roadwarrior

Are you getting tired of catching lots of big bass? You're killing 'em with finesse and soft plastics. Power fishing is for tournament guys that need "keepers". (Oops! Wait a minute, I catch a few better fish power fishing, too). I consider power fishing "big lures and/ or lots of action." An example would be a 3/4 oz Ledgebuster. I don't think you need a fast moving boat to fish these lures.

I can only go with my own experience and observations, I don't think I have ever seen the "science" behind either schools of thought. It seems to me that largemouth bass are not line shy. I don't fish braid anymore, but when I did I never used a leader and caught largemouth bass and striper alongside guys using monofilament without any noticable differences. Smallmouth and trout are a different story. I have had three very specific situations where line diameter has had a huge impact on catch ratios, once fishing Gitzits in gin clear water at Bull Shoals, another time fishing live bait for trout on the White River and a third time fishing live bait for smallmouth on the stained waters of the Tennessee River. Three samples does not provide a very scientific basis on which to form a theory, but the results were overwhelming. I use #4 Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft and my partner fishes #6 original Hybrid. We think it makes a difference.

I fish for the World Record Smallmouth September through March, seriously. Dale Hollow Lake in North Central Tennessee (and Kentucky) is the home of the two biggest smallmouth ever caught. So, around here state records and World Records are one in the same. Technically a new record must weigh two ounces more than the previous record to be recognized by the IFGA. The current record is 11 lbs 15 oz. So, theoretically a fellow could set a state record (12 lbs) that would not qualify as a new World Record (12 lb 1oz). I think anyone catching that bass will argue the point. As far as keeping it goes, absolutely! Nothin' to talk about. As a sidenote: It is highly unlikely that this record will ever be broken. The second largest smallmouth is a pound lighter and behind that there have only been a handful of bass ever caught that were 10 lbs or more. The Saturday before Thanksgiving, 2004 my fishing partner caught a 10 lb smallmouth which I netted and weighed. Now that was pretty cool! And yep, we released that monster.

Matt, There is no closed season for any species in this state or the general region as far as I know. Guys that fish the Cumberland and the reserviors in Middle Tennessee (around Nashville) catch smallmouth deep and at night all summer. Dale Hollow would be a good example. I fish a much different river which runs south into Alabama before coming back north through a piece of Mississippi, then Tennessee and into Kentucky. The reserviors are relatively shallow and the water is hot. Three weeks ago the surface temperature of the river coming off the BOTTOM of Pickwick Lake was 96.7 degrees! The average temperature has been around 90 degrees. My pet smallmouth don't like it hot. Now Bud is on the same river, but 184 miles north by river. You may have seen his post. He caught three smallies over 5 lbs at the Kentucky Lake Dam. Technically, that's the same lake I fish. So, I think the smallmouth go down stream onto the main lake or find extemely deep holes in the river and suspend. I run with most of the guides around Pickwick and noboby catches of even fishes for smallmouth around here in the summer. That said, a 4 lb smallie was caught in a tournament last Saturday morning, but that was just the luck of the draw. I'm sure a few are caught by guys fishing for something else, but not on purpose. We consider the river "season" from late September until the first couple of weeks of March. Smallmouth spawn here in late January and February. Smallmouth fishing on the lake can be fair through most of June, but the majority of those are caught while fishing for largemouth. Largemouth, Kentucky bass or spots and white bass are caught year around.

Here in the Mid South, our seasons come very close to matching the calander dates of every season. Fall is still almost a month away, but I'm ready! For me it means switching my focus on the Tennessee River from striper to brown fish. Needless to say, I'm jazzed about smallmouth season. The topic I would like to address in this thread is bait and lures. This year's baby baitfish are reaching the size that appeals to larger bass. On my river the primary prey is yellowtail (threadfin shad). There are literally millions of these little fish that have schooled up in mass. Gizzard shad, skipjack, slick minnows and shiners are all alternative sources of nourishment and available in almost unimaginable quantanties. However, as a precentage, slick minnows and shiners are relatively rare and are the preferred quarry of trophy smallmouth. (Note: Crawdads, nationally make up over 60% of a smallmouth's diet when they are available, but that's a topic for later). What I have found to be most productive in the fall and winter are big store bought shiners. Most locals fish yellowtail because they are free and easily captured with a thrownet. This is the primary baitfish, but the one you are fishing with is hard to distinguish from the tens of millions that are out there in the river. Big shiners are a different story, smallmouth, particularly big ones, prefer these baits. Artificials share a common thread in autumn. I watch most of the guys throwing the lures they use all year; mostly tubes, grubs and jigs. I have much better success fishing "minnow" type lures. In the fall, crankbaits, jerkbaits and at certain times, topwater are far more effective. Bigger lures are also a key. I do NOT believe in "matching the hatch". I think your lure needs to stand out: bigger, louder or pushing more water.

Any fish that's lost immediately doubles in size. I want to catch fish so big, even I don't have to lie about them. I like fishin', but I like catchin' more!

Yep, I know all about that Old Wife's Tale. Some of my very best days have been when all of the cattle are laying down.

So, if you are fishing artificials, big bass prefer soft plastics for brunch or lunch? Very interesting article.

Excellent!

Roger, Where ya been? Just another Classic Post from one of most knowledgeable members.

avid, Too cool! Great suggestion/ post. That will work 100% of the time.

As usual, Quachitabassangler has the right answer. I fancy myself as a chef and 375 degreees is EXACTLY the correct temperature to fry fish. I too dip fillets in milk and then dredge them through an egg batter, finishing with a 1/4 flour - 3/4 cornmeal coating. I heavily season the coating with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. The key is 375 degree peanut oil which is effectively a "flash fry." At home, I fry in an electric skillet so I have an exact temperature. Otherwise, I am suggesting "hot" oil. My secret is in the tartar sauce. 4 tbl mayonnasie 1 tbl diced onions 1 tbl sweet pickle relish 1 tbl dill pickle 1 tsp Worchester Sauce 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp dill Salt & pepper to taste Bass are particulary delicious this time of year. Maybe that has to do with a predominately crawfish diet, but whatever the reason, the meat is light and flakey. I highly recommend 1 1/2 to 3 lb bass, they make for a perfect fillet.

I like Russell's answer! These questions comes up periodically. We'll see how it goes this time, but when we are talking "big bass", several members report either side of noon. My very best bass fishing is between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Lots of bass, including some big bass, are caught in shallow water, on and around cover. Part of the reason is because this is where most guys fish. I prefer to fish structure, in deeper water, away from shore. p.s. Spend some time in the BassResource.com Library. It's fun, entertaining and very informative. There are MANY articles, lots of opinions and plenty of advice on these topics.

Spend some time in the BassResource.com Library, especially the Beginners Section. Although this IS a great time of year to fish, it is not necessarily a great time of year to start. Hot, summer fishing can be challenging. There is a sticky on Senkos, at the top of the "Tackle" section, that will tell you just about everything known to fish this bait. I suggest you focus on this lure only for awhile if you would like to catch some bass right now. Later you can work with other baits. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1121527643

It seems to me that all fish are more attracted to action, sound (vibration) and profile than color. Most of the time, a vaiety of colors catch fish. However, I'm sure you all have had outings where a VERY specific color was the only thing that worked or worked sinificantly better. Everyone can probably list several examples of this occurance, I'll list one that illustrates my point: I was fishing for smallmouth and walley at Bull Shoals with two partners. I was fishing a Rapala Husky Jerk, blue and silver with an orange belly. My buddies were both fishing Smithwick Rogues, black and silver with an orange belly. They caught four walley while I caught one smallmouth. So, as dusk began to fade, I switched to a black and silver Rogue, without the orange accent. My friends continued to catch walley, I never got a strike until I changed to exactly the same color pattern they had been using. A little bit of color made the difference on a moonless night in near complete darkness...go figure.

The boat ramp we use on the Tennesee River is VERY busy. Bank fishermen and campers have learned to move; this is not a recreational ramp, fish somewhere else or move when boats approach. No fishing, no swimming, no apologies: Get out of the road...Now! My biggest pet peeve is trash. Boat people seem to be very cognisant of their rubbish, but bank fishermen seem to think...well, never mind...they don't think. As much as I hate "trash" in general, nothing is worse than old line that people leave on the bank or in the river. That's #1 for me.

My fishing partner likes to fish as much as I do. He is a great fisherman and a friend. He recently started guiding, but never on Saturday, that's "our day". How cool is that?

I seem to catch smaller bass when I fish soft plastics fast and aggressively as you have described. Granted, that is a good technique for numbers as it seems to grab their attention, but big bass seem to prefer a more subtle approach. I generally let my baits sit for a minute or more on the initial cast. It is surprising just how many quality bass are caught dead sticking. Movement for me is slower and more subtle. I use a 6" - 12" horizontal sweep. I want to move the bait like I visualize a crawdad might move. After they advance, they bury themselves in rocks or cover, so again, I let it sit. My method is probably too slow for a lot of fishermen, but that's why I'm there.

Welcome aboard!

Ponder this: George Welcome, his son and their clients probably catch more pounds of bass than anyone else on this Forum. George just stated that not all of the 800 lbs of fish per acre are bass, but still, 99-100% of the "bass per acre" ignore his (their) presentations. How's that make you feel? I'm surprised I ever catch a bass!

The great advantage of a big rubber net is for your fish: The fish never needs to leave the water. Neither fish nor lure get tangled in a rubber net. If you have a partner, he can either release it quickly or tend it while you get the camera and scale. The only time the fish leaves the water is for a quick weigh and photo opportunity. Rubber nets are fish friendly.

Raul was thinking about killing his compadre for knocking off the fish, not the bass!

I know when you are not catching fish, any weight is a "Good Bass". But the question is, "Where do you draw the line?" We have all caught little bass that fought like a tiger, but I think the body mass comes into play at about 3 lbs. That's where I draw the bottom line, but for me a "Good Bass" is 5 lbs.

I can't recall ever catching a smallmouth that did not surge at the boat. Nets come in handy.

Scroll down a few pages, we just did this last week.