Fear Of Bigger Baits

[Mitch f]

obviously go big and loud when the fish might have trouble finding the bait, like in murky water or at night. Just remember how many times you caught a big fish and had it spit up a bluegill or an 6-8" shad?

[RSBreth]

I think what Al said is right on target - there's an optimum prey size that will get you both numbers and a shot at bigger fish. I was trying to find an online version of an In-Fisherman article from a couple of years ago about a fisheries study of prey size that certain sizes of Largemouth Bass prefer - but I can't find it - anyway the quick version of it was that the bigger the Bass the bigger prey size they preferred - but there was a "window" that they mainly like to eat - say 3" to 5" for the bigger Largemouths (over 5-pounds.) Smaller Bass would also eat the 3" sized prey often enough that maybe when targeting bigger fish a lure that is just on the big side of the smaller fishes preferred prey size, and you'll get numbers and big fish. That study was for Largemouths, so shift the size down just a notch for Mr. Smalljaws - but just a notch.

Hey - I throw 1/2-ounce spinnerbaits for Smallmouth, but they are about the size of the average 3/16 or 1/4-ounce lure. Why so heavy? So I can burn it fast without it spinning out - Smallmouths destroy my spinnerbait but I wouldn't call it big, just compact. Bigger than most Roostertails folks use, sure, but not as big as some of the buzzbaits I see used on the river. And like Gavin said, a 5" soft jerkshad is a "must have" on the river in summer. Smallmouths will race each other to kill one if you work it right.

[emjay]

Almost all my spinners are 1/2oz. I catch fish and I rarely unhook any dinks. Know where the fish are holding and just present it the way they want it.

[Guest]

Summetime is big bait time around area lakes.

Remember that you can catch small bass on 10"-12" worms, its a matter of time before mr. Biggs eats it.

I like big crankbaits like the Fat Free Shad or DD22, fished on 15lb floro with a MH baitcaster.

This is to cover deep flats and points with slow tapers.

As for the creeks,

3/8oz black buzzbait w/small trailer hook

3/8oz Eakins finesse jigs with a twin tail grub trailer (brown/purple)

Zoom super fluke (smokin shad)

Baby brush hog, texas rigged (watermelon/red)

RC1.5 in a creek chub color (copper/green)

7/16oz biffle hardhead and biffle bug (sooner run)