Just like every baseball batter hopes to slug a home run, nearly every freshwater angler dreams of catching big fish. There is a thrill about doing battle with a truly big fish, like the current co-world record holder in bass, Manabu Kurita, experienced when he caught a 22 lb., 4.97 oz. largemouth in 2009. You can catch big freshwater fish, whether they are dinner plate-sized crappies or bass like Kurita's, with a combination of skill and luck. Anglers with high hopes have to put all their skills together to give luck a wide path.
Know Your Species
Regardless of what species of fish you hope to catch, if you want to catch big ones, you will need to understand fish behaviors. All freshwater fish have specific behavioral hallmarks, according to champion angler Kevin Van Dam. Invest time doing research on how different species live in their territories and then apply that knowledge when you hit the water. For example, if you want to catch a 25-lb. hybrid bass, you need to know where they lurk in a lake, what time of day they prefer to feed and how they strike a lure. This knowledge will be completely different for another species like a walleye, catfish or bluegill.
Water Color and Speed
Species of freshwater fish in lakes and rivers prefer to live and feed in particular water conditions in terms of color and speed. Catfish, for example, are dark and murky water creatures, as are walleyes. Bass, on the other hand, thrive in mixed or clearer waters. Hybrid bass like fast water beneath a dam or spillway, while skittish crappies like calm waters near covers and docks. Catching a big specimen means knowing where to look, in terms of water conditions, in the first place.
Water Temperatures
Since fish are cold-blooded animals, water temperature is a vital part of their behavioral patterns. Generally, fish are always seeking to find a balance between not-too-warm and not-too-cold waters. During certain times of the day, or the year, fish will move to shallower warmer water planes or thermo clines. In midday, they will seek deeper cooler waters, champion angler Roland Martin says. Use a fish finder to take the temperature of the water at various depths to find the big fish where they are most likely parked.
Contours
The shape and composition of the lake under the surface often determines factors like water temperature and likely spawning zones. Most large manmade lakes have conservation departments that offer maps of the general contour of the lake under the surface of the water. You can also use a fish finder to determine the most likely underwater features to match a fish species. For example, largemouth bass on the feed generally like points with drop-offs, while scavengers like catfish prefer to cruise underwater channels. Knowing where to look for big fish produces the best results.
Time of Day and Year
Freshwater fish have a life cycle, a pattern of activities that correspond to the time of day and month of the year. Spring, for example, is spawning time and that presents great conditions for fishing. Fall is a time for moving off to deeper, more temperature-insulated waters, and another opportunity for great fishing. Many species prefer to feed very early in the morning or at dusk and even at night. In order to hunt for big fish, you have to be active when they are active.
Equipment
Fishing tackle can be simple---such as a bamboo pole, line, bobber and hook---or advanced with composite rods, microchip-powered reels, and high-tech lures. Big fish can be hooked on anything but you increase your odds of actually getting a big fish to your boat or the bank if you have the right tackle---for the species---in the first place. Hybrid bass, for example, are completely unforgiving when it comes to having the proper line and rod. Hybrid bass fight so hard that even smaller 8-lb. specimens are often lost when the fish snaps a too-light line, according to expert Kevin VanDam.
Bait
Big fish have big appetites. If you want to catch big fish, present them with a larger lure or bait. It only makes sense that a 12-lb. largemouth bass will be more interested in a large crankbait lure like a big Rat-L-Trap or Bomber than his smaller 1-lb. neighbor will. Kurita caught his world-record bass using a live, 4-inch-long bluegill.
Presentation
The final piece of the big fish puzzle is bait presentation, where you cast the bait or lure, and how you bring it back to the boat or shore. Movement of the lure as it travels through the water, or lack of movement if you are fishing for a more static species like crappie, is important, says Roland Martin. Expert anglers who catch big fish spend a lot of time practicing casting and retrieving.
References
- ESPN.com: Japan's Kurita Ties World Record Bass
- "Kevin VanDam's Bass Strategies Revised Edition"; Kevin VanDam, Louie Stout and Judy Purple; 2010
- "Roland Martin's 101 Bass-Catching Secrets"; Roland Martin; 2008
- "Fishing Essentials for Dummies"; Peter Kaminsky; 2002
- "The Bass Angler's Almanac: More Than 650 Tips and Tactics"; John Weiss; 2002
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