By Matt Allen – a new regular contributor to The Wired Angler.
If you're anything like me, there's been a day where you stood in a
weigh-in line and stared at the guys ahead of you with two bags in each
hand. After that you turn around and the guy behind you has got the
same thing! Here you are with a single bag, there might be 13 lbs in
there if you're lucky! You wonder why you even got out of bed that
morning. Was it really worth the gas to come out here and get
humiliated? Did spending the day at home taking care of the house
really sound that bad? And most importantly, how did these other guys
do it?
I want to discuss the difference between fishing for a bite and fishing for a big bite.
Despite
popular belief, there is a difference. Odds are, that guy standing in
front of you with all those bags wasn't dragging the same 4" worm,
throwing the same tube, or fishing the same crankbait. He may not have
even been in the same part of the lake! Its not a case of random luck,
there is a reason all those bug-eyed monsters are in those bags!
Over the last few years I have found what I believe to be the three most
consistent baits to catch giant bass. By implementing jigs, topwater,
swimbaits, and sight fishing you can catch more and bigger fish than
you've ever caught before! I'm going to discuss the first three at
length tonight and will save the fourth for another time.
As
you read through this, keep in mind that the baits mentioned are the
baits that I am personally using to catch oversize bass. I recognize
that you live in different places, fishing for different fish.
Therefore, realize that when I mention a 9" swimbait, you may want to
consider one that is 4"-8". If I mention an 8" lunker punker you may
consider using a 6” lunker punker or a super spook. The particular
baits in question, while important, are not a deal breaker. Focus on
the concepts and I believe this information will help you catch bigger
bass more consistently.
In addition to choosing the right
bait it is also important to consider the right location. This is an
entire topic within itself that will have to wait for another day but
follow these quick examples to increase your odds of encountering an
oversize largemouth. Examples of high-percentage locations are
long-tapering points, wind-blown points, creek channel bends, edges of
flats, ledges, and weedlines. Most importantly, the location you choose
needs to have quick access to deep water (the actual depth will vary
based on the body of water you are fishing).
Another
misconception is that your goal is to catch fish. What I mean by this
is that if you are catching one pounder after one pounder the odds of
suddenly catching a 7 pounder let alone a 10 pounder, are greatly
reduced. Large bass will occasionally school up but it is rarely with
small bass. What this means is that if you are catching a lot of small
fish its time to move. You are looking for locations that are holding a
handful of quality fish, not a school of small fish.
The Jig
The
first consistent big bass producer I want to discuss is the jig. It is
widely accepted nationwide as one of the most consistent fish-catchers
available today. Unlike the other big bass options, bigger is not
always better when referencing the jig. Instead, I feel that attention
to detail is the important focal point. All too often an angler will
choose one or two jig colors for all applications. Remember, the jig is
used to imitate everything from crawfish to bluegill.
It is
important to carefully match your colors to the forage you are
imitating. A few colors that I have extremely high confidence in are
Dirt Nap, camouflage, and Pumpkinseed Bream. These colors can be found
at dirtyjigstackle. They represent varieties of brown, black, watermelon, green pumpkin,
and bluegill. This allows me to duplicate nearly any forage that the
bass may be keyed in on.
There are a multitude of ways to use
a jig but my personal experience has shown that hopping, swimming, and
pitching are the three most consistent ways to catch big fish. When I
hop a jig I use a drag-pump-pump action. This allows the jig to imitate
a craw that is beginning to move, then spooks and pumps up off the
bottom. Typically the bite will come as soon as I let the bait fall on
slack line.
Swimming a jig is another versatile option. A
variety of trailers can be used to further imitate a particular forage.
This technique is incredibly simple! I often just cast and retrieve the
bait as I would a spinnerbait or crankbait. The power of this bait is
in the secondary movement. Not only is the trailer moving but the skirt
pulsates as well. This breaks up the pattern and causes a shimmer
across the whole bait that is extremely lifelike!
The last
way I fish the jig is simply by pitching it into heavy cover. For this
I typically use a 3/4 oz pitchin' jig. Using a heavier jig allows me to
get a reaction from the bass. The bait falls so quickly that the bass
has a split second to react before the bait is gone. Ideally, I will
let the bait fall, shake it, and pull it out, in just a few seconds. By
implementing this technique a great deal of water can be covered in a
short period of time.
Topwater baits
Topwater is
another awesome opportunity for big bass! This genre represents
everything from a 2" popper, to a buzzbait, to a 15" wakebait. There is
something about a slow moving bait across the surface of the water that
draws in big bass. Fast moving topwaters are extremely effective but
rarely catch the giants. If you are looking for a true giant, slower is
typically better.
Some of my favorite topwater baits include the
Black Dog Lunker Punker, the JSJ Bluegill, the Super Spook, and the
Snagproof Frog. Each of these baits excels at catching large bass.
However, the spook and frog are typically geared towards bass well
under the 10 lb mark. Topwater is a prime example of bigger is better!
If you use a spook, consider the super spook instead of the super spook
junior. You'll be amazed how many small bass will still eat it, and you
might just be surprised by a fish that is bigger than any you knew were
in your home lake.
Remember, getting more bites is not the
ultimate goal. You need to find the balance between quantity and
quality. Increase the size of your offering until you are catching a
few less fish, with the occasional bigger bite. Consider that a 3 lb
bass will often eat a 12" bait, whereas a 10 lb bass will often pass up
on a 4" bait. Again, finding that balance point is key!
I have
found through trial and error, that big bass do not want to work hard
for a meal. They will often track a slow moving bait but will not
strike unless the bait does something erratic. When using a wakebait I
use a slow, steady retrieve but will snap the rod tip sharply once or
twice during the cast. The snapping motion causes the bait to turn or
jump in an erratic manner. This brief change is often what the bass is
waiting for and you will be rewarded with what I can only describe as a
watery eruption!
One misconception about topwater is that
bass prefer to eat on top during low light conditions. The vast
majority of my topwater bass over 7 lbs came during the middle of the
day. During these "off peak" times you may go for hours without a bite,
but when it finally happens the bass will be big! I can recall many
days where I've thrown a frog or a wakebait for 8-12 hours and only had
4-7 bites. But those 5 fish limits were almost always in the 25-35 lb
range. Don't let the sunlight limit you. Topwater is a viable option 24
hours a day!
Swimbaits
The final big bass option is
the swimbait. This term once referenced a trout-imitating soft plastic
lure with a swimming tail that was a minimum of 6" long. In recent
years this genre has grown to include everything from a 2" Swimming
Minnow to the 12" Osprey swimbait. Like topwater, size matters when it
comes to swimbaits. If you limit yourself to 2-5 inch swimbaits you are
going to get bites, and plenty of them, but you are probably not
selecting for larger fish. Is a 4" swimbait that much different than a
crankbait or spinnerbait? I really don't believe it is. If you want a
swimbait to work in your big bass arsenal, you need to start at 6
inches and work up from there.
There are a wide variety of
swimbaits in the 6" range that will catch big bass. The 6" Basstrix is
now widely accepted as a big bass producer. This bait really isn't all
that big. It doesn't require a special rod and reel combo but will
often produce larger than average fish. The 6" Baitsmith is another
excellent choice. It is significantly larger than the basstrix but is
small enough to be fished nationwide. This bait has been proven to work
from California to Wisconsin and was conceived in the far Northern
reaches of Idaho.
While the 6" is a terrific option to catch
big bass, going even larger will select for the true giants. The 8"
Huddleston swimbait has caught numerous double digits from coast to
coast. Over the past few years it has proven itself time and time again
in and out of the tournament scene.
Swimbaits are very similar
to topwater baits, in that they are most effective when worked slowly.
With these baits I use a variety of techniques. The most common
technique is to sit shallow and work the bait slowly uphill. In order
to accomplish this I allow the bait to sink to the bottom in deep
water. Once it has reached bottom I begin a slow, steady retrieve along
the bottom. Don't be afraid that the bass won't find such a slow moving
bait. Giant bass rule their domains and they will know when an intruder
has arrived!
While the slow and steady retrieve is the most
common don't be afraid to work these baits quickly to create a
"bulging" effect on the water's surface. Fishing a swimbait in and
around weed edges is another great way to locate big bass that are
looking to ambush an easy meal.
I hope that you are able to take
some of these baits and principles and apply them to your own
waterways. There is no reason that you can't go out to your favorite
body of water and catch bigger bass! Remember, not every lake has 10
pounders. You may simply be trying to catch 4 pounders instead of 2
pounders. These techniques apply to every body of water nationwide. If
you choose to implement them you may soon be the guy standing in the
weigh-in line with 5 bags smiling knowingly at the guy behind you who
only came to weigh in with 4 bags!
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