King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah
Fishing ? Instructor!
Continuing on with the "How to catch Monster Bass" series, I will be covering how to discern big bass water from small fish water and what kinds of places hold larger fish. Part 3 will conclude with presentations for giant bass over smaller fish.
BIG BASS WATERS ...
Before you go chasing after the biggest bass possible, you must first decide whether the water you are fishing is capable of producing fish that size. Typically you'll want an abundance of cover, some deep water, and an abundance of high protein foods available, mostly smaller fish. I only trophy hunt on lakes that have an abundance of Bluegill, shellcracker and preferably large gizzard shad available to the fish. These kinds of lakes produce larger fish. Also pay attention to the size of the baitfish. If you're fishing a small, shallow pond with a bunch of little stunted bluegills and tiny crappie, there may be a large bass or two in there but there are much better places to look.
On the other hand, if the same pond has a little deeper water, some weeds, logs, a point or two, a dam, and some large shad and some huge bluegill, it indicates a very healthy fishery. If the average bass you're catching is around or near 2 pounds, there's easily one at least 5-7 in there somewhere. On the other hand, if you have to go through a hundred dinks to catch one over 2-3 pounds, it's not a place you're likely to find a lot of big fish.
COVER AND STRUCTURE
Largemouth of a certain size have different movements and preferences in cover and structure than their smaller counterparts. Bigger bass are more commonly caught on deep sides of main lake points, on ledges, along creek channels and deep rocky breaks. They also like to be around dams. They will go shallow, but it's normally to spawn or to feed at key periods of the day or year.
Often they will get into the nastiest cover they can and ambush prey. It should also be noted that the biggest bass don't often suspend near the surface or mid depth range. They're almost always on or near the bottom, especially during hot or cold weather. Oftentimes you'll catch them and they'll have mud on their bellies from sitting on the bottom
Big Bass live on key pieces of cover that are different from others. Fishing every hump, point, and break in the lake isn't necessary. I suggest you buy a lake map and break down the highest percentage areas where you'll find giants, establish a milk run of spots and fish them regularly. If you're on new water, fish that one lake as much as you can to learn as much as you can about it. Document when and where you have seen or caught some big fish. Often times that same fish and others like it will use that spot and can be found there time after time. On my favorite bodies of water to trophy fish, I have studied not only the fish but the lake or river itself and used the knowledge to my advantage. The timing, the forage, cover, conditions, the gear and presentation all come together perfectly and when patterns change, I adapt right along with the fish.
Though they become creatures of habit in their old age, larger bass are still very adaptable creatures. Knowing where to look for them based on conditions is key. In deep clear water like a large reservoir, they'll be deep. Sometimes up to 40 feet. In shallow muddy ponds after a warm rain in the summer, that same fish will be up in just a few feet of water where light penetration is the best and be hugging right up against a large piece of cover. Stained water fish are normally somewhere in between. Being able to focus and shift your mindset to change right along with the fish under varying conditions will be invaluable to you in the long run which is another reason to have your one or two lakes to really study and get good at patterning big fish on. You'll be exposed to the full spectrum of water temperatures, clarity, and seasons and be forced to find those fish and learn how they move. Then you can take these patterns and apply them to other places.
BIG BASS WATERS ...
Before you go chasing after the biggest bass possible, you must first decide whether the water you are fishing is capable of producing fish that size. Typically you'll want an abundance of cover, some deep water, and an abundance of high protein foods available, mostly smaller fish. I only trophy hunt on lakes that have an abundance of Bluegill, shellcracker and preferably large gizzard shad available to the fish. These kinds of lakes produce larger fish. Also pay attention to the size of the baitfish. If you're fishing a small, shallow pond with a bunch of little stunted bluegills and tiny crappie, there may be a large bass or two in there but there are much better places to look.
On the other hand, if the same pond has a little deeper water, some weeds, logs, a point or two, a dam, and some large shad and some huge bluegill, it indicates a very healthy fishery. If the average bass you're catching is around or near 2 pounds, there's easily one at least 5-7 in there somewhere. On the other hand, if you have to go through a hundred dinks to catch one over 2-3 pounds, it's not a place you're likely to find a lot of big fish.
COVER AND STRUCTURE
Largemouth of a certain size have different movements and preferences in cover and structure than their smaller counterparts. Bigger bass are more commonly caught on deep sides of main lake points, on ledges, along creek channels and deep rocky breaks. They also like to be around dams. They will go shallow, but it's normally to spawn or to feed at key periods of the day or year.
Often they will get into the nastiest cover they can and ambush prey. It should also be noted that the biggest bass don't often suspend near the surface or mid depth range. They're almost always on or near the bottom, especially during hot or cold weather. Oftentimes you'll catch them and they'll have mud on their bellies from sitting on the bottom
Big Bass live on key pieces of cover that are different from others. Fishing every hump, point, and break in the lake isn't necessary. I suggest you buy a lake map and break down the highest percentage areas where you'll find giants, establish a milk run of spots and fish them regularly. If you're on new water, fish that one lake as much as you can to learn as much as you can about it. Document when and where you have seen or caught some big fish. Often times that same fish and others like it will use that spot and can be found there time after time. On my favorite bodies of water to trophy fish, I have studied not only the fish but the lake or river itself and used the knowledge to my advantage. The timing, the forage, cover, conditions, the gear and presentation all come together perfectly and when patterns change, I adapt right along with the fish.
Though they become creatures of habit in their old age, larger bass are still very adaptable creatures. Knowing where to look for them based on conditions is key. In deep clear water like a large reservoir, they'll be deep. Sometimes up to 40 feet. In shallow muddy ponds after a warm rain in the summer, that same fish will be up in just a few feet of water where light penetration is the best and be hugging right up against a large piece of cover. Stained water fish are normally somewhere in between. Being able to focus and shift your mindset to change right along with the fish under varying conditions will be invaluable to you in the long run which is another reason to have your one or two lakes to really study and get good at patterning big fish on. You'll be exposed to the full spectrum of water temperatures, clarity, and seasons and be forced to find those fish and learn how they move. Then you can take these patterns and apply them to other places.
