Big bass are big because they don't feed at what most anglers would consider prime times to be fishing. Lunkers feed at night or in the middle of the day when most fishermen are at home sleeping or sitting in front of lunch. Knowing this will help you pick your fishing times.
Big bass don't like being in shallow water. Sure, you catch the occasional big bass when tossing a small lure in shallow water, but it's not a normal occurrence. Most of the big bass like being deep and will more often feed on a school of suspended forage near their deep water sanctuary. Knowing this will help you find the proper depth to be presenting a lure.
Let's set up your game plan for a big bass outing.
First you want to choose a lure that has a larger profile. Instead of a six or seven-inch
Throwing bigger lures means you are going to have fewer bites, but the bites you get will be bigger fish. It's just one of those things you have to live with if you want to catch lunkers.
Tournament anglers are limited to those daytime hours when the competition is going on. If you're not in a tournament and want to catch some huge bass, consider hitting the water after the sun has gone down. A few days before until a few days after the full moon can be a great time to be on the water. It's amazing how much light that moon provides when the sky is clear. Big bass come out at night and they hit baits hard. It's a prime time to be on the water.
The nighttime is one time the big bass will come shallow. They search the shoreline under the cover of the dark sky and look for shallow water forage like frogs and eating-sized fish. It's a good time for a big topwater bait or even a buzzbait.
If you're fishing in the day don't rule out the mid-day period. Big bass bite when the sun is high; sometimes it's the best bite of the day. And many times you have the water all to yourself because everyone's back at the dock having lunch.
When the sun is shining, think deep. Do you have a deep weedline? Is there a deep roadbed in the lake? Most bass fishermen love it when the bass are in shallower water. They work the shallows hard and move to the deeper water when they find no action in the shallows. If you're after big bass, just work the deep water and you will have invested your time well. You might think you are making a lot of casts to get that four or five bites, but remember, you're using big baits and it might affect how many bites you get.
Heavy cover in deep water is a prime spot for big bass. You can use a big heavy bass jig to bust through the cover. Create a larger lure profile by adding a plastic trailer to the jig. It's a great way to find and catch big bass in the heavy vegetation.
You need to be a heavy equipment operator when chasing big bass in heavy cover. Use strong line and a stout rod. You don't want the fish to be able to swim into the cover. When you feel the bite, set the hook, and horse the fish in.
Think about it. Big bass are big because they are doing something different and not getting caught. This should tip you off to make some changes in program and target the big ones instead of chasing those numbers of smaller fish that everyone else is after.
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