I hope the title of this article produced at least a few chuckles. But the title says a lot about the fisherman I have become.
I am asked a dozen times a month why I do not, and never have, participated in organized bass fishing contests and tournaments.
The answer is simple for me but not clearly understood by many others: I do not like fishing for six to eight hours trying to catch five or six keepers. I like fishing for one fish… a big fish.
So your first thought might be that I do not catch very many bass. Not true. In the process of hunting for that 5-pound or bigger largemouth, I catch a lot of smaller fish.
However, my methods and techniques have been refined in over four decades of chasing trophy bass. It is those ideas I would like to share with you today.
First, size of the impoundment makes no difference. Big bass live in waters of every size and shape. That having been said, big bass are easier to find on smaller waters.
But if huge bass boats with monstrous motors and running 60 mph is more your cup of tea, you can still find bigger bass if you really try. The key to finding them is to mentally shrink the big lake into smaller areas and then fish those areas just like a small impoundment.
Do not be misled by stories that big fish like bigger baits. That statement is a coin toss. I do like to throw large baits most of the time. But if the bass, all sizes of bass, are feeding on something that day that is smaller than usual, then I will most certainly downsize my lure to more closely match the current menu items on the fish’s diet.
Experimenting with lure size is as important to finding the daily pattern as changing lure color.
Time of day and the level of overcast help me determine where I start my hunt for big bass. Early in the morning, at or just before sunrise, I do like to fish the points near the bank. I like to start with topwater lures, which is by far my favorite style of bass fishing.
If I have a topwater bite and it is cloudy I might stay with it all morning. If the sun rises on a bluebird day, I will go deeper after the sun hits the water.
