Is bigger really better?? 2024

guest reply :

Is it fact that bigger baits catch bigger bass? I have caught a lot of "big" bass but they all came out on a small weighted jig. I mainly fish 1/16 oz to 1/4 oz jigs and use nothing longer than a 6 inch plastic baits. I have never thrown anything over a 1/4 oz. Even though I catch big fish, I have yet to catch one in the double digits. Now I know for some people they believe that "big fish" is considered to be in the double digits. My biggest is 8.5 but I can't seem to catch that double digit bass.

I have a mini lake that I fish and I know for a fact there are several bass in there that weigh over 10+ pounds. I saw a 13.3 come out of there a few weeks ago. She was released back. I have TWO questions.1.) What would you tie on and 2.) How would you locate these BIG BASS. They are in there, trust me.

aridog reply :

Hey TEX ilive on the border and I catch some real good size Bass out of the Rio Grand with just what you use the Six Inch Bass Assasains lizard and worms the kind with the two heads, the hooks that have the weight on em and ten pound test. all my stuff from the sales rack at Wal Mart

Captain Cali reply :

It's not that smaller baits don't catch bigger bass. It's that bigger baits don't catch as many smaller bass.

If I was out for just one big bass...I would throw a swimbait of course.

KU_Bassmaster. reply :

Over a period of time, a big bait will CONSISTANTLY catch bigger bass than a smaller bait. That's not to say that a beetle spin won't catch a big bass every now and then.

I am a firm believer in the big baits = big bass theory.

I would say if your dead set on catching that double digit bass and don't mind catching a few less bass (remember fishing for big bass is a mind set) double the size of your baits you normally use. You mentioned jigs and plastics. Go out and get some 1/2 oz+ Jigs with some nice chunky trailers and some 10" worms.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Our state record was caught on a mealworm.

Other. reply :

Quote
Our state record was caught on a mealworm.

A SUPER SIZEDMEAL WORM!!! right???

Brian_Reeves reply :

You could always double or triple skirt your normal jigs and upsize the trailer. This will give you a bigger profile and accomplish what you are looking to do without having to learn the characteristics of completely new jigs. I use the FLW finesse jigs and I double skirt them. Seems to be working fine for me. For a trailer, I don't use chunks. I either use grubs, spidergrubs, or crawdad baits. I'll race you to 10lbs lol I'm trying for double digets myself and they gradually get bigger and bigger

RoLo reply :

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It's not that smaller baits don't catch bigger bass. It's that bigger baits don't catch as many smaller bass.

I agree with Roger.

There are times I'm sure, when a large bass will pass up a smaller bait,

only to strike a larger bait. But other variables weigh into the equation that aren't as visible

as "size". Which bait do you think a trophy bass would be more likely to seize:

A> 5" shiner traveling slowly and erratically about 30 inches away.

B> 10" shiner traveling steadily about 40 inches away.

As an aside, my wife's biggest Jersey bass was caught on a 1/32 oz shad dart ;D

When I lived in New Jersey I fished a lot for striped bass. During the peak season in June,

I'd run across Sandy Hook Bay before daybreak and meet the netmen at the pound nets.

They would sell me menhaden (moss bunkers) under the table for a buck a piece,

(a lot of money back then). They would winch the net to the surface and shine lights

on the catch. I would point out the largest bunkers in their pound net, which I placed

in my livewell. They ran 12 to 14 inches long and probably weighed 1 to 1.5 pounds.

With those big baits I was usually good for a couple of stripers, but I caught nothing

under 22 lbs. Then I decided to scale down my baits, and began pointing to bunkers

in the pound net that ran 7 to 9" long. Not only did the activity increase, but I caught

stripers as small as 14 lbs and as large as 44 lbs, all on 8-inch menhaden.

It was a lesson that I've never forgotten.

Roger

guest reply :

Let me give yall a little information on this lake.

1.) Depth - deepest part is around 20 to 30 ft deep.

2.) Forage - lily pads, submerged grasses, submerged logs, Lay down trees,

bushes in the water, and it has a lot of shady areas.

3.) The bottom of the lake is a mixture of sand, gravel, and larger rocks.

What would be some good swim baits to get and how would you fish them??

FL_fisher reply :

hey aridog what is that sign tring to tell us lol

Fish Chris reply :

I think I want to fish with a lure size, that matches whatever the actual food item that lure imitates.

Now granted, I have been fishing with a relatively small swimbait (The Hud, at only 8", and just under 6 ounces) but I will likely go straight to the 10" or the 11" as soon as Ken Huddleston comes out with them.... hopefully soon. Granted, their are plants of 8" trout sometimes, but more often, they are at least 10" or 11"..... and besides, if I miss a few 5's or 6's because they couldn't get the 11" in their mouth, that's totally okay.

As for "normal" bass, in much of the rest of the country, I think day in and day out, a bigger bait will catch a bigger bass, but their is a time for finnesse too.

Peace,

Fish

cart7t reply :

Small baits will catch both large and small fish.

Large baits will catch primarily large fish, the trade-off is you'll be catching fewer fish but of better quality.

If you don't mind the long lulls between larger fish then use larger baits by all means.

guest reply :

After reading all the information above, that leads me to one more question. Why use bigger baits when you can still catch larger fish on the smaller baits? If you just slow down your presentation and speed retrieve you will still catch larger bass on the smaller baits that you use. I also gather that it isn't so much the size of the bait but the location of the "bigger bass."

I hear that C-rigging is also good when fishing for bigger bass. Is there any truth to that as well?

I have no problem catching quanity of fish, but I just can't seem to break that double digit.

KU_Bassmaster. reply :

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After reading all the information above, that leads me to one more question. Why use bigger baits when you can still catch larger fish on the smaller baits?

I kind of look at it this way ..... suppose you are a big fat old LAZY bass. You want to use the least amount of energy for the most amount of food. Are you more likely to use energy to get a jelly bean or a big fat double cheeseburger?

ww2farmer reply :

In the spring of the year before most species start spawning, the waters clear, and the forage base is dwindled down from 10 months or so of consuming, I downsize. As the water warms, and stains I begin upsizing my baits. By Summer I am using bigger baits, with a few exceptions.

guest reply :

Quote

I kind of look at it this way ..... suppose you are a big fat old LAZY bass. You want to use the least amount of energy for the most amount of food. Are you more likely to use energy to get a jelly bean or a big fat double cheeseburger?

I see your point. What if the "jelly bean" is moving at the same speed as the "big fat double cheeseburger." Now if they were still moving at the same speed then I guess I would go for both. LOL Your making me hungry. ;D

Would it also be safe to say that it would take more energy to eat and digest the larger amounts of food? Just food for thought. Get it. Food for thought.LOL I just couldn't resist.

KU_Bassmaster. reply :

Food for thought ..... ;D. I would say it probably would take more enrgy to digest that chesseburger vs. one jelly bean ........ but consider how much energy you would use to chase down the amount of jelly beans to equal that one cheeseburger.

The biggest factor to consider is that big bass are LAZY (yes that's right, all caps). They want to get the most out of each meal for the least amount of work/energy.

guest reply :

KU_Bassmaster--Sounds great to me. You have answered all my questions and obviously you believe in bigger baits. So I will go bigger and see what happens. I have no problem catching numbers of bass so I just want to concentrate on catching that 10+ pounder!

By the way, you now have made me fat and lazy. LOL

KU_Bassmaster. reply :

Good luck!!!!! We will be awaiting the results.

directlink reply :

I caught my PB (8lbs 4oz) on a 3" cotton candy Kalin's grub with a 1/8oz jighead. I think its just got to be that right time/place. I've caught plenty of big bass on small lures.

K_Mac reply :

Quote

I hear that C-rigging is also good when fishing for bigger bass. Is there any truth to that as well?

I have no problem catching quanity of fish, but I just can't seem to break that double digit.

The answer to your question about C-rigging is yes. I have caught many nice fish using one. As far as double digit bass, I wish I could say....

RoLo reply :

There is an old axiom in the Real Estate profession that also applies to fishing; it goes like this:

"The 3 most vital factors that determine the price of land are

Location, Location and Location, but not necessarily in that order."

Fishermen routinely give credit to size and color, that really belongs to location.

A bass is as dumb as a "Box-Of-Rocks".

Bass know nothing at all about caloric efficiency, in fact, I doubt that a bass even knows how big he is!

Naturally, the fatter and older the bass, the "lazier" the bass, but laziness has no effect on food size.

Laziness translates to the distance that a bass is willing to chase, and the speed that he's willing to use.

For laziness to have any bearing on food size, would require intelligence and that clearly excludes bass.

To protect all low forms of life, Mother Nature supplies them with a complex set of "instincts".

Every bass instinctively knows the size of his mouth (what will fit, what will not fit).

The life mission of a fish is not finding food that comes the closest to filling up its mouth.

On the contrary, everything that will fit is 'acceptable', and everything that won't fit is 'unacceptable'.

An oversized bait can become lodged in the fish's throat, which all fish instinctively understand.

Although a small bass may be forced to reject a large bait, a large bass has a choice.

A belly-sagging lunker that swallows a small tidbit has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

There are 3 factors that might cause a trophy bass to eat a small morsel (it's done all the time):

1. It was served at his doorstep

2. It appeared defenseless and vulnerable.

3. It was not "Too Big" for his mouth.

Roger

Brian_Reeves reply :

Quote

A bass is as dumb as a "Box-Of-Rocks".

That's not very nice. :-/ lol I agree though. Location>anything.

RatONaStick reply :

Roger

I have to say that was an excellent explanation, thanks.

I'm fairly new here, and I've been reading and searching and have noticed that you go out of your way to provide excellent info. It's evident that you are an experienced fisherman who has been at it for a good number of years. I notice that many fisherman are pretty tight lipped with their experiences/knowledge and I just wanted to say I appreciate you sharing it with us.

RoLo reply :

Thanks a million, your response is much appreciated.

Roger

RatONaStick reply :

Not a problem, gotta give credit where credit is due.

Raul reply :

A fish can not outsmart you, they are like Roger so graphically placed it: as dumb as a box of rocks, you think, they do not; the problems are that first you do not know how to locate them, then you don 't know how to make them bite and to finish, you fish too fast. In order to catch fish consistently you need to widen your horizons, learn how to fish different baits properly and very important: know your prey and be creative, bigger not means necessarily better, bigger culls the smaller fish away but fish like bass do have bigger mouths than brains.

guest reply :

I don't count my biggest bass ever as my PB simply because I don't want to think about having to beat 14 pounds in Arkansas. I aim to catch a bass around 9# here and be satisfied with that. Our state record is a little over 16#, on Lake Mallard. In that lake near Oralndo, FL, my guide gave me a 16" long snake worm. When the bite began he had me wait while the line danced, then when the line began tightening and moving to the side he told me to set the hook. It took several seconds for the worm to be eaten. I'd never consider fishing with a 16" worm here, but I do use baits up to 7" long, and am convinced big bass will eat those. They eliminate pestering small bites, though I've caught a 6" bream on a 7" topwater.

We had a fee pond nearby where a family could fish all day for $1 per adult. They had long docks with brush piles and plenty of benches along a mowed shoreline near aquatic vegetation. It was a really nice place for people to recreate. Bass were catch & release only, all other fish to be harvested. Due to lawsuits over a drowning the public access closed. However, friends and family of the owner report the pond now contains plenty of grown up bass around 15 pounds. They get trapped with gill nets as part of their management plan, they die and are found floating in winter and in the heat of summer. But nobody has caught a single one of those big bass. Part of it is no boats are allowed on the 10 acre pond, and I doubt anyone can cast to the deep holes holding those fish. Some pros have fished there, none catching a sizeable bass.

Jim

roadwarrior reply :

Well, I generally agree with Roger on most topics and I'm not arguing the logic on this one. Presentation and the right location go a long ways and account for a high percentage of big fish taken. But, to consistantly catch big bass, the size of the bait can come into play. Smaller fish are much more aggressive than larger bass.

To take a specific example, I watched a demonstration of the Fat Ika by Mike Whitten, GYCB writer and Pro Staff, at the BPS this spring. The 5 & 6lb bass attacked this bait as it fell, the big bass were curious, but just followed it to the bottom and watched it until it was moved. My point is that if smaller bass are present, you generally need something that you can get past them. Not only do I fish for big bass only, I really don't want to catch smaller bass, ever.

So, for me, bigger baits are a solution to the problem of catching too many little fish. My big bass bait is the 6" Senko.

guest reply :

I don't remember why the USGS has scientists studying fish, but they have produced some videos that would be best sellers at BPS. Most bassers will never see them. Those videos are usually made for Congressmen toward securing project funding then are archived. I've watched big bass so well camoflauged you can barely make one eye out, resting in a glob of cover. When almost anything living, however tiny, passes within a foot of their mouth, they inhale it wihout moving their body. They do that constantly. I suspect their belly remains full most of the time. When small panfish swam close those bass stayed put, passing on fish they couyld obviously swallow. But there was one screen shot of a bass launching out at a fish like a snake striking, with blinding speed, catching the bream or whatever it was a couple of feet away. It swung right around and backed into its hole and chomped down, spit the fish out, and re-swallowed. From that and other types of videos, plus experience, big bass simply prefer it's meals come a foot away or closer, requiring pin-point lure placement. It also requires a high degree of realism in the bait, not one slip-up in presentation.

On the other hand a juvenile bass will swim to great lengths to swallow a single shad. Maybe they simply have more energy like my grand daughter has over me. The day has come I can't catch her. I suspect a 10 year old bass is a lot like me. I no longer like going thruogh buffet lines. I let my wife fill a plate for me. How'd I do it? "Honey, you know if I get up I'll eat way too much, so maybe you can help....ah, THANKS, sweet, you always know what I like." I just want it set in front of me.

Jim

tennsopher reply :

I believe Rolo is dead on location is a huge part of the equation.Weekend before last I caught a 7-4,an8-15 and a9-5 all on lucky craft lv10.The lake is one I just started fishing again this year after several years of not fishing there.Developement has taken away the once plentiful hyacinths and much shoreline cover.This also killed out the golden shiners once plentiful near the vegetation.Solution?I noticed schools of shad roaming open water and several dead ones floating where they had been struck and crippled.The locator showed underwater mounds and grass beds offshore in 10-15ft of water.I found the most realistic looking shad bait I could .I fish these near the structure when the bait is close by as shown by my depthfinder.Your bait should match the predominent bait in the lake in size and appearance.

hope you get a whale

Tennsopher

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