| Bass Articles |
John N. Felsher's Bass Fishing Adventures
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Articles and photos on this website are for the viewing pleasure of patrons of this site. All articles and photos on this site are protected by the copyright laws of the United States. Any unauthorized usage is strictly prohibited. If you wish to purchase an article or photo, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Articles and photos on this website are free for your viewing pleasure, but it takes money to keep this site up and running. If you would care to help keep this site up and running for the use of all outdoors patrons, you can make a cash contribution. If you care to donate, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Protected by Copyright |
| How you can help keep this site operating |
Big bass want large baits; monster
swimbaits fill that awesome role
swimbaits fill that awesome role
TOP: Peter Thliveros, a professional bass angler from Jacksonville,
Fla., lips a bass that hit a large Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life tilapia
swimbait at Lake Amistad near Del Rio, Texas. BOTTOM: Big bass
like big meals, like Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life tilapia swimbait.
Fla., lips a bass that hit a large Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life tilapia
swimbait at Lake Amistad near Del Rio, Texas. BOTTOM: Big bass
like big meals, like Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life tilapia swimbait.
Anglers might catch more bass with smaller baits, but to put solid
weight in a livewell, throw something substantial.
In lakes such as El Salto, Amistad, Fork, Casitas and other waters that
harbor truly giant largemouths, a bucketmouth bass may not feed often, but
when it does, it wants a big meal. Many lakes contain high populations of
threadfin or gizzard shad. A large gizzard shad might reach 12 inches long
or more. With its gaping mouth, a 5-pound bass can swallow a big shad.
Tru-Tungsten makes Tru-Life hard-plastic suspending swimbaits that
resemble full-size trout, bluegill or tilapia for tempting giant bass. Slowly
sinking, it turns sideways, hovers and “looks back” at its pursuers. When
chased by a big bass, a bluegill uses this same look-back technique as a
defensive posture, turning sideways to make itself look as big as possible
and more difficult to swallow.
“Its color pattern and body shape is exactly what a bass feeds upon,”
said Peter Thliveros, a professional bass angler from Jacksonville, Fla. “If
fish follow that bait, but don’t hit, use a stop and go or a stop and twitch
approach. In warmer water, retrieve it a little faster. In cold water, retrieve
it very slowly.”
Use these baits specifically to target large fish in relatively clear water.
When targeting big fish suspending in flooded timber, run baits as close to
tree trunks as possible. They won’t work in dense weeds, but might entice
Ol’ Mossbacks lurking at the edges of weed beds. Run baits parallel to
grassy edges, creek channels or other cover.
“People make a commitment to throw a big swimbait,” Thliveros said.
“They can’t just pick it up, throw it a few minutes and expect to catch fish.
They have to throw it a long time in an area that produces many really big
fish. It’s only going to produce a few bites, even on an exceptional day.
People might only get two or three bites in a day, but they could catch a 20-
pound stringer where other baits might produce 20 to 30 bites and 10
pounds of fish.”
Other large swimbaits come in several configurations and may reach
more than a foot long. Some come loaded with internal trapezoidal weights
that produce enticing wobbling action. Others employ external jigheads
with detachable soft plastic tails to provide temptation for huge bass.
“Large swimbaits are definitely for big fish, not big numbers,” said Jay
Yelas, a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Tyler, Texas. “It’s
probably the worst lure in my box for catching numbers of fish, but it’s
probably the best lure for quality bites. Big swimbaits work best in lakes
with high populations of large shad or similar forage.”
Anglers can use them around points that give lunker bass access to
both shallow and deeper water. With heavy sinking swimbaits, such as a
Storm WildEye Shad or a Calcutta Flash Foil Swim Shad, vertically them in
deep holes off points, drop-offs or around the edges of humps and ledges.
Let them hit bottom, then bounce them. Lift them about a few feet off the
bottom and let them drop again.
“I target long, flat, slowly tapering points,” said Jay Yelas, a former
Bassmaster Classic champion from Tyler, Texas. “These usually have a
sharp drop-off at the end. Often, bass suspend just over the drop-off.
Around these deeper points with no cover, let the swimbait sink to the
bottom in about 10 to 15 feet of water, then crawl it back to the boat
extremely slowly, just off the bottom.”
Sometimes, fish aggressively hit and gulp swimbaits. More often, bass
simply slurp them. Since soft plastic swimbaits feel like live fish, bass may
hold them in their mouths for a time. Anglers might only feel a slight tap,
like a bass nibbling a plastic worm. Sometimes, anglers only feel a slight
heaviness as if a lure snagged on submerged grass.
Use medium-heavy to heavy tackle with PowerPro or other braided line
when fishing large swimbaits. After the fish gulps in the bait, set the hook
hard. When fighting big fish, thrust the rod tip into the water to keep it from
jumping.
For information on Tru-Tungsten baits, see www.tru-tungsten.com.
weight in a livewell, throw something substantial.
In lakes such as El Salto, Amistad, Fork, Casitas and other waters that
harbor truly giant largemouths, a bucketmouth bass may not feed often, but
when it does, it wants a big meal. Many lakes contain high populations of
threadfin or gizzard shad. A large gizzard shad might reach 12 inches long
or more. With its gaping mouth, a 5-pound bass can swallow a big shad.
Tru-Tungsten makes Tru-Life hard-plastic suspending swimbaits that
resemble full-size trout, bluegill or tilapia for tempting giant bass. Slowly
sinking, it turns sideways, hovers and “looks back” at its pursuers. When
chased by a big bass, a bluegill uses this same look-back technique as a
defensive posture, turning sideways to make itself look as big as possible
and more difficult to swallow.
“Its color pattern and body shape is exactly what a bass feeds upon,”
said Peter Thliveros, a professional bass angler from Jacksonville, Fla. “If
fish follow that bait, but don’t hit, use a stop and go or a stop and twitch
approach. In warmer water, retrieve it a little faster. In cold water, retrieve
it very slowly.”
Use these baits specifically to target large fish in relatively clear water.
When targeting big fish suspending in flooded timber, run baits as close to
tree trunks as possible. They won’t work in dense weeds, but might entice
Ol’ Mossbacks lurking at the edges of weed beds. Run baits parallel to
grassy edges, creek channels or other cover.
“People make a commitment to throw a big swimbait,” Thliveros said.
“They can’t just pick it up, throw it a few minutes and expect to catch fish.
They have to throw it a long time in an area that produces many really big
fish. It’s only going to produce a few bites, even on an exceptional day.
People might only get two or three bites in a day, but they could catch a 20-
pound stringer where other baits might produce 20 to 30 bites and 10
pounds of fish.”
Other large swimbaits come in several configurations and may reach
more than a foot long. Some come loaded with internal trapezoidal weights
that produce enticing wobbling action. Others employ external jigheads
with detachable soft plastic tails to provide temptation for huge bass.
“Large swimbaits are definitely for big fish, not big numbers,” said Jay
Yelas, a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Tyler, Texas. “It’s
probably the worst lure in my box for catching numbers of fish, but it’s
probably the best lure for quality bites. Big swimbaits work best in lakes
with high populations of large shad or similar forage.”
Anglers can use them around points that give lunker bass access to
both shallow and deeper water. With heavy sinking swimbaits, such as a
Storm WildEye Shad or a Calcutta Flash Foil Swim Shad, vertically them in
deep holes off points, drop-offs or around the edges of humps and ledges.
Let them hit bottom, then bounce them. Lift them about a few feet off the
bottom and let them drop again.
“I target long, flat, slowly tapering points,” said Jay Yelas, a former
Bassmaster Classic champion from Tyler, Texas. “These usually have a
sharp drop-off at the end. Often, bass suspend just over the drop-off.
Around these deeper points with no cover, let the swimbait sink to the
bottom in about 10 to 15 feet of water, then crawl it back to the boat
extremely slowly, just off the bottom.”
Sometimes, fish aggressively hit and gulp swimbaits. More often, bass
simply slurp them. Since soft plastic swimbaits feel like live fish, bass may
hold them in their mouths for a time. Anglers might only feel a slight tap,
like a bass nibbling a plastic worm. Sometimes, anglers only feel a slight
heaviness as if a lure snagged on submerged grass.
Use medium-heavy to heavy tackle with PowerPro or other braided line
when fishing large swimbaits. After the fish gulps in the bait, set the hook
hard. When fighting big fish, thrust the rod tip into the water to keep it from
jumping.
For information on Tru-Tungsten baits, see www.tru-tungsten.com.
