Mainebass1984

I love pitching a jig into every single one inch opening in cover like that. 1/2 oz jig. Rage craw trailer. 7' 6" heavy action rod. 50 lb power pro. Gets the job done. In that exact spot I have caught a lot of largemouth over 5 lbs. More often then not they aren't on the edges but buried directly in the middle of it. If you aren't fishing the middle of it you are passing by big fish opportunities.

I like fishing the thickest nastiest cover I can find. The kind of places that other fisherman wont cast to for fear of getting stuck. I would prefer it to be unobvious, sunken and way off shore. I guess I would call myself a jig fisherman above all else. I do fish onshore but again I want it to be the thickest nastiest kind of cover. I would cast directly into the center of this:

We will never actually know for fact if it does break the jaw or not until, for the sake of science, someone intentionally sacrifices a bunch of big bass. All we have is opinions. One professional opinion against another. Apparently no one has ever studied this. We wont know until some intentionally kills a bunch of big bass.

It appears through my personal experience that smaller bodies of water have an earlier spawn then larger bodies of water where I am from. It is difficult to compare the spawn in Maine, to Florida, or to California. The spawn different all across the country. Up here in New England ice out has a huge factor on the spawn. A smaller body of water will loose all of its ice much sooner then a bigger body of water. With that being said a smaller body of water will have a week or two weeks to warm up while the larger lakes are still frozen. In my area a 300 acre pond always will have an earlier spawn then a 30,000 acre lake.The spawn generally lasts 3 weeks up here. The fish here come in 3 distinct waves, early spawners, spawners and late spawners. In any lake or pond not all the bass are spawning at the same time. I do believe that there are many factors that lead to the actually act of spawning, not just making beds, or guarding eggs, but actually releasing the eggs. In my own experience for fish up here in New England, temperature is the final factor in this equation. There are also many factors that determine whether or not if the spawn itself will lead to good or bad recruitment.

In an effort to get more information on the subject I contacted the manager of the sharelunker program. He had this to say : "As far as we know, no one has done a scientific study. That would require deliberately sacrificing big fish. Our recommendations are based on what we have seen on big bass over the 29-year history of the ShareLunker program." They are professionals. I am going to listen to what they have to say. It does seem that they were indicating it is only an issue with bigger fish. I personally have caught bass that have had bone infections. They were always larger fish, over 4 lbs. All of these fish, although still feeding, were most likely going to die soon. If my actions can personally have an impact on the survival rate of the bigger bass that I am so lucky to catch I am going to do everything I can to increase there chance of surviving and getting bigger.

I am not sure I agree or disagree. I can see how it could break the jaw of a larger fish. I do know one thing for sure. The individuals that are responsible for the Texas Parks and Wildlife's share lunker program sure do know a lot about bigger then average bass.

http://www.majorleaguefishing.com/news_details.aspx?id=14223

Contact your local fisheries biologist or his department and they should be able to help you.

I have had a lot of luck in muddy lakes and ponds where tributaries bring in clearer water. Where these two different water clarities mix is an excellent ambush area.

You must have a lot of photo albums.

Haha. It all makes sense now. Buckfield is a beautiful area. Bass fishing is pretty good too.

A friendly get together/fishing tourney on Champlain ?? That sounds like a blast.

I grew in Brownfield, Me. Its about 35 from Paris. If your up by Paris then Thompson Lake is a good place to go for smallies. Androscoggin Lake by auburn is pretty good, actually really good for largemouth. A friend of mine has a camp in Buckfield. All the small ponds in the area have some pretty nice bass in them.

I want to learn firsthand that there are 10 lb bass in Maine

I fish western and southern Maine for the most part. I do make a trip every now and then out to central Maine to fish around the Belgrade Lakes. I am not sure where Deerfield is ? I do know where Deering is. Within an hour drive of that area there is some of the best bass fishing in New England. There are countless lakes and ponds that have some big smallmouth and largemouth. Mousam, Sebago, Little Sebago, Little Ossipee, Arrowhead, are all places worth checking out and aren't to far away.

I will go fishing as soon as there is enough water for me to cast. At that time I am fishing a suspended jerkbait or most likely a jig. I have fished ponds that still were half frozen over with a foot of ice and had good luck. It can get a little interesting dodging icebergs or having the wind shift pushing the ice sheet towards you but as long as there is open water you can catch bass. Quality fish too.

I keep a small pad of paper with me while I am fishing to jot down notes on. Then once I am back home I go more in depth. I am fishing from a boat.

I had heard the same. It was a better than average year for big, 10 pounds plus, bass in Florida.

Conditions do change moment to moment for sure. A fishing log will in time show seasonal patterns and give you insight into the bigger picture. It wont seem worth it at first. I can look back and see what is working at any specific time of year, under specific conditions, on specific bodies of water. It isn't about what or how you caught them 3 months ago. It is about how you caught them year after year under the specific conditions you are encountering. I find keeping a fishing log to be incredibly helpful. Over time it will make you a better fisherman and enable you to catch bigger bass.

The all mighty jig. It catches BIG bass. Very reliable lure for quality bites.

Wow. Sounds like Florida bass fishing has no future ? I am glad that the scenario you speak isn't happening anywhere near me. For some reason I had heard that the amount of Trophy class ( 10 lbs plus ) largemouth caught so far this year had been significantly up in Florida. The fishing is still great where I fish and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

It is all relative. Each pond has its own specific carrying capacity. Overpopulations tends to lead to stunted bass and few larger fish. Typically the smaller the bass population is, given that they have adequate feed, the faster the growth rate is which tends to lead to more larger fish. There are "big" bass everywhere.

I have kept a fishing log since 1998. It helps immensely. It makes you a better fisherman. It helps develop patterns. Over time you will notice subtle occurrences that otherwise you wouldn't notice. For example over time a specific lake at a specific time of year using a specific lure may produce some of the best fishing for that body of water for the entire year. You can translate that to fishing each body of water when its at its best with the most productive lure. that will translate onto more fish and bigger fish. There are no downsides to keeping a fishing log. It will make you a better fisherman. I cant stress it enough. At first my log was hand written. As time went by I started using excel and that has made it seem less like work. All it takes is a couple minutes after each outing.

Anglers in Texas are lucky to have this revolutionary program. It started out as just a experiment and has grown ever since. The results are undeniable. This program is way ahead of anything any other state is doing. At some point other states will start a similar program.

Lets get out there in your boat this time. We can leave mine at home. Wouldn't want to get into any weather in my boat. Your boat going to be good to go in another month ?