As anglers we all wanted to catch a lot of bass when we get out on the water. The feeling of a hookset and the fight of a bass on the end of the line is something we never get enough of. We sometimes concentrate on the numbers over the quality of the size of the bass because we just don’t want to stop catching them. Who can blame you, it can be fun when the fish are biting and what we’re throwing is working. What if I told you if you sacrificed some of those smaller fish you could entice big bass to strike? The pre-spawn in early spring is the best time to get a giant in the whole year, and these tactics will get you tied in to a big’un.
Bigger Baits, Bigger Fish
This old adage is so popular because it’s true, but it all comes down to big in the right way and the right lure. By selecting a lure with a larger profile you will increases your chances of catching a larger bass drastically. Sometimes big fish are not fazed by smaller offerings and won’t give chase. They got that big by being smart and sometimes are bait cautious. They been hooked before and can be very picky when it comes to fooling them. They also like to use the least amount of energy at this point in the lunker life, so sometimes you’ll have to put the bait right in front of them to trigger the strike.
Started From The Bottom, Now Their Hooked
If you observe a school of bass you will notice that almost all of the time the bigger fish will be towards the bottom of the school. The smaller bass will be eager to chase baitfish and other forage, but those big bass are just roaming looking for easiest meal they can find. From summer into the fall you can increase your chances in size and in weight by fishing larger baits. Just by giving them a large, easy target you’ll be on your way to increasing the size of your bass.
Big Spinners For Big Bass
One of my go-to bait’s for big fish is a large-profile ½ ounce spinnerbait with double willow blades. Its large profile and flash can get the attention of big fish. Having the ½ ounce size will get your bait to the bottom and give you the ability to slow roll it over the bottom and put the bait in front of the bass. I like to fish my big spinnerbaits with a slow retrieve and fan cast an area in a clockwise pattern.
You’ll be covering an area and moving on. If you see any signs of fish schooling, just chuck the spinnerbait out into the school and target the larger fish in the school. If you’re on open water, isolated humps and main lake points can be very productive as well.
Bass Candy
Jigs are like candy to the bass and every kayak angler should have a few in their tackle box. Implementing flipping into your arsenal is another technique that can produce big bits in and around cover. Whether its boat docks, weeds or stumps flipping a jig can get you the right strikes you want.
Seaguar makes a fantastic flipping fluorocarbon line that also increases the sensitivity in your line. It also offers exceptional knot strength and that means a lot when you’re fishing in structure. Having the confidence in setting the hook and getting the bass out of the cover is half the battle! My rod for flipping jigs from my kayak will be a 7/6 or 7/7 Medium heavy, it will give you the perfect leverage when sitting down on your kayak to flip correctly.
You can go with heavy cover jigs, depending on how thick your fishing 1 ounce to ½ can punch through the surface to get to the bottom. Overall 3/8 ounce is a solid jig for throwing at structure. My colors would be a black/blue, green pumpkin and brown, paired with a beaver-style plastic as a trailer. Also apply some Mega Strike fish attractant to your jig to get those bass to hold on to it a little longer. You will increase your hook up ratio just by using a drop of scent on your baits, the amino acids will fool the bass and it won’t drop the bait.
The jig and spinnerbait have been solid fish catching baits for years and big bass like to super-size their lunch! I have to agree most of the time bigger baits catch bigger fish. You can’t beat having a large profile to increase the bass’ awareness of your bait. The large profile of a spinnerbait or the bulky body of a jig and trailer can really get you some quality bass this season.
