Va. a 4 lb fish is a good fish, a 5 lb fish is common to see on my favorite lake, it seems every tournament two to three boats have at least one or sometimes two, so my big fish would be multiple 5 lb fish anything above that to me would be reguarded as really big fish.
I have to agree with WRB in his statement about Bill Murphy's book.
Fishing lake Anna here in Va. I was at a loss when I first started fishing there, then I found this web-site and learned about how to fish, once I applied what I learned here to what I know about the lake it all started to come together and made perfect sence.
To consistently catch big fish is not something I have mastered yet and most likely never will but by reading these posts and articals in this web-site I am begining to understand what it takes to get better at doing so.
To consistently catch big fish one must first find the fish and learn of their travels and habbits throughout the whole season which equates to a LOT of time on the water.
I for one can tell you for sure that fishing a pond that has monster bass in it is NOTHING like going to a large lake and fishing for big fish, while fishing a pond gives you the experience you need to build confidence in your abilities the larger bodies of water will put what you have learned to the test along with your confidence.
Homework, experience on the water, more homework and more experience on the water finding out those places where they live to hunt and feed any given time of the year will net you consistently larger fish, does this mean all you will catch is big fish? absolutly not but your chances of catching multiple larger fish will only increase each time you venture out IF you learn from each session on the water.
redboat reply :
On 12/28/2011 at 12:47 PM, WRB said:I believe OH Ivie is near DFW and has produced 16 lb LMB.
You are correct; the lake record on Ivie is 16 lbs, although it's not really near DFW That lake is 229 miles west, about the same distance as Toledo Bend but the opposite direction. I may give it a try in the Spring, if it rains and the level comes up: it is 40 feet low at present, 18% full, so I doubt if any launches are open.
On 12/28/2011 at 12:47 PM, WRB said:"In Pursuit of Giant bass" Bill Murphy, a good book to read on this topic.
Thanks, I'll see if I can get a copy.
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