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Old 03-10-09, 12:31 AM   #26
cassidyta
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Good read Bandit.
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Old 03-10-09, 02:13 AM   #27
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This is a good fact but this tread started with tournement fish, most tournements, if you track them, an average of 3 to 4 pounds will win, some lower some higher as a mean. So maybe someone should do a study of those size fish, at 6-7 lb. and above, yes the preditor has figured out the game of survival so its behaviors would be predictable for that survival. What about the ones in transition 3-4 lb. lived long enough to be that size but still on the bubble as far as becoming huge ( 3-4 being the average for tournement success ) what are there habits.
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Old 03-10-09, 01:51 PM   #28
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that was a really cool readin.... wish he could look at my home lakes map
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Old 03-10-09, 04:07 PM   #29
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Actually CC, I was not trying to discuss just tourneys, I referenced the tourney at a lake I had fished just the weekend before, but tourneys are only a small percentage of my fishing.
I agree with Matt on the larger baits as most of my larger fish come on swimbaits as well as jigs. I usually consider swimbaits a trophy hunting bait and use them when I am focusing on that 1 big fish. It has worked for me over the years, but consistancy is the key there. My 2 largest fish came off of 8 inch swimbaits. Both were in the double digit weights but neither in a tourney. But for me that fishing has been more of fishing for a single strike. I have not been able to get the 7 that Matt spoke of.
I fish a lot of clear water and at times can see the bigger fish, but often find that the 2lbs ones are more aggressive or at least less cautious about striking a bait. I usually throw rather large baits (Large brushhawgs, 10 and 12 inch worms, and the swim baits). Perhaps I am focusing on areas that are two crowded with the smaller ones?
For me locating the larger ones is not too big of an issue, but finding a presentation that they will go after is.

I hope everyone knows that I am not trying to be poor me on this one. Larger bass is relative to your specific location. I have seen 30 lbs not make the top 3 in tourneys twice out here. An I have also seen 17 win one. So obviously this is not a perfect science, but it has been a great discussion so far.
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Old 03-10-09, 04:58 PM   #30
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agreed cass. this is a great chat on what to do. where to do it. and how to do it. keep talking, i am reading this very intently.
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Old 03-10-09, 05:29 PM   #31
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Tourny fishing definitely changes how you manage your time during the day...but it don't change the fish's attitudes, unless you're on a lake that gets hammered by tourny's every weekend.

Up until this year i fished exclusively for double digits here at my home lake. What i have found and read is that once a fish reaches around the 7 lb mark, they change. It's sort of like a 3.5 year old whitetail. Their feeding habits, habitat, and routine changes. Also, where you find one, you will others. I've got a spot on my home lake that I can anchor down on and sit for hours and consistantly catch them (7 lb + with three over 10...so far) from one hour before daylight to 1.5 hours after daylight, then the smaller fish start. I've done this on this spot for the past 4 years!!!

For you deer hunters out there, i'm basically patterning these fish the way you pattern a buck. Also, as you hunters know, there are small areas that consistantly hold big bucks because it's something there that they prefer. Fish are no different. If I were in a tourny, i'd look first at the time of year. Then i'd go from there. This time of year, i'd find males up shallow, then back off and look for the closest unique feature for the big females. The "spot" I mentioned above is exactly this scenario...but it holds fish most often after the spawn. The only thing i can figure as to why this is, is because the fish spawn at different times, so there is not as many grouped up pre-spawn, but post spawn, they hang out a little longer (may be due to more consistant water temps through out April).

Oh, and i believe in big baits too, but i've caught alot of nice fish on a 1/4 ounce jig.
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Old 03-10-09, 06:10 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mont_lunker_hunter View Post
Tourny fishing definitely changes how you manage your time during the day...but it don't change the fish's attitudes, unless you're on a lake that gets hammered by tourny's every weekend.

Up until this year i fished exclusively for double digits here at my home lake. What i have found and read is that once a fish reaches around the 7 lb mark, they change. It's sort of like a 3.5 year old whitetail. Their feeding habits, habitat, and routine changes. Also, where you find one, you will others. I've got a spot on my home lake that I can anchor down on and sit for hours and consistantly catch them (7 lb + with three over 10...so far) from one hour before daylight to 1.5 hours after daylight, then the smaller fish start. I've done this on this spot for the past 4 years!!!

For you deer hunters out there, i'm basically patterning these fish the way you pattern a buck. Also, as you hunters know, there are small areas that consistantly hold big bucks because it's something there that they prefer. Fish are no different. If I were in a tourny, i'd look first at the time of year. Then i'd go from there. This time of year, i'd find males up shallow, then back off and look for the closest unique feature for the big females. The "spot" I mentioned above is exactly this scenario...but it holds fish most often after the spawn. The only thing i can figure as to why this is, is because the fish spawn at different times, so there is not as many grouped up pre-spawn, but post spawn, they hang out a little longer (may be due to more consistant water temps through out April).

Oh, and i believe in big baits too, but i've caught alot of nice fish on a 1/4 ounce jig.
Whole hearty agree with your post! Great example mont lunker hunter. I'm also an avid whitetail bowhunter and your correct about the mature bucks have their own territory (same with lunkers) they don't go very far from their bedding to feeding area until the rut swings in. Narrow down their pattern and your set. Same scenario as the big bass.

Like us humans we have our same daily routes from home to work then back home on same road.
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Old 03-10-09, 06:19 PM   #33
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I agree with the big baits bigger fish on the average, maybe I should redirect my thoughts on this. If you know how to catch lager fish by being able to home in on there habits you can catch them on smaller baits the same as larger is what I am trying to say. I had a friend that just got into bass fishing, loved 9 inch swimbaits and caught some nice 5,6 and even one 9+ fish. He thought to catch larger fish you HAD to use larger baits, are lakes filled up and flooded tons of brush. I showed him a finess flipping technique I used 1/16 ounce wieght 4" brushhog, he started loving flipping. One day he e-mailed me, he caught a 7, two 8, and a 9 all flippin the 4" brushhog. So I guess its just a confidents thing, if you catch larger fish on larger baits use them, if the reverse use that, the important thing is learning how to find them in the first place.
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Old 03-10-09, 07:11 PM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CCbass View Post
I agree with the big baits bigger fish on the average, maybe I should redirect my thoughts on this. If you know how to catch lager fish by being able to home in on there habits you can catch them on smaller baits the same as larger is what I am trying to say.
Mmm.... Lager fish, the best kind
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Old 03-10-09, 09:11 PM   #35
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Thanks to all of you for putting your thoughts into this thread. These are the kind of threads that really , really help me out. I am a sponge for information , I actually take notes about fishing stuff , I have two notebooks full of information , and I notice alot of info repeated throughout fishing publications and videos. Anyway , I would love to see more threads like this one...thanks again.
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Old 03-11-09, 04:11 PM   #36
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Experience on the water is a key to finding big fish. I think after a while you can tell where a big fish lives. The dominate biggest bass will be on the best spot in a given area most of the time just like the biggest dominate trout will be at the best spot in a stream. you just have to be able to identify the most likely spot in an area.

Example: There was this little underwater point off a flat in 7 to 10 ft of water that you could only see on your electronics. Out on the end of the point were several large stumps surrounded by deeper (15 ft) water. This place screamed big fish. It had it all---a feeding flat, cover, deep escape water nearby. Although I knew a big fish lived there, I never ever got a bite off that spot. Not even a dink.

So, a friend of mine one day wanted to fish with shad. I went straight to that spot, anchored my boat and pitched a medium sized gizzard shad between the stumps, free line, no weight. I sat there probably 15 minutes before I felt a tug. I boated an 8 lb largemouth which is a very big fish in these parts. I knew that fish or a large catfish or something big lived there but it wouldn't bite my artificials.

Moral to the story: Spend enough time on your tourney lakes and I think you can identify the big fish spots. Also, if you catch a big fish off a spot, chances are another big fish will take its place on that spot. Works the same on trout streams. The biggest predominate trout in the pool or run set up shop on the best spots. The trick is learning to identify "the best spots" whether it be on a trout stream or bass lake. Common denominators for big bass are: 1.Food 2.Cover 3.Acceptable depth for the time of year (translate water temp and oxygen) 4.Nearby deep water. Of course all that's out the window during the spawn.

Last but not least, fish a big fish bait. Good luck.
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Old 03-12-09, 06:19 PM   #37
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Jigger, excellent post. That is like my mantra whether I'm looking for the biggest buck or bass. It's all about the hierarchy in the animal kingdom.Also, as you stated, if that prime cover has the big female caught or dies of natural causes, the number two fish in that vicinity gets that spot.
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Old 03-13-09, 01:01 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by hookset on 3 View Post
Jigger, excellent post. That is like my mantra whether I'm looking for the biggest buck or bass. It's all about the hierarchy in the animal kingdom.Also, as you stated, if that prime cover has the big female caught or dies of natural causes, the number two fish in that vicinity gets that spot.
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Exactly..............
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Old 03-13-09, 03:10 PM   #39
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so i havent before read the article..now i have. im in iraq and have nothing but time to think. mostly i think about fishing, and hunting, and of course my wife and dogs. i try to read lots of articles and learn what i can apply when i do get home(@15days!) so thanks for posting this, and all the other great stuff. if you do ever get the chance, go out with the boats that do the fisheries surveys of the lakes in your area. i know that TVA biologist posts articles in the paper asking for volunteers(they use a shock boat). i did that last year and it was amazing. i learned more in that day than i had in a long time. so if you get the chance, do it.
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Old 03-13-09, 09:32 PM   #40
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Hello NorthAL, welcome to BassFishin.com. I myself am new to this great site and good guys.We all learn and laugh,teach one another.
Anyway, I have two additional thoughts for this thread.First to address your point on Fisheries shock studies, you are right on" about what you witness. I've seen so many big bass float up right on the cover that looked so good but maybe all you caught there were dinks. One Time the Fisheries guys let me try to catch them on a known sweet-spot. After multiple casts with different baits score zero, They came over to the spot ,lowered the electrodes and gave the water a zap.sure enough all the fish in that area float to the top.Mixed in the group of different fish are a 4 lber and a 6. Moral of that story: If it looks like a lunker spot it probably is.
The other point is: just like the biggest and baddest bucks become nocturnal and Elusive so do the big female bass.
Tight lines

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so i havent before read the article..now i have. im in iraq and have nothing but time to think. mostly i think about fishing, and hunting, and of course my wife and dogs. i try to read lots of articles and learn what i can apply when i do get home(@15days!) so thanks for posting this, and all the other great stuff. if you do ever get the chance, go out with the boats that do the fisheries surveys of the lakes in your area. i know that TVA biologist posts articles in the paper asking for volunteers(they use a shock boat). i did that last year and it was amazing. i learned more in that day than i had in a long time. so if you get the chance, do it.
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