I live in Missouri, and my personal best largemouth is 6lbs. Ever since that catch, I've been chasing a bigger one. Multiple spots around me have crystal clear water and many bass in the 8-11lb. range. What techniques do you guys think should use to catch them?

I'd be fishing the trout pond with big swimbaits down where you are a lot if I was looking for big fish. I fished it several years ago this time of year and had a lot of fun throwing A-rigs and jerkbaits but never found any of the big ones. Table Rock has big fish and a big glide is a good way to get them to bite, but you have to commit to it. 

Thanks so much for the info!

Thare are multiple techniques that will catch big bass.  Intense fishing pressure and clear water will be the biggest impediment to success.  Fish where there is limited access and stained water.

@Bluebasser86 and @Lottabass are consistent big bass catchers. One tip they didn't share is that even though Iowa water is so c-c-cold, @Lottabass is eyeing it, ready to launch given the chance and @Bluebasser86 just caught his first 2026 bass, including a 4.5-pounder and a likely, second four-plus-pounder. Both are them also cast an array of lures, targeting structure. In short, they're tenacious and strategic and two of Bass Resource's biggest sticks.

 

I catch an occasional big bass by fishing less fished water, so I'm like Al. I also launch at four a.m. Once I caught a 19-incher, a 19.5-incher, and a 20-incher in the dark on three, consecutive casts. Here's an early morning bass and last fall, I caught a five-bass bag in the upper twenties when I launched in the dark:

 

 

I didn't weigh or even measure her, but she was one of those bass that could swallow a fist. I was retrieving a Whopper Plopper alongside some reeds and she pulled me into the reeds, so I was lucky to land her. 

Thank you for the tips. I'll definitely be heading out earlier and taking advantage of water conditions this winter and coming spring, especially during flooding.

 

2 hours ago, Flukeflicker said:

Thank you for the tips. I'll definitely be heading out earlier and taking advantage of water conditions this winter and coming spring, especially during flooding.

 

 

My best tip is this: Get six feet of rope. Then do some sleuthing and determine where @Bluebasser86 and @Lottabass live. Then follow them to where they're fishing and while they're busy launching, tie one end of your rope to their stern and the other end to your bow. If you do this oh-so-quietly, they might not even notice. 

 

They might simply say, "Golly, my boat is slow today."

@Swamp Girl pointed out one big option that I missed, chasing them at night. Fish in clear water lakes often act like completely different animal at night. I use to go at night a lot but I haven't much the last few years. I'll be doing it a lot more this year with the changes in schedules here. It's one of my favorite ways to fish and something I absolutely suggest trying if your're comfortable with it. 

I fish the water you have mentioned.  I haven’t caught anything over 6.5# in several years.  If I were looking for a large one I would be learning forward facing sonar and spending lots of time scanning areas looking for them.

Baits to consider:

 

Winter… Arig 

Late winter…crank baits and jerk baits

Spring pre spawn…tandem spinnerbait

Post spawn…jigs with large trailers

Early summer…Zara spook

Good luck on your journey.

 

 

 

Thank you guys, you've been very helpful. I'll be fishing A-rigs, crankbaits, jigs, glides, large Panoramas, and swimbaits. I've never been night fishing, but I was already planning to go this spring and the coming year.

I'll point out one other thing I learned from Tom - big (adult) fish often behave differently than smaller fish. Different places, different timing, etc. Think about them like a different species and then think about where and when (and what) you caught your big ones on, and you might get some ideas. 

As an example, I've never caught a big fish more than a cast length from deep water - whatever deep water looks like on the lake. 

(Update) I took what you guys said into consideration and had some good results. I caught probably a dozen bass between 1 and 3.5 pounds, 3 four-pounders, one 4.5, and a 5.2lber. I threw a bacca burrito 6'', a River2Sea S-waver, and a red eye shad. Hopefully, with a lot of patience, I'll get a big one.

On 1/13/2026 at 10:43 AM, Flukeflicker said:

(Update) I took what you guys said into consideration and had some good results. I caught probably a dozen bass between 1 and 3.5 pounds, 3 four-pounders, one 4.5, and a 5.2lber. I threw a bacca burrito 6'', a River2Sea S-waver, and a red eye shad. Hopefully, with a lot of patience, I'll get a big one.

You didn't have "good results." You had great results! Three four-pounders, a 4.5, and a 5.2 in a week is fantastic.

Go light .I live in Missouri also and been getting bigger on finesse more the last couple of years. A lot of Neko and Wacky rigs