QuoteSo how hard is it to catch a bass over 12 pounds? The best anglers fishing the best bass waters at the best times caught five bass over 12 pounds in 64,544 angler days. That’s an average of almost 13,000 days for a fish over 12. Relating that to an avid angler who fishes 50 days a year, it will take about four lifetimes to catch a 12-plus.
http://www.ms-sportsman.com/details.php?id=492
Not sure i quite agree with this analysis. Tournament fisherman are not always going after the big bite, well at least not until after they have their limit. Now if these same anglers were in a winner take all one big fish tourney i might buy the analysis a little more but in the current state it really isn't applicable in my mind.
Well, I know someone who does that several times a week, so what's the deal?
There is a sponsor of this board where your chances are substantially better. Lake Baccarac Lodge. Let me know if you need any info on your trip if a lifetime to catch a DD bass.
Jeff
I had No Chance until I went fishing where they live.
A-Jay
This is completely silly, Butch Brown has over 1500 bass over 10lbs and Mike Long has 30 of the 100 biggest bass ever caught. Learn how to start fishing for adult fish instead of juvenile bass and your odds are really not that bad at all.
Agree with above i don't believe this goes true to everyone. If you fish were there's 1-2 LMB over 10lb then yes, your chances are probably slim especially if it's a big BOW getting pounded. On the other hand some of us are spoiled with beautiful hog factory's where hearing about a 8,9,10+lb bass isn't a huge deal.
Humm...whats up with the odds ? Does not leave much room for skill ... I'm sure I have had a DDbass on at least twice in the last 3 years Time will tell ! But don't make me wait 100's of years ...
On 8/28/2013 at 10:55 AM, vikingbear8 said:This is completely silly, Butch Brown has over 1500 bass over 10lbs and Mike Long has 30 of the 100 biggest bass ever caught. Learn how to start fishing for adult fish instead of juvenile bass and your odds are really not that bad at all.
Yup. All you have to do is to move to California. For the rest of us, the odds are pretty slim. I see that you live in North Carolina. How many DD bass have you caught in your State?
On 8/28/2013 at 10:33 AM, A-Jay said:I had No Chance until I went fishing where they live.
A-Jay
Makes sense to me
A better question would be, what are the odds of a bass reaching double-digit size? You might be surprised at the answer:
http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/bass-fishing-fish-biology.html
Unless you are me. I don't have a chance in hell.
On 8/28/2013 at 11:09 AM, Long Mike said:Yup. All you have to do is to move to California. For the rest of us, the odds are pretty slim. I see that you live in North Carolina. How many DD bass have you caught in your State?
While California certainly does produce better fish than anywhere else stateside that doesnt mean they cannot be caught anywhere else. If you want me to throw out a name that is not a Cali guy look up LJ Brasher. He too had over 1000 DD's and that was in the Florida/Georgia area. As far as me personally, I have yet to catch one, although I know of at least 10 or so caught here in NC just this year, and that is just in the small circle of anglers I know of. I have only fished in NC for a little over a year and only began trophy hunting about half that time, and yeah I still have a ridiculous amount to learn. What I do know though is 99% of anglers spend their lives chasing juvenile bass and wonder why they never stick a DD, its because they don't know how to fish for them. If you learn to effectively fish for big bass there is a huge portion of the country where sticking a DD is an extremely realistic goal to set. People always say that Californians have it easy, there are a ton of Cali guys that dont have DD's either once again because they dont know what they are doing when it comes to trophy bass. There are 15+ bass coming out of texas, florida, gorgia, and a few other states with decent consistency. Two lakes that I like to fish here in NC have shocked up 16lbers. Big fish are everywhere, you just have to know how extremely different they are from small ones.
I don't know about this article, considering I live by the delta and mother lode lakes all I need to do is tie on a TNT jig or a huddleston and hang on!!!!
yep ............you don't have to even wonder. Glenn posted the video where Bob Lusk tells you all you need to know!
that and move to Mexico.....
On 8/28/2013 at 11:54 AM, Brian Needham said:yep ............you don't have to even wonder. Glenn posted the video where Bob Lusk tells you all you need to know!
that and move to Mexico.....
Yes very good video ! Its indeed been worth the move so far Brian
There are 100s of bodies of water all across this nation with a healthy population of 10# plus bass.
The problem is there aint a healthy population of anglers who understand how to catch em!
There a lot of states above the Mason-Dixon Line that may never produce LMB over 12 lbs because of the shorter growing periods, freezing water temperature and no Florida LMB strains can survive there.
If your lake doesn't have 12 lb + bass living in it, no chance to catch a 12 lb bass, if it does the odds are better.
I know a lot of good bass anglers that have not caught a double digit LMB in CA.
The odds that 10% of the bass anglers catch 90% of the bass is fairly accurate. 1% of the 10% catch 90% of the 12 lb+ LMB may also be accurate.
When you take into account 60 million anglers fish each year, 46 million buy fishing licenses according the ASA, American Sportfishing Association.
How many of those are bass anglers isn't defined, lets say 10% or close to 5 million. How many DD bass are cuaght each year? Maybe a 1,000 or less..
Your odds are about 5,000 to 1 if you believe every angler has an equal chance to catch a DD bass.
Tom
Yup, quoting Top Gun, a "target rich environment" makes a big difference!
Up here in MN a 6 pounder is rare. My chances of catching a 5 pound bass have decreased since I bought a digital scale. I used to catch 5 pounders but now I just catch 3 to 4 pounders...........
On 8/28/2013 at 11:54 AM, Brian Needham said:yep ............you don't have to even wonder. Glenn posted the video where Bob Lusk tells you all you need to know!
that and move to Mexico.....
I´m already there ........ or I should say I´m already here ? well, it really doesn´t matter, what matters is that :
1.- You have to be where the big girls are ---> not every lake has the potential to grow double digits
2.- You have to spend time on the water ---> for a good 10 years I used to fish my everyday lake three or four times a week at least for four hours a day, it isn´t known for being a big bass Mecca however it does produce 10+ pounders, I know because I´ve caught many, now that I ocassionally fish it ask me how many I´ve caught ----> 0, so you have to be the most times and time you can.
3.- Not only you have to be where they are, you have to spend time after them but also, you have to not only be fishing with the right tools in the right locations but also, you have to be thorough and meticulous, runnin´n´gunnin´baits has never produced a double digit for me.
You just have to fish for them, i would post pics of what ive been catching in upstate ny, but i cant seem to get my pics to work.. my goal is a 10 plus im hopeing this fall i can get one out of the water but well see.. ive been catching a lot 5-8's this year.. just makes me think there has to be at least or 1-2 10 pounders.
Most bass fisherman spend their whole lives learning how to catch small bass. Older, wiser, bigger bass act differently then young, dumb, small ones. Learn how to target big bass and you will catch them. Obviously you will catch fewer fish because there are a lot more small bass then there are big ones. If you commit to it then you will catch big bass. Big being relative to your area.
Also trust me, you guys see the glory pictures and assume that its easy in CA or that all good bass fisherman out here catch DD bass. That is not the case at all. Its the same as everywhere else. A very small percentage of guys catch the big bass out here, its just the top end bass is bigger then other states.
Every body of water I fish here locally holds bigger base than my PB of 10lbs. At these man made dams where the drop offs are I seen bigger bass swim by me. I wear my polarized glasses 100% of the time scanning the way water as I fish. These bigger gals are here up north so every body of water has to hold bigger bass too. There not biting your 9 to 5pm shift. These bigger bass show up like ghosts. I see them in the early am. In the dark I hear body slams like a human did a cannonball at the other side in the cove near me. My son was with me so we both heard it. That's a really big bass. I preach being stealthy more and more I can't say it enough when fishing from shore. I close the door on the car softly, walk up quietly, handle my tackle with no noise. Do not step on any rocks sticking out of the ground. It sends vibrations thru the ground into the water.
Fact, my buddy has a little goldfish pond. As he walks up to feed them he stops and taps a rock sticking out of the ground with his foot way before he gets there. When he gets there the fish are lined up to be fed.
This tells me any ground level vibrations goes directly into the water. So walk softly.
Don't bang your tackle box on the ground. Place your rods softly down. Be very, very stealthy like your not there. That's how I caught my PB of 10lbs. So far.
I walked up to the low bridge I fish from and cleared my throat. I watched a big bass swim away from were I was standing. They are that sensitive to noises.
Before my illness I was fishing 24/7 everyday up at 3:30am fishing in the dark till 9am I did this everyday till I got burned out. I would last for 3 to 4 months. I was
hooked on breaking the state record of 12lbs 14oz. I've seen bigger bass.
These bass are big because there smart. They use there keen sences too. I think there weary of boats and motors too. Any out of the ordinary noises sends them away.
To me 10lbs is small when I seen the bigger ones. These smaller river fed manmade dam places do hold big bass. It's just a matter of time till I land one. I lost two bigger bass already.
We need to stay going and stay focused and motivated. I'm having fun bass fishing catching any size bass. So if the big one strikes and I land it so be it. It's one more thing off my bucket list. God bless bigbill
A local tornie guy here on another forum said a 7lb bass is the biggest here. I broke in and popped his bubble. Then the other tornie guys were catching 9+lb bass I think one guy caught a 11lber. This proves what I'm seeing and saying is true.
We had bass hatcherys here to stock bass. That has been stopped for eons. Now where are all these millions of baby bass coming from? It's not your 4 to 7lbers.
You like me we have double digit bass right in our own backyards in the smallest ponds and lakes. We need to fish them more and fish them hard. They are there waiting for us to throw the right lure. These smarter bigger gals do not eat live bait. It's possible they smell the human scent on live bait or see our fishing line but something steers them away from my live bait. I notice my lures catch the larger bass. My ON of 10lbs. was caught n a REBEL BIG CLAW crawfish crank in chartreuse that goes to 10'. I casted the big claw parallel to the shoreline were the drop off is at she hit it as I ripped it out of the weeds at about 4:30 / 5:00am at twilight just before dawn.
Hint, I was fishing by the maori charts and it said "good early" when I caught my PB. I go fishing anyway but I take the charts very seriously. Don't forget to adjust the charts to your time zone.
It's going to take skill to land one of these big gals. Let the quest and hunt begin. Just stay motivated it will pay off.
You have all my secrets.
Bigbill
I have caught many 1lbers to 6lbers before I caught my PB of 10lbs. I never dreamed nor even thought of catching a dd bass. Now I'm focused on breaking the state record.
No, not really.
But of course, it would be fun.
On 8/29/2013 at 8:01 AM, bigbill said:Every body of water I fish here locally holds bigger base than my PB of 10lbs. At these man made dams where the drop offs are I seen bigger bass swim by me. I wear my polarized glasses 100% of the time scanning the way water as I fish. These bigger gals are here up north so every body of water has to hold bigger bass too. There not biting your 9 to 5pm shift. These bigger bass show up like ghosts. I see them in the early am. In the dark I hear body slams like a human did a cannonball at the other side in the cove near me. My son was with me so we both heard it. That's a really big bass. I preach being stealthy more and more I can't say it enough when fishing from shore. I close the door on the car softly, walk up quietly, handle my tackle with no noise. Do not step on any rocks sticking out of the ground. It sends vibrations thru the ground into the water.
Fact, my buddy has a little goldfish pond. As he walks up to feed them he stops and taps a rock sticking out of the ground with his foot way before he gets there. When he gets there the fish are lined up to be fed.
This tells me any ground level vibrations goes directly into the water. So walk softly.
Don't bang your tackle box on the ground. Place your rods softly down. Be very, very stealthy like your not there. That's how I caught my PB of 10lbs. So far.
I walked up to the low bridge I fish from and cleared my throat. I watched a big bass swim away from were I was standing. They are that sensitive to noises.
Before my illness I was fishing 24/7 everyday up at 3:30am fishing in the dark till 9am I did this everyday till I got burned out. I would last for 3 to 4 months. I was
hooked on breaking the state record of 12lbs 14oz. I've seen bigger bass.
These bass are big because there smart. They use there keen sences too. I think there weary of boats and motors too. Any out of the ordinary noises sends them away.
To me 10lbs is small when I seen the bigger ones. These smaller river fed manmade dam places do hold big bass. It's just a matter of time till I land one. I lost two bigger bass already.
We need to stay going and stay focused and motivated. I'm having fun bass fishing catching any size bass. So if the big one strikes and I land it so be it. It's one more thing off my bucket list. God bless bigbill
A local tornie guy here on another forum said a 7lb bass is the biggest here. I broke in and popped his bubble. Then the other tornie guys were catching 9+lb bass I think one guy caught a 11lber. This proves what I'm seeing and saying is true.
We had bass hatcherys here to stock bass. That has been stopped for eons. Now where are all these millions of baby bass coming from? It's not your 4 to 7lbers.
You like me we have double digit bass right in our own backyards in the smallest ponds and lakes. We need to fish them more and fish them hard. They are there waiting for us to throw the right lure. These smarter bigger gals do not eat live bait. It's possible they smell the human scent on live bait or see our fishing line but something steers them away from my live bait. I notice my lures catch the larger bass. My ON of 10lbs. was caught n a REBEL BIG CLAW crawfish crank in chartreuse that goes to 10'. I casted the big claw parallel to the shoreline were the drop off is at she hit it as I ripped it out of the weeds at about 4:30 / 5:00am at twilight just before dawn.
Hint, I was fishing by the maori charts and it said "good early" when I caught my PB. I go fishing anyway but I take the charts very seriously. Don't forget to adjust the charts to your time zone.
It's going to take skill to land one of these big gals. Let the quest and hunt begin. Just stay motivated it will pay off.
You have all my secrets.
Bigbill
I agree with everything you said here except the live bait piece. Fishing with live bait takes as much skill as fishing with artificals and most, including myself, do not take the time to learn all the nuances.
I read one article that went into depth about live bait fishing and i was shocked at the amount of work he was putting into it. I always just live line a jumbo minnow or chuck one out under a bobber or something myself. He went into the intricacies of rigging each bait correctly, finding the right locations and time.
I think it all boils down to fishing wher ethe big fish are, fishing there often and going after the big bite.
There is one place I know that the chances of catching a DD are MUCH greater than anyone here could imagine. I have stats of hundreds of hours fished at this place as well. And will have more in a month!
Jeff
On 8/29/2013 at 9:23 PM, 00 mod said:There is one place I know that the chances of catching a DD are MUCH greater than anyone here could imagine. I have stats of hundreds of hours fished at this place as well. And will have more in a month!
Jeff
I am looking forward to your statistical analysis after your trip for sure
Don't forget to think of how it would be for a long rodder while you are out there.....
You will catch a double digit bass 100% of the time if you hook and touch it
It's not the hours we put in its all about what time we go fishing to catch these big gals when there in the mode to eat. Plus being quiet and stealthy like we're not even there. I think everyone has a shot at catching a DD bass if we approach it correctly.
If I have bigger bass up here in the north you guys south of me also have to have bigger bass too. That's my point. Plus your warmer down south with a longer summer season too. The world record that was first caught in GA proves it that you have DD bass down there too. We're just not targeting them correctly. I'm going to stay fishing in the early am till first light.
you definitely need to be fishing where there are a number of DD's to work with. but, just from my observation of the bulk of the fisherman, it is more of an accident of any of them catching a bass that big. if one will ever notice, that there are always a handful of bassers that consistently catch what would be considered big bass for your area. there are several reasons for that. big bass are a completely different critter than your average bass. you have to spend time fishing an area to find that little prime piece of cover that a really big bass is going to use. there are few bassers in todays day and time that will fish slow enough to ctach a big one even if there is one in the area. the reason for this is watching the "pros" and coffee shop talk. tom young has caught numerous dd's. yes, he lives in an area where they do exist that size. but, ask him how much differently he fishes for them. you can not pull up to a place, make half a dozen casts and then you are off the the next hot spot, and ever think you have a real chance of catching a really big bass.
bo
Well said. Some are bass fishermen, others are big bass hunters.
I catch one every 4 to 5 years on average, some years I fish a lot, some not, I don't know what that makes the odds. I don't chase DD bass, although I do concentrate on times when larger fish are more accessible. I get as much of a kick catching #s as I do big fish, depends on what mood I'm in.
Where i currently live, i bet you'd have a better chance of winning the lottery and then getting struck my lightning on your way to the bank.
00 Mod, its kinda like being at the craps table......... I NEED NUMBAS!!!!!!!!!!
On 8/30/2013 at 5:16 AM, Brian Needham said:00 Mod, its kinda like being at the craps table......... I NEED NUMBAS!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/124209-rate-of-dd-bass-lake-baccarac/
My secret to live bait fishing for these big gals;
Catch the smaller sunfish and bluegills for bait then go out before dawn to fish to fish with them.
I had Terry Clark of TClark custom baits make me some large sunfish crankbaits that one runs vertical while the other one runs flat with a spoon Bill so I can pop it. I need to throw it more. Terry did some awesome paint jobs for me too. I'm not sure wether to fish with it or frame it and call them fishing lure art.
I have not tried live blue gill I have always thought about or even live shinners. . I'm going to get a doZenof shinneras on Thursday and try it...
Well, I caught 2 over 10lb. The first is a 12lb 6oz and the other is a 10lb 8oz. I've mounted the 12lber though. Although I do have to say, I haven't caught anything that size in a long long time. lol! Everything else have been under 8lb.
I fish at farm ponds so yeah, catch a double digit bass is basically a dream... However my Neighbor caught a 14.5 Female Largemouth, only half a lb away from beating the NC state record, I see it very often at the spot it was caught at in the shallows near a fallen tree.
To me a 6 lb. smallmouth is equal to a to a 10 lb. largemouth. I'm sure there aren't too many 10 lb. bass swimming in the lakes and rivers I fish in here in the northeast.
On 9/27/2013 at 7:56 AM, Bassguytom said:To me a 6 lb. smallmouth is equal to a to a 10 lb. largemouth. I'm sure there aren't too many 10 lb. bass swimming in the lakes and rivers I fish in here in the northeast.
That is the same conclusion I have reached regarding the equality of a 6lb smallie & a 10lb largemouth.