Tyrant Mini-Crusader-with pics now viewable

[Champ188]

Very nice! I could have used some of those this afternoon when I was running in there for weigh in. Lots of guys in the top were throwing the plopper for the majority of the day. It caught my two biggest yesterday and today. 

Champ- Surprisingly I came in with all largemouth this weekend for the scales. Got lucky yesterday and culled out a smallie and a KY yesterday. 

I think we all tend to over-react a bit when the LM seem to disappear. With all the high water we had this year and then the hot weather, it only stands to reason that they were gonna be hard to come by. When TR gets that high, the LM will just flat hide way back in the bushes where they can't be reached. Of course, when it gets hot, they get inactive.

Good to see the cool weather has them showing up a bit more.

[BearFisher10]

I think we all tend to over-react a bit when the LM seem to disappear. With all the high water we had this year and then the hot weather, it only stands to reason that they were gonna be hard to come by. When TR gets that high, the LM will just flat hide way back in the bushes where they can't be reached. Of course, when it gets hot, they get inactive.

Good to see the cool weather has them showing up a bit more.

I'm with you on them getting getting tucked back in the bushes when the water was as high as it was, they were just a challenge to catch so I resorted to other options. After this summer learning and trying new things, I believe there's a larger percentage of LM that hardly ever get shallow unless it's spring time and they're doing their thing. 

Still after this weekend the majority of my keeper fish came in the 20-25 ft range with only 3 coming off the bank and two fell victim to the whopper plopper. I just don't think enough people target these deeper fish to realize how many quality LM are still swimming in this great body of water. 

[Champ188]

I read a book by I believe a retired fisheries biologist in Texas who has spent most of his life chasing and catching giants. He believes that 80% of trophy bass only come shallow to spawn and otherwise spend their entire lives cruising the offshore depths. If they do come shallow, it's usually at night and only for a brief time to feed.

That leaves a small percentage of big bass in the shallows, but it explains why a guy like me who makes his hay fishing skinny water catches a lot of fish and plenty of keepers but not so many really big fish. My big ones tend to come in the winter when I'm fishing jerk baits off bluff ends and along 45-degree banks with immediate deep-water access.

[96 CHAMP]

Big bass are like big bucks in respect to where they live, big bass like deep water nearby, that is there home, where they feel safe, come shallower to feed, go back to the safe haunts of there home, big bucks like thick brush for the same reason, they don't get big by being dumb, I always look for deep water nearby when I find potential areas i think could harbor a big fish. Example::: only this one did not live in the water. Good luck fishing to you all.

[Champ188]

That's a beautiful buck. Nice job.

[96 CHAMP]

I am hoping to get down in a few weeks, looks like it may be a possibility, I haven't done a lot of fall fishing but am very interested in trying and learning something new, been looking at some older post, sounds like fall fishing can be very interesting and can change quickly. 

[magicwormman]

Nice buck!!! Is that a MO. buck? I totally agree with you on your analogy of big deer and big bass. They are both vulnerable during the mating season and if you score any other time, you have perfect conditions and are lucky as well. 

[96 CHAMP]

Yes, Mo. Buck