08-18-11, 11:13 PM | #1 |
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Lure Size
What is the largest lures you use for catching the BIG bass? As far as hardbaits and worms...
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08-18-11, 11:19 PM | #2 |
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Probably a 5 inch soft swim bait. But I also use 3/4 oz spinnerbaits sometimes and large 3/4 oz jignpig combos. Soft plastic worms are up to 10 inches, but usually around 7". Northern Indiana bass arn't going to get to be delta king size, lol.
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08-18-11, 11:28 PM | #3 |
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Yeah, I fish in a farm pond that I know has 8+ pound bass in it. I've caught 3 using a 6" worm wacky rigged. Just curious, If I up the worm size to say, 12", would I have a better chance of catching bigger bass?
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08-19-11, 12:16 AM | #4 |
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12" worm, and a 7" swimbait. Caught fish on both, but no monsters. IMO one of the best big bass baits around is a 1/4 jig with a nice full skirt and pork trailer. Nice bulky profile, and slow tantalizing fall and action. Not a "big" bait, but a big fish killer!
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08-19-11, 02:37 AM | #5 |
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I've caught fish on 8" swimbaits, 7" minnowbaits, 8" tubes, and 17" worms, not many but a few. The funny thing is not a single one of them was big enough for me to even take a picture of them. I still catch most of my big fish on regular sized plastics, jigs, and 4 or 5 inch swimbaits.
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08-19-11, 07:55 AM | #6 |
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In the book "Big Bass Zone" he talks a lot about this. I'm not the type of guy who is willing to dedicate 100% of my time to just looking for one giant with a giant bait, especially since there aren't many around here. I do throw Super Spooks and 10-12" worms though and have caught fish on them. But my biggest largemouth came on a 3" tube and smallmouth came on a 3" goby.
If you really want to learn a lot about these big baits I suggest buying the book from Kevin. It's been a while since I read it but it was well worth the time even though I don't practice many things that he says. |
08-19-11, 08:51 AM | #7 |
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As you can tell from my name i fish for muskies, and doing so i throw BIG baits. Ive caught 3# bass on 12" bucktails with giant double colorado blades. Ive also caught sub 5# bass on a giant topwater bait called a plop plop its over 13" long. so when it comes to size of a bait i dont trip on it too much. I think of it like this, when a bass is about to eat something its not thinking "damn i bet thats a big hard bait with hooks im about to eat" no. hes thinking ( that is a living breathing creature i can slurp and crunch into a nice little piece of food for myself).... maybe im just thinking too much lol!
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08-19-11, 10:26 AM | #8 |
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If you want to catch big fish concentrate on fishing where the bigger fish live. This might mean deeper water or ore isolated cover. They may require more finesse rather than bigger, louder... They didn't get big by being easy to fool.
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08-22-11, 08:26 PM | #9 | |
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Quote:
Well said brother, well said. |
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08-22-11, 09:41 PM | #10 |
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biggest fish ive ever caught was on a heddon baby lucky 13.. bout 3 inch long top water popper. i use a 10 inch worm regulary and catch nice bass on em. also 5 inch senkos
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08-23-11, 10:23 AM | #11 |
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I would have to agree with this completely. I have caught 40"+ muskies on finese jigs and shakey head worms... soooooo size isn't always the answer. location and time (moon phase, time of day).
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08-23-11, 06:00 PM | #12 |
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hardbait........5"crank
worm.....12" worm, color varies.
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08-23-11, 06:48 PM | #13 |
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I know the old saying big baits = big bass, and maybe thats true in the sense that a big bait might ward off small bass, but I simply don't buy the premise. I think with any species of fish, you are better off using a bait that is closer to the normal size forage that the species would eat. The way I see it, the larger a bait is, the easier it is for a preditor to recognize that it is phoney. Some of the large swimbaits that cost an arm and a leg are very realistic and work well where bass grow huge. But even then, many times it's a long days workout casting before you finally get that big one to hit. Big bass aint dumb. And I think your best chance of hooking into a big bass is to offer a bait that is not supersized, but on the normal full large range of the forage your wanting to mimic. Not to brag here, but I've caught my share of big bass for Indiana standards. All of them were caught on normal size baits I use throughout the year. Such as 4 1/2inch hard body jerk baits, 3/8 oz. spinnerbaits, The Baby Torpedo, and a normal size Beaver bait just to name a few. As mentioned above, the main thing you need to work on is being in the right location at the right time. That has to do with knowing the seasonal movements of bass throughout the year for your area. Also, knowing the prefered forage for bass in any particular body of water is critical. Also, knowing the daily habits is important. You can read about these things but experience will play a major factor. There have been times when I'm on the water and A + B is correct in locating bass according to what the books tell us. But after 20 minutes, I realized that wont work and went a different route. That was experience telling me what to do. After 42 years of bass fishing, I'm still learning. But I've learned a few things along the way, and with many years on the water you start to develope a 6th sense. This is probably way more than you wanted to read, lol. I'm just saying knowing your intended target pays far more dividends than the size of the lure.
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Just one more cast, and then some! Last edited by keithdog; 08-23-11 at 07:05 PM. |
08-23-11, 09:29 PM | #14 |
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I do buy into bigger baits, bigger bass. It has worked for me on several occasions (although, I caught the biggest bass of my life on a 7" worm). I caught two 6+ on the same day while Pike fishing, throwing a 8" Topwater Plug, and a huge bucktail. I caught a 4 lb. smallie on a Lunker Plunker this year. I've caught several up to 7+ LM out of my favorite little lake with 7" Tiger Tubes. You will on occasion catch smaller fish on big baits, but your odds greatly increase IMHO if you throw big lures.
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08-24-11, 12:00 AM | #15 |
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One thing I'd like to add....
Before you go throwing a big swimbait for a lunker... remember this. Big bass are still bass, and like all bass, most days you cant throw just anything and catch bass. This really applies to swimbaits I think. They're a tool, and should be used as such. When the conditions call for it, use it. Other wise, use what'll catch fish. Don't go limiting yourself to tossing a big bait all day, thinking you'll catch a biggun. While this can be true, it's better to use a big bait when the conditions call for it. Watch this 4 part video to hear it from the Swimbait King (and auther of big bass zone) Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4. I some what agree with the big fish big bait theory. For example, if you use 6" worms, 1/4oz spinnerbaits, and finesse jigs with little trailers all year. Try up sizing all those to 7.5" worms, 3/8oz spinnerbaits, and a full size jig with a full size trailer, and I think your average size fish will increase.
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If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die. Last edited by Bassboss; 08-24-11 at 12:05 AM. |
08-26-11, 12:18 PM | #16 |
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Tiki Anaconda is a big piece of plastic that I've caught bass on. 12" worms as well. I've used 1.5 oz jigs with large craw trailers. Haven't used any really big crankbaits other than One Minus or the Fat CB BDS 4.0 size.
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08-28-11, 06:16 PM | #17 | |
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Quote:
Oh, by the way...I think a full skirted jig and craw combo is the best big bass lure day in and day out.
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09-02-11, 11:54 AM | #18 |
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yea I agree with this completely.
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09-03-11, 10:56 PM | #19 |
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WHEN A LMB REACHES 18" HE WILL BEGIN TO PREFER FOOD THAT IS AT LEAST 1/3 HIS LENGTH. (6") duh........but that 1/3 rule applies to a bass his entire life, from fry to death. This is not a myth or a mystery, it is a well documented and oft observed fact. And yes i too have caught 6lb bass on a #5 Rapala and 10" dinks on 10" Culprits. However Keithdogs observations are more on point that focusing on bait size. If your sole purpose is catching double digit bass, you better have the same focus/dedication/drive as the hunter who refuses to pull the trigger on anything less than a 12 pointer. I went through a few years of that kind of obsession back in the 80's when I lived on the Ga/Fla border, and it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about big fish and caught a lot of them (the fish in my avatar is my personal best 14-8) but over the past 20 years I have decided to simply fish every single day that was humanly possible without the loss of income or spouse. I have enjoyed every fish I have ever caught and never take any of them for granted. Hey...I feel like a 10 yr old kid whether I catch a 2 lb'er on a topwater with 4lb test or a 10 lb'er on a jig with braid. I PROMISE YALL NO ONE STANDING AROUND MY COFFIN WILL WHISPER "TOO BAD HE NEVER MADE TIME TO FISH MORE" KEN
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