Not all giant bass are smart 2024
j bab reply :
The fish I caught back in May has now been caught AGAIN!
It was first caught in April on a Ratl Trap,
I caught her in May on a Hudd,
and recently she was caught AGAIN on an Ol Monster...
Unbelievable! Isn't that the craziest thing you ever heard??
Who knows how many times that fish has been caught and not registered with the Lunker Program...
Just goes to show that not all giants are as smart as we think, and catch and release WORKS.
edit: for those of you familiar with Toledo: this fish was caught in Six Mile, released in Housen, caught by me in Six Mile, released in Pirate's Cove (LA side of the lake, miles away), then caught in Six Mile again this time... That fish knows how to find it's way home!
Paul Roberts reply :
Doug Hannon has written that the largest bass are often the most aggressive ones -the fastest growers. He felt that many potential giants were most vulnerable to be culled by anglers.
Yeajray231 reply :
Yea man that is crazy. I love that worm too. Lol. That's some pretty crazy news.. how big is the body of water that it was caught in ? I actually read your article awhile ago.. and I think i remember reading your dad caught a ten pounder earlier this year out of the same body..
I'm willing to guess it might be on its last leg ? There was a big bass a couple years ago I hooked 4 separate times... the next spring she was no where to be found. Hopefully that's not the case.. but. Just an observation
j bab reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 8:32 AM, Yeajray231 said:Yea man that is crazy. I love that worm too. Lol. That's some pretty crazy news.. how big is the body of water that it was caught in ? I actually read your article awhile ago.. and I think i remember reading your dad caught a ten pounder earlier this year out of the same body..
I'm willing to guess it might be on its last leg ? There was a big bass a couple years ago I hooked 4 separate times... the next spring she was no where to be found. Hopefully that's not the case.. but. Just an observation
Toledo Bend. There are probably thousands of DDs in there, maybe that bass is on it's last leg but not necessarily
Yeajray231 reply :
Did it get released again ?
j bab reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 9:23 AM, Yeajray231 said:Did it get released again ?
Yep.
Side note: when it was released the first time it was on the Texas side of the lake, just a few miles north of where I caught it. Then I released it on the Louisiana side, quite a distance across the lake. It was caught this time in the same area on the Texas side, which means this fish manages to find it's way back to the same area of the lake every time, no matter where it's released. Kinda cool
Yeajray231 reply :
Way cool ! She knows where the food is. Lol
Torn Thumb reply :
I'm lost. Is the fish tagged or marked somehow? And how big of an area is the bass going overall? I.e. how far from the Tx spot to the LA spot?
WRB reply :
This bass was caught at night each time, kudos to everyone who has handled this bass and kept her healthy, not easy to do at night in warm water. 10+ lb FLMB doesn't qualify as a giant or Share a Lunker bass and as aggresive as this bass is she may never reach giant bass status.
Wariness or aggressiveness isn't necessarily intelligence, has more to do with servival.
Dottie the giant bass was caught at least 3 times when she was over 20 lbs, each time off a bed. How mant times was Dottie caught during her lifetime?
Tom
riverbasser reply :
Interesting that it always went back to where it was
j bab reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 10:08 AM, Torn Thumb said:I'm lost. Is the fish tagged or marked somehow? And how big of an area is the bass going overall? I.e. how far from the Tx spot to the LA spot?
The fish is tagged. I'm estimating it was over 5 miles between spots.
Torn Thumb reply :
That's awesome. I love that you caught it with 3 different baits. Is there a way of knowing if someone else caught it?
j bab reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 12:25 PM, Torn Thumb said:That's awesome. I love that you caught it with 3 different baits. Is there a way of knowing if someone else caught it?
I caught it once. It was caught by others the other two times. We only know this because of the Toledo Bend Lake Association Lunker Program, who keeps records by tagging fish and recording data when they're weighed in. The incentive to weigh one in is a free replica, that way more DDs are weighed and released and more data is collected
Bluebasser86 reply :
I've always felt that some bass are just inheritently easier to catch than others. I've known a few bass in bodies of water that I caught multiple times throughout their lifetime, usually in the same general area at the same times of year. Then I've seen big bass caught in small bodies of water that myself and others fished for years and never knew they were there.
"hamma" reply :
Awesome catch J !!,..Congrats! Thats an impressive fish.
On the subject or re-catching bass?
My dearly departed bass fishing buddy and I fished a local lake alot, he on his coleman crawdad, and me on my boat. We had caught a mutual bass multiple times that we named Henry (after another departed friend), Henry has a tumor on his tail that is the size of a golfball. We had tracked Henry's weight starting at 7+ right on up to the last time I caught him at 10.4 (about 5 years ago).
I have since moved to a different part of the state and haven't fished that lake since my last weighing of Henry. I hope he's still prowling the lake, and whats really interesting is. Henry is caught in any 1 of 3 different "spots" on the lake. They are not far from each other, and Im assuming it's got to do with wind direction and Henry's forage reacting to said wind direction.
Catt reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 8:18 AM, j bab said:edit: for those of you familiar with Toledo: this fish was caught in Six Mile, released in Housen, caught by me in Six Mile, released in Pirate's Cove (LA side of the lake, miles away), then caught in Six Mile again this time... That fish knows how to find it's way home!
There is a myth that double digit bass morph into a creature so intelligent that mere mortals can not catch em!
Doug had years of research data where large bass were caught, transported to other waters, & released. The idea was to improve the breading stock in the new water.The data quickly showed these large bass were the first caught in the new waters. A huge portion of the bread stock was not being released.
Since you are talking Toledo Bend I'll give you another one.
Several years ago 2 DD bad were caught, one in Housen & one in Six Mile, both were released at Toledo Tackle at Pendleton Bridge. Both bass were caught a couple weeks later back in Housen & Six Mile!
soflabasser reply :
Good story that proves catch and release fishing works well on big bass.I have also noticed that many big bass tend to have a home range,especially in small bodies of water down here.If you can find the exact location where a big bass lives you have a chance at catching her sooner or later if you are presenting the right lure at the right time in front of her.
Advantage reply :
You say the fish isn't smart, but yet it found it's way back to it's home several times. And yes you caught it multiple times but not on the same bait. If you caught it on the same bait every time then you could say it is a stupid fish. Just my opinion.
Catt reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 7:45 PM, Advantage said:You say the fish isn't smart, but yet it found it's way back to it's home several times. And yes you caught it multiple times but not on the same bait. If you caught it on the same bait every time then you could say it is a stupid fish. Just my opinion.
The two I referenced were caught both times on a Terry Oldham's 1/2 oz jig with a Gene Larew Hawg Craw trailer in black-n-blue!
In my position being caught on different lures shows how easy they can be caught. It also supports the theory "right lure at the right time".
Advantage reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 8:05 PM, Catt said:The two I referenced were caught both times on a Terry Oldham's 1/2 oz jig with a Gene Larew Hawg Craw trailer in black-n-blue!
In my position being caught on different lures shows how easy they can be caught. It also supports the theory "right lure at the right time".
Ah, guess I read it wrong...looked like it was caught 3 different times by 3 different lures. But yes, right lure in the right place and at the right time is key.
I have read somewhere that a study done showed that bass do have a memory, both short and long term, but have seperate memories per eye. Meaning if it saw and got caught by a certain lure that it saw with it's left eye, theoretically it could be caught again with the same lure if seen by it's right eye.
Catt reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 9:26 PM, Advantage said:Ah, guess I read it wrong...looked like it was caught 3 different times by 3 different lures. But yes, right lure in the right place and at the right time is key.
No you are correct!
The bass I'm talking about was several years ago
j bab reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 9:26 PM, Advantage said:
I have read somewhere that a study done showed that bass do have a memory, both short and long term, but have seperate memories per eye. Meaning if it saw and got caught by a certain lure that it saw with it's left eye, theoretically it could be caught again with the same lure if seen by it's right eye.
That's fascinating
GORDO reply :
Imagine being that bass. You already know he got hooked and was thinking NOT AGIAN! LOL
bigbill reply :
I caught a large perch and put it in a different body of water on the way home. It was in my minnow bucket. I decided not to eat it. It's in another healthy spot. Haven't caught it again. Yet.
Yeajray231 reply :
^ Probably cuz its got slammed by a pike, walleye, musky or largemouth . Or possibly a heron , hawk or eagle . We aren't the only ones who love perch lol
WRB reply :
Way back in the late 60's and early 70's I tagged big bass with a kit, the tags were yellow tubing with numbers to log. Tagged 7 lb 10 oz bass at lake Sherwood about 300 yards from the south side of the dam caught near a big rock. I caught this same bass 3 times over a 3 year period the same month each year at the same rock, on the same jig. The bass never weighed more than original weight. Some bass are creatures of habit.
Tom
OCdockskipper reply :
Tom, I think I used the same kit. Did it come with little red logbooks like below? Those are from 1978, it is fun to go through them and read the notes I used to write as a teenager.
DrMarlboro92 reply :
I would be really interested to see how long it took her to get back to six mile. I think it would give insight as to whether she went there out of memory, or if there is something about six mile that draws bass; and if it's the second option, what drew her there?
It's still cool to see it travel so far and get caught again though.
Hez reply :
On 9/29/2016 at 8:54 AM, OCdockskipper said:Tom, I think I used the same kit. Did it come with little red logbooks like below? Those are from 1978, it is fun to go through them and read the notes I used to write as a teenager.
What is "Crapped on Rod"?
Very cool, btw
OCdockskipper reply :
As a teenage boy, I thought noting that fish #127 took a dump on my equipment as I was unhooking him was worthwhile to remember...
I laugh when I look back at some of the notations I made.
Catt reply :
On 10/11/2016 at 1:43 AM, DrMarlboro92 said:I would be really interested to see how long it took her to get back to six mile. I think it would give insight as to whether she went there out of memory, or if there is something about six mile that draws bass; and if it's the second option, what drew her there?
It's still cool to see it travel so far and get caught again though.
The two I'm referencing took about a month to reach Housen'/6-Mile & then be caught again.
Edited by CattOperator error
kilroy9988 reply :
I caught the same smallmouth twice last year once in the spring and again in late summer. It was a unique fish as it was missing part of the bottom of it's tailfin, when I caught it again in late summer I compared pictures from the spring and it was the same fish.
3 years ago in early June I caught the same smallmouth 2 days in a row. First day I caught a bass with a hook and about a foot of crappy line hanging out of it's lip. A sore had formed around where the hook was, I removed the hook and released the fish. The next morning I caught the same sore mouth bass.
Raul reply :
I've caught the same big momma the 3 times in the same week from the same spot, that makes her stupid ? Not really, other than myself nobody has been able to catch her from the tiny pond where she lived, so .... I'm the smart one.
clh121787 reply :
Didn't dotty get caught a few times?
Raul reply :
On 10/11/2016 at 11:45 AM, clh121787 said:Didn't dotty get caught a few times?
Yup, and who knows how many times she was caught and released before she became the famous "DOTTY".
Ken Smith reply :
I need some stupid fish,....
Raul reply :
On 10/11/2016 at 10:34 PM, Ken Smith said:I need some stupid fish,....
I need some stupid BIG fish ...
There you go, fixed, anybody can have stupid fish, BIG stupid fish not anybody can.
Paul Roberts reply :
There seems to be a mythology that develops around BIG fish: that they are smarter, craftier, etc... I think it speaks to our ego, and I don't mean "ego" in the derogatory; Instead, ego in the motivational sense. It sure feels good when we catch one.
I think BIG fish are instead rare and in many cases represent individuals that have broken trophic thresholds taking them out of the normal range of most angler's methodology (think BIG swimbaits) and ability to delay gratification. This would describe me much of the time.
Catt reply :
Anglers often respond to the failures and frustrations of not catching double bass by over-complicating theory and technique. As much as it helps our egos to regard a difficult task as complex, this type of thinking is often the biggest obstacle between you and your fishing success.
OCdockskipper reply :
In addition to being less of them, I think BIG fish are tougher to catch because they are big. There are some distinct advantages for a fish when it is able to break line or fight in a manner that its smaller brethren can't.
I caught a big catfish on a crankbait this year that had a square bill hanging out of one side of his mouth and a jig on the other. He wasn't so smart, he was just able to continually get away with his errors through brute strength.
Paul Roberts reply :
Catt chiming in has me wanting to add something: that catching bigger fish is often the result of overall effectiveness (accuracy, efficiency), location (being willing to fish deep, and inside cover), and in terms of timing (night fishing, say). These fish may not be smarter, just not where most anglers tend to, or are willing to, fish. It is interesting, and telling, that large bass are most vulnerable during the coldwater periods. And they seem to disappear in summer -presumably moving deeper, or deeper under "unfishable" cover, or becoming chiefly nocturnal. This would count a lot of us out. (But, not Catt from what I've gathered over the years.)
OCdockskipper reminds me of something I was thinking about while fishing this past week. I was sight-fishing mostly, to fish in very shallow water in a pond I know well. I know individual fish and had located the three biggest girls in the pond. They were all together in the back of one cove. I was unable to catch one as they were very spooky. Which got me to wondering how much the fact that large fish have larger eyes which, apparently, confers an advantage in visual acuity. Makes me wonder about other senses too, not to mention experience that comes with age. Sounds like I'm reversing from my comments above -as perception is part of the chain that results in "intelligence"- but I'm not. Rarely does one reason account for everything. And some things are more significant than others.
Mainebass1984 reply :
On 9/29/2016 at 4:49 AM, bigbill said:I caught a large perch and put it in a different body of water on the way home. It was in my minnow bucket. I decided not to eat it. It's in another healthy spot. Haven't caught it again. Yet.
Careful. Stocking fish into another body of water is highly illegal in some states, especially in the Northeast.
Raul reply :
On 10/12/2016 at 2:47 AM, Paul Roberts said:catching bigger fish is often the result of overall effectiveness (accuracy, efficiency), locationally (being willing to fish deep, and inside cover), and in terms of timing (night fishing, say). These fish may not be smarter, just not where most anglers tend to, or are willing to, fish.
In my experience big mommas are most vulnerable during the prespawn because they feed a lot and during the spawn, just because they are there guarding the nest.
When I had the chance to do it I followed the spawn throughout the country starting by the North ( yeah, believe or nor there is a "north" in Mexico ) and near the coast, then moved up in height above sea level to move south as the year progressed, so for me it was late Feb /early March in Tamps and Nuevo Leon, Mid March/early April Sinaloa, Nayarit and coastal Jalisco, Mid April until May in central Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro and San Luis, in Guanajuato, Estado de Maxico and Puebla the spawn extended until May/Jun in the Sierra so I climbed to reach the spawn.
Most of the 10+ pounders I caught were caught during the prespawn and the spawn.
soflabasser reply :
On 10/11/2016 at 11:31 AM, Raul said:I've caught the same big momma the 3 times in the same week from the same spot, that makes her stupid ? Not really, other than myself nobody has been able to catch her from the tiny pond where she lived, so .... I'm the smart one.
Same here. There's a public park lake down here that I caught a +10 pound bass bank fishing a couple years ago. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people that fish this lake every year and most people never get a 6 pounder fishing this lake. Big bass from these highly pressured waters are far from being dumb and if they where truly dumb everyone would have a +10 pounder as a personal best.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 10/12/2016 at 4:25 AM, Raul said:... yeah, believe or nor there is a "north" in Mexico ...
There are even trout in northern Mexico. I'd say that's plenty "North".
WRB reply :
Some or most giant bass are only caught during the spawning cycle, I'am talking about bass over 15 lbs. I joked that catching retarded big bass was easier then smart bass. The fact is most of these giant bass are very wary creatures and don't strike artificial lures as food. Life like swimbaits that move and look like the real thing, soft plastic worms and jigs that tend to give off very few negative clues hard for some big bass avoid. I don't believe it's the size alone of big swimbaits that sometimes fool big bass, it's a combination of size, coloration and movement that represents what the bass are targeting fools them. Every one of the giant bass over 15 lbs that I have caught were pre spawn fish that targeted crawdads when I caught them on hair jigs with pork rind trailers that looked, moved and had the right texture and taste of the real crawdad.
Tom
TnRiver46 reply :
On 10/12/2016 at 8:29 AM, WRB said:Some or most giant bass are only caught during the spawning cycle, I'am talking about bass over 15 lbs. I joked that catching retarded big bass was easier then smart bass. The fact is most of these giant bass are very wary creatures and don't strike artificial lures as food. Life like swimbaits that move and look like the real thing, soft plastic worms and jigs that tend to give off very few negative clues hard for some big bass avoid. I don't believe it's the size alone of big swimbaits that sometimes fool big bass, it's a combination of size, coloration and movement that represents what the bass are targeting fools them. Every one of the giant bass over 15 lbs that I have caught were pre spawn fish that targeted crawdads when I caught them on hair jigs with pick rind trailers that looked, moved and had the right texture and taste of the real crawdad.
Tom
I will die happy if I can say "all the bass I have caught over 15 lbs" second thought I will die happy if I can say "that one bass I caught over 10 lbs"
Raul reply :
On 10/12/2016 at 5:02 AM, Paul Roberts said:There are even trout in northern Mexico. I'd say that's plenty "North".
There's trout in Central Mexico, I fished for them. Not exactly north but high.
Jeff H reply :
On 9/28/2016 at 8:23 AM, Paul Roberts said:Doug Hannon has written that the largest bass are often the most aggressive ones
This has not been my experience. When I've worked concentrations of fish, it seems I always get the small ones first. The bigger fish in the group always come last for me.
Catt reply :
On 10/12/2016 at 9:06 AM, Jeff H said:This has not been my experience. When I've worked concentrations of fish, it seems I always get the small ones first. The bigger fish in the group always come last for me.
Aggressive does not mean they feed first!
Smaller bass are willing to chase your lure down...big momma will not!
Given the choice of a 4" shad 10 feet away and a 8" shad 20 yards away big momma will choose the closest
Minimum output...maximum intake!
Of the measly 35 double digit bass I've caught only one was during pre-spawn, all the rest were during summer.
WRB reply :
During the years we enjoyed a good population of 10-12lb bass could catch a DD bass during summer night tournaments, only know of 1 16 lb bass caught at night during the summer in SoCal. Our summer night tournaments only run for 6 hours usually 8P to 2A, otherwise SoCal public lakes are closed 1/2 hr before sun set, open 1/2 hr after sun rise, year around. This gives you about 6 Saturday nights a year to night fish.
Tom
DrMarlboro92 reply :
On 10/12/2016 at 12:42 AM, Paul Roberts said:There seems to be a mythology that develops around BIG fish: that they are smarter, craftier, etc... I think it speaks to our ego, and I don't mean "ego" in the derogatory; Instead, ego in the motivational sense. It sure feels good when we catch one.
I think BIG fish are instead rare and in many cases represent individuals that have broken trophic thresholds taking them out of the normal range of most angler's methodology (think BIG swimbaits) and ability to delay gratification. This would describe me much of the time.
I remember reading a while ago (and I think that someone has already spoken about everything I'm about to say in this thread, but I will restate it anyway) that just because a bass is big, doesn't mean it's old, or smart for that matter. Quite a bit has to do with how aggressive the fish is. If a fish eats more, and gets there before the other fish, this would in turn make us reason that a bigger bass would be more aggressive. It would also mean that the big fish would be more likely to be caught if you are in the right area.
I believe the problem lies in harvesting. I think that more potential huge fish get caught and harvested while they are "decent" fish, lowering the number of aggressive bass in a body of water.
If you look at fisheries like briery creek here in VA (a place known for absolute monsters until recently when the bass were running out of food due to the sheer number of monster bass) it has a slot limit of 14-24 inches. Less bass are kept despite VDGIF asking for the sub 14 inch fish to be kept, meaning hooking into a 5+lb bass is the norm. You will fill the boat with fish that size and he ticked because you didn't find the 10 pounder. The only reason I can figure is because the aggressive, potential huge fish aren't removed too early due to the slot limit, making for better genes, more aggressive fish, and a better fishing trip.
Edit: forgot my example.
About 2 years ago me and my dad were fishing briery creek, and we caught the same bass 3 times, in the same spot, just with different baits a few hours apart each time. It was 5lb 4oz, and had a big knot of scar tissue on his bottom lip, and a big gash on his side. Is this bass stupid? No, he's just aggressive. This is what gives the aggressive fish theory credence to me, but again, it is just a theory.
Catt reply :
Big bass are far from stupid but they have biological needs that I can use to my advantage.
Bass have to eat & bigger bass have to eat more or more often.
Bass have to spawn at least once a year
Bass have to have a tolerable dissolved oxygen level in the water where they live.
Those three will help me understand where the big bass will be located.
Big momma (alpha female) will be located on prime structure & in prime cover; she is setup on structure & in cover that allows her to see all directions at once. Maybe not 360 but it'll be as close as they feel comfortable.
She will have multiple areas that have sufficient food to last the present season.
Edited by CattOperator error
N Florida Mike reply :
There was a 4 pounder I caught 8 times in my lake.I nicknamed him hard luck.He was on the skinny side.
"hamma" reply :
In southern clines I would agree that a bass may get big in a "shorter" amount of time considering the norm, but up here the growing seasons are shorter.
Any bass that reaches dd size up here is old, and its usually been caught before. Yes,...it does require all of what Catt listed and it does open the door for anglers to have a better shot at it. But that door gets smaller and smaller every year that fish gets harrassed on a bed, or stings its mouth hitting a crankbait. They have a certain "ability" to mask their presence. And I think its this;
I know a angler who everytime he goes out fishing he's pounding the shoreline, with both the front and console lcr's on, his trolling motor on high, with his stereo blaring classic rock music while tossing a rattling jerkbait. No matter what direction the sun is beaming from, or how the cover is situated.,... And he says to me one day "There's no big fish in here, I've never caught one" while we were fishing one of (what I call) my trophy lakes. Many anglers up here are guys that just fish to get out of the house, away from the chores, etc. They buy the expensive boat, have all the latest and greatest gear. and think they cant be outfished, or bested so to say. And he is certainly one. I've tried to deter his antics but he wont listen, so,...... se la vie
That lake does have big fish in it, I've caught them there, even a dd ,..But I fish it in a very different manner. I take the stealthy approach, no lcr transducer clicking away, I know where im at, and dont need to have a lcr on,... trolling motor only used to re-locate myself,.. as I use the wind to move me along, making not even the slightest sound, I fish quiet lures like a jig and craw, doused with a scent to mask the human scent,. and I fish it slowly and effectively, with the sun to my back. Many times this "tactic" has yielded me some impressive fish. Even In tournies as a non-boater I had to ask the boater to shut off the lcrs, fish in the direction I want, with minimal trolling motor use. no livewell pumps running etc. during "my time",... And the times I did catch the lunker for the day? The boater not only stated that he learned something, but that it was my approach that got me that fish.
If you fail to adhere to the "laws" (for lack of a better term) of a big fish's domain up here? you will fail, miserably, and consistently. That trophy you seek for the wall? will remain a mystery,.. I've seen it in action, and proved it over and over again.
Am I some kind of pig "pro"?,..., not by any means. A bass biologist? heck no,.. Im just a angler that has adhered to the teachings I read, experienced, and utilized that has yielded some success. Enough to realize that "hey,...that worked!" and duplicate it when ever possible.
Maybe the big fish you guys are catching down in the southern clines aren't that old, or even bright. But up here? They have to be old to get that big, and smart to continue on, or,... they just dont get that big to begin with. Most guys up here mount a 8 lber on the wall as soon as he can get his thumb on her lip. I slip that pretty girl back in the water,...
Yeajray231 reply :
I really liked the above post ^ the only thing that threw me off was the "back to the sun" that would cast a shadow towards where you are fishing. I've always fished with the sun at my face..
"hamma" reply :
On 10/14/2016 at 4:09 AM, Yeajray231 said:I really liked the above post ^ the only thing that threw me off was the "back to the sun" that would cast a shadow towards where you are fishing. I've always fished with the sun at my face..
The reason I do this is: When you cast your shadow over a fish they do see you. BUT!,.... when your facing the sun they see you coming from afar, full on. (sequay to a bass tv commercial) "Hey guys!!, look at this guy coming down the bank on the brand new Ranger,",.."Hey!! ,.. nice boat buddy, but I aint buyin that senko today pal",......
They "only" see you with the sun to your back if, and only when, the shadow passes over them. Keep your shadow away from them, and viola, your almost invisible. Yet, another reason to make longer casts.
Also, as most of us here know,.. they dont like the sun, looking into it isn't one of their favorite things to do. They avoid doing so at all costs. So when your under sunny skies and flippin, pitchin, or skippin docks,...Keep the sun to your back, and they aren't even looking for you, or at you, to begin with. But very important,... make sure to stay back a bit, so that shadow doesn't hit them. I was so amazed at how this works when I first applied it, that it stuck.
SSHHHHHHHH! its a secret, dont tell anyone,.....lol
P.S. thanks for reading and liking my post
Catt reply :
I think it's more the angler aint that smart!
As has been mentioned most anglers will not fish the dense cover where big momma lives.
Nor will they put the time in to wait big momma out!
There's an underwater ridge on Toledo Bend that I believed with all my heart held double digit bass. After 12 yrs of 8-9 lb bass a buddy of mine caught a 12.7 & since that ridge produced 8 more DDs.
I was happier that he was because it confirmed what I believed!
WRB reply :
Any angler can catch a giant bass with one lucky cast and manage to land the fish.
This isn't about matching IQ of anglers verses bass, bass would lose.
To catch big bass consistantly or even more daunting catch giant bass more than ounce takes dedication and understanding why these rare bass are where they live and why. I have spent a lifetime fishing for big bass, studying their habits, observing, spending countless hours trying to catch them. I believe the reason that I have been successful is giant bass live where I fish and being dedicated in trying to catch these special fish for decades.
Tom
"hamma" reply :
On 10/14/2016 at 7:24 AM, Catt said:I think it's more the angler aint that smart!
As has been mentioned most anglers will not fish the dense cover where big momma lives.
Nor will they put the time in to wait big momma out!
There's an underwater ridge on Toledo Bend that I believed with all my heart held double digit bass. After 12 yrs of 8-9 lb bass a buddy of mine caught a 12.7 & since that ridge produced 8 more DDs.
I was happier that he was because it confirmed what I believed!
GOOD POINT,.. CATT !
You couldn't be more dead on right, with the above posting.
Case in point, please,.... bere with me a moment.
Back in 95 I prefished the hudson river with my team partner, we were both prefishing for the mass bass state team fishoffs. He was to be a boater and I a non in said tourney. So, on the way out there, we discussed that most of the prefish time was for him, as I may not get a shot at "my" areas depending on who's boats Id get partnered on, and he was assured, he would get time on his areas. Which was mostly my idea. And we did just that, I picked one area, Cementon's point, as it is the largest point, and close to the catskill launch, which, was the take-off. I found fish there and was confident.
Day one of the tourney, I get on this guy's boat, and he asked about "my area" I told him I only prefished one area, and its just downstream a bit, named Cementon. Astonishly, he states thats his only area as well, so we head there right away. We start fishing the furthest out in the river part of the point, and we are both using a jig and pig. His lure is straight out black, and mine a custom greenish that I tied with a bit of white on it. He's kinda frontending me as there's a huge boulder there, and he wants to hit it before I get a shot at it.
He tosses in their 2 times, and doesn't even get a sniff, as he's noticably moving his lure to fast. I get my shot at it, first pitch, I hook into a 2+, next pitch a 4, he gives me a dirty type look, next pitch, a 6 lber,.. lunker for the 2 day tourney. And on that river? thats probably the biggest largemouth in its entirerty,...He states that he's done there, and were moving to his next spot.
LOL, next spot? he only had one, a half hour ago!
My point is, Catt,s statement that most anglers wont put the time in to wait big momma out.,... is dead on.
That guy was in such a hurry, he passed up the best spot on the whole river that day, with just 2 casts at it.
I really didnt fish that spot long either, but I didnt have to, she was there for a reason, and so was I. I was prepared to hit that boulder as much as I could no matter what, as thats the biggest eddied spot on that whole point, and I got a couple nice fish off it during prefish.
If more anglers would just slow down, take the time to "thoroughly" fish a spot, with the right lure, at the right time. Their efforts might just be rewarded, and put the fish of a lifetime on their wall. I ended up with 500 bucks in my wallet, and made the 12 man state team! and I can credit that one lunker, for it.
You spend all kinds of money on the best boat, best gear, etc. Why not put forth the best efforts? Whats your hurry? The biggest fish in that water body isnt going anywhere. She's in there, be smarter than her.
LMAO!,..or is it that,.. you spent all that cash, but wont spend the time,... telling the rest of us anglers something? lol
Ok,..Ok im sorry, that shot was kinda unfair...but it was right there, and I know many of you were thinkin the same.
Its as my dearly departed Dad used to say,.... Sometimes you just need to slow down, and see the forest thru the trees.
Catt reply :
One of the most misunderstood aspects of consistently catching bass & more importantly big bass is the thought that you have to cover a lot of water.
If ya fishing unproductive water it don't matter how much water ya cover!
Ya gotta understand the structure/cover big momma is in & how to fish it EFFECTIVELY!
Mainebass1984 reply :
As a northern angler that prefers to fish for what I would call trophy bass I felt compelled to offer my opinion on the subject. In my opinion trophy "giant" bass in northern New England are usually pretty well educated. I would call a northern New England bass over 7 lbs a giant. It takes many years for a largemouth bass to attain that weight in the short growing seasons. In ponds with the conditions that are conducive to producing giant bass it still takes 10 years or more to produce a 7 lb plus bass. I have aged many bass for the State of Vermont and aged several bass from Maine in my own time.
7 lbs 6 oz aged at 15 years old
7 lbs 1 oz aged at 11 years old
6 lbs 8 oz aged at 10 years old
7 lbs 13 oz aged at 12 years old
7 lbs 14 oz aged at 11 years old
7 lbs 2 oz aged at 9 years old
9 lbs 1 oz aged at 19+ yeard old. Growth rings became to close to age beyond 19 years old but a strong possibility it was several years over 20 years old.
I don't think that these fish which survived a decade or more did so without becoming conditioned and more difficult to catch. Anyone who takes a cast can catch a 7 lb bass but to do it consistently year after year takes time dedication and perseverance. For sure you can figure out very specific patterns that produce year after year. That is what I try to do every time I go fishing. On a typical year I spend 100-120 days on the water from April to November. I prefer and most often fish from dawn until dark30. It is not easy to catch giant bass in the most northern extremes of its range, or catch giant bass anywhere. There is no doubt in my opinion they are conditioned, more wary, harder to entice then smaller younger bass. In the past 6 years I have caught 26 largemouth larger then 7 lbs including 5 8s and 1 9. Giant bass are harder to catch then smaller bass especially after they have had a decade or more of being educated. If anyone thinks catching 7 lb plus bass (actual 7 lb plus bass, not guessing) in northern New England consistently is easy and those fish aren't harder to catch then I would be more then eager to listen.
Catching giant bass takes a lot of time, dedication, effort, money, being mindful, and a willingness to learn.
Bass Turd reply :
On 10/14/2016 at 11:51 PM, Mainebass1984 said:As a northern angler that prefers to fish for what I would call trophy bass I felt compelled to offer my opinion on the subject. In my opinion trophy "giant" bass in northern New England are usually pretty well educated. I would call a northern New England bass over 7 lbs a giant. It takes many years for a largemouth bass to attain that weight in the short growing seasons. In ponds with the conditions that are conducive to producing giant bass it still takes 10 years or more to produce a 7 lb plus bass. I have aged many bass for the State of Vermont and aged several bass from Maine in my own time.
7 lbs 6 oz aged at 15 years old
7 lbs 1 oz aged at 11 years old
6 lbs 8 oz aged at 10 years old
7 lbs 13 oz aged at 12 years old
7 lbs 14 oz aged at 11 years old
7 lbs 2 oz aged at 9 years old
9 lbs 1 oz aged at 19+ yeard old. Growth rings became to close to age beyond 19 years old but a strong possibility it was several years over 20 years old.
I don't think that these fish which survived a decade or more did so without becoming conditioned and more difficult to catch. Anyone who takes a cast can catch a 7 lb bass but to do it consistently year after year takes time dedication and perseverance. For sure you can figure out very specific patterns that produce year after year. That is what I try to do every time I go fishing. On a typical year I spend 100-120 days on the water from April to November. I prefer and most often fish from dawn until dark30. It is not easy to catch giant bass in the most northern extremes of its range, or catch giant bass anywhere. There is no doubt in my opinion they are conditioned, more wary, harder to entice then smaller younger bass. In the past 6 years I have caught 26 largemouth larger then 7 lbs including 5 8s and 1 9. Giant bass are harder to catch then smaller bass especially after they have had a decade or more of being educated. If anyone thinks catching 7 lb plus bass (actual 7 lb plus bass, not guessing) in northern New England consistently is easy and those fish aren't harder to catch then I would be more then eager to listen.
Catching giant bass takes a lot of time, dedication, effort, money, being mindful, and a willingness to learn.
Great post. I'm curious how you age bass. Could you explain?
WRB reply :
Agree That giant northern strain LMB living in the southern region is 10 lbs, above the Mason Dixon line where lakes freeze over I would agree 7 to 8 lbs is a true giant the further north the bass lives. Florida strain can't survive in lakes that freeze over unless warm water 45+ degrees is available from a power generation plant. I set my bar at 15 lbs several years ago because 12 to 14 lb bass were being caught weekly where I fish, but not today. A teener 13 lbs+ FLMB strain F1-F3 qualifies as a giant bass everywhere they live. Giant bass are all old females...big momma's that have good survival skills or they wouldn't live long enough to be big momma's.
The saying there are old pilots and bold pilots but no old bold pilots, applies to bass.
Tom
Mainebass1984 reply :
On 10/15/2016 at 12:11 AM, Bass Turd said:Great post. I'm curious how you age bass. Could you explain?
There are two methods for aging bass that are commonly used. The least expensive method that has been used historically is pretty simple. You remove a scale 3 or 4 rows down directly below the most anterior portion of the spiny dorsal fin. The scale is stained a deep blue then mounted on a slide. At this point it is most commonly viewed on a simple microscope. Under differing magnifications you can count the growth rings like you would count growth rings on a tree. Each growth ring indicates a years growth. The space between the growth rings vary each year but generally get closer together as the fish becomes older and its growth rate slows down. Some scales are more difficult to age then others. In recent years dorsal spine aging is becoming more widely used and accepted. In that method the second spiny dorsal fin is removed as far down as the base as possible. The spine is then soaked in a special solution to remove any tissue on the spine. After all the tissue is removed then the spine is taken to a very specific machine that slices the dorsal spine microscopically thin. Once the cross section is sliced it is then stained and mounted on a slide like before. Again it is aged as your would age a tree. It is scientifically accepted that the second dorsal spine aging method is now the method that should be used and is more accurate.
Bass Turd reply :
On 10/15/2016 at 12:49 AM, Mainebass1984 said:There are two methods for aging bass that are commonly used. The least expensive method that has been used historically is pretty simple. You remove a scale 3 or 4 rows down directly below the most anterior portion of the spiny dorsal fin. The scale is stained a deep blue then mounted on a slide. At this point it is most commonly viewed on a simple microscope. Under differing magnifications you can count the growth rings like you would count growth rings on a tree. Each growth ring indicates a years growth. The space between the growth rings vary each year but generally get closer together as the fish becomes older and its growth rate slows down. Some scales are more difficult to age then others. In recent years dorsal spine aging is becoming more widely used and accepted. In that method the second spiny dorsal fin is removed as far down as the base as possible. The spine is then soaked in a special solution to remove any tissue on the spine. After all the tissue is removed then the spine is taken to a very specific machine that slices the dorsal spine microscopically thin. Once the cross section is sliced it is then stained and mounted on a slide like before. Again it is aged as your would age a tree. It is scientifically accepted that the second dorsal spine aging method is now the method that should be used and is more accurate.
Thank you very much. Very interesting....
soflabasser reply :
Lots of good responses.Those who know how to put in their time wisely are usually the ones who are the most successful at consistently catching big bass.
clh121787 reply :
The bass caught by Mike Gilbert in the working class zero video "seventeen" was caught again 2 or 3 years later and only weighed 13 pounds
WRB reply :
If a big female bass lives 15 years it's max weight would be approximately 12 to 13 years old.
Like every living creature big bass don't die over night old age catches up slowly.
Just because a big bass is the Alpha in the group doesn't mean it's chasing down anglers lures! All giant bass may not be smart but they are wise old females.
Tom
Bassin' Brad reply :
On 10/12/2016 at 6:20 PM, Catt said:Aggressive does not mean they feed first!
Smaller bass are willing to chase your lure down...big momma will not!
Given the choice of a 4" shad 10 feet away and a 8" shad 20 yards away big momma will choose the closest
Minimum output...maximum intake!
Of the measly 35 double digit bass I've caught only one was during pre-spawn, all the rest were during summer.
Hey @Catt....hope I'm not being to nosey here, but of the 34 DD bass you caught in summer how many of those were caught at night? If you don't mind me asking.
Catt reply :
On 9/15/2017 at 11:08 PM, Bassin' Brad said:Hey @Catt....hope I'm not being to nosey here, but of the 34 DD bass you caught in summer how many of those were caught at night? If you don't mind me asking.
If memory serves me right 26 ?
J Francho reply :
There's was a fish I caught three times, all on a black/blue jig (same jig, in fact). Each time it was a slightly different weight, but around 6 lbs. It had a very distinctive spot on it. After that season, I never caught it again. I assume someone caught it and kept it.
Tw3ak reply :
Observations from pay to fish ponds.
First year all fish caught were tagged. And moved to new pond. Next year bass were continued to be tagged. And moved.
Third year very few bass were caught and moved. Pond drained, 55% fish remained never caught once.
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