Yes Dotty was foil hooked but she was going to eat that jig Mac pulled the trigger to soon.

Explain the Texas bass caught on a Crappie jig?

All these bass hit what was in front of them, meaning the size of the lure didn't matter.

I guess there is no explaining myself. Oh well. All I know is from first hand experience bigger baits catch bigger bass. It's just a fact. Thanks for you're input though. But see even though they go in depth in the video we have no idea of the truth. There was no video evidence of him hooking it. There's many possibities to what could have happend.

Ok here's what I think is happening, the small fish are active and on the bite, I find the bigger fish will cruise in but won't strike the smaller sized lures. The bigger fish will also scare the smaller ones away this is why the bite slows down. Once I upside my lure the bigger fish will hit it. This has happened to me many times now.

You may still catch the aggressive smaller fish inbetween the larger fish too that's not uncommon.

I just refuse to accept the bite is over when it slows down. I regroup and think about

what can I try next. We know the fish are there but they shut down for some reason.

I've seen turtles move in and shut them down too as well as the larger fish.

Fishing from shore I'm not going anywhere and In fishing the smaller places the fish aren't going anywhere to soon too. It's up to use to figure it out.

Fishing from darkness to first light the fish are from the surface, toshallow to deep at this time hunting like sharks. Within five minutes I can catch fish topwater(poppers), to shallow(cranks), to deeper running cranks. As it gets lighter the cruising will settle down and they start to move to there daytime haunts. At this time my carolina rig, my senko's, and my deeper running cranks are more successful along side the weedlines. To do change and fish the weeds with my topwater and shallow cranks. I move from the open water and channels to casting into the weeds/cover.

Bass are predators like cats are. It's like playing with a string(lure). Sometimes they will go after it at any speed or we need to slow it down to tease them. Cats will go after anything so the fish are no different. Sometimes even the cat will walk away does that sound familiar? Now change the string to a ball and the cat is back in the game.

This is why I change lures till I get action then I'm on a pattern. If it still get no action I change lure color next. I also change the speed of my presentations as I go too.

All these bass hit what was in front of them, meaning the size of the lure didn't matter.

 

At that specific time, no, perhaps not.

 

At other times, you'd be foolish to think that. If they are feeding on bluegills, wouldn't the appropriate size and profile bait more readily get eaten? If there was just a trout stocking (foreign to you on TB), does it make more sense to fish a crappie jig or something resembling a trout?

 

See, you fish jigs and worms. That's what you know and I'll say, you're good at it. If you dedicated all that time to a swimbait, who knows what you would have caught at different times. Maybe it would have been better, maybe worse, but you would have a better understanding of swimbaits and how to apply them.

My answer to "bigger baits = bigger fish" is simply this: sometimes yes, sometimes no.

 

Maybe for someone bigger/bigger is always been true. But that simply hasn't been my experience.

Also Catt, using your shad analogy from above....

 

If I place that 8" bait at the same distance as the 4" bait, then by your thinking the 8" bait will most certainly be the one that gets bit since it would be the most reward for the same amount of energy expended. Your words.

 

So yeah, size of the bait would matter given that all other variables are the same.

 

My answer to "bigger baits = bigger fish" is simply this: sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Maybe for someone bigger/bigger is always been true. But that simply hasn't been my experience.

Thats really what it just comes down to, first hand experience.

bigger baits dont necessarily mean bigger fish....you can catch giants on tiny baits and small fish on giant baits and here is 2 examples of personal experience

 

caught a 43lb snook on a 1 inch square chunk of bait and also caught a 15 inch sea trout on a 14 inch live mullet lol 

bigger baits dont necessarily mean bigger fish....you can catch giants on tiny baits and small fish on giant baits and here is 2 examples of personal experience

caught a 43lb snook on a 1 inch square chunk of bait and also caught a 15 inch sea trout on a 14 inch live mullet lol

Fresh not salt. Not really the same for both but nice snook.

There no way to know if a bass caught on a swim bait would not have hit a jig or worm. There is no way to know if a bass caught on a jig or worm would not have hit a swim bait. But to think big bass hit only big baits is not true, they will hit what is in front of them.

SPEEDBEAD your thoery would be true if both shad did not move but since both will move the bass aint gonna chase the biggest simply because its bigget, its gonna chase the easiest to catch. The bass will not swim passed the smallest just to catch the biggest.

S

There no way to know if a bass caught on a swim bait would not have hit a jig or worm. There is no way to know if a bass caught on a jig or worm would not have hit a swim bait. But to think big bass hit only big baits is not true, they will hit what is in front of them.

SPEEDBEAD your thoery would be true if both shad did not move but since both will move the bass aint gonna chase the biggest simply because its bigget, its gonna chase the easiest to catch. The bass will not swim passed the smallest just to catch the biggest.

S

Never did I once say or hint at that big bass only hit swimbaits. Don't twist words, ruins you're point. I'm simply stating that the majority of bass caught on a swimbait is big. There's no point for me to try and argue with you. It's a fact that big swimbaits catch big bass, that's all.

I see bigger bass all the time swimming by me. I never see the bigger gals being caught. I think it's the size of our lures that attracts them or makes them just pass by. There big because there smarter. It's good to have an assortment of smaller, to midsize, to larger lures so you can try them all in certain situations. I just had the saltwater topwater lures repainted in bass lure colors along with my mister twister super top props. I even have some northern pike lures to throw too.

I find there are bigger bass in the 4 bodies of water where I fish I see them. If we have big bass in ct. Then all the other states have to have them too. It's a fact there not being caught. Since bass aren't restocked all the millions of baby bass aren't all

comming from fish under ten pounds. These big gals do not do the 9 to 5 the too. There hiding during the daylite. There cruising in the dark of night.

With fishing at night beaware of snakes in the trees at night near the water and the animals. Trust me the woods come alive at night.

Where did I say that?

Where did I say that?

Say what?

Where did I twist anyones words?

I aint arguing with anyone!

Where did I twist anyones words?

I aint arguing with anyone!

In you're 2nd to last post. "Big bass only hit big baits". Usually if you were to say that and then precede to say I don't believe in that, means that someone had to say it.

I think the only reason why big baits catch more big fish is that the smaller fish wont hit them as much. That is not always the case of course. I think the biggest issue is finding a big fish. And throwing it what it wants. Im not sure how picky of eaters bass are, but Im pretty big and i can tell you that i can eat a brat or those tiny little sausages. You just have to get it in front of me.

SPEEDBEAD your thoery would be true if both shad did not move but since both will move the bass aint gonna chase the biggest simply because its bigget, its gonna chase the easiest to catch. The bass will not swim passed the smallest just to catch the biggest.

 

 

Your points do typically come off interpreted as "if it aint a jig 'n' craw or worm it doesnt catch big fish" and as I said, I expect you to have that view as that is what you've fished for the last however many decades.

 

In my example (using your examples of size), all things are equal. Distance away from the bass, swimming speed of the bait, etc. The only difference is the size of the baitfish. Using your stated "highest reward, least energy expended," then each and every time the bass is going to eat the bigger bait.

 

We both know there are no absolutes in fishing and bass have a mind of their own, no matter what we "think" we know about them.

 

Bottom line, IMO, present WHATEVER bait you happen to be throwing correctly and at the right time and you stand a better than average chance of hooking a big fish.

You have confidence fishing a jig in the locations where big bass are found.

 

I have that same confidence fishing a swimbait in those locations.

 

Two common denominators there....confidence and location. I dont care what the bait is, if you don't think it will catch big fish or there are no big fish there, you ain't catching squat.

Ok first GoneFish'n if you notice nowhere do I put the word "swim" in front of "big bait".

SPEED as soon as I learn how to flip a swim bait in matted Hydrilla I'll let you know.

Minimum output maximum intake!

Notice "output" is first meaning the bass will hit the closest saving enegery.

See GoneFish'n we can discuse and it aint arguing

SPEED as soon as I learn how to flip a swim bait in matted Hydrilla I'll let you know.

 

 

316 mission fish, lube it with megastrike. The weight is built into the nose of the bait, it will punch through.

 

You don't even have to learn, you already know how to do it. Just because it's a swimbait doesn't necessarily mean it has to be swimming all the time. Fish it just like a jig. It's a different profile.

 

What's the worst that can happen? You learn something new and catch a few more fish...

Ya know I got some of them around here some where, some crazy guy from Cali sent to me.

Ok first GoneFish'n if you notice nowhere do I put the word "swim" in front of "big bait".

SPEED as soon as I learn how to flip a swim bait in matted Hydrilla I'll let you know.

Minimum output maximum intake!

Notice "output" is first meaning the bass will hit the closest saving enegery.

See GoneFish'n we can discuse and it aint arguing

Regarding you're other comment about my post I didn't put "s" in front of swimbait either :') (I have no earthly idea on how to do that smirk face you do haha). Never said it was an argument either. Just trying to explain to you something about swimbaits which you know nothing of(what it seems like). I'm not saying I know a lot about them, just a little bit. Like speed said a lot of you're posts I've seen is jig this, jig that. Try swimbaits for a month or two then come back to me and tell me that "big baits" don't catch bigger bass.

Good bait that is pretty versatile.

 

I'd recommend getting on the 316 website and watching how he bends the hook out toward the side of the bait before rigging it. Helps a ton on the hookup percentage.

Good bait that is pretty versatile.

I'd recommend getting on the 316 website and watching how he bends the hook out toward the side of the bait before rigging it. Helps a ton on the hookup percentage.

Which one would you recommend for a weedy lake? I know he makes the weedless mission fish, but does it go through weeds easily?

I am about 60% big worm/jig and 40% big swimbaits so I like to think I know a little about a lot.  That being said big baits are as much about output vs. input as well as a dinner bell ringing.  They can in some cases send out the good vibrations and sound further than a jig or worm if the fish are just off the structure being fished and that is where I think one may shine over the other.   

 

As far as big baits representing maximum input vs. effort that is not always the case.  Take for example tiger tubes- those don't necessary represent a large shad or other bait fish, it may represent a ball of threadfin- big bass still bite anyhow.