I don't catch many small fish at all.  But here is why.  I fish with 1) a frog 2)blue/black jig 3)10" worm.  These baits catch mostly 3-5 lb fish and that's how I start and finish my tournament days.

Oh I definatly thought we lost that one. I NEVER think I can win on an underlimit, even if they were big fish.

i do lol. i know some of the lakes around here its really hard to catch a limit, that and i know most of the guys i'm fishing against.  even some of the best local around dont catch limits everyday

My screen name speaks volumes about what I try to accomplish in a tournament. Once I get my limit, I am able to relax 100%. I fish a whole lot better when I'm relaxed.

And yes, you can win a tournament with less than 5 fish.....but why chance it?

I agree.  Once I have my limit in the livewell then I feel as I have accomplished my first task and am alot more comfortable fishing for that "big bite".

A limit is my only goal

Most of the time I'm already fishing places where I will catch bigger bass.

I'm a little different than most I guess I don't generally fish for a limit first then go looking for bigger fish. I ALWAYS fish for bigger fish. In doing that I will usually also catch some smaller ones. I may not get as many bites as some other anglers but they are of better quality.

With that said, If I'm fishing an area where I'm not catchng the quality I should be I'll either slow down or speed up. I fish a jig alot, it's easy to change speeds with. I may try a different color or weight jig. I may even switch to another presentation like a t-rig or crankbait. It just depends on the day's conditions and time of year.

well said

I like going for the limit first. Once I got "5 in the Live" (cheesy but it rhymed) my confidence goes way up. A 5 pound northern Michigan bass isn't happening like a 5 pound Florida bass. On last year's trail the lunker of the year was 5.28 pounds. Pathetic to a southerner, but I can load up a limit of 14.5" bass in about an hour. Once you got that you've got an excellent chance at placing, and its time to bust out the swimbait or a 9" Slug-Go and look for mama out in the deep water. My point is that I think it depends on where you're fishing. If I'm in a 20 boat Texas tourney, I probably gotta grab a limit of 2's or 3's for a win, where as here up north, a limit of babies gives you a fair shot.

Here's a specific example from my own experience. Last year, I fished a 10 boat tourney in the middle of June. Temp came up around 100 which is really unseasonable here (city all time record 102 in June and 104 overall) so the bite was painfully slow. My buddy and I found some small fish in some lillies with a flowing cool channel nearby. Now, the minimum size was 14 and we were throwing fish back. Fish were averaging 12, but at least we were catching something. In 7 hours we pulled 4 fish between 14 and 15 inches. It was sad. We went back to the weigh in thinking we were wrecked. When we arrived, we found that one other boat had one fish and that was it. It was a NICE fish at about 3.5lbs but it couldn't take down 4 bare minimum keepers. Embarrasingly enough, I dropped one of the fish into the lake while taking it out of the livewell and we still won.

So, IMO, in the north, or lakes that aren't known for big fish, go for the limit. Where you know there are bigguns, go for them from the get go.

It's kinda like that around here but generally it takes at least 10lbs for 5 fish to guantee a top 3, 10 to 20 boat tourny.  I have seen a huge improvent in our club as whole last couple years.  2lb fish seem fairly plentiful but over 3's are a challenge.

A limit is my only goal

I was that way and will always be to a point its great to get a limit- after 4yrs of tourny fishing now- I would rather catch 1 or 2 good fish than a limit of dinks (if the limit of dinks dosent place)- I have been in many of tourny's where I get mid pack with a limit- I'd rather swing for the fence now days.  I think it is more impressive to get mid pack with "A" good fish then a limit of dinks- you can carry over what you learned catching that good fish- don't get me wrong there are those times when a fish of any size can be a challenge-

start flippin.

exactly

I think it depends also on the type of tournament you are fishing.  I would understand swinging for the fences more if it were a TOC or single tournament.

"So we just caught our limit!?!".... time to give a high five and do the funky fish dance!

Then it's back to fishing.

nice smilies!!!!

My goal is a limit also, but on the majority of the lakes we fish in Texas, just getting an early limit of 2lbers won't win nothing, and with a 100 boats on local trail and top percentage going to championship, a limit of dinks won't get you enough points.  Points plus pounds, you will not catch up in points with dink mentality, and you won't cash a check unless its pure luck.

I understand the logic for the smaller waters.

Mentality plays a big role.     Its hard to leave an area where your catching 2lbers.   But in our neck of the woods, 2lbers rarely get the job done.

     If in practice, I'm catching 15 inch fish, its time to move and eliminate those fish, they aren't the fish that will get me a check.

Its hard to move, but putting yourself in the position to win or cash a check is the goal.  

Example,    most of our trails use 150 points scale plus pounds.   Winner scores 150 points and has 25 pounds, he just put up 175 points.     Okay, you do the dink fest, 5 fish, 10 lbs and finish 30th out of 50 boats on the first tourney.    Basically, you scored 130 points.

already 45 points down for AOY, and with the same mentality all year, you will be out pointed, not make the championship, and never cash a check.

lol it must be nice to live in texas.  Around here a limit of dinks will win everything usually lol. and our dinks are 12-13 inches!  

If I lived in a different or big bass state (TX, FL, CA) I would probably have a different mentality towards targeting bigger fish from the get-go.

If I lived in a different or big bass state (TX, FL, CA) I would probably have a different mentality towards targeting bigger fish from the get-go.

well said, everey region is different and not to mention the season. A limit of dink smallmouth from a summer tourny in Idaho aint gunna come close to a limit of Largemouth in So Cal. its all relative-  

If I lived in a different or big bass state (TX, FL, CA) I would probably have a different mentality towards targeting bigger fish from the get-go.

I agree, it would be easier to find the bigger fish than it is up here.  Typically in the big bass states there are more fish per acre in lakes and although it might not be "easy" to catch a limit you certainly stand a better chance than lets say in the north (excluding the great lakes fisheries).  There are still some great fisheries in the north don't get me wrong, I'm just saying that with more fish per acre you stand a better chance of catching more fish.

The cool thing about this thread is there are no wrong answers.  There are so many factors that go into this.  It is all about the method you have confidence in.

The tourney I fish, its tough enough to get 5 legal fish.  Once/if that happens, I'd probably go to where I know big fish are but are super tough to catch.

Often times at that body of water, 5 fish will win it.

When I'm fishing a tournament and have my limit, most of the time I will just continue doing what I am doing and hope to cull some fish.

depends on the time of yr. if its spawn and the bed fishermen are going to throw a big sack on you then i target big fish only,but in most tx. i want a limit,as fast as i can. it gives me confidence and settles me down to go fish for upgrades or a kicker.that would mostly be flippin or c-riggin deep water.

SLOW it way down.  The bigger ones don't seem to chase like the littler younger fish do so we often need to be more methodical in our approach to catching them once we've located a spot that we believe holds that big fish.  They got big for a reason and it wasn't biting something that did not look natural to them most likely.

I fish deeper and in the tightest nastiest cover that I can find outside of the spawn season.  That's when the bigger bites seem to come for me.  Doug Hannon does a nice job with underwater photography to show this on his web site.  He shows the underside of cypress trees with a pile of 2-3 pounders but when you look way back in there you'll see the giants backed way up in the hardest to get to spots.  It's not by accident that they are way up in there.  Fish the most difficult looking spots cover wise and up your chances.  And fish slowly for big momma.

If I am catching them good I will try and move up to a larger bait of the same type and color and fish it a little slower.

Go bigger baits