wademaster1

I'll call in sick just to go fishing in general, no matter where I'm going, it's better than work. Often I'm at work thinking man, I wish I was fishing. Never am I fishing and thinkin man, I wish I was working.

Smallies fight harder and are more acrobatic IMO. Ounce for ounce a smallie is seldom rivaled in this category.

Keep in mind the SIZE if the plastic on the t rig may very well dictate the size of fish you may catch. Same applies with the jig. Small fish will possibly hit either one but you have to compare apples with apples when talking fish size.

T-rig is where my success is at........I never have any luck with the jigs.....some guys kill it with the jigs though

Good luck out there. But don't go to the lake thinking your goin to catch bigger bass the majority of the time. There are some big fish there, but the size of the water doesn't match the size of the fish it holds. This is true for ponds and lakes.

Here's some of my bigger bass......

You'll catch less I'd say. Patience is going to be key. Depth is a big change up compared to ponds. Cover and structure are always key no matter where you fish.

JayKumar, I was using a 10" rage tail thumper worm. I set the hook hard, the fish kept my rod bent over and it moved slow at first. It came by me right beneath the surface and right when I thought I might turn her around to maybe gain some ground on her she bolts and rips line, then that's when the hook came loose.....

Slonezp, so we're calling a cat or dog dumb because of their food preferences in the same discussion that we're talking about bass eating hard plastic, shiny, rattling versions of their prey while its tied to a string with big hooks hanging off of it even though the bass has been hooked numerous times with said lure?? Hmmm, I'm thinking the cat and dog may be a little brighter than you're giving them credit for.......LOL

I'm using the 10" version of the worm. I switched to Gamakatsu's Monster EWG 6/0 hook. Let the games begin.

What's your opinions on the best rig for big plastics? What's the best way to avoid missing those fish that only take the back half of the longer plastic worms? I rigged up a worm where I threaded the hook and line through the bait and then rigged it weedless about 4-5 inches from the tail. I haven't been able to try it yet on an actual fish, but it doesn't seem to take anything away from the action that I have noticed. The particular worm I'm referring to is the Ragetail Thumper worm. Thanks fellas

Plastics, spinnerbaits, and cranks have all been working here. Even caught one on a popper.

WRB, so do you think the preferred hooks that you mentioned would get a better hook set than the widegap hooks even with a very large plastic bait? Thanks

I've used live bait with nothing but a split shot and had lots of luck, floats can avoid snagging if it becomes an issue.....I've had more luck using large live bait with a large hook to match, tail hooked.....fish it in all the same areas you normally would locate bass in......

I was using a 4/0 widegap hook guys. I set the hook like it was my job!! The fish didn't hit and act like anything other than a BIG bass. We'll see what happens when I go after her again!! I'll post pics WHEN i land her! Thanks

I think if the fish see the exact same thing 1000 times every few days, yes, they may learn that it's not an actual natural food item. This is why lots of guys preach about using something different than most folks.

The link from jellyman may not be showing up due to my using a mobile device....I dunno. Scott, I thought of that too. But the initial strike was that all too familiar thump from a largemouth. Usually a cat will just grab the bait and take off like a dump truck. This fish also stayed just a little under the surface making me think it wanted to jump, but I kept it down. Most cats wanna stay deep as long as possible.

Jellyman, is there a link that should be showing up?? All I see is great info here as well...

Thanks for the input guys. I've caught an 8lb fish there, but I swear this one seemed much stronger and larger. We'll see what takes place.....

Fellas, I'm completely and totally mindblown and humbled as I sit here and type this. An hour and a half ago I hooked an absolute goliath fish on a big plastic bait. The fish took the bait, I got a nice hookset and the battle began. After maybe 20 seconds my heart sank when my line went limp and I reeled in nothing but my plastic worm. This fished pulled several feet of drag and never slowed down. I'm convinced it was a HOG largemouth by the initial bite and the after hookset behavior. My question is what now? I was fishing a pond that has gave up some nice fish in the past. Will this fish bite again? Will it return to the same area? What are your thoughts? What would you do? I'm going to devote every available second to hunting this fish. Thanks fellas and good fishing.

Thanks fellas for ALL this info!! I'll keep ya posted on what I decide on. I went yesterday evening for a while with the pfleuger and it went ok just trying to minimize shoulder straining by using different casting tactics. Thanks again!

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/112324-bank-fishing-in-the-dark/

Cranks, spinners, and soft plastics. Topwater too has its time and place. Some ponds like that have some absolute HOGS in them. Good luck.

Only one way to find the answer to this inquiry.......

Nighttime bassin is great. I've already caught bass this year on top. Night time is perfect. Less heat, and the fish are more at ease in my opinion.