Targeting big bass 2024

Wurming67 reply :

I'm at the point where I'm gonna approach targeting big bass.Normally when I go out I'm averageing 30 fish but there small I've rigged up some baits for this weekend to Target bigger bass hopefully I can handle not getting as many bites and focus quality and not quantity wondering how many approach there fishing trips with that mindset of targeting bigger fish and giving up all those smaller fish,how do you handle that?Thanks!

HookRz reply :

Just my opinion but I believe targeting bigger fish has more to do with where you fish than what you throw.

Wurming67 reply :

The area I fish holds alot of fish big and small and I got caught up in this numbers game of trying to catch as many fish as I can I figured out which baits would catch the most fish in this area but it was just producing numbers now I figured out which baits are gonna catch the better quality bass but no where near the amount just wondering how I'm.gonna handle that and if anyone else is in similar situation.

frosty reply :

Just keep a positive attitude. Sometimes it’s fun catching one after another, but when I’m hunting bigger ones I just remind myself she’s out there, I just have to keep looking.

DINK WHISPERER reply :

The approach is a little different in every part of the world. I mainly tie on big oversized baits when I want to target bigger fish. It doesn't always cut down on the small bites that much though. You'd be surprised what a dink will take on.

WRB reply :

Start by reading In Pursuit of Giant Bass by the late Bill Murphy.

To catch big bass you must fish where they are located and understand the behavior habits.

Tom

Mobasser reply :

Tom, I have read Bill Murphys book too. Great reading. Also, I might add that night fishing can be good for bigger fish. Texas rigged worms, dark spinnerbait, or a big slow moving top water. I've done best when it gets hot, in mid summer

WRB reply :

I have dedicated over 50 years targeting big bass and know 1st hand the hours of dedication required to study and fine tune presentations to catch the biggest bass in the lake on artifical lures. Right now pre spawn is the seasonal period with the highest odds to catch a bass of your lifetime. Location, location, location then timing and lure selection are keys to success. There aren't any panaceas or magic lures.

Tom

MassYak85 reply :

I believe it's all attitude, some of the guys in the swimbait community have this. It's not "I'm going to throw a 14" glide bait till I die in hopes of a giant bass", it's going out with the mindset that learning about big fish is more important than what you catch, and eventually that will pay off.

soflabasser reply :

There are many ways to catch a big bass but this way looks more fun than most;

Mr. Aquarium reply :

a fish of a life time could be the next cast. i fish swimbaits alot, its been a tough spring with the rollercoaster weather. but i still get out there with many skunks. i just know that 8 plus may be that next cast. Im in MA, 8s are tough but out there. i anticipate that hit and that feeling of fighting a big fish. plus night fishing with big swimbaits is AMAZING!!! thats really my favorite way to target big bass with big baits

i do a lot of jig fishin as well. im using 7 inch fluke baits. pretty much increase your bait size, texas rig, spinner baits, crank baits, anything like that.

Catt reply :

All ya need is a Chicken McNugget ????

davecon reply :

Don’t know about the rest of the country but I am familiar with central Florida. First come to grips with the fact you are not going to catch as many fish. Second - go at night. Third - use a big lure. Personal preference is a black 12 inch worm and a black Musky Jitterbug. Also, you’ll need a large dose of patience.

This can all be aided by using 12 inch wild shiners, but that’s another conversation altogether.

Wurming67 reply :

On 4/21/2018 at 12:29 PM, davecon said:

Don’t know about the rest of the country but I am familiar with central Florida. First come to grips with the fact you are not going to catch as many fish. Second - go at night. Third - use a big lure. Personal preference is a black 12 inch worm and a black Musky Jitterbug. Also, you’ll need a large dose of patience.

This can all be aided by using 12 inch wild shiners, but that’s another conversation altogether.

I think that the key for me I'm in South Florida so the number of fish this time of year are very high but the size isn't in the area I fish I could throw a senko all day and have a fish on every cast but they aren't big, biggest fish I've caught so far is 7lbs,I've caught quite a few fish between 3-5 lb range in my life and there is nothing like getting a fish like that ,seems that's what seperates the good fishermen from the great fishermen is understanding how to locate bigger fish which I want to learn and just be able to handle not getting 30-100 fish per trip.Thanks for all the great responses so far guys!

On 4/21/2018 at 9:06 AM, WRB said:

Start by reading In Pursuit of Giant Bass by the late Bill Murphy.

To catch big bass you must fish where they are located and understand the behavior habits.

Tom

Thanks Tom I'll check that out.

Wurming67 reply :

On 4/21/2018 at 9:06 AM, WRB said:

Start by reading In Pursuit of Giant Bass by the late Bill Murphy.

To catch big bass you must fish where they are located and understand the behavior habits.

Tom

Just ordered it on Amazon look forward to reading it thanks for recommending.

Mobasser reply :

As WRB has stated, location is key. Many people who target big bass talk about very specific areas to fish. These spots can be hard to find for the average run and gun fisherman. These guys have taken it to the next level as far as bass fishing goes. Not many of us catch huge bass consistently, me included. Trying too learn all I can about this too

Catt reply :

On 4/21/2018 at 9:51 AM, WRB said:

I have dedicated over 50 years targeting big bass and know 1st hand the hours of dedication required to study and fine tune presentations to catch the biggest bass in the lake on artifical lures. Right now pre spawn is the seasonal period with the highest odds to catch a bass of your lifetime. Location, location, location then timing and lure selection are keys to success. There aren't any panaceas or magic lures.

Tom

The #1 key is location!

Some bodies of water hold a small percentage of "big" bass, some haven't produced any recently, & some don't produce consistently.

Once we have selected the body of water we need to find where big momma lives. You will be amazed & shocked at where big momma can live!

Most anglers target the pre-spawn/spawn time frame because big momma is easier to find. The problem with this time frame is everybody & their brother is on the water.

I prefer late May through early September with August being my most productive. The bass have settled into their summer routines; of the double digits I've caught only one came during pre-spawn.

Lure selection is not as important as location & timing!

Yes that Hawg was caught on a chicken McNugget!

Many say throw big baits for big bass but records show she will eat what you put in front of her if she's hungry.

WRB reply :

You would think during pre spawn the fishing pressure is high along with boat traffic but in SoCal that isn't true. Late Jan to early March is our normal pre spawn window and it's also our wet season, few anglers are out on the water this early. The bass anglers that are fishing are good anglers, they are quite and dedicated. Once the spawn starts that changes, tournaments are scheduled, the weather is good and lots of anglers are out.

Summer good especially after everyone goes home, night is a good time to target big bass if the lakes are open to night fishing, most SoCal public lake are closed sundown to dawn, with the exception of a few night tournaments.

A blind squirrel can find a acorn, it helps when he is under the oak tree.

Tom

Todd2 reply :

So what's the difference between a keeper spot vs big fish spot? I need to learn this. Keep in mind, anything over 4 here I consider big. I apparently have the 2 lb spot down pat.

scaleface reply :

A six lb bass around here is a really nice fish . I think the more bass I catch the better my chances of hooking one , so I mainly use med sized baits and go for bites .

WRB reply :

There are as many different opinions on what is a good location or spot as there are bass anglers.

Would you recognize a good spot if the water vanished from the lake and you could see all the good spots? What would you look for? You need to know what you are looking for before the spot can be found.

Location is a seasonal thing that varies. For example a spawning area is good during the spawn, can we agree on that? The only reason big bass go into a spawning area is to spawn, not to hunt prey.

Big bass are predators that hunt live prey, not scavengers that eat dead things. Where is the food source and what is the preferred abundant seasonal prey?

Now put together abundant seasonal prey location and a good location for bass to hunt successfully, that is a good spot or location.

Tom

Graham reply :

Here in Virginia I’ll be happy to catch a 5+ this season!

Catt reply :

As @WRB mentioned it depends on the body of water!

Some bodies of water it's offshore main lake structure, some it's river/creek channel coves, some it's shallow water marshes, some are rivers/creeks, & then there's swamps a totally different creature.

1. Find their homes; usually located on prime structure & in prime cover, big bass are setup on structure & in cover that allows them to see all directions at once. Maybe not 360 but it'll be as close as they feel comfortable.

2. Find their feeding areas; multiple areas that have sufficient food to last the present season.

3. Find the trails to & from those areas; bass travel structure in a way that allows them to see while remaining unseen.

Yeajray231 reply :

On 4/21/2018 at 8:39 AM, HookRz said:

Just my opinion but I believe targeting bigger fish has more to do with where you fish than what you throw.

Yep. Big is a relative term to location.

On 4/21/2018 at 8:58 AM, DINK WHISPERER said:

The approach is a little different in every part of the world. I mainly tie on big oversized baits when I want to target bigger fish. It doesn't always cut down on the small bites that much though. You'd be surprised what a dink will take on.

Same can be said about bigger bass eating smaller baits... Ever caught a hog on a 4" senko ? It Happens !

Wurming67 reply :

This is where I fish its Loxahatchee federal preserve it's basically a refuge that is 75,000 acres and I fish this canal system there are guys that goin the flats out there and pull good weight out but it's dangerous and have the right boat for it .So there is plenty of canal to fish with lots of opportunities but it's pretty much the same all around this refuge best I've done in canal is 7lbs but I've had alot of great days with big numbers and good size but that 5lb plus isn't easy to come by in the canal they are there though just alot of water to cover

Todd2 reply :

John Hope's tracking led him to say that once a Bass reached 7 lbs it mainly becomes nocturnal. I think night fishing is a key for catching more larger bass. I know I can fish the same areas that I do during the day and almost always I'll have a bigger bag at night on those spots. But my PB came in the afternoon on a windy late Fall day.

Wurming67 reply :

This was best one today out at Loxahatchee

Graham reply :

Gonna go chuck a glide bait, hoping for a big girl, but likely just gonna be another day practicing my casting ????!

WRB reply :

Northern Everglades is a massive swap with navigation canals, what phenomenal place to bass fish.

You either flip & pitch, Texas rig big worms, use big willow leaf spinnerbaits or surface fish wake baits along edges wherever you can find deeper water. I would spend time researching deep spring lakes within the reserve.

Tom

PS, a friend once told me if I ever got the chance to fish there modify a big double willow leaf spinnerbait by cutting off the smaller blade making it a single blade bait and use a gold blade.

Bassun reply :

I am not a big bass master. I don't have a single DD bass to my name. I'm not sure if you are asking the how to do, or the how to handle the approach. Having said that, I won't try to offer opinions on what to do to catch them beyond the basic of the mantra, "The night time is the right time." A few of you will probably remember that from Mr Sandler.

But the mindset is different. I have fished for locally "big" fish vs just any bass...we just don't have many of those big dual numbers that pop up. I look at it much like musky fishing with the old adage of them being a "Fish of 10,000 casts." If you are willing to do the legwork (as Tom was referring to the location etc), then have the patience to work the right spot with the right lures -- your time will come. Your battle will likely be more often with yourself, and your own patience, vs mama B wearing that DD moniker. If you have the patience, and do the pre-fishing work, your time will come. But hey, just look at my profile pic vs Tom's... one of us knows big fish - I know who I'd be asking for technique...

DINK WHISPERER reply :

On 4/22/2018 at 1:46 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Yep. Big is a relative term to location.

Same can be said about bigger bass eating smaller baits... Ever caught a hog on a 4" senko ? It Happens !

Like I said, it's different everywhere. Here in South FL downsizing comes into play mainly after a bad cold front. I've never been much of a finesse guy myself. Never felt like I needed to. In my experience only, big baits catch bigger fish more often then small baits do.

soflabasser reply :

On 4/23/2018 at 11:50 PM, Bassun said:

I look at it much like musky fishing with the old adage of them being a "Fish of 10,000 casts."

A trophy bass fisherman and muskie fisherman are very similar to each other. Both fish with larger than normal lures. Both target very difficult to catch fish. Both spend more days fishing than catching but they tend to catch several "fish of a lifetime" when most fishermen are lucky to get 1-2 of these fish in a lifetime. These type of fisherman are a different breed than most fishermen...they are so persistent and determined than many see them as obsessed and stubborn in the way they fish. I am one of those fishermen and all the hard fishing trips I have endured and will continue to endure are all worth it when I land my next trophy bass and my next muskie.

On 4/22/2018 at 5:43 AM, Graham said:

Gonna go chuck a glide bait

Yes a glide bait is a good lure for big bass. The little bass will hit it too but the average bass will be bigger. You will have to be very patient to fish these types of lures.

Graham reply :

On 4/26/2018 at 12:04 PM, soflabasser said:

Yes a glide bait is a good lure for big bass. The little bass will hit it too but the average bass will be bigger. You will have to be very patient to fish these types of lures.

Broke off and lost my favorite glide bait, really was a bummer. I admit I wasn’t using the proper equipment...

I agree with your philosophy on fishing big baits. It’s a dedication and an obsession. I’m new to the big swimbait game, and I’m going to invest in the proper equipment so that I don’t have to worry as much. Got ahead of myself, and I feel like a fool, but I’ve got to admit where I’m wrong.

soflabasser reply :

On 4/26/2018 at 12:10 PM, Graham said:

Broke off and lost my favorite glide bait, really was a bummer. I admit I wasn’t using the proper equipment...

No one is immune to losing lures and I have lost plenty of lures while fishing. Big bass tend to live in or near some nasty structure so every big bass fisherman has to accept that they will lose plenty of lures while fishing.

austinF reply :

Frogs can always catch some big fish. But if you want it to become a habit rather than an occasional stroke of luck, you're going to change the way you fish for bass. Something like knowing the patterns of bass behavior. Try more different techniques and spend more time on the water, your pb bass may occur next time.

Seems that bait monkey found you again.

Catt reply :

On 4/26/2018 at 12:04 PM, soflabasser said:

A trophy bass fisherman and muskie fisherman are very similar to each other. Both fish with larger than normal lures. Both target very difficult to catch fish. Both spend more days fishing than catching but they tend to catch several "fish of a lifetime" when most fishermen are lucky to get 1-2 of these fish in a lifetime. These type of fisherman are a different breed than most fishermen...they are so persistent and determined than many see them as obsessed and stubborn in the way they fish. I am one of those fishermen and all the hard fishing trips I have endured and will continue to endure are all worth it when I land my next trophy bass and my next muskie.

So the 35 double digit bass I caught on smaller lures don't count?

Some "trophy" bass anglers throw nothing but swim-baits, some throw nothing but larger than normal lures, some fish nothing but deep water structure, some fish nothing but shallower water, but all catch "trophy" size bass.

Lure selection for any size bass is totally personal preference.

I do agree catching larger than average bass is a mindset.

bostonsox2904 reply :

On 4/26/2018 at 6:50 PM, Catt said:

So the 35 double digit bass I caught on smaller lures don't count?

Some "trophy" bass anglers throw nothing but swim-baits, some throw nothing but larger than normal lures, some fish nothing but deep water structure, some fish nothing but shallower water, but all catch "trophy" size bass.

Lure selection for any size bass is totally personal preference.

I do agree catching larger than average bass is a mindset.

Catt - what do you do differently than other people that fish your waters that are not catching these large bass?

WRB reply :

Very few of the DD size bass that I have caught were at a unknown location, I knew big bass were there before catching them.

I use whatever lure works effectively where the active big bass are feeding. Very few have been shallow fish, most between 15' to 20' deep pre spawn staging bass. The exception is summer nights when the big girls move up into shallower water to feed, but never far from deeper water. It's my belief the big bass find sanctuary areas to rest in cooler water and feed in areas close that have an abundance of prey.

Sonar is your eyes underwater and as mentioned in another thread look with your eyes for big bass, they can be very curious and because they are big easy to see as they can make a big wake or flash moving reeds or weeds and panic smaller fish.

Tom

soflabasser reply :

On 4/26/2018 at 6:50 PM, Catt said:

So the 35 double digit bass I caught on smaller lures don't count?

Some "trophy" bass anglers throw nothing but swim-baits, some throw nothing but larger than normal lures, some fish nothing but deep water structure, some fish nothing but shallower water, but all catch "trophy" size bass.

Lure selection for any size bass is totally personal preference.

I do agree catching larger than average bass is a mindset.

You are correct that you can catch big bass on regular lures, but your success has probably more to do with the location you fish and your several decades experience fishing trophy bass in your waters. It still doesn't change the fact that swimbaits and other big bass lures( this includes large spinnerbaits, buzzbaits,big crankbaits, big lipless crankbaits, jigs with trailers,etc) tend to attract bigger bass than a small lure. There are exceptions of course, just like the +18 pound Texas state record was caught by a crappie fisherman with a small minnow and other people who catch +15 pounders on very small lures like the woman in this article;

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/bass/largemouth-bass/10-biggest-largemouth-bass-world-records-ever/

She caught that 15-pound, 12-ounce bass on a little Strobe spinner and that bass is bigger than most bass people will catch in Florida.

Paul Roberts reply :

First of all... make sure you are in water that has catchable numbers of big bass. What "catchable numbers" means to you may depend on your willingness to go fishless. Most big bass are caught... where there are big bass; The more the merrier.

Bassun reply :

I think the point isn't that someone "cannot" catch a lunker fishing normally, it's that the percentages will be different than if they are targeting lunkers.

Take Catt vs soflabasser --- if we assume both are equal fishermen, fishing equal water, equal time etc. Over the course of "X" amount of time Catt may catch n~fish. 60% may be keepers (but < lunker status), 35% dinks, and 5% lunkers (keeper size but also lunker status).

Over that same period soflabasser may catch n~fish but the percentages may look like: 80% keepers, 5% dinks, and 15% lunkers. However, the total number of fish caught would likely be significantly tilted to Catt. His "normal" lures entice a wide range of fish, whereas Soflabassers entice a more select group of fish - in this case lunkers.

Numbers are totally made up, and not of any formal study -- but the point is anyone can catch a lunker, but if you are targeting JUST lunkers, (all things being equal) you will have a higher percentage of lunkers.

A legit case study could be Tom. We all know he is a trophy hunter in trophy waters, and probably caught more big bass than any one else on the forum. Certainly has shown his top end fish are second to none here. I would not be surprised if he has a log of some of his fishing and could really show the %'s hes seen targeting monsters. I'd wager his % of lunkers is much higher than the normal angler because of how he is approaching things. I suspect with most successful trophy hunters, lure size is on average larger than anyone else.

Yes, a tiny grub may get gobbled up by a trophy - but, I am confident numbers would reveal that if you want a trophy, fishing big bigger baits in the places the hawgs are living will give you better %'s of bigger fish than fishing small baits in exactly the same place and time. It's not that you cannot catch a beast off a normal sized lure - you are just more likely to catch more big fish using bigger lures. Again, that's anecdotal as I don't have scientific numbers to back my theory - but history has shown the same occurs at the lower end of the spectrum where more anglers live.

If you throw micro lures in bass water, you will catch bass of all sizes. But, not nearly as many keepers, percentage wise. If you move to what we consider "normal" sized lures, you move into the keeper range more often but the numbers generally drop. Which makes sense, generally of any given population of fish there are significantly more smaller fish in a body of water than larger. Transitively the same can be applied on the next scale of keeper vs lunker and normal sized lures vs large lures. Considering these numbers from a VADGIF study on my local lake: circa 2009 electro-fishing study. 67% of LMB over 8 inches were also over 12 inches (keeper in Va on most lakes). 38% of LMB over 8 inches were also over 15 inches. 1 LMB over 8 inches was also over 20 inches. 1 fish, not 1%. From this you can gleam that you are much more likely to catch something in the 12-15 inch range than a lunker. Fishing lures that fit the feeding habits of those 12-15 inch fish vs something larger should yield more in that range vs a very large bait. I will concede the numbers could be adjusted if they were testing ONLY where it would be most likely for lunkers to be... but the population of giants just doesn't out number the rest of the classes of the fish.

WRB reply :

The time period of 1968 to 1973 I had all types of life distractions that affected my bass fishing focus, however that 5 year time period coincided with the Florida bass comming of age in San Diego city lakes. High populations of DD size bass and few skilled anglers targeting them. I belonged to Picses bass club part of that time period and learned that live crawdads, waterdogs, mud suckers and Golden shiners were the baits to success catching big bass. Over that time period I logged 100 DD bass, 95% live bait during pre spawn to post spawn, 5% on big soft plastic worms, no jig fish.

I stopped using live bait and targeting bed fish in 1973.

my next DD bass was caught outside of San Deigo was in 1971 at lake Casitas on a hair jig, 12.3 lb NLMB followed by a 18.6 FLMB in 1981, about 6 years without a DD bass. I learned how to catch big bass using jigs and other artifical lures. The next 15 year period lake Castiac and Casitas, where I lived, had high populations of DD bass. During 1981 to 1995 my average DD bass took 15 hours of fishing time during pre spawn to catch and I caught a few hundred including my top 5 bass mostly on jigs followed by big worms and swimbaits, 1 14.2 on a crankbait.

For me and my style of trophy bass fishing jigs are the #1 choice because the big bass were targeting crawdads, later years swimbaits worked for bass targeting planted trout.

My last DD bass was 15.4 lbs at lake Castias in 2008, 10 years ago! Why the drought, the DD bass population crashed where I was fishing, can't catch them if they are not in the lakes you fish.

Tom

soflabasser reply :

On 4/27/2018 at 3:01 AM, WRB said:

My last DD bass was 15.4 lbs at lake Castias in 2008, 10 years ago! Why the drought, the DD bass population crashed where I was fishing, can't catch them if they are not in the lakes you fish.

Tom

10 years is a very long time without catching a DD bass, do you still target DD bass or you fish more for numbers of small/medium bass now? I read reports of the new age of California bass fishermen that are catching 10,11,12, and +13 pound bass at this moment in time, mostly on big swimbaits. It seems like California is still a good place to catch a trophy bass but not nowhere what it used to be +25 years ago.Seems like it was very easy back then to get a DD from Southern California and things have changed, maybe more people targeting these fish and less bass are reaching trophy status? My last DD bass was only a couple years ago ( caught on a artificial lure from public land in South Florida which is much more difficult than fishing on a boat in Central Florida) and I caught one less than a ounce under 10 a little over a year ago,also on a artificial lure from public land in South Florida. Lots of 7-9 pounders since then and honestly I barely fish for largemouth bass since I am more of a multi species fisherman than a bass fisherman. Too much variety of much stronger fish to choose from in South Florida which makes it very hard to fish just for largemouth bass!

Catt reply :

On 4/26/2018 at 11:00 PM, bostonsox2904 said:

Catt - what do you do differently than other people that fish your waters that are not catching these large bass?

There's plenty of others who catch large bass besides me.

On 4/27/2018 at 12:53 AM, soflabasser said:

You are correct that you can catch big bass on regular lures, but your success has probably more to do with the location you fish and your several decades experience fishing trophy bass in your waters. It still doesn't change the fact that swimbaits and other big bass lures( this includes large spinnerbaits, buzzbaits,big crankbaits, big lipless crankbaits, jigs with trailers,etc) tend to attract bigger bass than a small lure. There are exceptions of course, just like the +18 pound Texas state record was caught by a crappie fisherman with a small minnow and other people who catch +15 pounders on very small lures like the woman in this article;

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/bass/largemouth-bass/10-biggest-largemouth-bass-world-records-ever/

She caught that 15-pound, 12-ounce bass on a little Strobe spinner and that bass is bigger than most bass people will catch in Florida.

And this one was caught on a chicken McNugget!

OCdockskipper reply :

On 4/27/2018 at 1:43 AM, Bassun said:

...If you throw micro lures in bass water, you will catch bass of all sizes. But, not nearly as many keepers, percentage wise. If you move to what we consider "normal" sized lures, you move into the keeper range more often but the numbers generally drop...

While that is a generally accepted axiom, it really is lake dependent. Specifically, the kinds & size of forage available in the lake will typically determine how well different sizes of lures produce.

I have fished many clear water lakes here in the West where smaller lures produce larger fish because they were a better representation of what a larger, more wary fish was eating. In these cases, the only bass that go after really large lures are the dinks, for they are more aggressive than wary. On these lakes, the larger lures give off negative cues, which the larger fish heed and the smaller fish ignore.

For example, on my home lake, I will catch more & bigger fish with a Ned rig than with a 10" plastic worm. Change locations to say, Lake Toho in Florida or a farm pond in Alabama and the reverse will most likely be true.

Wurming67 reply :

I've just started reading Bill Murphys book and from what I gather so far at the VERY early stages of the book if you are targeting big bass is you have to be mentally prepared to do.it ,patience and fishing alot different than you are use to.Thanks to WRB for recommending the book I'm really enjoying it!

WRB reply :

From 2010 to 2018 only 1 DD bass was caught at lake Casitas and that was a 12.1 this spring. Lake Castaic has produced 3 DD since 2008, so those 2 trophy bass lakes have been dormate for nearly 10 years. Butch Brown was doing well at Castaic lagoon, that is a seperate after bay below the Castaic dam with electric motors only and Butch hasn't caught many the past 3 years at the lagoon.

The reason for this hatchery trout plants stopped in 2008 at both Castiac and Casitas. Following the trout plants stopping quagga mussel were discovered in a few SoCal lakes so we couldn't take out boats from lake to lake without a 35 day quarantine period, basically locking you out of traveling or on one lake.

What you read about is an occasional giant bass being caught, not numbers. NorCal's Clear lake and the Delta are doing OK and record Spotted bass are being caught occasionally up north. SoCal will recover, big bass populations are cyclical.

Don't feel sorry for me, I am catching lots of 7lb to 8 lb bass with occasional 9 lb each year.

Tom

soflabasser reply :

On 4/27/2018 at 7:21 AM, WRB said:

What you read about is an occasional giant bass being caught, not numbers.

I am a member of a swimbait fishing forum and have seen many big bass caught the past couple years in Southern California. Lots of California members are posting plenty of big bass in the 10 to +13 pound class. The members of this forum have a monthly competition and they have to submit pictures of the bass on a scale so there's no guessing the weight.These are the new generation of dedicated trophy bass fishermen that mostly fish with big swimbaits. It seems like they have no problem catching +10 pounders in Southern California at this moment in time, even if there are so many fishermen in Southern California fishing relatively small bodies of water. I have learned a lot about swimbait fishing from these members of that forum and they are very good fishermen to consistently catch +10 pounders on swimbaits in today's age when most highly experienced bass fisherman in California are having a hard time with 5-9 pound bass when they use to catch much bigger ones +25 years ago.

On 4/27/2018 at 5:32 AM, Catt said:

And this one was caught on a chicken McNugget!

I read about that bass, he was very fortunate to catch it on a chicken nugget. I have caught some big bass on cutbait while fishing for channel catfish so anything is possible with largemouth bass. Have read that some people make bottle cap lures and catch some nice bass, I wonder what would be the next "latest and greatest lure"? Only time will tell!

WRB reply :

It's always amazing how a DD bass becomes 7 lbs to 8 lbs on a scale.

What makes anyone think I not using state of the swimbaits, glides etc?

When I say numbers I mean numbers every week.

Whatever...

Tom

soflabasser reply :

On 4/26/2018 at 3:49 PM, austinF said:

Frogs can always catch some big fish.

Hollow belly frogs are definitely a good lure for big bass, especially near aquatic vegetation. Fishing at night has worked well for me but you have to be careful fishing in South Florida since there's lots of alligators, moccasins, and even Burmese pythons near the shore. Buzzbaits are another good lure to use at night and they tend to produce some very nice bass if you are willing to give them a good try.

Wurming67 reply :

I fish the Everglades during the day I can't imagine that place at night????

soflabasser reply :

On 4/27/2018 at 9:09 AM, Wurming67 said:

I fish the Everglades during the day I can't imagine that place at night????

I have fished the Everglades many times by myself at nighttime and yes its not for the faint at heart. The Everglades becomes alive at night with many animals making sounds. Its best to bring a friend along, have a headlight, fish 15 feet or so away from the shoreline, and be very,very careful where you step. I usually do my night bass fishing in public parks and other public bodies of water. I enjoy it very much since they are less fishermen on the water, less boats,no jetskis since they seem to be terrified of the night, no sun to burn my skin, and peace and quiet while hearing the sounds of frogs and other animals.

Catt reply :

@soflabasser

Every year there are hundreds of 10 lb plus bass documented all across the state of Texas & to my knowledge not a single one was caught on a swimbait.

Well except for Keithech swimbaits or a fluke!

Not saying big swimbaits don't catch big bass but so does many other baits.

I caught all my double digits on Gene Larew Salty Ringworm, Gene Larew Salty Hawg Craw, & Terry Oldham's jig with a Hawg Craw trailer...and on (12.8) on a trap.

soflabasser reply :

On 4/27/2018 at 9:24 AM, Catt said:

@soflabasser

Every year there are hundreds of 10 lb plus bass documented all across the state of Texas & to my knowledge not a single one was caught on a swimbait.

There's a member from this forum from Texas that's caught plenty of big bass on swimbaits. Haven't seem him post here in a while but he does post in the swimbait forum we are both members of. Fishermen tend to stay quiet on what exactly they catch their big bass on and you will never truly know what they use unless you see them catch the bass in front of your eyes. The Texas state +18 pound record largemouth bass was caught by a crappie fisherman with a small minnow so anything is possible. You never know 100% what a largemouth bass of a lifetime will hit , they might hit a crappie minnow, a small inline spinner, a beetle spin, a mimmic minnow, a chicken nugget,etc but that would be unlikely compared to fishing with a buzzbait, oversized Rat-L-Trap like you like using, or swimbaits and big topwaters I like to use. Bass fishing is something that even the best bass fishermen can not know 100% and its safe to say that I have a long life ahead of me to try to figure out what the big bass in my area like the most.

Wurming67 reply :

That's what keeps us keep going out on the water,it's a never ending challenge.

Catt reply :

@soflabasser

If we are in the right location at the right time, lure selection can be anything from a small crappie jig to a swimbait to a chicken McNugget!

Are we to arm ourselves crappie jigs & McNuggets?

No! But I believe there is too much empirical evidence proving it aint just lure selection!

Just like guys who only target deep structure or shallow water vegetation, they all think their way is the most productive!

WRB reply :

If you know what the big bass are feeding on use a similar lure. Trout swimbaits look exactly like a real trout but it doesn't act like a trout trying to escape a bass intent on making it a meal. Real live trout are very fast and jump out of the water trying to get away from big bass. A slow lazy swimbait just looks like a easy target and sometime familiar to the bass.

When I fish a jig for big bass keeping moving along the bottom with stops and goes tends to get more strikes then dead sticking or shaking it, but you should try various retreives and let the bass decide. Big worms I fish a lot slower then jigs, one reason I prefer jigs. Stopping a big worm and shaking it often increases strike ratio. Ideally the bass will strike both jigs and worms on the fall, a strike most anglers miss.

Lures matter in the right location at the right time, but they are a personal choice, you can't catch any bass if the lure is in the box.

Tom

fissure_man reply :

Would it be accurate to say that the top end bass in California have been caught disproportionately by a small population of folks actually targeting large bass, whereas other “big bass” states such as Texas or Florida seem to have a higher % of instances where “casual” or non-bass anglers have lucked into the biggest catches (such as Mr. McNugget)?

If yes, what are the reasons for the difference? Is it just angler demographics, or do differences in the fish / environment have a role?

WRB reply :

It could be a few factors, California and Texas introduced Florida strain LMB into thier fisheries and these grow 50% heavier when the ecosystem has the prey sources and warm water temperatures.

California's big bass boom focused anglers on catching them, however the FLMB are not like the northern strain that occupied the same lakes prior to the introduction of FLMB, NLMB are easier to catch. In the late 60's to early 80's live bait was the choice of anglers trying to catch FLMB in California with techniques used in Florida. Hand poured soft plastic worms were the effective arcticial lures, between live bait and soft plastics big bass started being caught in numbers by recreational anglers.

What must be kept in mind is how small SoCal bass lakes are, between 700 to 2500 acres with deep clear rocky structure,few docks and sparse cover and very high fishing pressure. The big bass populations crash under fishing pressure in these small lakes becuase California doesn't restock bass, they are on thier own to reproduce.

Trophy bass anglers using look a like swimbaits to planted trout, bluegill and crappie became numerous during the 2000 to today. Big lures are easy to cast long distance and effective in lakes with trout as a prey source. Recreational bass anglers no longer can use live bait in most SoCal lakes, the big bass populations having been reduced only occasional big bass are caught by using soft plastics by recreational anglers, higher % by anglers using big swimbaits in California.

Texas is very different, they manage their bass program as an asset. Texas has hundreds of lakes stocked with FLMB from Share a Lunker program. Texas bass lakes don't have trout for prey source because the lakes are too warm or too shallow during the summer to sustain a trout population. Shad are the primary prey fish along with crawdads so smaller lures appeal to the bass. I will add the recreational bass anglers in Texas are higher skilled bass anglers then California.

Tom

Koz reply :

On 4/27/2018 at 9:09 AM, Wurming67 said:

I fish the Everglades during the day I can't imagine that place at night????

Same here in SC. I'll readily admit I'm too scared to go bank fishing at night. Alligators are abundant, even in residential communities. The only time they are removed is if they get aggressive, even the really big ones.

We have great fishing here but many of the lagoons have overgrown woody and weedy vegetation along the shoreline making the water tough to access. In the northern part of the state this is no big deal to fish areas like that. But here you never know when a gator is nesting along the shoreline. Everywhere I fish I make sure I have a clear line of site along the waterline and I make sure I have a quick egress if confronted by a gator.

When they are in the water, 9 times out of ten the alligator will swim 20-30 feet out in front of you and sit there, letting you know you are on their turf. But 1 in 10 times they keep coming at you right onto the shore. That can definitely make for a very bad day if you're not paying attention - or in the dark.

Wurming67 reply :

I love fishing but not gonna put myself in siuation to do any alligator wrestling in the dark????

Catt reply :

When targeting double digits & above the first consideration is the body of water.

Does the body of water occasionally produce a DD, like 1or 2 every couple of years?

I'm probably not gonna consider it!

Does the body of consistently produce multiple DD...yearly?

That one will be high on my list!

Some of the marshes I fish produce a couple dozen a year with limited pressure...well at least from anglers who know what the doing.

Then we have lakes like Toledo Bend that are capable of producing a hundred plus DD annually.

soflabasser reply :

South Florida is a very different place to bass fish compared to Texas and California so what works in Texas and California might not work the same in South Florida. There are many public bodies of water down here that you do not have permission to enter with a boat,so that changes giving boat advice and using electronic fish finders to find the bass. In these places you have to be very good at reading the water and understand what the current conditions will do to your fishing since you cannot use a electronic fish finder and a boat to help you in these places. Many of these places have 8-12 pound bass, but most of these places are not easy to fish ( lots of vegetation both on land and water, alligators, snakes,etc). Its not easy catching a +10 pound bass in South Florida and the percentage of South Florida bassers that have caught double digits down here is much smaller than those in Central/Northern Florida. I have been very fortunate to have caught a couple double digit bass in South Florida, but each one made me work very hard and fishing for 8,9,+10 bass in South Florida is not something for somebody that wants a easy fish.You really have to earn a double digit bass in South Florida and most people will probably never catch a double digit bass in public waters of South Florida and they will be better off going to Central Northern/Florida if they don't have the patience to fish for DD bass in South Florida( maybe even go to Mexico or a private ranch in Texas that has plenty of pet trophy bass to catch).

Wurming67 reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 6:32 AM, soflabasser said:

South Florida is a very different place to bass fish compared to Texas and California so what works in Texas and California might not work the same in South Florida. There are many public bodies of water down here that you do not have permission to enter with a boat,so that changes giving boat advice and using electronic fish finders to find the bass. In these places you have to be very good at reading the water and understand what the current conditions will do to your fishing since you cannot use a electronic fish finder and a boat to help you in these places. Many of these places have 8-12 pound bass, but most of these places are not easy to fish ( lots of vegetation both on land and water, alligators, snakes,etc). Its not easy catching a +10 pound bass in South Florida and the percentage of South Florida bassers that have caught double digits down here is much smaller than those in Central/Northern Florida. I have been very fortunate to have caught a couple double digit bass in South Florida, but each one made me work very hard and fishing for 8,9,+10 bass in South Florida is not something for somebody that wants a easy fish.You really have to earn a double digit bass in South Florida and most people will probably never catch a double digit bass in public waters of South Florida and they will be better off going to Central Northern/Florida if they don't have the patience to fish for DD bass in South Florida( maybe even go to Mexico or a private ranch in Texas that has plenty of pet trophy bass to catch).

Very hard to get DD in South Florida no doubt ,you can get insane numbers though.

soflabasser reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 6:56 AM, Wurming67 said:

Very hard to get DD in South Florida no doubt ,you can get insane numbers though.

Yes South Florida has a extremely healthy population of bass and probably the best place in the nation to catch +100 bass in a single day. Northern/Central Florida is better for trophy bass and 100's of trophy bass are caught every single year in Florida. We probably have the best DNR of all the states and there's a reason why so many people from other states come here to live and not many want to leave.

Wurming67 reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 7:01 AM, soflabasser said:

Yes South Florida has a extremely healthy population of bass and probably the best place in the nation to catch +100 bass in a single day. Northern/Central Florida is better for trophy bass and 100's of trophy bass are caught every single year in Florida. We probably have the best DNR of all the states and there's a reason why so many people from other states come here to live and not many want to leave.

Florida is closed, no one else please ????

soflabasser reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 7:08 AM, Wurming67 said:

Florida is closed, no one else please ????

LOL! I am sure you noticed how packed its getting down here and it's most likely going to get more packed. Don't worry a couple decent hurricanes will scare many of them back to the west,north, and northeast where most of them come from. I don't blame them for coming here though since Florida is a paradise for much more than fishing.

Wurming67 reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 7:11 AM, soflabasser said:

LOL! I am sure you noticed how packed its getting down here and it's most likely going to get more packed. Don't worry a couple decent hurricanes will scare many of them back to the west,north, and northeast where most of them are leaving to come live here. I am use to hurricanes like most South Floridians so I won't be going nowhere anytime soon.

And the bad paying jobs and very expensive to live plus all bass left Florida heading to New York I heard.

soflabasser reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 7:14 AM, Wurming67 said:

And the bad paying jobs and very expensive to live plus all bass left Florida heading to New York I heard.

That's why it's crucial to get a good education to have a profession that pays well...that or have a very successful business. Besides a little extra money can help feed the bait monkey and I am sure the bait monkey does not mind.

Mr. Aquarium reply :

i LOVE night fishing! cant imagine the glades. new thing added to the bucketlist

soflabasser reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 7:40 AM, Mr. Aquarium said:

i LOVE night fishing! cant imagine the glades. new thing added to the bucketlist

Fishing the Everglades is one of my favorite experiences I have had bass fishing. Make sure to bring a headlight, bring a friend, stay 15 feet or so away from the shoreline, and be very careful where you step. Would also reccomend you give land based shark fishing a try when you visit Florida if you haven't done it already.

Mr. Aquarium reply :

nope but next trip to florida these will be happening!!

WRB reply :

South Florida doesn't have any big public lakes?....Okeechobee lake is in south Florida!

Lake record is 15+ lbs as I recall and number of 10-12 lb bass are caught there every year.

Tom

soflabasser reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 8:33 AM, Mr. Aquarium said:

nope but next trip to florida these will be happening!!

Sounds good. You will have a great time fishing for sharks from land in South Florida. There are other hard fighting fish you can target from land as well besides sharks. Let me know at least 1 month before you come and I will give you one of my fishing reports.

Mr. Aquarium reply :

dude we went out on a charter for sailfish and sharks. saw one sailfish come up. no sharks, zip, nada,nothing, not even a shark coming up on the bait. it was soooooooo weird

soflabasser reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 10:43 AM, Mr. Aquarium said:

we went out on a charter for sailfish and sharks. saw one sailfish come up. no sharks, zip, nada,nothing, not even a shark coming up on the bait.

That's terrible and I bet that fishing charter wasn't cheap. I reccomend you do your research months in advance before you visit South Florida again or any state you plan on fishing. That's what I do when I go on my fishing vacations up north and I tend to do well( have caught multiple muskies, smallies, various species of trout, rare types of bass,etc). You don't need a boat or fishing guide to catch a shark in South Florida and honestly sharks are not hard to catch in many places as long as you have the appropriate gear and you know how to handle a big game fish. I suggest in investing a decent combo for shark fishing and make sure to use a wire leader when shark fishing. You can get lucky and land a +7 foot shark with straight 12-30 pound mono and a small hook but that is unlikely compared to using 4 feet of 200-500 pound wire leader,10-20 feet topshot of 100-200 pound mono, and a couple hundred yards of 50-80 pound line. Many shark fishermen down here use much heavier line than I mentioned so your not going that heavy.

WRB reply :

Put a fork in this thread.

Tom

soflabasser reply :

On 4/21/2018 at 8:58 AM, DINK WHISPERER said:

The approach is a little different in every part of the world. I mainly tie on big oversized baits when I want to target bigger fish. It doesn't always cut down on the small bites that much though. You'd be surprised what a dink will take on.

Well said @DINK WHISPERER

papajoe222 reply :

I started reading responses and almost forgot what the topic was.

I'll say one thing that I don't recall seeing mentioned; If you're going to target BIG fish you'll need to mentally prepare yourself for fishless days and I'm not talking a three or four hour outing. I'm talking a full day of fishing. The feeding window for a big bass is very small and may only happen once or twice in a day. Big bass are very proficient at obtaining the amount of food they need without wasting much time or energy and enticing a big girl that's in anything but an active mood will humble even the most patient of anglers.

If you've read the book, you know that the big girls will position themselves close to a consistent food source. The other things necessary are sanctuary (cover or structural change) and access to deeper water. When you're playing the numbers game, one or even two of those factors can be missing, but you'll need a spot that offers all three for a big girl to even stick around. Locate as many spots containing those three elements and return to them often throughout the day.

A-Jay reply :

On 4/28/2018 at 12:24 PM, papajoe222 said:

I started reading responses and almost forgot what the topic was.

I'll say one thing that I don't recall seeing mentioned; If you're going to target BIG fish you'll need to mentally prepare yourself for fishless days and I'm not talking a three or four hour outing. I'm talking a full day of fishing. The feeding window for a big bass is very small and may only happen once or twice in a day. Big bass are very proficient at obtaining the amount of food they need without wasting much time or energy and enticing a big girl that's in anything but an active mood will humble even the most patient of anglers.

If you've read the book, you know that the big girls will position themselves close to a consistent food source. The other things necessary are sanctuary (cover or structural change) and access to deeper water. When you're playing the numbers game, one or even two of those factors can be missing, but you'll need a spot that offers all three for a big girl to even stick around. Locate as many spots containing those three elements and return to them often throughout the day.

Totally agree with this one ~ ^^^^^^^^

And it doesn't matter where I'm fishing OR if I'm targeting Green Bass or Brown.

Some of the biggest fish I've been lucky enough to take were the Only fish of the day or perhaps one of two.

First DD LMB came from a spot at sunset - I had fished and come back to it 5 separate times during the day. Fished for 30 minutes or so each time - she came on the second cast of the 6th stop there and was the only fish I caught that day.

My recent PB Smallie came at sunrise and was the only fish I caught that day.

This deal does exclude sight fishing beds.

A-Jay

roadwarrior reply :

Man, those are BEE-U-TEE-FULL!

Wurming67 reply :

I just started reading Bill Murphy book and applied his theory to today's fishing and I don't know if it was coquednce or his theory but my catches we're bigger today this was first cast of the morning 4.14

This was last bass in Florida so don't bother moving here they are all on there way to New York true story bro

Wurming67 reply :

Alot of people watch what others are doing on the water some do the opposite and get better results I talked to about half dozen fishermen on water today and we're saying they weren't getting much ,the fish will tell u where and how they want it without a doubt,they didn't stop biting you didn't adapt to what they wanted or how they wanted it.

Alot of guys here in Florida if they aren't getting a bite every other cast they think the fish aren't eating anymore,sometimes you gotta and hour or two trying different techniques to the changing weather pattern to get them strike might take longer but they are there and will eat if presented properly and right depth in my opinion,time on the water is bottom.line no book or video or forum can replace that

Edited April 29, 2018 by Wurming67

EGbassing reply :

On 4/21/2018 at 8:34 AM, Wurming67 said:

I'm at the point where I'm gonna approach targeting big bass.Normally when I go out I'm averageing 30 fish but there small I've rigged up some baits for this weekend to Target bigger bass hopefully I can handle not getting as many bites and focus quality and not quantity wondering how many approach there fishing trips with that mindset of targeting bigger fish and giving up all those smaller fish,how do you handle that?Thanks!

Try a flipping jig. Use a trailer for a bigger profile. They just consistently catch the biggest bass for some reason.

Bassun reply :

On 4/27/2018 at 6:27 AM, OCdockskipper said:

While that is a generally accepted axiom, it really is lake dependent. Specifically, the kinds & size of forage available in the lake will typically determine how well different sizes of lures produce.

I have fished many clear water lakes here in the West where smaller lures produce larger fish because they were a better representation of what a larger, more wary fish was eating. In these cases, the only bass that go after really large lures are the dinks, for they are more aggressive than wary. On these lakes, the larger lures give off negative cues, which the larger fish heed and the smaller fish ignore.

For example, on my home lake, I will catch more & bigger fish with a Ned rig than with a 10" plastic worm. Change locations to say, Lake Toho in Florida or a farm pond in Alabama and the reverse will most likely be true.

I 100% agree, there are situations where smaller "is" the right choice, but generally speaking I feel the base population of trophy bass are going to key on a single meal, vs a bunch of smaller ones. Like all other things fishing, there is no "one" fit all solution, lol.

Wurming67 reply :

Since I started reading that bill Murphy book it's opened up my mind what's going on in that food chain and I don't know if it's coquednce but I'm catching better size lately

Wurming67 reply :

What I'm starting to notice is I'm really getting in tune with what's going on in the food chain in the area I fish, I'm out there every week 2x about 8 hours each day wish I could go more but work,wife,kid,dog and cat ????

EGbassing reply :

On 4/21/2018 at 8:34 AM, Wurming67 said:

I'm at the point where I'm gonna approach targeting big bass.Normally when I go out I'm averageing 30 fish but there small I've rigged up some baits for this weekend to Target bigger bass hopefully I can handle not getting as many bites and focus quality and not quantity wondering how many approach there fishing trips with that mindset of targeting bigger fish and giving up all those smaller fish,how do you handle that?Thanks!

I know I said to try a flipping jig before, but I've discovered something even better than that recently. 6" T-rigged zoom lizard. I get a ton of bites on it, yet rarely catch anything less than two pounds. Caught a 6 pounder last week, a 5 pounder the week before that, and a 9 pounder today... All on that zoom lizard.

LxVE Bassin reply :

On 4/21/2018 at 8:39 AM, HookRz said:

Just my opinion but I believe targeting bigger fish has more to do with where you fish than what you throw.

I agree totally. It’s possible in Indiana where I am but the chances are very small. Targeting big bass here would be a waste of time here, better off fishing your strengths and hopefully luck will be on your side. It’s usually someone with a bobber and worm that lucks up and catches an 8 pounder.

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