I know all of us here live in different parts of the country.

 

Seems like we have all four corners covered and everywhere in-between.

 

Just for fun, I was wondering what you consider a "big" bass? Not huge, or trophy, but big.

 

Example: You're fishing with a buddy and he catches a fish. How big does it have to be to say, "That's a big bass"?

 

Or you're fishing by yourself and you're like, "That's a big bass."

 

For me?

 

I'm in Iowa and fish small lakes, some would call large ponds. Never caught a 5 lb bass in my life.

 

"Big" for me is probably anything over 15".

 

I'm about positive if I'm fighting a 15" fish, I'm telling my son, "I've got a big one one!"   

 

So what say you? What's "big" for you?

5+ lbs

3 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

5+ lbs

 

What length would you say that is?

 

My goal is 20" this year.

 

That qualifies for an Iowa Master Angler award.

“Big” to me is a fish in the 4lb class, which is usually between 19.5”-20.5”. 

Big is anything over 18”, 4+lb. 
 

I “regularly” catch 16” 1.5lbers at Guntersville. 

6 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

What length would you say that is?

 

My goal is 20" this year.

 

That qualifies for an Iowa Master Angler award.

 

WAY WAY too much variation in body shape to give you an accurate length that always always = 5 lbs but 20" is a nice bass that usually weights +/- 5 ish lbs around here!  Sometimes significantly more and sometimes significantly less depending on genetics and how efficient that individual happens to be!

I’m with you @HawkeyeSmallie living in Iowa now. 5 pounds is one heck of a fish here. I got on some good fish early in spring. But anywhere I go and if I actually take a scale with me 2-2.5 pounds is a dang good fish for where I am at. 

But yeah if I get anything close to 1.5 pounds I’m saying it’s a good fish! Lol

any fish i lost without seeing it, was a "GIANT!"

 

but i dont even pull out a camera for anything under 5lbs now.   @HawkeyeSmallie i would love to blindfold you and take you to my secret lake...  (and blindfold you on the way out.)  hahah..

 

would love to see you hook into a SIX!!

Down here a big bass is anything over 22”. To 26”.   These 22” are caught often, with 26” caught 4 or 5 times a year.  These will go 6 to 10 pounds.  

 

I think of anything keeper size (14") and higher as "nice" or "decent"

Around 18"/3lb and bigger are "good"

4lb and up are "big"

Depends on where I’m fishing up north 4-5lbs. 20” i consider a big fish. Florida,Texas 7-8 lb. 24” big fish. 

 

 

6 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

I think of anything keeper size (14") and higher as "nice" or "decent"

Around 18"/3lb and bigger are "good"

4lb and up are "big"

I would consider this the same for Massachusetts as well. The state pin program I feel like is a good way to decipher what is considered big in your state. 

big 4#, Big 5#, BIG 6#, BIG!!! 7#

That's it, I'm moving. 

Big is a 8 lbs LM or 3 lb Spot here in Ga..

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

any fish i lost without seeing it, was a "GIANT!"

 

but i dont even pull out a camera for anything under 5lbs now.   @HawkeyeSmallie i would love to blindfold you and take you to my secret lake...  (and blindfold you on the way out.)  hahah..

 

would love to see you hook into a SIX!!

 

Yeah we live in two different worlds.

 

6 pounder?

 

If I landed it, I'm assuming I would look like this! LOLOLOL

 

I am surrounded by mostly smallmouth waters.  I rarely even fish for LMB here, and when I do, a 3 lber is a Big Bass.

But SMB on the other hand is a different story.   Waters without gobies, a 5 lb fish is a Big Bass.  In the bigger goby 'infested' lakes, a 6 lb bronze back is a Big Bass.

Interesting to note that most Big goby fed bass aren't particularly long.  But what they lack in length,  they often make up for with crazy, doesn't seem real girth; that extends all the way through the tail.

I like those.

A-Jay

this is for @VolFan

20 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

Yeah we live in two different worlds.

 

6 pounder?

 

If I landed it, I'm assuming I would look like this! LOLOLOL

 

i probably shouldnt have had a mouthful of water.   hahahha

9 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I am surrounded by mostly smallmouth waters.  I rarely even fish for LMB hete, and when I do, a 3 lber is a Big Bass.

But SMB on the other hand is a different story.   Waters without gobies, a 5 lb fish is a Big Bass.  In the bigger goby 'invested' lakes, a 6 lb bronze back is a Big Bass.

Interesting to note that most Big goby fed bass aren't particularly long.  But what they lack in length,  they often make up for with crazy, doesn't seem real girth; that extends all the way through the tail.

I like those.

A-Jay

this is for @VolFan

 

10 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I am surrounded by mostly smallmouth waters.  I rarely even fish for LMB hete, and when I do, a 3 lber is a Big Bass.

But SMB on the other hand is a different story.   Waters without gobies, a 5 lb fish is a Big Bass.  In the bigger goby 'invested' lakes, a 6 lb bronze back is a Big Bass.

Interesting to note that most Big goby fed bass aren't particularly long.  But what they lack in length,  they often make up for with crazy, doesn't seem real girth; that extends all the way through the tail.

I like those.

A-Jay

this is for @VolFan

 

3 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

“Big” to me is a fish in the 4lb class, which is usually between 19.5”-20.5”. 

That's about right for me too... which is interesting since I'm also in NY, though a different part of the state. 

4 pounds and larger is a big one for my area and to me. I've heard of a few 6-8 pound fish, but it's uncommon.

 

My PB is 4-11 right now. I know someone that's caught a 6lber in my home lake.

From my own experience, Smallmouth which reside in rivers and streams with constant current are long and lean fighting machines compared to their pot bellied sumo wrestler namesakes pulled from deep and still waters. 

6+ lmb

4+ smb

6lbs for smallmouth & 8lbs for largemouth.

As a fellow Michigander, I’m with @MIbassyaker and @A-Jay, a 3# LMB is good and anything over the 3# class is big. 
 

Smallmouth waters are few around here and absent of the goby snacks so, a 3# smallie for me is big.